Transformation ! - Institution of Structural Engineers
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
MCI (P) 044/12/2016
Newsletter of IStructE Singapore Regional Group ■ Vol. 14 ■ No. 2 ■ May 2018
Transformation !
The great collaboration and journey...
Singapore celebrated Labour Day on 1 May 2018. As
usual, the day was filled with speeches and events to
mark the successful tripartite relationship between the
Singapore labour movement, employers and the
government. Many of the speeches from key leaders
capped off activities of the labour movement for the past
year and set the broad direction for the coming year.
Last November, the NTUC took the transformational step of updating its constitution to formalise the fact that it
represents not only rank-and-file workers which had been its traditional mandate, but also professionals,
managers and executives (PMEs), freelancers and the self-employed, as well as workers in small and medium-
sized companies, and even migrant workers. It appears that practising engineers and their firms are now also
under the protective umbrella of the trade union!
However, the celebrations carried serious warnings of future challenges for Singapore - from an aging
population, international competition and risks of trade wars. In his May Day message this year, the Singapore
Prime Minister exhorted all to support the government’s efforts to transform Singapore’s industries.
These efforts were laid out in 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) – blueprints that map out growth plans
for 23 specific sectors – covering 80% of Singapore’s GDP. The PM said that the tripartite partners were
working hard to turn these plans into actions, and programmes that make a meaningful difference to companies
and workers.
The construction industry is one of 23 industries which have been identified for transformation in Singapore.
“We’re a low-margin industry, which has led to a lack of investment in research and development over
decades, especially when compared to other industries”, explains Sam Stacey, Director of Innovation,
Industrialisation and Business Improvement at Skanska UK. But the transformation is about more than pouring
money into R&D. “It’s the change in mind-set that’s always proven to be the biggest challenge”, says Tim
Chapman, Director at Arup. “More needs to be done to raise awareness among companies about the ITMs”,
said Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Chief Executive Ho Meng Kit.
While there has been broad support from businesses for the various transformation programmes, Mr Ho said
that companies – especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – still did not know enough about it.
Mr Ho is right. After all, economic restructuring is a bottom-up process, and so as Finance Minister Heng Swee
Keat noted, the role of strategic planner and enablers, of course, was not to run businesses, but to be helpful;
what was crucial was the partnership between the State, enterprises of all sizes, trade association and
businesses. And that is exactly where IES and, in particular, the IES-IStructE who come from the niche area of
Structural Engineering – can play a crucial role to rally Structural Engineers in the built-environment. Reaching
out to Structural Engineers from designers, to contractors, to academia and regulators together, to understand
the ITM for the construction industry together, and thence, to learn new things and forge new compacts, to
move the industry to new and higher levels.
1
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 2
The vision of the Construction Industry Transformation Map’s is to transform the industry into an advanced and
integrated sector, filled with progressive and collaborative firms, and with good jobs for Singaporeans. The
global trends affecting the industry are the Digital Revolution, Rapid Urbanisation and Climate Change. Three
areas have been identified to transform the sector. These are Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA),
Green Buildings, and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD).
Together with consultants, contractors, academia and government, the IES-IStructE Joint Committee will
organise activities and events to showcase the increasing adoption of DfMA and IDD in Structural Engineering,
to look at cases of how the ITM can be effected to build strong and capable firms, which collaborate more, and
produce higher quality with greater transparency. From there, we hope to contribute to helping Structural
Engineers move towards their aspirations for higher skilled, higher paid jobs. Also, the Joint Committee hopes
to help Structural Engineers at all levels learn and improve, throughout their productive work lives. In fact, we
did not wait for May Day to launch such activities and events. We started some time back and accelerated
efforts these last few months. In this edition of the Structuralist, we recount efforts in the first quarter of 2018.
Seminar on Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC)
The IES-IStructE Joint Committee (Singapore IStructE Regional Group) organized a one-day seminar on
Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) on 22nd March 2018. More than 130 participants
came together at Novotel Hotel Clark Quay to hear five local distinguished speakers sharing their experience of
Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction.
Construction ITM transformation area: Design for Manufacturing & Assembly
Participants at the Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction
Seminar
Mr. Ramamoorthy Rajendran, Director of the Construction
Productivity and Quality Group’s Technology and Capability
Department, from the Building and Construction Authority,
anchored the first presentation of the day. He outlined the
performance requirements of PPVC, and how these aimed to
improve quality, productivity, and safety in the built environment.
Participants were inspired as Mr. Ramamoorthy enthusiastically
shared about the different types of PPVC systems used in local Mr. Ramamoorthy receiving a token of
industry, and took away many learning points as he injected appreciation from A/Prof Francis Lok
relevance to real life with his examples from on-going projects in Singapore. Finally, Mr. Ramamoorthy
explained in detail, how to obtain the in-principle-approval (IPA) certificate for PPVC, going through the
evaluation process and requirements of the BCA’s Building Innovation Panel (BIP) which evaluated PPVC
submissions.
