Open Educational Resources | Pao Yue-kong Library, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Video

World's Largest Batteries - (Pumped Storage)

The vast majority of our grid-scale storage of electricity uses this clever method. Electricity faces a fundamental problem that comes with pretty much any product that’s provided on-demand: our ability to generate large amounts of it doesn’t match up that closely with when we need it. The storage of electricity for later use, especially on a large scale, is quite challenging. That’s not to say that we don’t store energy at grid scale though, and there’s one type of storage that makes up the vast majority of our current capacity.

Subjects:: Environmental Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering
Keywords:: Energy storage Water-power Pumped storage power plants
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapsed

Wind can be one of the most critical and complicated loads on civil structures. The case of the Tacoma Narrows bridge is a well-known cautionary tale that’s discussed in engineering and physics classrooms across the world. Both resonance from vortex shedding and aeroelastic flutter contributed to the failure. When you push the envelope, you have to be vigilant because things that didn’t matter before start to become important (e.g. wind loads on lighter structures). Unanticipated challenges are a cost of innovation and that’s something that we can all keep in mind.

Subjects:: Structural Engineering
Keywords:: Washington (State) -- Tacoma -- Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) Suspension bridges Wind-pressure
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why do buildings fall in earthquakes?

Earthquakes have always been a terrifying phenomenon, and they’ve become more deadly as our cities have grown — with collapsing buildings posing one of the largest risks. But why do buildings collapse in an earthquake? And how can it be prevented? Vicki V. May explains the physics of why it is not the sturdiest buildings, but the smartest, that will remain standing.

Subjects:: Building and Real Estate and Disaster Control and Management
Keywords:: Building failures -- Prevention Earthquake resistant design Earthquake engineering Buildings -- Earthquake effects
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why Tunnels Don't Collapse

This video shows how simple reinforcement is used to prevent collapse of rock tunnels. Tunnels play an important role in our constructed environment as passageways for mines, conveyance for utilities, and routes for transportation. Rock bolts are a type of reinforcement for stabilizing rock excavations, usually made from steel bars or bolts. This simple construction method dramatically reduces the cost of making tunnels through rock safe from collapse.

Subjects:: Structural Engineering
Keywords:: Underground construction Rock bolts Tunneling Tunnels
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why The US Military Made GPS Free-To-Use

This video explains how GPS works, security issues of GPS, and why US military GPS can be made free for use.

Subjects:: Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics
Keywords:: Global Positioning System Artificial satellites in navigation
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why Concrete Needs Reinforcement

This video shows more destructive testing to answer your questions about concrete. Concrete's greatest weakness is its tensile strength, which can be less than 10% of its compressive strength. So, we often reinforce it to create a composite material strong against all types of stress. This video briefly touches on conventional rebar and prestressed/post-tensioned reinforcement.

Subjects:: Building and Real Estate
Keywords:: Reinforced concrete Concrete
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why Build Higher?

This video discusses the topic of urban sprawl and the environmental and social impact if a city is expanding too fast

Subjects:: Building and Real Estate
Keywords:: Cities towns -- Growth Housing policy Buildings -- Height restrictions City planning
Resource Type:: Video

Video

Why Bridges Move...

This video explains why ridges move, and other musings on thermal movement of large civil works. Most people have a certain intuition about thermal expansion, but you may not have considered how engineers design to accommodate it on large civil structures. The video gives a quick overview on this important consideration that engineers must account for when designing infrastructure like pipelines, bridges, and even sidewalks.

Subjects:: Structural Engineering
Keywords:: Structural analysis (Engineering) Expansion (Heat)
Resource Type:: Video

Video

When Trees Meet Buildings

Architects, engineers and developers are creating increasingly greener structures - and doing it in a more literal way than ever before. This is what happens when trees meet buildings.

Subjects:: Environmental Engineering, Building Services Engineering, and Building and Real Estate
Keywords:: Buildings -- Energy conservation Roof gardening Sustainable buildings Sustainable construction Trees in cities
Resource Type:: Video

Video

What is a Weir?

A weir is a small dam built across a river to control the upstream water level. Weirs have been used for ages to control the flow of water in streams, rivers, and other water bodies. Unlike large dams which create reservoirs, the goal of building a weir across a river isn’t to create storage, but only to gain some control over the water level. Over time, the term weir has taken on a more general definition in engineering to apply to any hydraulic control structure that allows water to flow over its top, often called its crest. In fact, the spillways of many large dams use weirs as control structures. So how do they work?

Subjects:: Hydraulic Engineering
Keywords:: Dams Hydraulics Weirs
Resource Type:: Video

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World's Largest Batteries - (Pumped Storage)

Why the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapsed

Why do buildings fall in earthquakes?

Why Tunnels Don't Collapse

Why The US Military Made GPS Free-To-Use

Why Concrete Needs Reinforcement

Why Build Higher?

Why Bridges Move...

When Trees Meet Buildings

What is a Weir?

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PolyU OER

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