The Singapore Engineer January 2018 by The Singapore Engineer

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

January 2018 | MCI (P) 003/03/2017

COVER STORY: GREYFORM OPENS FACILITY TO PRODUCE PREFABRICATED BUILDING ELEMENTS

PLUS

FACADE ENGINEERING: Use of toothed anchor channels STANDARDISATION: Applica on of railway standards by the Land Transport Authority TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING: Charging Ahead

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CONTENTS FEATURES

COVER STORY 30 Greyform opens facility to produce prefabricated building elements The Greyform Building in Kaki Bukit Road 6 is the second Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub (ICPH). It was officially opened in October 2017.

FAĂ&#x2021;ADE ENGINEERING 32 Use of toothed anchor channels In designing a structure to withstand seismic ac ons, the detailing process, specifica on of the materials and selec on of the products are also important.

STANDARDISATION 33 Applica on of Railway Standards by the Land Transport Authority Over the years, Singapore has adopted best interna onal pra ces from the railway industry and is now in a posi on to contribute towards future developments of interna onal railway standards.

President Er. Edwin Khew Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com Chief Execu ve Alvin Charm alvin.charm@iesnet.org.sg

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

Publica ons Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Assistant Publica ons Manager Fenda Ngo fenda.ngo@iesnet.org.sg

Editorial Panel Er. Chong Kee Sen Dr Chandra Segaran Dr Ang Keng Been Dr Victor Sim Mr Kenneth Cheong Mr Gary Ong

Publica ons Execu ve Queek Jiayu jiayu@iesnet.org.sg

Media Representa ve Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd sales@mul 9.com.sg

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Cover designed by Irin Kuah Cover images by Greyform Pte Ltd Published by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758 Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108 Printed in Singapore

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TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING 36 Charging Ahead Once a pipe dream, electric vehicles are gaining rapid trac on. What are their benefits, and what will secure their widespread use in the future?

PERSPECTIVE 42 The accelera on of change Technology is increasing the pace of change and disrup ng every aspect of modern life. Engineers of the future will face a cri cal challenge to lead, shape, plan and integrate the built environment solu ons that allow society to live safe and rewarding lives.

REGULAR SECTIONS 04 INDUSTRY NEWS 21 EVENTS 44 IES UPDATE

The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publica on is distributed free-of-charge to IES members and aďŹ&#x192;liates. Views expressed in this publica on do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the content at press me, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contribu ons are welcome but their inclusion in the magazine is at the discre on of the Editor.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CAAS AWARDS CONTRACT TO DEVELOP

SMART DIGITAL TOWER PROTOTYPE The Civil Avia on Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded UK-based Air Traﬃc Management service provider NATS a SGD 7 million contract to develop a smart digital tower prototype. It will be trialled at Changi Airport over a period of 22 months, a er which an evalua on will be made of its opera onal feasibility and suitability for deployment here.

view to what air traﬃc controllers currently see from a physical control tower. The trial will employ advanced camera and video s tching technologies, thus enabling be er display of informaon. For instance, the video cameras can automa cally pan, lt, and zoom, to enable a closer look at objects and/or areas of interest.

A smart digital tower, equipped with a range of assis ve func onali es and features, is envisioned to enhance air traﬃc management and safety of runway and ground opera ons, and to increase opera onal eﬃciencies at Changi Airport. The awarded contract includes the setup of mul ple fixed-posi on cameras to feed live video images onto a large video wall. This will provide a similar

Director-General of CAAS Kevin Shum, said: “In concert with Singapore’s Smart Na on drive, we are leveraging digital technology to transform the avia on industry in Singapore in many diﬀerent ways. We look forward to working closely with NATS to co-develop the opera onal procedures and processes required to deploy the smart digital tower for Changi Airport.”

SURBANA JURONG STRENGTHENS ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES WITH AUSTRALIAN ACQUISITION Surbana Jurong announced late last year the acquisi on of Robert Bird Group (RBG). Established in 1982, RBG is a privately owned, global consul ng engineering firm headquartered in Australia with oﬃces in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia. It is renowned for delivering structural, civil and construc on services on iconic complex projects, including London’s Wes ield Shopping Centre, Dubai’s ICD Brookfield Place tower, and Sydney’s One Central Park tower and Darling Harbour Live development. According to a statement issued by Surbana Jurong, “The acquisi on of RBG will further deepen Surbana Jurong Group’s urban development capabili es and extend its geographical reach, filling the Group’s current market gaps and crea ng more synergies for its urban and infrastructure businesses.”

Prior to joining the Surbana Jurong Group, RBG has worked successfully with Surbana Jurong in the past including on the Wes n Hotel Darwin and the Queensland Government’s Logan Enhancement Project. The two companies are also partners in joint tenders.

About Robert Bird Group Robert Bird Group is a specialist consul ng engineering firm with over 500 staff across more than 10 offices located around the globe. It offers consul ng engineering services to the public and private sector across five disciplines within the built environment: Structural engineering; Civil engineering; Construc on engineering; Geotechnical engineering (UK only); Digital engineering (BIM Management, 4D Visualisa on, and Digital Design).

This latest acquisi on con nues the Group’s growth strategy, following its acquisi on of Australia-based infrastructure consultancy SMEC Holdings Ltd last year. “I am excited to welcome the Robert Bird Group into the Surbana Jurong Group of companies as RBG will deepen Surbana Jurong’s core engineering capabili es, both in design and construc on engineering,” said Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO of Surbana Jurong. RBG founder and Chairman Robert Bird said, “This agreement represents the next stage of growth for the Robert Bird Group, with closer alignment to Surbana Jurong giving us the opportunity to access new projects around the world for a wider base of clients. We also see this as being a natural fit given the synergies of our two businesses in terms of geography, competencies and clients.”

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ICD Brookfield Place, one of RBG’s projects. Image: RBG

INDUSTRY NEWS

NOVOZYMES AND GRUNDFOS KICK OFF

COLLABORATION FOR CLEAN WATER Biotech specialist Novozymes and pump manufacturer Grundfos have teamed up in an open innova on collabora on to find new solu ons to the world’s water challenges. The partnership takes place on HelloScience.io, an online universe first launched by Novozymes in September 2017, where entrepreneurs, startups and others can connect with industry to tackle problems related to the United Na ons’ Sustainable Development Goals.

cludes be er filtering, less sludge, and recovery of phosphate, a precious nutrient, from wastewater. Grundfos Group Vice President for Technology & Innova on Lars Enevoldsen said, “This is an excellent chance to see what we can do in combina on with Novozymes. Adding biotechnology to what we can do in, for instance, digital dosing might very well open brand-new possibili es, for example, in water treatment.

Four specific challenges have been posted online since December last year, allowing the HelloScience community to pitch their ideas on how to secure clean water for more people and receive both input and assistance from Novozymes and Grundfos.

“And while we strengthen our connec on with Novozymes, we also get an opportunity to review fresh takes on the water challenges from all over the world. We need new partnerships to solve these great challenges, and this is another step down that road.”

The two companies seek solu ons to remove pollu ng chemicals from water and improve wastewater cleaning. That in-

The HelloScience pla orm and its posted challenges can be viewed at: h ps://helloscience.io/.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SINGTEL AND NTU SET UP CORPORATE LAB FOR AI AND DATA SCIENCE To spearhead R&D eﬀorts in emerging technologies that will support Singapore’s transforma on into a Smart Na on and help enable the country’s digital economy, Singtel has partnered with NTU and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to set up a SGD 42.4 million corporate lab that will focus on these disrup ve fields. The lab, to be called Singtel Cogni ve and Ar ficial Intelligence Lab for Enterprises (SCALE@NTU), is also supported by the Na onal Research Founda on (NRF). Under a five-year-partnership, the partners will develop applica ons for use in the areas of public safety, smart urban solu ons, transporta on, healthcare and manufacturing.

deep capabilities in these focused areas.” Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU’s Ac ng Provost, Chief of Staff and Vice President (Research) added, “For Singapore to achieve its Smart Na on vision, we have to keep pushing the fron ers of AI and develop innova ve ways to process, analyse and u lise big data. This is how the collabora ve effort between Singtel and NTU on cognive compu ng will make a huge impact, improving produc vity for businesses while making our ci es smarter and more efficient.”

Through their collec ve exper se and resources, they also aim to accelerate innova on in the fields of AI, advanced data analy cs, robo cs and smart compu ng.

Over the next five years, this partnership is expected to expand the product range of Singtel and its regional ICT subsidiary NCS. Some 100 researchers from Singtel and NTU will work at SCALE@NTU, while another 200 research engineers, graduate and undergraduate students will also be trained in the lab.

Mr Bill Chang, CEO, Group Enterprise at Singtel, said, “As businesses face the rising threat of technological disruptions, companies are constantly seeking innovative ways to gain deeper insights through data analytics, better engage their customers and transform their operations. To help companies address these challenges, we are stepping up our R&D efforts to develop

Singtel and A*STAR will also work together on projects including smart building automa on systems, robo cs and Internet of Things (IoT) applica ons that could help boost opera ng eﬃciencies in various industries. Such technologies can be tested on Singtel’s NarrowBand-IoT and 5G mobile network in a model factory to be set up by A*STAR next year.

FIRST CHINESE SMART TECHNOLOGY ENABLED SHIP LAUNCHED China’s first smart ship, christened “Great Intelligence” (pictured), was launched in December 2017 at Marintec China industry event. A 38,800 dwt modified version of the Green Dolphin fuel-eﬃcient bulk carrier concept, the ship was designed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Ins tute (SDARI) and built at Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corpora on (CSSC). It meets Lloyd’s Register (LR) requirements for cyber-enabled ships (CES), including Cyber AL2 Safe (Naviga on, Propulsion, Steering), Cyber AL2 Maintain (M/E, A/E, Boiler, Sha ) and Cyber AL2 Perform (Energy Management). The System Engineering Research Ins tute (SERI) and China Class Society (CCS) were also involved in this project. The Great Intelligence is equipped with a Ship Opera on and Maintenance System (SOMS) that uses advanced sensing technology to build its network, and features self-learning capabili es and internal diagnos c systems. The system is also used to provide health management, energy eﬃciency management, and an intelligent integra on pla orm to the vessel.

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Photo: Lloyd’s Register

Furthermore, an intelligent naviga on system, which enables the ship to u lise collected data to op mise shipping routes, has been built in. It is capable of avoiding iden fied obstacles and areas with adverse meteorological condi ons, for example. However, final naviga on orders will s ll be issued by its crew. The smart-enabled ship has since passed factory acceptance tests and sea trials, and will be used by Sinotrans Shipping to transport coal and salt between China, Australia and Southeast Asia.