Next, Mr Johnny Lim, Executive Director of Teambuild Engineering and Construction Pte Ltd, provided a
personal perspective about the journey to adopt PPVC construction. His company. Teambuild Engineering &
Construction Pte Ltd has been credited as the pioneer and leader in Concrete PPVC in Singapore.
The IES-IStructE Joint Committee appreciates the time and effort of distinguished speakers to share
their valuable knowledge and experience on PPVC. Thank you!
2
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 3
Mr Lim went into details of how his company had proto-typed concrete
PPVC, and recounted his company’s journey as a first-mover in industry.
His recounting of how they brought and refined this technology to
Singapore’s public and private housing projects both inspired many, but
also reminded participants that introducing new things needed
perseverance and collaboration across the industry. In the process of his
presentation, Mr Lim demonstrated construction methodologies and
learning points on two of the completed PPVC projects and 4 on-going
projects.
The afternoon session kicked off with a presentation on PPVC by Mr
Khor Yew Chai with a different material – steel. Mr Khor Yew Chai is the Johnny receiving a token of
Executive Director of Singapore Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd appreciation from Er. Kang
(formerly known as Singapore Piling & Civil Engineering Pte Ltd) and Jianhan
Singa Development Pte Ltd, and Director of Moderna Homes Pte Ltd. Mr
Khor shared of his experiences in steel PPVC construction, of the
challenges he had encountered and how he had overcome them.
Through his recounting of his steel PPVC project, the Wisteria, he
presented the process of how to have a successful steel PPVC project.
This project is currently near completion (near the TOP stage). From Mr
Khor’s recounting of actual cases, participants learnt that the PPVC
adoption required commitment throughout the building process from initial
planning and design, to incorporating key manufacturing and assembly
processes, till site construction and installation. At every step, the PPVC
project needed an overall quality control and assurance scheme with
Mr. Khor Yew Chai receiving a
committed execution, supported by building information modelling (BIM)
token of appreciation from A/Prof
and virtual design construction (VDC) tools. PPVC enables collaborations Pang Sze Dai
across borders, but these come with their own challenges too.
Mr. Hew Main Wah, Assistant Project Director of Zheng Keng
Engineering and Construction Pte Ltd presented the construction method
adopted for the Nanyang Crescent student accommodation project at
Nanyang Technological University. He shared various challenges faced
by the project team during the coordination work for structural and M&E
designs, as well as logistic planning and quality control for manufacturing
in China, site management, monitoring and protection work, installation
and connections for PPVC. Through his presentation, participants learnt
that many of the challenges were successfully overcome through proper
management and planning. It is evident that with PPVC in cross-border
collaborations, deep technical skills need to be infused with excellent
Mr. Hew Main Wah receiving a
project management, to produce desired outcomes. token of appreciation
The seminar wrapped up with the last speaker Mr. Ben Sheng, Deputy
Director of China Construction (SP) Development Co. Pte Ltd. Mr
Sheng’s presentation and case study reinforced many of the points and
experience-learning-points made throughout the day. He presented the
construction of Lake Grande, the first compulsory PPVC in private land
sales project in Singapore. Mr. Sheng shared the logistics of the PPVC
manufacturing in Malaysia, architectural finishing works in Singapore, unit
protections, site installation and connections, and QA/QC control. As with
the other speakers, participants learnt from his case study about the
importance of planning, coordination and construction in PPVC
construction. The glimpse of improved features his company’s second
PPVC project at Twin View, West Coast Vale, inspired and encouraged
participants to learn more and to consider PPVC for their own future Mr. Ben Sheng receiving a token of
projects. appreciation
3
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 4
Transformation for engineers already in the industry involves unlearning the old and learning the new things,
to update the already rich pools of knowledge and skills. But transformation for our young, soon-to-be
engineers is different. Young engineers are “fresh blank canvases”, ready to receive what this new
transformed construction world would look like. For helping the young learn, the IES-IStructE Joint
Committee takes a different approach – showing them what things should be when everything comes
together right. With this intent in mind, the IES-IStructE Joint Committee organised a site visit for NUS and
NTU Civil Engineering students to the Outram Community Hospital (OCH) on 31 March 2018. This site visit
was made possible with the kind consent from the owner MOHH and with support from QP (Design) of Arup
Singapore and Contractor, Penta-Ocean Construction.
Site Appreciation Visit to Outram Community Hospital (OCH)
On the morning of 31 Mar 2018, Joint Committee members – A/Prof Francis Lok, Dr Tran Chi Trung, Er
Wijaya Wong and Ms Liu Ziyue – accompanied 20 students to the OCH construction site.
Construction ITM transformation: Putting it together for young engineers
Appreciation of site from viewing gallery
Aerial View of Outram Community Hospital
4
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 _5
Dear Readers, The OCH is an integral part of an enhanced integrated medical services
Thanks for taking time to read this newsletter.
We appreciate your continued support and
model that plays a key role in supporting the needs of Singapore’s
would also like to hear from you for whatever growing and ageing population. Situated near the Singapore General
reasons. Please direct all your correspondence Hospital (SGH), 500 beds in OCH will be for general rehabilitation and
and inquiries to:
sub-acute patients. Another 50 will be set aside for palliative care
IES-IStructE Joint Committee patients.
