PUJA Brunei Member Represents at 2026 Engineering Capacity Building Program (Smart Dams) in Chengdu, China

Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 5th September 2026 – Mr. Gabriel Chiong Zhen, a member of the Institute of Engineers PUJA Brunei (IEPB) participated in the 2026 Engineering Capacity Building Program (Smart Dams), held from 5th to 10th September 2026 in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. The program was hosted by the Chinese Society of Engineers (CSE) with the aim of strengthening international exchanges and cooperation in the engineering sector, building a platform for Chinese and foreign engineers to learn from one another, and collectively elevating professional competencies.

The program featured a series of lectures and workshops delivered by prominent industry experts, including: 

• “Technical Systems and Engineering of Smart Dams” by Wang Xiaogang, Vice President of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) and China’s National Outstanding Engineer; 
• “A New Paradigm for Smart Construction” by Wu Zhangjian, Deputy Chief Engineer and Chief Information Officer of POWERCHINA Group;
• “Engineering Practice of Smart Dams” by Peng Fuping, Deputy Chief Engineer of POWERCHINA Kunming Survey and Design Institute;
• “Recent Experiences Implementing New Technologies in Dam Safety in Spain” by Enrique Cifres, Honorary Vice-President of the International Commission on Large Dams; and
• “Ideology and Basic Characteristics of Smart Water Conservancy Development” by Li Haibo, Deputy Secretary General of the Special Committee on Hydraulic Rock Mechanics, CHINCOLD.

Participants also took part in site visits to the Zipingpu Hydropower Station, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and the rock and hydraulic laboratories at Sichuan University.

Delivering a standalone presentation titled “Opportunities & Challenges in Digital Geotechnical Investigations: A Perspective from Brunei.” Mr. Gabriel Chiong Zhen presentation highlighted that although Brunei’s economy and project scale are relatively smaller compared to China, there remain meaningful opportunities to innovate and implement digital initiatives to improve workflows in geotechnical investigations.

The program covered key topics under the “Smart Dams” theme, including technologies available for incorporation into both existing and new dams, the frameworks used in China to assess, classify, and implement smart dams, successful case studies of digital technology implementation in dam construction and operation, and future goals for advancing new technologies across dam infrastructure. Among the site visits, the trip to Zipingpu Hydropower Station stood out as a highlight, offering insight into the dam’s construction methodology, its response to the 2008 magnitude 8.0 earthquake, and the digital technologies currently implemented on site, including a visit to the control room to observe the automated monitoring systems in action.

Reflecting on his experience, Mr. Gabriel Chiong Zhen shared that the site visit to Zipingpu Hydropower Station was his favourite moment of the program, as having heard it referenced in earlier lectures helped reinforce his understanding of the key digital concepts applied at the dam. He also described the experience as insightful and humbling, having had the opportunity to learn alongside many experienced engineers from China and Southeast Asia, calling it a valuable experience that he will treasure for the rest of his career.