INDUSTRY NEWS

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASSES

CONSTRUCTED USING NEW TUNNELLING TECH As part of the works for Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), LTA embarked on a pilot project to construct pedestrian underpasses with a Rectangular Tunnel Boring Machine (RTBM) at two sites at Havelock and Stevens stations to leverage on this method to increase productivity. The RTBM features a rectangular shield box jacking technique which makes use of the principles of an Earth Pressure Balance Machine during excavation. The thrust cylinders in the box jack remains in the shaft, and push forward the entire box segment. New segments are installed within the shaft as the machine advances. As the RTBM advances and cuts through the soil, it turns the excavated material into a soil paste that is used as pliable, plastic support medium, to balance the pressure conditions at the tunnel face. Compared to conventional cut-and-cover methods used in other construction projects, the trenchless method with an RTBM brings about an estimated 30 per cent increased productivity through a reduction

Simplified cross-sec onal diagram of an RTBM (Image: LTA)

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in manpower, and provides better continuity of work, higher quality and workmanship. The RTBM was first launched at the site of Havelock station under Zion Road in May 2016 and completed its drive after six months in November 2016. As opposed to the use of conventional cut-and-cover method, the use of the RTBM resulted in a much shorter construction duration. It was then deployed at the site of Stevens station to construct a 60m-long pedestrian underpass beneath Dunearn Road and the Bukit Timah Canal. Tunnelling works for the pedestrian underpass was completed in January 2018. It will be open for public use 2020, ahead of the comple on of the TEL Stevens sta on. This will benefit pedestrians, such as students from Singapore Chinese Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School and St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institution, who will be able to cross Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road safely with the new underpass that connects Stevens station with these schools.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PUBLIC SECTOR CONSTRUCTION DEMAND IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN THIS YEAR The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) projects the total construction demand, ie the value of construction contracts to be awarded this year to range between SGD 26.0 billion and SGD 31.0 billion, up from the SGD 24.5 billion (preliminary estimate) awarded in 2017. The projected higher construction demand is due to an anticipated increase in public sector construction demand which is expected to grow from the SGD 15.5 billion in 2017 to between SGD 16 billion and SGD 19 billion this year, contributing to about 60% of 2018’s total projected demand. Public construction demand is expected to be boosted by an anticipated increase in demand for institutional and other buildings such as healthcare facilities, and civil engineering works, as well as a slate of smaller government projects that have been brought forward in response to the slowdown in the previous years. The private sector’s construction demand is similarly expected to improve from SGD 9 billion in 2017 to between SGD 10 billion and SGD 12 billion in 2018, on

DfMA Technologies

the back of a strengthened overall economic outlook and the upturn in property market sentiment. Projects slated to be awarded this year include: • Residential projects - a steady pipeline of new public housing construction, upgrading works for HDB flats, and a number of upcoming sizeable condominium projects earmarked for development at Shunfu Road, Stirling Road, Hougang Avenue 7 and Upper Serangoon Road. • Commercial projects - major upcoming office building projects slated for development at likely locations such as Central Boulevard and Harbour Drive. • Industrial projects - an automo ve hub at Jalan Terusan and a mul -storey recycling facility in Northern Singapore. • Institutional and other building projects - more healthcare facilities such as the redevelopment of National Skin Centre at Mandalay Road and Woodlands Integrated Health Campus, various educational facilities for Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) as

≤$40m

$40m< X ≤$85m

$85m< X ≤ $150m

$150m < X ≤ $300m

>$300m

Total

Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construc on (PPVC)

Mass Engineered Timber (MET)

Structural Steel

Hybrid/ Mul -tech

Total

Disclaimer: The above informa on is provided to the best of BCA’s knowledge. All figures in the above table, including project values, are indica ve only, and subject to change without no ce. BCA will not be liable for any loss or damages (including any special, indirect, incidental or consequen al damages) which may be incurred from any use of or reliance on the informa on contained in the above table. Table 1: Expected number of upcoming DfMA projects 10

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

well as private sector investments in developing nature based attractions and recreational facilities for tourists at Mandai Park.

The public sector will continue to lead demand and is expected to contribute SGD 16 billion to SGD 20 billion per annum in 2019 to 2022, with similar proportions of demand contributed by building projects and civil engineering works.

• Civil engineering projects - major contracts for the North-South Corridor, new MRT works and Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2 as well as rolling out of the remaining package for Runway 3 by Changi Airport Group.

Besides public housing developments and healthcare and educational facilities, public sector construction demand over the medium-term will continue to be supported by major infrastructure projects which include various developments for Changi Airport Terminal 5 and land transport projects such as the Cross Island Line, Jurong Region Line, Rapid Transit System and High Speed Rail.

Last year’s total construc on demand was lower than expected as there was a rescheduling of a few major public sector infrastructure projects, such as for the North- South Corridor, to 2018. Longer prepara on mes are required to implement these large-scale and complex projects. Despite the shor all from the forecast, total preliminary public sector construc on demand last year was SGD 15.5 billion - a level slightly higher than in 2016 - whilst the preliminary private sector construc on demand of SGD 9.0 billion was within the original forecast range of SGD 8.0 billion to SGD 11.0 billion.

In addition, private sector construction demand is expected to also increase gradually in the medium term, boosted by the redevelopment of en-bloc sale sites and the spill-over benefits generated by the improved performance and outlook in other economic sectors.

With sustained emphasis on construction productivity and quality improvement, projects prescribing Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) technologies have become more prevalent in recent years. Table 1 shows the expected number of upcoming DfMA projects in Singapore, with construction tenders expected to be called in 2018 and 2019.

Construction output

The number of DfMA projects to be put up for tender is expected to increase in 2019 as more of such projects are firmed up. These latest numbers are being shared to enable industry to better size the upcoming demand for these new technologies.

This is due to the continued drag from the significant slowdown in private sector construction demand since 2015. Looking ahead at the improved market outlook in the next few years, construction output is anticipated to strengthen over the medium term.

Forecast for 2019 to 2022

The industry should take the opportunity to build up its capabilities in the area of construction quality excellence through the adoption of effective and productive construction methods such as DfMA. BCA will continue to work with tripartite partners to transform the industry and realise the vision of the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM).

Based on the contracts awarded in the past few years and taking into account the construction demand forecast for 2018, total nominal construction output in 2018 is projected to remain subdued at between SGD 26 billion and SGD 28 billion, as compared to the estimated SGD 28 billion in 2017.

BCA anticipates a steady improvement in construction demand over the medium term. Demand is projected to reach between SGD 26 billion and SGD 33 billion per annum for 2019 and 2020 and could pick up to between SGD 28 billion and SGD 35 billion per annum for 2021 and 2022. Construc on Demand (Value of Contracts Awarded)

Year

Construc on Output (Value of Cer fied Progress Payments)

Public

Private

Total

2017p

$15.5 billion

$9.0 billion

$24.5 billion

~$28 billion

2018 f

$16 – 19 billion

$10 – 12 billion

$26 – 31 billion

$26 – 28 billion

2019 – 2020 f

$16 – 20 billion

2021 – 2022 f

(50% from building projects and 50% from civil engineering projects)

$26 – 33 billion -

$28 – 35 billion

p: preliminary f: forecast Table 2: Construc on Demand and Construc on Output THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

NTU JTC’S NEW COATING KEEPS ITS COOL EVEN WHEN THE HEAT IS ON

Holding steel plates coated with FiroShield of different colours are, from left, Mr Ng Yan Hao, PhD student, NTU; Mr Ng Kian Wee, Principal Engineer, Civil and Structural Department, JTC; Prof Tan Kang Hai, NTU; Asst Prof Aravind Dasari, NTU; Mr Koh Chwee, Director, Technical Services Division, JTC and Co-Director, I3 Centre; and Dr Indraneel S Zope, Research Fellow, NTU.

Scien sts from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) and na onal industrial developer JTC came up with the idea for a new coa ng, when they were figuring out a commercially viable solu on to protect reinforced concrete against underground fires. A er two years of intensive research and development by the interdisciplinary team, an aﬀordable product, that oﬀers enhanced fire and corrosion protec on, was invented. Named FiroShield, the new 3-in-1 coa ng is expected to be cheaper and less laborious to apply and it would func on aesthe cally like normal paint. Exis ng steel structures in buildings are usually coated with a fire-retardant layer to shield the bare metal from damage by fire and meet the fire protec on standard of two hours - aimed at giving occupants enough me to evacuate the building. According to the team of scien sts from NTU and engineers from JTC, today’s conven onal intumescent coatings are thick, more expensive and laborious to apply. To achieve a two-hour fire ra ng, FiroShield requires just five layers of coa ng, compared to conven onal coa ngs, which require up to 15 layers or more. It is thus faster to apply and it is also cheaper, due to the lower material costs and manpower requirements. 12

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FiroShield has also been tested on other construc on materials, such as reinforced concrete and laminated mber, and has the same performance. In addi on to its fire-resistant proper es and easy applica on, FiroShield can also protect the steel surface from corrosion. FiroShield is expected to last longer when exposed to weathering elements such as moisture and UV rays. This will reduce the maintenance cost and frequency of inspec ons over the lifespan of a building. Leading the research team is Asst Prof Aravind Dasari, School of Materials Science and Engineering and Prof Tan Kang Hai, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTU. The research team includes Dr Indraneel S Zope and Mr Ng Yan Hao, from NTU, as well as Mr Ng Kian Wee, Principal Engineer, Civil and Structural Department, JTC, who contributed his experience in engineering projects. The interdisciplinary angle, linking the materials to structures, was a vital facet of this research. The team said the knowledge that members have obtained over the years of research on diﬀerent aspects of polymers and combus on, combined with civil and structural engineering experience, helped to streamline their approach. The strength of their coa ng comes from a balanced mix of addi ves which work well together to

INDUSTRY NEWS

give off simultaneous chemical reac ons under extremely high temperatures. They knew that they had found the right formula when they were able to coat steel samples evenly, with a spray gun. “In a fire, our coa ng forms a compact charred layer that acts as a protec ve barrier against the heat”, said Asst Prof Dasari, who is also a Principal Inves gator at the NTU-JTC Industrial Infrastructure Innova on Centre (I3 Centre). “While typical fire coa ngs will also form a charred layer, those are thick and foam-like, which can fall off easily and leave the steel exposed to the fire. What we aimed at was an innova ve coat that works differently from conven onal intumescent coa ngs and can s ck to the steel surface for as long as possible, under high temperatures, and has durability and weather-resistance under normal condi ons without a need for a top coat of paint”, he added.

Asst Prof Aravind Dasari, NTU, pu ng his finger on a piece of plas c which was placed behind a steel plate coated with FiroShield and exposed to a flame with a temperature of over 900° C, proving that it is cool enough to touch. This is due to the eﬀec veness of the FiroShield coa ng in preven ng the transmission of heat to the steel and its consequent deforma on.

Mr Koh Chwee, Director, Technical Services Division, JTC and Co-Director, I3 Centre, said that through collaboration with academic institutions like NTU, JTC aims to develop new and innovative solutions to enhance safety and construction productivity in its industrial infrastructure projects.

“The ease of application of this new fire- and corrosion-resistant coating on steel structures will help reduce labour-intensive work, thus improving productivity and enabling faster coating of prefabricated steel components. More importantly, the new coating’s ability to maintain superior adhesion under high temperatures leads to increased building safety for occupants. We are confident that the new coating will be able to reduce both paint material and labour costs, and become a new alternative to other fire protection products”, said Mr Koh. Prof Chu Jian, Interim Co-Director of the I3 Centre said this invention is one of the successful examples of research partnerships between academia and industry, as NTU is able to tap on relevant industry know-how from JTC, while providing technological knowledge and research expertise, to develop an innovative solution that will benefit the building and construction sector.

