The HKIE Geotechnical Paper Award is a biennial award organized by the HKIE Geotechnical Division to encourage high quality geotechnical publications that targeted practicing geotechnical engineers in Hong Kong.
HKIE Geotechnical Paper Award 2026
The Award Scheme
Contending papers are assessed in respect of their potential to advance local practice and the quality of writing. Please find below a gist of the assessment approach conceived at the creation of the scheme. The best paper that meets standard desired will be selected for the award, if the entries are of distinct types such that it is not possible to compare the best of the different types for the best overall, more than one Award may be made in exercise. The Award will be presented to the winner in an open ceremony, tentatively set to be the HKIE Geotechnical Division Annual Seminar of the year of the award exercise. The winner will receive a trophy, to be kept until the time of the next award exercise. Each author of the winning paper will be presented with a plaque and a certificate.
Past Winners
2024
Xiao, L.M. Zhang, R.W.M. Cheung and S. Lacasse (2023) Predicting spatio-temporal man-made slope failures induced by rainfall in Hong Kong using machine learning techniques, Geotechnique, Vol. 73, Issue 9, pp. 749-765
A.S. Hokmabadi, E.H.Y. Leung, J.W. Pappin (2019) Soil inertial factors for seismic bearing capacity, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Geotechnical Engineering, 172(1), pp. 4-15
2022
J.S.H. Kwan, E.H.Y. Sze, C. Lam, R.P.H. Law and R.C.H. Koo (2021) Development and applications of debris mobility models in Hong Kong, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Geotechnical Engineering 2021, Vol. 174 No.5, pp. 593-610
2020
2018
2016
2014
Deadline
The entries PDF file should be sent to info@hkieged.org on or before 30 January 2026 (Friday) at 5:00 pm (HKT, UTC+8)
Enquiries
Enquiries may be made to Ir Dr SW Lee.
Email: info@hkieged.org
Assessment Board
An Assessment Board will be set up to select the best paper for the award. It will be chaired by the Chairman of the HKIE Geotechnical Division. The Deputy Chairman of the Division and five members from a standing Assessment Board Panel will also sit on the Assessment Board.
Assessment Board Panel
The Assessment Board Panel comprises eminent members of the geotechnical profession with an interest in and a track record of quality technical writing, who are also knowledgeable of the local geotechnical industry. Members are selected from the Panel to form Assessment Boards to suit the subject of contending papers and background of authors. There are at present fifteen members in the Panel, as follows.
- Ir Ian Askew
- Ir Dr Raymond Cheung
- Ir Y C Koo
- Ir C M Wong
- Ir Dr C K Lau
- Ir Dr Victor Li
- Ir Y C Chan
- Ir Dr S W Lee
- Ir Dr Daman Lee
- Ir James Sze
- Ir Dr Eric Sze
- Ir Kelvin Choi
- Ir Jonathan Hart
- Ir Dr Gavin Toh
- IIr Y C Lam
Professor Wilson Tang, who was Head of the Civil Engineering Department of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, served on the HKIE Geotechnical Committee between 1998 and 2001. He proposed in 2000 to set up an award for high quality papers. The result was the Best Geotechnical Paper Award that aimed at recognising outstanding geotechnical research or project work with significant added values to the profession. It ran for six years and was stopped in 2007.
Professor Wilson Tang passed away in 2012, after an illuminating career in education and application of probability in managing engineering uncertainties. In the memorial service in Hong Kong in summer of that year, his aspiration for an award to recognise quality publications in Hong Kong was mentioned, and inspired those who respect and love him. The Geotechnical Division Committee looked into the feasibility of revitalizing the initiative. Senior members of the local geotechnical community were consulted. Those who worked on the previous scheme were approached for their experience and insight in difficulties met.
Upon careful deliberation, the Geotechnical Division Committee noted the room for and merit of an award scheme to recognise high quality papers written for practitioners. Papers that target practitioner will be more appealing to and readily comprehended by them, and hence more effective in sharing insights from cases, findings from studies, and trends of technological development. They play an important role in advancing technology and geotechnical practice in Hong Kong through nurturing a well informed and inspired profession. The proposed award will encourage authors to invest effort in this direction.
The renewed scheme is called the HKIE Geotechnical Paper Award.
A note that provides the essence of the scheme considered by the Geotechnical Division Committee is attached for those interested to catch the spirit of the Scheme as agreed for launching.
- The HKIE Geotechnical Division reserves the right of not making any award.
- The decision of the Assessment Board on the winner paper is final.
- For papers published as preprints in online journals, the date of publication is that of its inclusion in the online journal.
- The winner paper, if by overseas authors, may have one of the authors to be reimbursed for the cost of an economy class airfare to attend the award ceremony and receive the prize in person. Subject to its approval, the HKIE Geotechnical Division may arrange suitable accommodation for the author.