Er. Assoc. Prof. Lok Tat Seng
(Chairman): ctslok@ntu.edu.sg QP (Design) Jason Tan from Arup and Senior Project Manager Albert
Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng (Vice-Chairman):
hokmdr@gmail.com Lee from Penta-Ocean briefed the visitors with an informative
Er. Wijaya Wong (Hon. Secretary): presentation; outlining details of the innovative design, cost efficient
wijaya.wong@outlook.com production and construction approaches.
Er. Leonard Heng (Hon. Treasurer):
Lheng.IES2010@gmail.com
Er. Reve Chin (Asst. Hon. Secretary):
Jen_yee_chin@hotmail.com
Er. Michael Sien (Asst. Hon. Treasurer)
michael.sien@arup.com
Er. Mak Yew Cheong
Mak.yew.cheong@pmlink.com.sg
Er. Steve Yeung
steve_yeung@yahoo.com
Er. Kang Jianhan,
(a)
cstech.sg@gmail.com
(a) (b)
Dr. Kong Kian Hau
drkongkh@gmail.com
Er .Mah Guan Pang
admin@mabaengineering
Er. Ang Chee Keong
ack1188@singnet.com.sg
Er. Ms Cong Zheng Xia
cong_zx@wohhup.com
Er Ms Jeslin Quek
jquek@aegion.com
Er. Sam Tan Gak Peng:
tangakpeng@yahoo.com.sg (a) challenges
Briefing on design, construction and various innovative
(c) (d)
Ms. Liu Ziyue
liuziyuenus@gmail.com The project features many cost-efficient productive considerations which
Assoc. Prof. Pang Sze Dai
contribute to significant work efficiency and convenience. For example:
ceedhacd@nus.edu.sg
Er. Dr. Tran Chi Trung • The 19-storey building with 4 basement levels are constructed in tiers
TRAN_Chi_Trung@bca.gov.sg of 2 to 3 floor columns. Specially-made temporary clamps are used to
Er. Sharron Ng facilitate rapid installation of tiered-steel columns;
sharron_ng@ecas.com.sg
• Use of prefabricated beam-to-column connections and pre-assembles
Imm Past-Chairman: Prof. CM Wang
cm.wang@uq.edu.au rebars to steel column on ground;
• Adopting semi-rigid connections to satisfy vibration criteria;
Past Chairmen: • Standardisation of beam depth (500mm) and adopting Nippon Steel
• Prof. N.E. Shanmugam Hyper Beams to achieve optimum production time. The process also
• Dr. Y.S. Lau simplifies site coordination, and benefits uniform installation of
“Makibee” fire protection.
The Structuralist Editorial Committee
Editors: Er Leonard Heng There are also other innovative methods adopted in this project, including
Dr Kong Kian Hau the use of high strength concrete G100 for composite column design. In
Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Lok Tat Seng the absence of domestic design guidelines and code of practice for
Disclaimer: composite column design with concrete of strength higher than G60,
All views and opinions expressed therein are simulation and testing were conducted to justify the proposed design
solely those of the writers and its publication does
not necessarily imply that such views and opinions
method. This was undertaken at the Department of Engineering, NUS.
are endorsed by IES, IES/IStructE Joint The organizers also arranged a tour of the massive site for students to
Committee and the editorial committee of The appreciate the construction process and the mock-up wards. The students
Structuralist.
were impressed by the massive but safe construction site. They looked
Copyright: forward to the grand opening of OCH at the end of 2018. Our Chairman,
The reproduction in whole or in part of any
material in this publication must obtain written A/Prof Lok presented tokens of appreciation to Jason and Albert, and
permission from the editorial committee of this thanked them for entertaining all the queries from students and for
publication and/or from the respective author(s).
organizing this amazing journey of learning.
5
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 6
Here are what the student participants shared with
us:
“The visit is well organized. I enjoyed visiting the
mock ward, and the presentation was both
knowledgeable and interactive. Due to safety
reasons at the crucial construction stage, we were
not allowed to enter the site. However, safety must
be a priority. Overall, it was a very beneficial learning
trip!” – Thomas (NTU student)
“It was a well-conducted visit! The illustration from
the balcony (overseeing the site) really combines
Tour/briefing of a mock-up ward knowledge with reality. “ – Tommy (NTU student)
“The site visit to Outram Community Hospital was an exciting experience for my friends and me. We were
able to learn from both the contractor and design consultant in a combined presentation, which is something
new that I’ve seen. Through this presentation, we were able to witness both contractor and consultant working
together hand-in-hand to solve design/construction issues. OCH is a large-scale project that has its own
complexities and challenges, so it was interesting to see how theory and design that we learn in NUS is used
to overcome design constraints.” – Dhakshna (NUS student)
“The site visit to OCH was a unique experience. Most site visits feel more like a field trip for interest's sake
than an educational event, but this one gave me a much deeper understanding of the real world situation than
the classroom. The presentation was in-depth, using real world terms and numbers instead of idealisations.