Combina on of materials used for coa ng The base material of the new coa ng is made of synthe c polymer resins that are commonly used to make paints. To give it fire- and corrosion-resistant proper es, Asst Prof Dasari’s team added a combina on of common chemicals, including one that is endothermic, that is, it can absorb heat, to start a chemical reac on that causes the coa ng to adhere firmly to the steel.

The team went further to develop a coa ng that is able to have assorted colours. Pigments can be added to the mixture, so that it achieves the aesthe c func on of normal paint. Paint manufacturers looking to add the benefits of FiroShield to their products should find that commercialisa on is straigh orward, as the innova on relies simply on the addi on of key chemicals into their paint manufacturing process. For the next phase of development, FiroShield will be sent to the UK for industry cer fica on which includes subjec ng the coa ng to a load-bearing fire test. Its proprietary formula on has been filed with NTU’s innova on and enterprise arm, NTUi ve, and upon the comple on of the cer fica on, NTUi ve will work with JTC to explore commercialisa on op ons. A er the cer fica on, which is expected to be completed by April 2018, the joint research team will work with relevant agencies to roll out this technology on a larger scale. Building on this technology, Asst Prof Dasari will also work with JTC at the I3 Centre to develop another type of innova ve coa ng for the construc on and building industry, which addresses even more proper es beyond fire- and corrosion-resistance.

NTU-JTC I3 Centre Established in 2011, the NTU-JTC I3 Centre aims to pioneer cu ng-edge industrial infrastructure solu ons to address challenges faced by Singapore and its companies in areas such as safety, produc vity as well as manpower and resource constraints. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEW INITIATIVES TO BOOST CONSTRUCTION

PRODUCTIVITY IN HDB PROJECTS By 2019, all newly launched HDB flats will be fi ed with bathroom units pre-assembled off-site. Complete with finishes such as copper piping, par al ling, window frames, and a waterproofing system, the Prefabricated Bathroom Units (PBUs) will be transported to the work site, and hoisted onto the blocks for installa on. Along with the adop on of PBUs, HDB will also implement the concrete Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construc on (PPVC) method in 35% of its projects, by 2019. This method involves construc ng and assembling three-dimensional (3D) prefabricated modular units, with finishes, in a controlled factory environment. At the factory, the 3D volumetric components are combined in different configura ons (including for bedrooms, living room, household shelter, and kitchen) to create different flat layouts, and pre-fi ed with floor and wall finishes, window frames and a preliminary coat of paint, before being transported to the construc on site for installaon. The move - a departure from the conven onal approach where workers need to work on the finishes at the construc on site - will drive HDB’s construc on produc vity on a larger scale, se ng it on track to achieve an improvement of 25%, by 2020, compared with the produc vity in 2010.

Steady improvement in produc vity As the public housing authority and largest housing developer in Singapore, HDB constantly seeks to improve its design and construc on processes, to raise construcon produc vity even as it delivers quality homes for Singaporeans. Over the years, through the adop on of a range of ini a ves, the produc vity for public housing projects, defined as the amount of floor area completed per man day, has improved steadily.

• Reduced need for manpower on-site and be er site safety - By fabrica ng the volumetric modular units off-site in a controlled factory environment, fewer workers are required on-site, thereby improving overall site safety. • Be er construc on quality - Volumetric construc on in a factory environment offers more uniform and be er quality workmanship. The incidence of wet construcon joints is also reduced, thereby improving the water- ghtness of wet areas. • Reduced impact on environment - With part of the finishes done off-site, less noise and dust is generated at the construc on sites, thereby minimising disamenies to surrounding residents. It also helps to improve housekeeping at construc on sites.

From pilot projects to wider implementa on HDB first piloted concrete PBUs in Fernvale Lea, a BuildTo-Order (BTO) project in Sengkang, which was completed in January 2016. Including this pilot project, HDB has installed PBUs in 15 BTO projects, involving some 14,000 units. Moving ahead, HDB will install PBUs in 60% of the flats launched in 2017, and extend PBUs to all projects launched by 2019, where feasible. The PPVC method of construc on was piloted in Valley Spring @ Yishun, where construc on of 824 BTO units started in March 2017. Prior to this pilot, HDB had tested the concrete Prefabricated Volumetric Construc on (PVC) approach in West Terra @ Bukit Batok. Similar to PPVC, the PVC method involves the use of 3D volumetric units, but without pre-finishes such as floor finishes or pain ng. Expected to be completed in the first quarter 2018, all 1,793 units in West Terra @ Bukit Batok will also come with PBUs. The PVC pilot has enabled HDB to refine its PPVC approach. By 2019, the PPVC approach will be implemented in 35% of new public housing projects.

Expanding use of prefabrica on technology One key thrust of HDB’s produc vity drive has been the adop on of precast technology since the 1980s. Today, up to 70% of a typical HDB block’s concrete structure is constructed using the prefabrica on method. To further raise produc vity, HDB has been studying and pilo ng new and more produc ve forms of precast construcon, including the game-changing PBU and PPVC methods. The key benefits of using PBUs and PPVC are as follows: • Higher efficiency - The pre-assembly of volumetric units can be carried out off-site, in tandem with other ac vi es on-site. The off-site works at the ground level minimises the wastage of materials and also reduces the need to hoist raw materials onto elevated blocks under construc on. 14

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

PBUs delivered at the construc on site, for installa on.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Valley Spring @ Yishun, launched in August 2016, is a pilot HDB project using the PPVC method.

U lising technological innova ons Beyond prefabrica on technology, HDB also seeks to leverage technological innova ons, such as Building Informa on Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Design & Construc on (VDC), to raise construc on produc vity. An advanced 3D modelling technology, BIM enables professionals of various disciplines to explore the building project digitally, before it is built. With planners, surveyors, designers, and builders looking at the same 3D model, poten al design clashes are easily flagged out for resolu on before the actual construc on on site. This leads to more integrated collaboraon of exper se, thereby op mising the cost-eﬀec veness and quality standards across HDB’s construc on value chain. As one of the early adopters of BIM, HDB has been applying this advanced simula on so ware in its new projects, since 2009. From 2012, all new HDB developments are required to use BIM in their design. To-date, about 130 projects have been designed using BIM. In VDC, designers and contractors make use of 3D visualisa on of the building designs and informa on embedded in BIM models, to address design issues collabora vely and plan the construc on ac vi es holis cally. The use of VDC enhances produc vity, as designers and contractors spend less me to interpret the 2D technical drawings, thus reducing misinterpreta on.

New materials In the design of its flats, HDB is also constantly searching for materials that will improve produc vity and oﬀer residents a be er home. Some new materials that have been introduced in new HDB flats include: • Vinyl strip flooring to replace floor les in the bedrooms, since 2016. Resembling mber, the flooring

is pre-finished oﬀ-site in factories and can be installed easily on site. It oﬀers be er slip resistance and greater comfort for residents. • Unplas cised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) skir ng to replace mber skir ng in all projects launched, since November 2015. The uPVC skir ng is of higher quality and can be installed more speedily. HDB has adopted new • Laminated uPVC doors materials such as laminated and architraves, introuPVC doors and architraves to duced in 2017. They are improve productivity. easier to install and more durable than conven onal mber doors and steel door frames. The uPVC doors and architraves also allow better control of workmanship and higher quality control.

Mee ng produc vity goals With the implementa on of game-changing construc on technologies and innova ons, HDB is well on track to achieving a total construc on produc vity improvement of 25%, by 2020 - in line with the target set for the industry by the Government. In Financial Year 2016/ 2017, HDB achieved a cumula ve 12.3% improvement in overall produc vity levels at its construc on sites. Going forward, HDB will con nue to pursue advances in technology and the adop on of innova ons to boost produc vity, and create well-designed and quality homes for Singaporeans. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

TRIMBLE LAUNCHES CLOUD BASED

CONSTRUCTION COLLABORATION TOOL IN ASIA Trimble recently introduced its powerful cloud-based collabora on pla orm, Trimble Connect, to the Asian construcon sector. Trimble Connect allows construc on professionals to collaborate across diﬀerent technology pla orms – Android, iOS, Desktop, Web and Mixed Reality. The solu on was introduced at BuildTech Asia 2017, held in Singapore. Using Trimble Connect can reduce costs and improve eﬃciency for buildings and infrastructure projects by consolida ng and seamlessly exchanging informa on throughout the design, build, and operate lifecycle of the project. Trimble Connect helps construc on companies build be er, by making informa on transparent, traceable and accessible to everyone involved in a project.

How Trimble Connect works Owners, architects, contractors and engineers all use diﬀerent so ware and hardware tools to contribute their deliverables to a structural project. These deliverables can be 2D drawings, specifica ons, documents, or 3D models created through Building Informa on Modelling (BIM). However, the process of sharing informa on across the tools and technology pla orms can be disjointed, tedious and complex. Trimble Connect creates a robust and open cloud-based project collabora on pla orm that so ware and hardware users can easily u lise. With Trimble Connect, everyone involved in a construc on project can see the big picture as well as right down to the niest detail. It allows teams to access, analyse, manage and share project data from anywhere, at any me. “Trimble Connect will allow Asian construc on professionals to collaborate seamlessly, removing the barriers between teams and tasks”, said Mr Thomas Phang, Area Director of Trimble Solu ons (SEA) Pte Ltd. “With Trimble Connect, Asian construc on companies working on structural projects will save costs and achieve greater eﬃciencies in the way they create buildings. Trimble Connect can unlock significant produc vity improvements for construc on firms by ge ng their teams working be er together. Trimble Connect confirms Trimble’s leadership as a provider of advanced so ware and hardware solu ons for the construc on industry in Asia and the world”, he added. Reflec ng Trimble’s commitment to open standards and workflows, Trimble Connect supports the pla orm-neutral IFC file format for Open BIM, a broad-based approach to the collabora ve design, construc on and opera on of buildings, based on open standards and workflows. One prac cal example of using Trimble Connect in structural workflows is for publishing steel and concrete models to the cloud, so that Tekla Structures users can reference each 16

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

other’s work in a protected workflow or reference the architect’s, MEP designer’s, or civil engineer’s models for clash checking, scheduling, and design coordina on. Trimble Connect for Structures includes basic features as well as addi onal structural applica on workflow tools, such as the ability to track and share status events.

Arup appoints new Global Rail Leader Arup has appointed Mr T C Chew as Global Rail Leader to direct the firm’s global rail business. Mr Chew will work closely with interim leader Anna Squire to establish Arup’s rail business as the world leader in the sector. He joins Arup from Samsung Construc on & Trading Corpora on where he was President Mr TC Chew, Global Rail of Global Business Opera ons, Leader, Arup. leading the firm’s transforma on to an integrated, trusted Engineering, Procurement, and Construc on (EPC) company. Mr Chew has more than 40 years’ experience in delivering major railway infrastructure programmes around the world. While at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore, he delivered Asia’s first fully automated underground heavy metro system - the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. He was responsible for all new railway projects in Hong Kong during his me at MTR Corpora on, including the West Island Line and the fully automated South Island Line. During his me at Bombardier Transporta on as Head of Mass Transit in the UK, Mr Chew was responsible for major projects including the London Underground Victoria Line upgrade. He is a Fellow of a number of key ins tu ons including the Royal Academy of Engineering; the Ins tu on of Civil Engineers; the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Hong Kong Ins tute of Directors. “My focus will be helping our clients move beyond immediate project delivery, to considering the whole life-cycle of their rail infrastructure projects. Significant gains can be made by thinking about long-term asset maintenance and replacement from the outset. With the breadth of exper se available at Arup, we are well placed to deliver smart solu ons that consider the whole-life perspec ve”, said Mr Chew. “With TC’s client and contrac ng experience, we are able to further strengthen our global reach. Throughout his career, TC has helped clients deploy advanced technology to improve eﬃciencies across the whole life-cycle of a project. Under his leadership, we will be even be er placed to help our clients’ future proof and improve the long-term value of their rail assets”, said Dr Alan Belfield, Chief Opera ng Oﬃcer, Arup.

