Wilson Tang Lecture

Abstract:
In the digital era, digital twin emerges as a powerful tool to empower landslide emergency management. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical system that is updated through the exchange of information between the physical and virtual systems. In this lecture, I will introduce a unique city-scale digital twin as an integrated platform for managing landslide and flood hazards and coordinating societal responses. The digital twin comprises a digitized reality of the entire Hong Kong, a space-aerial-ground sensing network, and simulation and risk assessment engines. The slope safety system, natural environment and infrastructural layers of  Hong Kong have been digitized in 3D GIS or BIM form. The digital twin is capable of monitoring, simulating, and displaying both hazard and societal response processes, and hence enables more effective disaster risk management.

Biography：
Dr. Limin Zhang is Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of Digital Cities and Smart Hazard Mitigation Laboratory at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research areas include landslides, dams, foundations, and geotechnical risks.  Dr. Zhang is Past Chair of Geotechnical Safety Network, Past Chair of ASCE Geo-Institute’s Risk Assessment and Management Committee, Chair of International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)’s TC210 on Embankment Dams, Editor-in-Chief of Georisk, Special Editor of Geodata and AI, Associate Editor of ASCE’s Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, and editorial board member of Engineering Geology, Computers and Geotechnics and other journals. He is recipient of ASCE Ralph Peck Award, Chinese National Engineer Award, and ISSMGE’s Lacasse Lecture Award.