After which, we got to go outside and see what the operations and components look like in the real world, in
various states of completion. It was one of the most complete demonstrations I've ever seen.” – Ethan (NUS
student)
Participants to OCH Site Visit
Top Left : Mr Albert Lee (Penta-Ocean)
receiving a token of appreciation
Bottom Left: Mr Jason Tan (Arup
Singapore) receiving a token of
appreciation
6
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 7
Seeing and listening, are only the first part of learning. The Singapore Regional Group believes in facilitating
further learning of our young by ‘doing’, and exposing those in Singapore to their counterparts in the region …
Bridge Design Competition 2018 @ Nanyang Technological University
(NTU) This year’s annual NTU Bridge Design Competition (BDC) was held
at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, from 10th –
11th of March 2018. Fifty-one teams from various
Polytechnics/Universities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia
participated in this year’s competition.
Each team, comprising of two students, competed to design and
fabricate a 3D bridge model from a limited supply of materials (balsa
wood, basswood, and adhesive). Basswood, which is stronger and
stiffer than balsa wood, was introduced this year.
Design/fabrication of the truss in progress.
The inclusion requires participants to make use of their understanding of material properties to resist force, for
example, in locating the limited number of basswood sticks to optimise design. Further, the bridge form was
adapted from a real-life case; details of which were released during the briefing on 10th March. This initiative
encouraged participants to think broadly, react quickly and creatively to arrive at a solution which is a step
beyond a simple truss bridge structure taught in an undergraduate class
Following a briefing on the first day, the teams got down to designing and fabricating their bridge model.
Model Bridge testing until failure
Within 6 hours and adhering to the requirements,
the teams managed to submit their bridge model.
On the second day, each team is subject to a series of assessments by faculty and invited practising
engineers. Each team was assessed on presentation, aesthetic appeal and load testing. Teams presented
their designs and ideas to the judges during the load testing of the model. The efficiency of the design was
measured as the collapse load divided by the model bridge mass.
Five teams from each category
(Polytechnic/University) with the highest overall
score were declared as winners of the
competition. Details are shown in Tables 1 and
2 respectively in next page.
Acknowledgement
The Organising Committee of 27th NTU CEE Club
wishes to thank IStructE Singapore Regional
Group, (IES-IStructE Joint Committee), BCA, and
Ryobi-G for their generous support towards this
event. They would also like to thank Asst Prof
Zhao Ou, Asst Prof Zhang Limao, Dr Paul Ong
Pang Awn, and Dr Tan Kim Leong for their
Concept and design presentation to judges invaluable expertise and assistance throughout
the competition.
7
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 8
Table 1: Winners of the Polytechnic Category 2018
Award Winners for Polytechnic Category
Rank Team Name Institution/School Name of Students
1 Duc BCA Academy, Singapore Tran Huu Duc
Nguyen Viet Anh
2 Arkhitekton Singapore Polytechnic Teo Wilson
Ashok Kumar
3 TanggaJembatan Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore Pek Qiu Jun
Siti Yasnira Binte Johan
4 Firmitagama Vocational School of Universitas, Nur Kholis
Gadjah Mada, Indonesia Bernardinus Steven Damai
Satyadarma
5 Well-Played BCA Academy, Singapore Hao Pengfei
Wu Wenxuan
Winners of the Polytechnic category Winners of the University category
(Team Duc from BCA Academy, Singapore) (Team Sipilista from Universitas Indonesia)
Table 2: Winners of the University Category 2018
Award Winners for University Category
Rank Team Name Institution/School Name of Students
1 Sipilista Universitas Indonesia Sutan Akbar Onggar Siahaan
Alfiora Santoni
2 Semar Zoe Sebelas Maret University, Niko Patty
Indonesia Ecky Ferry Ferdyan
3 Duncan National University of Singapore Hee Zhan Zhykn Jason
Charto Insutra
4 Yong's National University of Singapore Teo Yong Chian
Yeoh Ze Yong
5 DUnNo National University of Singapore Lim Guo Hao
Toh Wei Cai
Table 3 below lists the winners of the most favourite design award selected by students from each of the
institutions of higher learning category.
Table 3: Winners of the Most Favourite Design Award from each category 2018
Most Favourite Design Award
Category Team Name Institution/School Name of Students
Polytechnic Champion Duck BCA Academy, Singapore Irfan Enkisra
Long Yilin
University Bimasena Yogyakarta State University, Ermalia Nur Hidayah
Indonesia Sahril Afandi
BDC 2018 was a huge success with the help of everyone – organisers, participants, judges, Prof Wang Rong
(Chair, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering), sponsors and many others for their support of this
annual event. We hope this competition would inspire students to consider engineering, especially structural
engineering, as a career.