INDUSTRY NEWS

HILL INTERNATIONAL’S CONSTRUCTION

CLAIMS GROUP BECOMES HKA The management buyout of Hill Interna onal’s Construc on Claims & Consul ng Group (CCG), backed by Bridgepoint Development Capital, has been completed.

• Binnington Copeland & Associates, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa • Cadogans, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, UK

The newly independent firm has been restructured to bring all its firms under one global business and brand, named HKA. This new interna onal consultancy will be headquartered in Warrington and London, in England, UK.

HKA has approximately 960 professionals in 45 oﬃces worldwide, providing clients with advisory, consul ng and expert services. In Asia, HKA has oﬃces in Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

HKA is amalgama ng six brands, represen ng specialist advisory, consul ng and expert engineering services, to create a single, globally connected, integrated oﬀering. The six brands incorporated into HKA are: • Hill Interna onal (CCG) plus subsidiaries • Knowles, headquartered in Warrington, England, UK • Hill-PCI Group, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA • McLachlan Lister, headquartered in Sydney, Australia

The new firm is led by Renny Borhan who becomes Chief Execu ve of the interna onal firm. Commen ng on the comple on of the deal, Mr Borhan stated, “In every market sector, projects are becoming ever more complex and interna onal. HKA is a firm uniquely posi oned to address this, combining our businesses and brands to provide seamless access to integrated advisory, consul ng and expert services anywhere in the world throughout the life cycle of a project”.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

AUTODESK PREVIEWS NEXT GENERATION

BIM 360 PLATFORM At its 25th annual flagship user conference, Autodesk University, held in November 2017, in Las Vegas, USA, Autodesk Inc previewed its next genera on BIM 360 pla orm, a seamless cloud service connec ng the en re construc on project lifecycle. Autodesk also launched the ‘Connect and Construct Exchange’, a new BIM 360 integra on partner programme designed to bring third-party so ware applica ons and data into the BIM 360 construc on workflow. The Connect and Construct Exchange was launched with more than 50 inaugural BIM 360 integrators. The next genera on of BIM 360, built on the Autodesk Forge pla orm, supports informed decision-making throughout the construc on project lifecycle, by centralising all project data in a single place. Autodesk Forge is a connected developer cloud pla orm which enables customers and partners to create customised, scalable solu ons for engineering, construc on and manufacturing challenges. BIM 360 connects project stakeholders and workflows at all stages of the building lifecycle - from design to construc on to opera ons, from the field to the oﬃce and back. BIM 360 removes the uncertainty that plagues construc on projects of all sizes, by pairing its project management tools and database with machine learning analy cs and insights. The result is closer collabora on among project teams, greater transparency about changes, and improved data con nuity that translates into increased profitability.

on, with an inaugural group of more than 50 BIM 360 integra on partners. The exchange’s goals are to showcase, catalogue and generate awareness for all applica ons and integra ons to the next-genera on BIM 360 pla orm, so that customers and partners have a broad choice of solu ons to enhance and extend their workflow to be er meet their unique construc on needs.

Contractors and trades can view a list of project issues on Apple or Android tablets and phones, add details, and move through approval steps.

“Construc on projects are growing more complex, but Autodesk meets that challenge head-on with BIM 360, making construc on work safer, simpler, and connected”, said Andrew Anagnost, President and CEO, Autodesk. “With the confusion of an ever-increasing number of construc on apps across the industry, the op on to manage all project data in a single cloud pla orm results in more predictable building project outcomes”, he added.

Developed with Autodesk construc on industry customers

In BIM 360, clash detec on is performed automa cally as mul discipline models are published. In the Model Coordina on module, users can drill down into individual clashing objects to resolve issues in the pre-construc on stage.

The new BIM 360 pla orm is a result of collabora on between Autodesk and 500 construc on professionals from 100 organisa ons, who informed the company’s so ware development process. Autodesk BIM 360 solu ons presently house almost 4,000,000 models, and BIM 360 customers have logged approximately 200 million field observa ons.

Connect and Construct Exchange BIM 360 connects fragmented workflows across preconstruc on, execu on, fabrica on, installa on, and facility management. The new Autodesk Connect and Construct Exchange adds value for each of these phases of construc18

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

The BIM 360 mobile app supports both quality and safety checklist workflows, as well as access to all the project plans, models and documents.

INDUSTRY NEWS

LEADING ARCHITECTS VOTE AURECON AMONG TOP FIVE BEST PARTNERS GLOBALLY As the boundaries of design are con nually changed and extended, the role of the engineer has expanded to include that of design thinker and skilled collaborator on projects.

in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; MahaNakhon Tower in Bangkok, Thailand; and VivoCity in Shanghai, China.

Aurecon, a company that has an cipated and adapted to this trend, was highly ranked for the third year running, in the 2017 Annual World Architecture 100 (WA100) survey of the world’s leading architectural prac ces, and again voted one of the global top five ‘Best Partners’ in both the ‘Service Engineers’ and ‘Structural Engineers’ categories. The comprehensive WA100 survey conducted by World Architecture magazine asks architects to name their ‘favourite professional associates’, based on a diverse range of key performance indicators, including an outstanding commitment to clients, contribu on to crea vity and project outcomes, collabora on and chemistry. Ingenuity and technical exper se, which enhance a concept from a design perspec ve, ranks par cularly highly.

Flood Resilient Ferry Terminals, Brisbane, Australia.

“Design encompasses a meaning beyond the making of a physical thing. It is a way of doing and a way of thinking. Aurecon’s dis nc veness has come from weaving all aspects of design into our organisa onal DNA as a means of cra ing new value. We have made Design-Led Engineering our signature discipline and imbued its principles across our global footprint”, says Mr John McGuire, Aurecon’s Chief Innova on Oﬃcer. “It is hugely rewarding that our commitment to clever, inspirational design is truly valued by the global architecture community”, added Mr James Bennett, Managing Director-Built Environment, Aurecon. A recent example of design achievement was the collabora on between Aurecon and Cox Rayner Architects, which resulted in the award-winning design concept for the Flood Resilient Ferry Terminals for Brisbane, Australia. The ambi ous design tested the boundaries of conven on, in introducing technical innova on to mari me engineering. Other examples of crea ve Aurecon projects are 567 Collins Street in Melbourne, Australia; Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel 20

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

Mapletree’s VivoCity Shanghai, China.

The Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel, Dubai.

EVENTS

BENTLEY SYSTEMS HONOURS ACHIEVEMENTS AT EVENT IN SINGAPORE Bentley Systems Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive so ware solu ons for advancing infrastructure, announced the winners of the 2017 Be Inspired Awards at a ceremony and gala on 12 October 2017, held as part of the Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, from 9 to 12 October 2017, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The annual awards programme honours the work by users of Bentley so ware in advancing the world’s infrastructure. At the Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, Bentley acknowledged six Special Recogni on Awards winners and 17 Be Inspired Awards winners. The Year in Infrastructure Conference is Bentley’s annual global gathering of leading professionals in the world of infrastructure design, construc on, and opera ons. In addi on to thought-provoking keynotes, technology demonstra ons, industry forums, and panel discussions, the agenda included presenta ons by finalists in the Be Inspired Awards programme, culmina ng in the selec on of the winning projects. For the 2017 Be Inspired Awards, 10 independent panels of jurors, comprising distinguished industry experts, selected the Be Inspired Awards winners from 51 project finalists. These finalists were chosen from more than 400 submissions by organisations in over 50 countries.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS WINNERS Asset Informa on Management Advancement Oregon Department of Transporta on - TransInfo - A Connected Data Environment for Transporta on - Salem, Oregon, United States

Comprehensive BIM Advancement Guangdong Hydropower Planning & Design Ins tute Guangdong Pearl River Delta Water Resources Alloca on Project - Guangdong Province, China Concep oneering Advancement HNTB Corpora on - I-94 Moderniza on Project - Detroit, Michigan, United States Construc oneering Advancement China Construc on Sixth Engineering Division, Tianjin University of Technology, and Tianjin Tianhe-Cloud Building Engineering Technology Co Ltd - Sanya New Airport Reclama on Project - Sanya, Hainan, China Inspec oneering Advancement SEIKEY Enterprise Drone Solu ons - Cell Tower Inspecons 4G and 5G - Caronno Pertusella, Varese, Italy Opera oneering Advancement Outotec - Design for Reliability Project in Counter Current Decanta on (CCD) - Helsinki, Finland

BE INSPIRED AWARDS WINNERS BIM Advancements in Bridges Long Jian Road & Bridge Co Ltd - Heihe-Blagoveshchensk Heilongjiang River (Amur River) Road Bridge Project Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, China BIM Advancements in Buildings and Campuses Morphosis - Bloomberg Center Project - New York, New York, USA BIM Advancements in Construc on Leighton Asia - Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facili es, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge - Hong Kong

Winner of the 2017 Be Inspired Awards, in the ‘BIM Advancements in Bridges’ category - Long Jian Road & Bridge Co Ltd - Heihe-Blagoveshchensk Heilongjiang River (Amur River) Road Bridge Project - Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, China.

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EVENTS

BIM Advancements in Environmental Engineering NJS Engineers India Pvt Ltd - JICA Assisted Ganga Ac on Plan II - Varanasi, U ar Pradesh, India

System (NOMS) - Strategic Road Network, England, United Kingdom

BIM Advancements in Manufacturing Satria Technologies Sdn Bhd - Sustainable Solu ons for Control & Protec on Systems - Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

BIM Advancements in U li es and Industrial Asset Performance BP - Khazzan Central Informa on Store - Khazzan Field, Block 61, Ad Dhahirah Governorate, Oman

BIM Advancements in Mining and Offshore Engineering Offshore Oil Engineering Company Limited - Field Jacket Design and Development of ‘Fixed Offshore Structure Design Tool’ - Tianjin, China

BIM Advancements in U li es Transmission and Distribu on Pestech Interna onal Berhad - Automa on and Integraon of Substa on Design Project - Kra e and Kampong Cham, Cambodia

BIM Advancements in Municipal Opera ons Huadong Engineering Corpora on Limited, PowerChina - Applica on of BIM Strategy for Shenzhen Qianhai Municipal Infrastructure - Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China

BIM Advancements in Water and Wastewater Plants Beijing Ins tute of Water - Tongzhou Water Works of Beijing South-to-North Water Diversion Project - Beijing, China

BIM Advancements in Power Genera on China Water Resource Pearl River Planning Surveying & Designing Co Ltd - Wugachong Reservoir Project in Pu’an County of Guizhou Province - Pu’an County, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China BIM Advancements in Project Delivery Mo MacDonald and the Costain, VINCI Construc on Grands Projets, Bachy Soletanche Joint Venture - East Sec on of the Thames Tideway Tunnel - London, England, United Kingdom

BIM Advancements in Water Networks AEGEA - AEGEA Prolagos Sewerage Master Plan 2041 Região dos Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference included the Buildings and Campuses Forum, Digital Ci es Forum, Industrial Forum, Rail and Transit Forum, Roads and Bridges Forum, U li es and Water Forum, as well as the Alliance Partner Pavilion and Sessions, Pre-conference Learning Academies and several ‘by invita on only’ summits.

