GIS for Hazard Management

 

Summary of Activities

Geographic information system (GIS) is a technology to capture, store, organize, present, analyze spatial, temporal and attribute related information. In the study for this Center, GIS has been applied as a supporting technology for organizing, storing, analyzing and presenting hazard related spatial information. A step further is to integrate GIS with hazard modeling for advanced researches for hazard monitoring. The identified research areas include, but not limited to:

  • GIS and very large database technologies for structural health monitoring and damage detection, such as for bridges and high buildings;
  • Integration of GIS and laser scanning for slope engineering;
  • GIS for noise pollution studies;
  • GIS for earthquake engineering;
  • 3D GIS and virtual reality for wind engineering;
  • Integration of GIS and imaging technologies for hazard evaluation; and
  • GIS for hazard rescue control and management.

Simulation the process of occupant evacuation in a fire based on 3D GIS and fire simulation models

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

stoneExtra: an image processing system that can detect boulders on terrain surface, such as slope, from air-photographs

 

 

 

Bridge health monitoring system developed based on GIS and related analysis models. The system can manage large data sets from monitoring systems.

Representative Projects

  • Boulder detection based on image processing technology
  • Structural Health Monitoring and Management System Based on GIS and large database 
  • Integrated GIS and virtual reality for fire modeling and rescue
  • Laser scanning and close range photogrammetry for slope monitoring

Major Facilities

GIS lab with facilities of digitizer, plotter workstation and PCs for GIS software

Software

  • 4 Arc/Info,
  • ArcView
  • Autodesk MapGuide
  • MapInfo
  • GeoMedia and other products from Intergraph.

Select Publications

1.         Shi, W.Z., Cheng, P.G., Ko, J.M. and Liu, C. (2002) “Development of GIS-Based Bridge Structural Health Monitoring and Management System”, NDE and Health Monitoring of Aerospace Materials and Civil Infrastructures, SPIE Vol. 4704. California, U.S.A, March 2002.

2.         Shi, W. Z. (2004) “Applying image processing technology for boulder mapping”, Proceedings of Geotechnical Division Annual Seminar on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Engineering. May 14th 2004, Hong Kong, pp177-184

3.         Shi, W.Z. (2005) “Principle of modeling uncertainties in spatial data and analysis”, Science Press, Beijing, ISBN: 7-03-015602-1, 408 pages (in Chinese).

4.         Shi, W.Z., Wu, Y.H. and Wu, L.X. (2007) “Quantitative Analysis of the Projectile Impact on Rock Using Infrared Thermography”, International Journal of Impact Engineering, 34: 990-1002

5.         Zou, L., Shi, W.Z. and Ren, A.Z. (2005) “Simulation of fire process using GIS and virtual reality technologies: application and development expectation”, Journal of Natural Disasters 14(3): 83-88.

Contact Information of the contact person

Prof. Wenzhong (John) Shi
Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Fax:     + 852 - 2330 2994
Phone:   + 852 - 2766 5975
E-mail:  lswzshi@polyu.edu.hk
Home page: http://www.lsgi.polyu.edu.hk/staff/John.Shi/

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Research Centre for Urban Hazards Mitigation