8
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 9
Speaking at the launch of the six-part forum series by the EDB Society and the Singapore Management
University on Jan 31 2018, the Singapore Finance Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat said “We really don’t want to
think of Industry Transformation Maps as just another set of vertical silos”, referring to the 23 industry-specific
road maps, of which the Construction ITM is one. “Instead, it is important to consider “the convergence of
sectors”, as global and technological changes cause boundaries to blur…”
In talks and seminars organised by the Joint Committee over the past year, one of the convergence which the
Structural Engineering community has been participating in has been the convergence of construction
technology and security technology, as the Singapore security industry seeks to transform, leveraging in part
on technology and regulations for its ITM efforts.
Resilient Airport Design for Security Evening Talk @ NUS Engineering
Auditorium
On Wednesday 10 April 2018, A/Prof. Francis Lok, Chairman of the IES-IStructE welcomed more than 90
participants to the NUS’s Engineering Auditorium for an evening talk on Resilient Airport Design for Security
organised by the Joint Committee. Francis recapped that the Singapore IStructE regional group now had
almost 1,200 members, most of whom were Graduates and Students. As part of the 30,000 community of
structural engineers around the world, the Joint Committee was in a privileged position to tap international
expertise to bring knowledge to the local community; expertise such as this evening’s talk. The subject had
become of great interest, even as the Singapore Changi International Airport embarks on yet another major
expansion programme.
Dr. Seda Dogruel and Mr. Ryan Tham delivered the talk.
Dr. Segal Dogruel is a professionally qualified Chartered
Civil Engineer and blast/risk consultant with Arup in the
Resilience, Security and Risk (RSR) group, with 10 years’
ITM convergence: Construction and Security Industries
experience in the area of counter-terrorism engineering,
protective design, technical risk management, catastrophic
threat and risk assessments and consequence analysis for
natural and technological hazards including earthquake,
wind, flood, terrorism. Seda has a background in advanced
structural dynamic analysis and design for earthquake and
air-blast loads and specialises in anti-terrorism and forced
Dr. Seda Dogruel protection of private, military, federal, state government Mr. Ryan Tham
and critical infrastructure facilities. Mr. Ryan Tham is the Resilience, Security and Risk (RSR) Leader in the
Arup Singapore office. He is responsible for all aspect of project delivery including client liaison, project
management, risk assessments, design delivery and resource management.
Dr. Segal started with an overview of how airports have been attacked over the years. She then explained
how building elements are damaged from Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosives Devices (VBIED) and
Personnel Borne Improvised Explosives Devices (PBIED). She highlighted the implications of these threats
at both the land or air side airports and the links between parts of the airport as vehicles, cargo and people
move and work in the area of interest. Mr Tham then shared how threats, vulnerabilities and designs could
be incorporated into the airport designs (security by design). He looked at how to work with the Singapore
authorities and within the multi-disciplinary design and construction teams of architects, various engineers
and builders. He provided views of how resilient design guidelines and recommendations for the airport
should be taken into account early when considering the risk of terrorist attack, of how designs should be
proportionate to the risk (i.e. how to avoid too much or too little in security aspects in design), and how best
to integrate security and counter-terrorism protective measures as part of best-practice airport design will
be provided.
Whilst Segal and Ryan’s talk was delivered to structural engineers, they could really be recommending
design guidelines for a larger audience of consultants, designers, architects, engineers, security design
professionals, airport and infrastructure developers and planners who are engaged in renovation and new
facility design or construction projects. The Joint Committee is indebted to the speakers for sharing their
expertise and practising knowledge to Structural Engineers who, sometimes, struggle with structural
dynamics and understanding the response of structures to short-duration dynamic events.
9
Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 10
Hmmm… perhaps, the next time we organise such talks, we should take a leaf from the exhortations of
Minister Heng Swee Keat to reach out across professional boundaries, avoid silos, and allow industries and
technologies (and professions) to converge even more….
Even as we pursue the future through ITMs and grooming young engineers, we have not forgotten our roots,
and how the past has shaped and formed Civil & Structural Engineering into what it is today. So we added a
seminar to gather young and not-so-young engineers together, to reflect the past, how we came to be, and
how to interact in the ways ahead.
2018 IES Seminar on Advanced C&S Engineering Projects
On 27 April 2018, Engineers were treated to an 8 wide ranging Civil and Structural Engineering presentations
from distinguished Civil and Structural Engineering Professors and Engineers at the annual seminar on
Advanced Civil and Structural Engineering Projects, 2008, held at the Holiday Inn at Orchard City Centre.
Here is a brief of the Keynote Speaker and Speakers and the key takeaways from each of their presentations:
From Keynote Speaker Professor Chiew Sing Ping, Professor and Programme Director of Civil Engineering at
Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), on “Material Selection and Compliance with Structural Eurocodes“:
Singapore’s small size and small market has compelled it to draw from the best materials in the world and
integrated them to build to the best standards. That is why Singapore buys steels which various can comply
good standards of Germany, Australia, Japan and China and then design structures to the Structural
Eurocodes – the most advanced structural codes in the world to date. However, this produces challenges in
compatibility of material standards to the design codes. So academia and regulators work hard to continuously
produce interfacing guides for engineers in Singapore to use, to ensure safe and effective designs which bring
out the best of materials in structures safely. Engineers in Singapore therefore have to be vigilant, constantly
learn and always plug into latest the regulations and guides!