BIM Advancements in Rail and Transit Mass Rapid Transit Corpora on Sdn Bhd - Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project - Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia BIM Advancements in Reality Modeling CEDD-AECOM- The Earth Solu ons - Development of Anderson Road Quarry Site - Hong Kong BIM Advancements in Roads CCCC First Highway Consultants Co Ltd - Applica on of BIM Strategy on the Transforma on of Meiguan Expressway to Urban Road Design Project - Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China BIM Advancements in Road and Rail Asset Performance Highways England - Network Occupancy Management

Winner of the 2017 Be Inspired Awards, in the ‘BIM Advancements in Rail and Transit’ category - Mass Rapid Transit Corpora on Sdn Bhd - Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project - Sungai Buloh-SerdangPutrajaya Line - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Winner of the 2017 Be Inspired Awards, in the ‘BIM Advancements in Construc on’ category - Leighton Asia - Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facili es, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge - Hong Kong. 22

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

EVENTS

BENTLEY ANNOUNCES IMODEL 2.0 CLOUD PLATFORM

AND ITS IMODELHUB CLOUD SERVICE At the Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, Bentley Systems’ Founder, Keith Bentley introduced the company’s ‘iModel 2.0’ cloud platform and its first new service, iModelHub, to accelerate ‘going digital’ for users of its ProjectWise Design Integration services. Without requiring changes to existing BIM applications or processes, the iModelHub cloud service, invoking application-specific ‘iModel bridges’ triggered automatically by ProjectWise synchronises and distributes changes made through discipline-specific BIM applications; aligns semantically and physically their constituent digital components; and maintains immersive visibility for comprehensive and continuous design reviews across all project disciplines and participants.

Keith Bentley speaks at the Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference.

Change synchronisa on The ProjectWise Design Integration service is relied upon as the ‘workhorse for work sharing’ by 43 of the ENR Top 50 Design Firms. It manages the file-based workflows for project delivery, which correspond to contractual roles and which acknowledge the asynchronous and often disconnected nature of infrastructure project work packaging and collaboration. Adding iModelHub takes advantage of Microsoft Azure cloud services to fully enable a connected project - synchronising all checked-in project changes, and automatically updating a composite project iModel for comprehensive and continuous design reviews, highlighting progress and risks in digital workflows across disciplines. iModelHub journals all project changes on a timeline, and notifies project participants, based on their ProjectWise workflow configuration, about the availability of relevant changes. Participants can choose to synchronise (or not) to and from particular timeline milestones, and can visualise, summarise, analyse, and interpret the impact of ongoing changes. To fully enable analytics across multiple projects, and for connected assets, ‘iModel agents’ can be programmed for each analytics subject, to be notified of project-level changes by iModelHub, and to filter appropriately for efficient incremental updates to enterprise ‘data lakes’, assuring secure accessibility of current infrastructure engineering model data for compliance and safety.

Digital alignment Bentley’s widely-utilised i-model (1.0) containers for BIM deliverables make their native structures usefully self-describing in their own right, but that approach was not intended for aggregation and understanding

The ProjectWise Design Integra on service is considered the ‘workhorse for work sharing’. Adding iModelHub takes advantage of Microso Azure cloud services to fully enable a connected project.

across disciplines. iModel (2.0) advancement relies upon the iModelHub cloud service and iModel Bridges to achieve maximum possible digital alignment across iModels. An iModel Bridge aligns information from an application’s native format into the iModelHub‘s registry of semantics, structure, units, and coordinates. Bentley Systems is providing iModel Bridge programs for its applications and for other common BIM applications, such as Autodesk REVIT, and will provide an API for the creation of bridges from other applications.

Immersive visibility By adding change synchronisation and digital alignment to the connected data environment shared across ProjectWise and Bentley’s AssetWise operations services, iModelHub increases the value of digital workflows within and between connected projects, connected assets, and enterprise data lakes. By distributing and synchronising copies of iModels THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

EVENTS

anywhere, the iModel 2.0 cloud platform is able to support massive scale-out for reliable, ubiquitous, and asynchronous project visibility. For example, Bentley’s new Navigator Web enables any authorised user on any modern browser to access project and asset digital component information securely through intuitive 3D immersion. Immersive visibility includes alignment of BIM models and digital components within their digital context of engineering-ready reality meshes, created by Bentley’s ContextCapture reality modelling software, for instance from continuous UAV surveying.

“With our ‘iModel 2.0’ cloud platform, I foresee an accelerating ecosystem of innovation for true digital workflows around infrastructure assets. To get there, our first priority has been to make possible substantial improvements in infrastructure project delivery and asset performance outcomes, without needing to change current BIM workflows. iModelHub cloud services provide the solution for many infrastructure engineering challenges where BIM modelling has created the potential for advancement, but where information misalignment has limited its value”, said Mr Bentley.

For the first time, project delivery and work packaging can reliably and accountably ‘industrialise’ BIM, supported by the necessary tracking and management of constant change through design and construction workflows, and immersive design review visibility into ongoing project and site status. And for the first time, this fully connected data environment can enable digital engineering models to serve as the digital DNA for infrastructure asset performance modelling, connected to operational technology inputs and enterprise data lakes through Bentley’s AssetWise reliability services and operational analytics.

“Indeed, we have engineered the iModel 2.0 cloud platform to instill digital alignment, change-based accountability and synchronisation, and immersive visibility as its core tenants. The best news is that ProjectWise Design Integration users can set up their iModel Bridges to connect to iModelHub without retraining users or changing their existing applications or work processes - and without introducing any risk to their projects. If nothing else, the value of changebased visualisation through Navigator Web will prove so indispensable, I predict most organisations will never want to do another project without it”, he added.

Bentley completes rollout of its CONNECT Edi on applica on por olio Bentley Systems has announced the comple on of its CONNECT Edi on applica on por olio for design, analytical, construc on, and asset performance modelling of infrastructure. The CONNECT Edi on’s comprehensive modelling environment supports aligned digital workflows across applica ons for all project delivery disciplines, directly mee ng the challenges presented from infrastructure projects. At the Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, held in Singapore, the Bentley product keynote presenta on showcased digital workflows for digital ci es newly enabled by the full CONNECT Edi on applica on portfolio. Featured were four interdisciplinary vigne es on the design, construc on, and opera on of road, rail, water and wastewater, and airport infrastructure. These project vigne es illustrated the intersec on and interdependence of civil, u lity, building, and plant applica ons, and the digital workflow collabora on between interdisciplinary teams made possible by the CONNECT Edi on por olio, to deliver complex and mul -faceted projects. Roads Dus n Parkman, Vice President, Civil and Reality Modeling, presented CONNECT Edi on digital workflows for a road project, from its concep on through construc-

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

on. He began by bringing engineering-ready digital context into OpenRoads ConceptSta on, star ng with highly precise reality meshes of the underlying terrain prepared using ContextCapture and streamed into the applica on through ContextShare. He then brought in orthophotos, digital surface models, and point clouds to use in combina on with detailed surveying data. With this digital context, he rapidly created an interac vely costed conceptual design. Then, moving to OpenRoads Designer for detailed design, he incorporated the digital context and geometry from the conceptual design, along with the bridge designed in OpenBridge Modeler CONNECT Edi on and the geotechnical data for the substrata along the bridge footings and piles. He was then able to analyse the actual segmental bridge elements, ensuring form, func on and structural integrity as he designed the roadways and other structures. Mr Parkman then demonstrated a digital workflow for construc on, through federa on of ProjectWise CONNECT Edi on and Topcon’s Magnet Enterprise cloud services, showing the OpenRoads design driving an autonomous paving machine. He concluded by showing Topcon drones capturing imagery of the completed highway, bringing that data via Topcon’s MAGNET Enterprise through ContextCapture Cloud Processing Service to create an as-constructed reality mesh for use in the new AssetWise road network management, maintenance, and inspec on workflows.

EVENTS

Rail Jeremy Shaffer, Vice President Rail Solu ons, announced Bentley’s new OpenRail solu on, taking a rail project from planning through performance. He emphasised the importance of progressive assurance of opera onal requirements at the project outset, and of Systems Engineering as the framework for digital workflows for project delivery of complex rail systems. Mr Shaffer began with concep onal design, bringing ContextCapture created digital context into OpenRail ConceptSta on and leveraging digital components from Components Center to interac vely design a sec on of track. Then he used AECOsim Sta on Designer to design a complex, mul -faceted rail sta on. The sta on was seamlessly coordinated with the detailed civil design, created with OpenRail Designer, to provide a view of the overall scheme and an op mal blend of form and func on. Pla orm, facili es and road and parking changes were performed in parallel with bridge, tunnel, track, electrifica on, and signalling design, all taking advantage of the CONNECT Edi on’s comprehensive modelling environment, to ensure delivery of a fully func onal sta on. Mr Shaffer then introduced Navigator Web, first exploring in a zero-footprint browser a large 3D model of the designed sta on and track for design and construc on review, and then later interac vely examining the 3D model for an opera onal inspec on. He concluded by reviewing the new ConstructSim Comple ons cloud service for commissioning and mechanical handover, underscoring the importance of delivering the digital engineering models and digital context of the railroad for opera onal use in AssetWise. Water and Wastewater Robert Mankowski, Vice President, Asset Performance, began his session using the CONNECT Edi ons of WaterGEMS and SewerGEMS to simulate the behaviour of a water distribu on network and a wastewater collec on system to show how engineers can rapidly evaluate thousands of planning scenarios to iden fy op mal improvements to meet the future needs of the city. Focusing next on treatment plants, Mr Mankowski introduced OpenPlant Modeler CONNECT Edi on, which leverages digital components from Components Center for mul -discipline digital workflows, and used Navigator Web to interac vely query a large and complex 3D OpenPlant model with just a web browser. He then demonstrated new AssetWise capabili es purpose-built for water and wastewater operators to capture asset ac vi es or interven ons, including CCTV condi on surveys, sanitary sewer overflows, pipe cleaning, and more. Owners can use this data combined with spa al and network analy cs to make analy cally and data-driven decisions for more targeted and op mised OPEX and CAPEX spending. He also announced that AssetWise now leverages machine

learning services from Microso Azure to help owners find structure in their data, iden fy anomalous behaviour, and predict future outcomes based on past performance. Finally, he showed how real- me sensor data combined with simula on models that will help operators forecast future system behaviour to improve decision-making and reduce costs. Airports The vigne e on airports was presented by Andy Smith, Director Product Management, Design Modeling. Mr Smith explained how the CONNECT Edi on’s mul -discipline digital workflows are ideally suited to resolve land use, engineer the airfield, design the terminal, and support facility opera ons. Mr Smith began by bringing in engineering-ready digital context of exis ng site and building condi ons using ContextCapture. He created master and land use plans for the airport, demonstra ng Bentley Map CONNECT Edi on’s ability to combine GIS and BIM data. He then used OpenRoads Designer for detailed engineering of the runways and storm water management. Turning to the terminal itself, he used AECOsim Building Designer CONNECT Edi on’s Genera veComponents to explore innova ve and unique building forms, the chosen structure then physically modelled and analysed using STAAD CONNECT Edi on. Design review was conducted with Navigator Web, where Mr Smith interac vely explored large complex models in a browser. The final design was then brought to life with great realism, using AECOsim Building Designer and its now included LumenRT func onality. Bhupinder Singh, Bentley Systems’ Chief Product Oﬃcer said, “Going digital is exemplified by aligned inter-disciplinary digital workflows. Complex projects such as airports or railways require detailed coordina on, par cularly between horizontal and ver cal infrastructure. The alignment of track, for example, has direct bearing on the design and structure of a rail sta on. The CONNECT Edi on’s applica ons meet these requirements, as we illustrated in the vigne es presented today.” When upgrading from V8i versions to CONNECT Edi on applica ons, users face no change in file formats. And therea er, as CONNECT Edi on applica ons are auto-updated, BIM advancements are con nuous and never disrup ve. “We are excited to now offer the full portfolio of CONNECT Edition applications and to provide a connected data environment scalable to even the most complex of projects. By adopting the CONNECT Edition now, users can immediately take advantage of digital context, digital components, and digital workflows across the infrastructure lifecycle for ontime project delivery and better performing assets”, Mr Singh said.

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EVENTS

BUILDTECH ASIA 2017 SETS NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD and climate change, the ITM iden fied Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD), Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), as well as green building as key transforma on areas that would have to be addressed by the sector. Mr Hugh Lim, CEO, BCA, said that the transforma on process will lead to greater investment in capability building and more collabora on amongst firms to capture new business opportuni es. It will also a ract more Singaporeans to join the sector as a more technologically advanced workforce is needed. Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Na onal Development, speaking at the Oﬃcial Opening of the Singapore Construc on Produc vity Week 2017.

Echoing the trend in industry transforma on, Mr Chua Wee Phong, Chairman, Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd, said, “BuildTech Asia is proud to present a strong showcase of cu ng-edge and advanced technologies for the built environment sector. We are heartened to see exponen al growth in interna onal a endance which is a strong indicator of the importance of regional industry collabora on, and co-opera on between the government, industry and community. Such integra on across construc on markets in the region and beyond signals a strong interest in con nued cross-sharing of knowledge and se ng of common ini a ves that will propel the industry forward”.

SMART Women in Built Environment Conference BuildTech Asia 2017 received a record number of visitors.

BuildTech Asia 2017, the 7th edi on of the event, which was held from 24 to 26 October at Singapore EXPO, saw a record number of visitors and par cularly strong interna onal par cipa on. A key anchor event of the Singapore Construc on Produc vity Week, BuildTech Asia 2017 welcomed some 11,000 professionals, technology experts and distributors from the built environment sector. Organised by Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd and hosted by the Building and Construc on Authority (BCA), BuildTech Asia 2017 featured a variety of cu ng-edge technologies and solu ons. Over 130 exhibitors showcased virtual reality products, drones, smart solu ons and other produc ve technologies, in addi on to the usual exhibits such as construc on machinery, building materials, architectural solu ons and quality finishes. At the Oﬃcial Opening of the Singapore Construc on Produc vity Week 2017, Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Na onal Development, launched a Construc on Industry Transforma on Map (ITM) for Singapore’s built environment sector. Recognising key global trends which impact the sector, such as the digital revolu on, rapid urbanisa on 26

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The inaugural SMART Women in Built Environment Conference held alongside BuildTech Asia 2017 was a ended by more than 100 industry professionals. Organised by the Prestressed and Precast Concrete Society, Structural Engineering World Congress and Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd, the conference provided a unique perspec ve on the current progression and empowerment of women professionals in the built environment sector in the region. Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry, was the Guest-of-Honour. She said that ci es around the world including Singapore face pressures of resource scarcity, climate change and popula on growth. More than ever, we need innova ve and sustainable solu ons for urban living. As an integral part of the workforce, women have an important role to play in this transforma on eﬀort, as leaders, experts and professionals. Er. Emily Tan, the Organising Chairman of the conference, said, “Regardless of the diﬀerent prac ces in each country, both men and women have to be Skilled, Mo vated, Ar culate, Resourceful and Transformed, for the industry to transform and become more produc ve. We hope that this conference has seeded mo va on for more young women to press on, thrive and excel in an ever-changing built environment sector that is no longer gender-specific”.

EVENTS

A bigger Singapore Public Sector Built Environment Leadership Pavilion featured 10 public agencies in Singapore, which have applied smart solu ons and produc ve technologies in their projects. Visitors also witnessed a live demonstra on on the installa on of building services using prefabricated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) modules, at the new Produc vity Technology (ProTech) Demonstra on. Innova ons by 10 finalists in the second SCAL Produc vity and Innova on Awards (PIA) were also showcased at BuildTech Asia 2017. The PIA is an industry ini a ve to raise produc vity in the construc on sector through a ground-up approach for innova ve ideas. More than 100 industry professionals a ended the inaugural SMART Women in Built Environment Conference.

Leading female professionals and Government representa ves from Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore shared the challenges that women face in moving up the career ladder in the sector as well as how they can use their skills to excel in their fields, and ways to retain and empower women in the industry. The conference also served as a forum for all professionals to share their experiences.

The three winning innova ons announced at the SCAL Built Environment Summit were: • Gold: Koh Brothers Building and Civil Engineering Contractor (Pte) Ltd’s Moveable Li ing Frame Wall Formwork • Silver: CS Construc on & Geotechnic Pte Ltd’s Reinforced Concrete Pile Handler Machine • Bronze: Straits Construc on Singapore Pte Ltd’s Easy Safe Adjustable Riser Pla orm BuildTech Asia will return to Singapore EXPO in October 2018.

Built Environment Summit A new Built Environment Summit, organised by the Singapore Contractors Associa on Ltd (SCAL) was also held in conjunc on with BuildTech Asia 2017. Interna onal and local industry experts and leaders discussed what it takes for the built environment sector to remain relevant, seize opportuni es in a growing regional construcon market and maintain business compe veness.

Promo ng industry collabora ons across con nents Singapore has established itself as Asia’s infrastructure hub, with BuildTech Asia facilita ng knowledge-sharing in the region. Some of the trade delegates visited The Wave at the Nanyang Technological University, the first large-scale building in Southeast Asia built using Mass Engineered Timber. Delegates also visited Nanyang Crescent Residen al Halls, one of the first few high-rise projects in Singapore to adopt Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construc on (PPVC). In addi on to the wide range of associated trade ac vies, over 30 local and overseas trade mission groups visited BuildTech Asia 2017 and fostered business alliances through networking events. The trade show also seeded new partnerships involving par cipants from the region and those from European markets who were interested to explore more integrated business opportuni es.

Building solu ons and innova ons BuildTech Asia 2017 also presented a range of the latest building solu ons and innova ons from countries such as Austria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK.

BuildTech Asia 2017 featured a variety of cu ng-edge technologies and solu ons in addi on to the usual exhibits such as construc on machinery. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

EVENTS

MODULAR HOMES PRESENTED AT

BUILDTECH ASIA 2017 Singapore firm iMax Modular Pte Ltd showcased its patent-registered Solitaire and PopUp modular homes at BuildTech Asia 2017. These products are expected to help meet the rising demand for affordable and quality housing that can be delivered quickly. These 20 ft long modular homes, from iMax Modular, come with an innovative connection system which enables them to expand into bigger living spaces, and are designed to maximise the use of its internal space. The Solitaire home can transform from a single unit into a double unit apartment, by revolving its inner unit sideways while the PopUp home can be raised upwards to form a double storey apartment. High quality control is achieved as the building modules are prefabricated and fully fitted with internal finishes and fixtures in a Singapore factory before they are transported to site.

An exterior view

Mr Desmond Poh, Managing Director of iMax Modular Pte Ltd said, “We are committed to making a difference to the future of construction, by developing new practical solutions to achieve quality living at a low cost and in the shortest possible time. Innovations such as Solitaire and PopUp are highly mobile and can be easily re-located to any part of the world. They can also be used to create villages, townships and precincts, faster than any other construction system in the world”. The Solitaire technology is developed with engineering consultant Arup and designer Pod Structures Pte Ltd. They are suitable for social housing projects, army camps and emergency shelters to replace homes destroyed by disasters. The Solitaire modules can also be used as temporary living spaces and facilities for outdoor events such as the World Cup, the Olympic Games and festivals.

The kitchen

The PopUp homes are also ready for instant occupation and fills the demand for proper and affordable housing. Besides the Solitaire and PopUp homes, iMax Modular has also designed and supplied other modular systems that can significantly improve the efficiency of logistics and installation works on site. Schools, hostels, dormitories, hotels and nursing homes can be rapidly constructed with its modular construction technology. This includes a steel prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction system, where the top and bottom building modules are connected using the patented Candle-Loc fastening connection system, and which has been adopted for a dormitory in Tuas. 28

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Staircase leading to the upper storey

An innova ve connec on system enables the modules of the PopUp home to be installed rapidly with four men on site. It takes less than half an hour to raise the modules and finish with an eﬃcient fastening process.

COVER STORY

GREYFORM OPENS FACILITY TO PRODUCE

PREFABRICATED BUILDING ELEMENTS The Greyform Building in Kaki Bukit Road 6 is the second Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub (ICPH). It was officially opened in October 2017. To steer the industry towards raising produc vity, the Building and Construc on Authority (BCA) worked with various agencies to formulate a master plan for the development of mul -storey and higher density ICPHs on land parcels with a 30-year lease term.

Steel reinforcement fabrica on plant

ICPH is a mul -storey advanced manufacturing facility for producing prefabricated construc on elements such as precast concrete components, with a high degree of automa on.

The automated steel reinforcement machine allows full flexibility in product customisa on, to produce steel mesh, s rrup cages, cut-and-bend reinforcement bars and reinforcing cages.

Straits Construc on Singapore Pte Ltd was awarded the second ICPH land tender launched by BCA in May 2014. Construc on of the ICPH (named Greyform Building) began in September 2014 and was completed in December 2016. Greyform Pte Ltd (Greyform), a member of Straits Construc on Group, was incorporated in December 2015 to oﬀer precast and prefabricated solu ons to the construcon industry. Greyform capitalises on digital technology and automa on for long-term compe veness, and aims to transform the tradi onal industry by injec ng youth and new skills for the future economy. Greyform Building comprises a four-storey precast concrete components produc on factory and oﬃce, three blocks of 12-storey dormitory (housing 750 workers), a mul -storey (seven- er) automated precast components storage and retrieval system, and a concrete batching plant with underground aggregate storage facility.

Digital technology The fully integrated system allows seamless flow of data from design to produc on, thereby enhancing producvity and precision. In addi on, the use of detailed 3D digital models allows Greyform to compute accurately the quan ty of materials required. The 3D models are subsequently used for the produc on of precast and prefabricated components.