Left: Keynote Speaker
Professor Chiew Sing
Ping
Right: Keynote
Lecture by
Professor Chiew
Sing Ping
From Er. Lim Peng Hong, Managing Director of PH Consulting Pte Ltd, Past Board Member of PEB, Past
President of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACES), PEng(Civil), PEng(Geotechnical), AC
(Geotechnical), FIES:
The current QP - AC System rose from the rubble of the infamous “Hotel New World
Collapse” in 1986. It is used to check and control building design and safety needs.
However it needs to be updated, to leverage on pervasive engineering computer
technology (both hardware and software) and to keep up with the new materials and
systems which are sweeping into Singapore. Perhaps existing Professional Civil
Engineers should be required to constantly update themselves to the latest codes,
regulations, materials and building systems. Computers can relieve QPs from tedious
calculations and computational checks, freeing them to ensure core engineering
considerations are met and look at building components integration. The role of ACs
should go beyond mere quality checks of calculations, to provide deeper specialist
perspectives across multiple areas of civil and structural engineering. ACs should
ensure safe integration of all components, into whole buildings and their surroundings.
Er. Lim Peng Hong
Beyond learning constantly, this will require a major change in mindset of engineers to
take ownership of all civil and structural aspects of projects.
10Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 11
From Er. Dr S. Nasim, Executive Chairman of Meinhardt Group, winner of prestigious E&Y Entrepreneur of
the Year Award (Engineering) in 2012, the inaugural Distinguished Professional Engineer Award in 2014
(Professional Engineers Board) and the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 2015 (NUS) (in March
2017, he was presented with the ACES Lifetime Achievement Award) :
The design and construction of tall buildings present many challenges for structural
engineers; safety, cost optimisation, constructability and structural response to wind and
seismic forces. Structural engineers are required to devise innovative solutions that
meet these multiple and sometimes conflicting requirements. Engineers can propose,
discuss with architects and clients and look for win-win outcomes. The new generations
of buildings are becoming more complex. Need to be really good in IT to maximize
digital technologies to make designs optimal, efficient. Have a feel to do things safe, do
not just follow computers and regulations blindly. No amount of computer runs can
compensate for a bad concept!
Er. Dr S. Nasim
From Er. Dr. Ang Choon Keat, Principal of Prostruct Consulting Pte Ltd, a
Professional Engineering Consultancy and Specialist in Infrastructure Protection on
“Explosion and Protection – Physical Mitigation Measures Against Blast”:
Actually infrastructure protection involves much more than blast. When a bomb explodes,
the effects of fire and debris/fragments have to be accounted for too. But good protective
design really starts by looking at measures to keep threats away/out from buildings.
Engage in protective design early in a development to get best (and often most
economical) protective solutions. And continue to engage throughout the development
and construction, to ensure the best detailing is implemented in the building.
Er. Dr. Ang Choon
Keat
From Mr. Mathieu Meur who provides strategic and technical leadership for DP Façade, the Specialist
Façade Engineering arm within the DP Architects Group of Companies, who was heavily involved in the
construction of the Changi Airport Terminal 1 Upgrading, Republic Polytechnic, Resorts World Sentosa and
The Dubai Mall, on “Engineering Glass Structures”:
Glass is a brittle material, which is very unlike other conventional construction materials
like steel or reinforced concrete. It does post yield behaviour. Breaks in glass are
initiated (due to) by surface micro cracks. Depending on glass type, glass behaviour
changes with temperature and over time. Whilst there are several standards for design
using glass, the currently ones which are acceptable to BCA are ASTM E1300 – a US
Standard and AS 1288 – an Australian Standard. The IStructE publication on “Structural
Use of Glass in Buildings” is an excellent reference, acceptable by BCA.
Mr. Mathiew Meur
From Er. Ms. Sharron Ng, a Director of ECAS Consultants Pte Ltd, pioneer in the use of Mass Engineered
Timber (MET) in Singapore, Qualified Person for three (3) schools that have adopted MET, on “Case Study
on Indoor Sports Hall Adopting MET”:
Designing and building with MET is fundamentally different from other building
materials because specifications and certifications are supplier dependent. For
example, from Europe, each supplier will have a different ETA (European Technical
Assessment) and different set of EN adhesives for their specific products. So local
‘designers’ of MET have to work differently, understanding and choosing materials and
suppliers well before the material reaches Singapore. Thereafter, making sure that the
materials are handled and assembled properly for Singapore’s tropical climate. Whilst
the building team is small, they need to reskill and adapt to work across countries and
cultures. The reason why there is a significant reduction in man efforts on-site is
because the efforts have been channelled elsewhere, to the selection and production
Er. Ms. Sharron Ng process across countries, and into transport and handling. i.e. a lot of the effort has
gone off-site, becoming invisible to those on-site.
11Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 12
From A/Prof. Robert Tiong, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Deputy Director of Centre for
Infrastructure Systems, and Centre for Robotics Research Centre at NTU on “BIM, Robotics and IDD for
Prefabrication”:
Technologies like BIM and Integrated Digital Development really make a difference
to construction when one uses them to bridge across construction processes and
companies, for example to bridge across clients and design, to fabrication off-site,
to transport to site and assembly. With these new tools, to unlock their full benefits,
one has to fundamentally change the way work flows and the relationship between
companies and people in the construction value chain. Small incremental steps for
such integrative technologies will not show significant yields.
Prof. Robert Tiong
From Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng, Specialist in port master planning, planning, design and construction of
seaports and other maritime structures, IES Council Member, Vice-Chairman of IES/IStructE Joint
Committee, on “Case Studies on Structural Design and Construction of Port and Maritime Structures”:
To truly appreciate the extent of achievements in our Singapore ports, one has to
look beyond Singapore at other ports. Currently, Singapore is still a top seaport
performer in terms of port efficiency, port productivity and port reliability. Singapore
is also constantly looking into the optimum methods for port construction and the
most appropriate port equipment for port operations.
Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng
A Group Photo of satisfied participants at the end of the day
12Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 13
Venturing out may be harder than it sounds. Where does one start? We wondered if somehow the Joint
Committee’s activities and courses, and membership in the IStructE – an international institution – had
helped facilitate better job opportunities overseas. So we asked our Committee Members. This is what two
members replied:
From Dr. Kong Kian Hau:
“Joint committee efforts are indeed helping significantly facilitating better job opportunities overseas by (1)
promoting the importance of qualifying as a Chartered Engineer (via CME prep courses & SSE), (2) by
bringing in the latest industry updates / trends currently needed for practising engineers to continuously
broaden their mind, upgrade and learn new world wide emerging design trends (MET, Design For
Resilience, PPVC, etc.) via Seminars & Conferences, and (3) bringing dignity and honour to structural
engineering as a professional career (via Structural Awards).
Items (1) to (3) in combination with Singapore PE (which is now recognized globally as having one of the
more stringent PE examination criteria ensuring safe designs & technical competence) and with Singapore
engineers graduating from our local universities (which are highly-ranked) with strong engineering
fundamentals will bring global recognition for Singapore engineers & Singapore-based companies to enter
into overseas market successfully.
Larger Singapore HQ-based companies usually secure overseas C&S engineering design projects (e.g. in
India, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Brunei, Myanmar, etc.) with engineers equipped with a CEng(UK)/PE(Spore) to
co-endorse as the Design PE. They work with local PEs, functioning as submission PE, well because the
country's engineering authority and clients recognise CEng(UK)/PE(Spore) engineers for providing value-
added engineering design competence.”
From Er. Michael Sien:
“I think the Joint Committee is doing a great job in facilitating better job opportunities overseas, by
promoting the importance of attaining Chartered Engineer status via the Chartered Membership
Examination and the Singapore Supplementary Examination. I would also like to commend the on-going
efforts by our examiners team in offering CME preparatory course, which the Asia region lacks. I had an ex-
colleague in HK who commented that Singapore candidates had the luxury of the CME preparatory course.
Candidates in HK are often left to their own inventory – float or sink. I am advised that Chartered Engineer
is still very much sought after in the UK, commonwealth countries (HK included), and the rest of the world.
Though the take-up rate for the IStructE Specialist Diplomas, i.e. offshore and seismic engineering, are still
on the low side for now, my opinion is that this is an area of growth for the Asia region and beyond. There
has not been a qualification that specifically gives employers confidence on a candidate’s competency in
these technical areas. And often working candidates may not have the luxury of time and money
undertaking an overseas Master degree in these areas. These two areas are what candidates look for if
they decide to venture beyond the shores of Singapore. I have personally undertaken the Seismic Diploma
Exam and I think the technical rigour is definitely on par with the CME, if not more challenging than the
CME. HQ is also considering introducing Specialist Diploma for blast engineering in 2019.
The technical courses we offer often attract very good feedback from participants. We should continue to
do this to share relevant technical knowledge and best practices – this will also keep our engineers well
equipped to face the challenges beyond the shores of Singapore. As Leonard suggested, we could mirror
the courses held at IStructE HQ to share their broad knowledge and to promote cooperation.
Singapore is well-positioned in the SEA region (usually within 2 hours of air travel radius) and often
performs a similar role of HQ for the region (e.g. Singapore as the main design office, with the SEA offices
serving as project office). Hence, Chartered Engineers is a qualification which is still well sought after in the
region. I was informed that some overseas employers/clients specifically request for candidate with x
number of years post-chartered experience). So, in my humble opinion, every engineer with a view to
operating in the region should strive to achieve the CEng/MIStructE status.”
13Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 14
So, it appears that the efforts of the Joint Committee do facilitate better job opportunities overseas for Singapore
engineers. But we aim to do more. In this year’s IStructE Singapore Structural Awards, we will invite
engineers of shortlisted projects to present their works to the IES and IStructE community, at an auditorium,
at IES or one of the universities. It will be an opportunity for designers to share information, and is a great
learning opportunity for the engineering community. Together, we will learn and grow together as an
engineering community in Singapore!