Concrete batching facility Consis ng of an underground raw material storage bunker, the concrete batching facility is fully automated for producing ready mixed concrete. The fully enclosed concrete batching facility also helps to minimise disameni es generated from dust and noise. Ready mixed concrete is automa cally transported by the dedicated ‘flying buckets’ delivery system to the various precast produc on lines. This system allows minimal 30

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disrup on due to change in concrete mix and ensures con nuous concrete supply for the automated pallet circula on plant and for hollow core slab produc on.

Automated pallet circula on plant Diﬀerent stages of precast produc on, such as cleaning and oiling of pallet, and plo ng of required shapes on the pallet for formwork placement and concre ng, can now be automated and linked seamlessly. Common precast components such as columns, beams, walls and slabs can be eﬃciently produced using the pallet circula on system. Greyform is the first ICPH that uses automated robo c shu ering for placement of steel magne c formwork onto the pallet to create the moulds for precast concrete produc on. A er the mould is set on the pallet and steel reinforcements (produced at the 2nd storey fabrica on plant) are placed in posi on, concrete is poured into the mould with an automated concrete placement machine and spread evenly by compac on. The heated curing chamber facility within the circula on plant also reduces the curing me required, before the concrete products are ready for de-moulding (removal of the precast components from their mould). A er de-moulding, the steel formwork and the pallet are cleaned automa cally and used again.

Automated precast storage facility Product storage tradi onally takes up a large amount of space for most precast produc on factories. In order to store the precast components, an automated, mul -level storage system has been built, on just two hectares of land area, which, however, has the capacity to house up to 5,800 t of products. The automated system is capable of storing and retrieving an en re rack of precast components, which is then placed onto standard transport trailers. This helps to shorten standby me for transport trailers and improve overall round-trip- me.

COVER STORY

Steel reinforcement fabrica on

Automated robo c shu ering

Concrete distributor

Automated precast storage

All images by Greyform Pte Ltd THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

FAÇADE ENGINEERING

USE OF TOOTHED ANCHOR CHANNELS by Gary Connah, Managing Director, Halfen-Moment Singapore In designing a structure to withstand seismic ac ons, the detailing process, specifica on of the materials and selec on of the products are also important.

Complete façade support assembly, including cast-in channel and serrated aluminium brackets

Over recent years, there have been some catastrophic earthquakes around the world. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Singaporean authori es are moving towards seismic design for cri cal structures such as hospitals. However, it is important to highlight that designing the structures to withstand seismic ac ons is only part of the puzzle. In addi on to the seismic ac ons, it is vital that the detailing of the structure, specifica on of the materials and selec on of the products are also taken into considera on. In fact, some seismic tests for products are quasi-sta c in nature and do not truly represent an actual earthquake. Therefore, addi onal tests such as Charpy V-Notch impact tests might also be needed to prove fitness for use in a seismic region. In the case of façade anchoring, where a failure can easily see a 200+ kg panel falling from the side of a high rise structure, this suitability is especially cri cal, as the current method of anchoring them to the structure usually uses cast-in channels that have high load-carrying capacity only along two axes.

The use of serrated channels

These documents all use the same design principles for tension and shear loads perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the anchor channel. Since February 2016, AC232 also covers loads in the longitudinal axis of the anchor channel and includes the design for seismic condi ons, allowing their use in all seismic design categories (A – F), provided the channels are capable of providing resistance in all three axes. A common approach to achieve a load capacity in the longitudinal direc on is to use the above-men oned serrated channels.Serrated channels contain teeth along the inside of the channel lips and are used with channel bolts with matching serra on. The channel and bolt serra ons create an interlock between the two surfaces, which provides a posi ve connec on capable of resis ng shear loads in the longitudinal direcon of the channel axis. Toothed Anchor Channels have been used in mul ple projects worldwide, including the Tanjong Pagar Mixed Development project, in Singapore, which required par cular a en on to seismic design. Plain anchor channels with plain T-bolts can take over longitudinal loads, based on the fric on between the channel and the T-bolt, but the capacity relies on the torque of the T-bolt. Interna onal standards and regulaons do not allow fric on-based connec ons and thus plain anchor channels in combina on with plain T-bolts cannot be used in applica ons that require longitudinal loading. The design approach as described in AC 232 allows for the design of serrated anchor channels to provide a safe and reliable way to connect façade panels to concrete. The use of slo ed holes will s ll allow the adjustability required to overcome building tolerances and the absence of welding will increase safety and produc vity.

With large lateral ground accelera ons during an earthquake, the applied loads in the third axis (along the length of the channel) are much higher, when seismic ac ons are considered. This has led to the development of serrated or toothed channels which have a significantly higher load-carrying capacity along the third axis. Anchor channels are regulated in Europe under the European Assessment Document (EAD) 330008-02-0601 and designed with the standard PrEN 1992-4. In the US, they are tested to AC232 - Acceptance Criteria for Anchor Channels in Concrete Elements, by the Evalua on Service of the Interna onal Code Council (ICC-ES), but currently in Singapore, we do not have a cer fica on process and tend to follow the European Technical Assessments (ETAs). 32

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Anchor channels with plain and toothed lips and T-bolts

Serrated channel with T-bolt

STANDARDISATION

APPLICATION OF RAILWAY STANDARDS BY THE LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY by Ng Hon Wai, Vengadasalam Ramasamy and Samuel Chan, Land Transport Authority, Singapore Over the years, Singapore has adopted best interna onal prac ces from the railway industry and is now in a posi on to contribute towards future developments of interna onal railway standards. Introduc on The Land Transport Authority (LTA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport, Singapore, is the na onal agency responsible for all modes of land transport in Singapore. These cover all aspects of personal mobility, public and private transport, infrastructure for transporta on, as well as road and rail systems. The range of LTA’s responsibili es extend from policy formula on, planning, financing, design development, engineering and project management, to establishment of regula ons and asset management. The agency was formed on 1 September 1995, with the merger of the Registry of Vehicles, the Mass Rapid Transit Corpora on, the Roads and Transporta on Division of the Public Works Department, and the Land Transport Division of the Ministry of Communicaons, into a single agency to coordinate measures and solu ons for mee ng Singapore’s growing demands for urban transporta on.

Expansion of Singapore’s Rapid Transit System (RTS) network In 1996, not long a er its forma on, LTA published a landmark White Paper that set out how its vision of crea ng a world class land transport system for Singapore would be realised. The Rapid Transit System (RTS) was envisioned to be the backbone of the public transport network in Singapore, with Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) serving the heavy transit corridors and Light Rail Transit (LRT) providing feeder services. At that point in me, the MRT network, which had been in opera on for nine years (since 7 November 1987), consisted of the NorthSouth Line, East-West Line and Western Line, with a total of 42 sta ons, and which covered a total distance of 67 km. In addi on to being the year that the White Paper was published, 1996 was a significant period in the history of Singapore RTS, for two other reasons. A six-sta on, 16 km long extension of the MRT network to Woodlands

Source: MRT Brochure MRT route map (1987 to 1995) THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

STANDARDISATION

was completed that year, and the Government had also announced that work on the North East Line (NEL) was to start that same year. Seven years later, on 20 June 2003, the NEL, 20 km long and with 16 sta ons, was opened to the public, thereby becoming the world’s first fully-automated, driverless, underground heavy rail system. In 2008, LTA published the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) for a people-centred land transport system. This followed a thorough review of the land transport strategies, to address the significant popula on increase over the intervening years since the launch of the White Paper, and re-examina on of transport policies in order to be er provide for an ageing popula on as well as to meet the diverse needs and aspira ons of Singaporeans. Greater emphasis was placed on the need to expand the RTS network and capacity, and a target was set - to double the RTS network from 138 km in 2008 to 278 km by 2020. Plans for major investments in new RTS lines and extensions were announced, to expand and develop a much denser RTS network, so as to provide for be er connec vity. The capacity of exis ng lines was also to be enhanced by increasing the frequency of trains. The LTMP was refreshed in 2013, when LTA conducted another review, to take into account con nuous growth of the popula on and the economy, as well as changes in expecta ons and norms, arising from the aspira ons of Singaporeans for a higher quality of life. Plans for further expansion of the RTS network were revealed. They include the building of two new lines and extension of three exis ng lines in the period between 2020 and 2030, to increase the length of the rail network to 360 km, by 2030. Increase in capacity and improvements

to rail services will also be achieved by upgrading the signalling system for the North-South Line and East-West Line, and by adding trains to increase the fleet size for all exis ng MRT and LRT lines.

The need for railway standards Throughout the history and development of the RTS in Singapore, LTA has recognised the importance of using railway standards for three basic purposes: • To establish the minimum standards, rules and criteria, that must be complied with, in order to ensure an acceptable level of safety, quality and system performance. • To determine methods and techniques that can be consistently applied for mee ng specified requirements. • To gain access to useful informa on and knowledge, on best prac ces in the railway industry. In the 1980s, the Bri sh and Japanese railway industries had a major influence on the standards for design, development, construc on, tes ng, opera on and maintenance of the North-South Line and East-West Line. Bri sh railway standards for signalling and train control, with their long proven history, were well-established and widely accepted in the railway industry. These standards were adapted for use in our local MRT system. Japanese standards and technologies were also incorporated in the trains that were manufactured in batches, from 1986 to 1989, by a Japanese consor um. Over the years, Singapore’s na onal standards evolved to address specific requirements in the context of the local environment and opera ng condi ons of the RTS. One

Source: MOT / LTA Singapore RTS Map in 2030 34

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STANDARDISATION

example is the standard on fire safety, which is a major considera on for railways and especially for underground RTS. Back in the 1980s, there were no local codes or standards for the RTS, and fire safety provisions for the North-South Line and East-West Line were based on the US Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on’s NFPA 130 Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail System. During the early stages of the North East Line and Changi Airport Line, in the 1990s, fire safety provisions were adapted from NFPA 130 and the Singapore Fire Code, along with other relevant codes of prac ce. Subsequently, in 2000, the Standard for Fire Safety in Rapid Transit Systems (SFSRTS) was jointly formulated by the LTA and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Since then, SFSRTS has become the mandatory standard for all RTS in Singapore, and the standard has been jointly reviewed and updated by SCDF and LTA on a regular basis. The new Code of Prac ce for Fire Precau ons in Rapid Transit Systems 2017 was launched in July 2017 and will come into eﬀect in February 2018.