Stay tuned for more information.
ISTRUCTE SINGAPORE STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2018
The IES/Institution of Structural Engineers Joint Committee invites you to submit an entry for the IStructE
Singapore Structural Awards 2018. Launched in December 2010, the IStructE Singapore Structural Awards
aim to be the premier celebration of achievement and innovation in structural engineering. The awards are
designed to recognise and reward the work of Singapore’s most talented structural design engineers and their
indispensable contributions to the built environment.
Why Enter?
Entering the IStructE Singapore Structural Awards is a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of your
organisation within the industry and with the general public, and to acknowledge the hard work of your project
team. It also allows you to be associated with the continuing growth and success of the industry’s most
prestigious annual awards for structural engineering excellence.
What type of project is suitable?
The IStructE Singapore Structural Awards welcome entries from structural engineers who work in Singapore, and
are open to projects large or small that are built in Singapore or overseas. Judging is based on merit, not scale.
The submitted project must be completed with Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) obtained between 1 August
2016 and 31 July 2018.
14Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 15
ISTRUCTE SINGAPORE STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2018
Award Categories
Award for Structures - For achievement in structural design of commercial, retail, heritage building, education,
healthcare, community, residential, entertainment and sports structures.
Award for Industrial or Process Structures - For achievement in the structural design of offshore facilities,
chimneys, barrages, petrochemical works, wafer plants, water treatment plants and power stations.
Award for Infrastructure - For achievement in structural design of road, rail, canal and airport bridges, tunnels,
underground structures, ports, pedestrian bridges and antenna structures.
Award for Tall or Slender Structures - For structural engineering excellence in projects where height or
slenderness presents a particular structural challenge in the design and construction.
Award for Small Projects
- (under S$2 million) - For excellence in the structural design of projects with a construction cost less than one
million Singapore dollars, including art structures and sculptures.
- (between S$2 – S$5 million) - For excellence in the structural design of projects with a construction cost of
between one and three million Singapore dollars, including art structures and sculptures.
Award for Construction Innovation - For projects demonstrating structural engineering excellence in the
innovative use of construction materials or processes.
How to enter?
Entries should be in Microsoft Word format and submitted via email or on CD. All entries must include the
following:
• Cover letter confirming approval from the project owner for the submission; and that, although the copyright
remains with the authors, IStructE has the right to retain work for exhibition purposes and to reproduce it for
publication, including digital and internet. (The author is deemed to have obtained permission of use of any
image that belongs to another party. This must be clearly stated);
• The completed IStructE Singapore Structural Awards 2018 entry form (see below) with the descriptive text on
the structural engineering design and processes involved in the project – maximum of 2,000 words;
• Photographs and drawings (maximum of 5). Please note that images embedded in the Microsoft Word file may
be low-resolution. So, it is essential that all images be supplied separately in individual high-resolution jpeg, eps
or tif files;
• Other supporting material (such as press cuttings, CAD designs, site layouts, etc) – maximum of three A4
pages.
15Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2018 16
Criteria
Submissions will be judged on the following attributes encompassed in the structural design of the project:
Innovation, Buildability, Sustainability and Aesthetics. Judges are looking for clearly presented materials that
concisely convey the engineering highlights of the project and the work of the structural engineer and why the
entrant is worthy of an award.
The applicant firm shall be the one which performed the detail structural design and obtained the TOP.
Dateline
The deadline for submission of entry form is Monday 1 September 2018. Entries on CD should be sent to:
Er. Jeslin Quek, FYFE Asia Pte Ltd, 6 Clement Loop, #02-20, Singapore 129814. Email entries should be sent
to: jquek@aegion.com
More Information
Winning and commended entries will be
announced at the IStructE Singapore Structural
Awards 2018 ceremony on 9 November 2018 at
the Members’ Night banquet held in The Tanglin
Club. For more information or for dinner
reservations, please contact Mr. Alfred on 6898
5248 or email: akok@aegion.com.
Winners of each category will receive a Trophy
and a Certificate
Did you know that …
Student Members of The Institution of Structural Engineers are aspiring young engineers who have an
interest in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They are a
community of 7,000 students around the world who have already taken the first step to progressing
towards a career in designing buildings, creatively bringing conceptual ideas to life, solving challenging
problems and developing innovative techniques in structural engineering.
MEMBERSHIP IS FREE and you gain access to many resources and services:
• Full online access to the current volume and entire e-archive of The Structural Engineer – the
Institution’s flagship publication (and the option to purchase a print subscription at a heavily discounted
rate)
• Free online access to the Essential Knowledge Series and the Structural Behaviour Course
• Exclusive discount on Institution publications
• Network with professional structural engineers and meet potential employers
• Enter competitions, prizes and awards organised by the Institution and the Educational Trust
• Receive advice and information on careers and routes to professional membership
from the Membership and Education Department
We are on Facebook. Visit
us to find out more …
16You can also read