From European to Interna onal Railway Standards System complexi es increased significantly in NEL and subsequent RTS lines, due to various system func ons and interfaces that needed to be integrated and coordinated across diﬀerent sub-systems, hardware, so ware, firmware and programmable electronics, for implementa on of fully automated driverless opera ons. Railway Systems Engineering processes, procedures and best prac ces from the European railway industry were adapted and applied in the respec ve RTS. The design and development phase of the Circle Line (CCL) was implemented in the early 2000s, a period when European Railway Standards were gaining acceptance in the railway industry, par cularly through the standards developed by CENELEC Technical Commi ee 9X on Electrical and Electronic Applica on for Railways, and CEN Technical Commi ee 256 on Railway Applica ons. CENELEC is the European Commi ee for Electrotechnical Standardizaon. CEN is the European Commi ee for Standardiza on. Relevant CENELEC/CEN standards and guidelines were incorporated into technical specifica ons and requirements of the respec ve RTS sub-system contracts. CENELEC standards also provided the basis for se ng up LTA’s internal processes and governance frameworks. For example, LTA’s safety cer fica on process for RTS safety acceptance and approval is based on safety-related standards, requirements and processes defined in CENELEC Standard EN50126: Railway applica ons - The specifica on and demonstra on of Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS). As a member of the World Trade Organiza on (WTO), since 1 January 1995, Singapore is bound by the Agreement on Government Procurement, which requires that open, fair and transparent condi ons of compe on be ensured in government procurement. In par cular, Ar cle X on Technical Specifica ons and Tender Documenta on specifies the need to ‘base the technical specifica on on interna onal standards, where such exist; otherwise, on na onal technical regula ons, recognized na onal standards or building codes’. LTA has fulfilled this agreement by specifying relevant railway standards developed under the Interna onal

Organiza on for Standardiza on Technical Commi ee 269 (ISO TC 269) on Railway Applica ons, as well as the Internaonal Electrotechnical Commission Technical Commi ee 9 (IEC TC 9) on Electrical Equipment and Systems for Railways. Under the 1991 Vienna Agreement between ISO and CEN, CEN has agreed to adopt Interna onal Standards as European Standards, and implement parallel workflows with the ISO, for approval of equivalent ISO and CEN standards. IEC and CENELEC have also established similar arrangements under the 1996 Dresden Agreement which was recently revised and reaﬃrmed under the 2016 Frankfurt Agreement. These agreements are beneficial to LTA, in that European Standards that are specified for RTS systems can be readily updated with the equivalent ISO / IEC Interna onal Railway Standards.

Singapore’s role in interna onal railway standardisa on The applica on of Interna onal Railway Standards in Singapore’s RTS lines has ensured that our technical specificaons are open, consistent, transparent, and accessible to the global railway industry. This has enabled us to be open to exper se, technologies, best prac ces and solu ons oﬀered by the railway industry from around the world. As the organisa on grows and matures, LTA has progressed beyond being just a keen prac oner and supporter of Interna onal Railway Standards. Singapore has been a Par cipa ng (P) Member of IEC TC 9 since 2005, and is in a posi on to provide feedback, share our experiences, contribute sugges ons, and influence future developments and enhancements of Interna onal Railway Standards.

Conclusion This ar cle has presented a brief history of the development of the RTS in Singapore, and provided a glimpse of ongoing and future expansion plans for the rail network. Reasons behind the need for railway standards were discussed, and by tracing through RTS projects implemented during diﬀerent me periods, we have shown that railway industry standards from around the world have had (and con nue to have) a profound influence on the RTS in Singapore. LTA’s role in interna onal railway standardisa on has progressed in tandem with the expansion of our RTS network, going beyond that of a keen prac oner, to making ac ve contribu ons to influence future developments of Interna onal Railway Standards. References: [1] Land Transport Authority (LTA): ‘White Paper: A World Class Land Transport System’, Singapore, 1996. [2] Land Transport Authority (LTA): ‘Land Transport Master Plan 2008’, Singapore, 2008. [3] Land Transport Authority (LTA): ‘Land Transport Master Plan 2013’, Singapore, 2013. [4] Melvyn Thong et al, Land Transport Authority (LTA): ‘Managing Fire Incidents at MRT Sta ons & Tunnels - Safety Features’, Safety News, Issue 10, Singapore, 2008. [5] Hiroshi Tanaka, Railway Technical Research Ins tute (RTRI): ‘Recent overview of interna onal standards in the railway field’, LTA, MTR and RTRI Joint Workshop, Hong Kong, 2016. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

CHARGING AHEAD by Chris Tobias, Na onal Environment Agency Once a pipe dream, electric vehicles are gaining rapid trac on. What are their benefits, and what will secure their widespread use in the future? Overcoming numerous hurdles in recent years, electric vehicles (EVs) have charged ahead, swi ly gaining a strong foothold in many major markets worldwide. These markets include China, Europe, the US, and Japan, which have all become major users of EVs. Industry data tracker EV Volumes declared 2016 as a significant milestone, where one million pure electric vehicles are now opera ng globally. And this number does not include transi on technologies like hybrid-petrol and hybrid-diesel vehicles that are currently on the roads.

Apart from Tesla, major manufacturers such as China’s BYD, Korea’s Kia, Japan’s Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi; the USA’s Chevy, Cadillac, and Ford; and Europe’s Renault, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen have EVs on their produc on pipeline or as part of their oﬀerings. Even Singapore has an eye-popping EV supercar in the works. Named the Dendrobium a er a species of orchid, the sleek supercar is currently being developed by homegrown startup Vanda Electrics for overseas markets.

Start of the race

Outside of the auto

While 1 million vehicles is a rela vely small number— considering that there are an es mated 1.2 billion vehicles in the world—the emergent growth of EVs in recent years is remarkable, with experts singling out EVs as having a high disrup on poten al in a variety of industries.

But it would be wrong to think that the growth in EVs stops at the automobile. An increasing number of other applica ons—ranging from electric light commercial vehicles, buses, heavy vehicles to oﬀ-road service vehicles— are also emerging.

This is a significant departure from as li le as about two decades ago. Electric cars—or even supercar EVs— were somewhere in-between an automo ve joke and a long-term pipe dream. They were confined to the far-oﬀ future, when ba ery technology would be up to snuﬀ and charging infrastructure would be ubiquitous.

Envisioning a reality where EVs become ubiquitous in industrial vehicles from forkli s to terminal trucks to rubbish collec on trucks, IDTechEx es mates the industrial and commercial EV sector is valued at 60 per cent of the en re EV market. In the next decade, it has the poten al to grow 4.5 mes. In fact, IDTechEx notes that many of the new technology innova ons emerge in this sector before being u lised in cars.

Now, a future with EVs for all kinds of mobility and u lity is on its way to becoming the new normal. Supercars, compacts, and family sedans—a wide range of models tailored for all usages and drivers can now be found.

In the realm of personal mobility, electric scooters, hoverboards, bicycles, and even unicycles have become

Electric vehicles have been catching on in many parts of Europe, the US, and in China. For example, the BMW i3 (top le ) has been selling very well in countries Spain, London and Norway, while the EVs from US firm Tesla (above) have turned the idea of owning one into a status symbol. Meanwhile, China’s BYD Auto (bo om le ; BYD e6 MPV pictured), buoyed by its success domes cally, is looking to dominate the local EV market and expand interna onally. Photos: Mariordo and anthonares 36

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

commonplace in ci es. Seen as a “last-mile” solu on, they fill a niche in the mobility ecosystem by complemen ng exis ng public transport networks in major ci es. Their easy adop on, “all-ages” accessibility, portability, wide availability, and low entry prices have made them popular modes of transport. The introduc on of

EVs has also heralded the era of new, EV-centric business models. Electric taxis facilitate their implementa on through e-ups with ride-booking apps, while point-topoint car sharing schemes, new charging networks, and even autonomous electric vehicles are just some of the innova ons in the works.

Cars: One of the latest models up for produc on is the Tesla Model 3, the automaker’s most aﬀordable model so far, is predicted to have a range of at least 345km, and will begin produc on this year.

Trucks: Kansas startup Orange EV has introduced the heavy-duty T-series electric truck that runs on an electric drive system consis ng of 80 or 160kWh lithium ion ba ery packs, with a range of 160km between charges.

U lity vehicles: Tiny but mighty, u lity vehicles like the Ant Truck are fast charging, and can carry on a load of up to 1 tonne. Ease of customisa on allows the truck to fit into various heavy-duty industries like logis cs and waste management.

Buses: Electric buses, like the BYD K9, are on track in slashing public transport emissions levels down to zero. In urban road condi ons, the K9 possesses a range of up to 250km on its lithium iron phosphate ba ery.

Taxis: Singapore’s EVA, an electric taxi suited for tropical ci es, is the product of collabora on between Nanyang Technological University and the Technische Universität München (TUM), with support from the Na onal Research Founda on.

Motorcycles: Electric motorcycles forgo the messiness of rou ne maintenance for a simple recharge via a household outlet. Motorcycle heavyweight Harley-Davidson has ini ated Project LiveWire for its fans to test out the eponymous bikes, with the company hoping to expand its travelling range before it launches in the next few years.

Delivery vehicles: Delivery vehicles like the Paxster can help to streamline deliveries, with the ability to fit onto footpaths and carry up to 200kg of mail at once.

Forkli s: Electric forkli s, like ones from Toyota, are quiet, low maintenance, and are able to do the same kind of job as their internal combus on counterparts, with no ill eﬀects on air quality.

Personal mobility: The range of personal mobility devices have exploded in recent years, ranging from scooters and bicycles to hoverboards and unicycles.

Figure 1 - Commonly found electric vehicles THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Not just street cred While Tesla may have finally succeeded in making the EV a status symbol to talk about, it is not the only draw of an EV. Besides the bragging rights of being one of the first to own an electric car, or in the case of businesses, the first electric bus or truck in the fleet, there are other desirable quali es.

To ensure EVs become as commonplace as their combus on-engine equivalents, governments must consider inves ng in infrastructure to ensure that vehicles will not run out of charge. One example is Japan, which has 40,000 charging sta ons—making it the only country in the world where charging points outnumber petrol sta ons, a figure that stands at 35,000.

Ride smoothness and accelera on, lower opera ng costs, and less maintenance are noted as pull factors for ge ng an EV over a vehicle with a typical internal combus on engine. In the age of climate change, EVs can also greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with transporta on—and if coupled with renewable energy, eliminate them completely. This makes for a much more climate-friendly ride, especially for those in areas with limited public transport op ons. The widespread adop on of EVs can eventually lead to be er air quality for ci es, as EVs emit no tailpipe emissions. Thus, common urban vehicle pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides, low-level ozone, carbon monoxide, and par culate ma er will be eliminated, allowing urban ci zens to breathe easier with their shi to EVs.

Fuel tank petrol/diesel

Batteries

Electric motor

Battery charge by deceleration of electric motor

Traditional motor

Hybrid EV: Hybrid vehicles are powered by an internal combus on engine that runs on conven onal fuel, with an electric motor that draws energy from the ba ery.

Fuel tank petrol/diesel

Batteries

Electric motor

Battery charge by deceleration of electric motor

Traditional motor

Speed bumps While developments have signalled that EVs are moving in the right direc on with posi ve eﬀects, the highway to widespread adop on remains marred with speed bumps, as technology zooms ahead of schedule. Globally, governments need to help make a level playing field for EVs to con nue their expansion. Taxes, incenves, policies, and regula ons need to be revisited with EVs in mind as they veer significantly away from the usual percep ons of petrol cars. For instance, Norway has established a number of incen ves to increase uptake: purchasing tax exemp ons, waiving charges on toll roads, free parking and access to public bus lanes for motorists to ease into the idea of EVs. In 2017, EVs commanded 22 per cent market share in the country.

Elimina on of vehicular fossil fuels use

No tailpipe emissions

Figure 3 - Environmental benefits of electric vehicles. 38

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

No vehicle emi ed air pollutants like carbon monoxide or par culate ma er

Plug-in Hybrid EV: Hybrid vehicles are powered by an internal combus on engine that runs on conven onal fuel, with an electric motor that draws energy from the ba ery.

Batteries

Electric motor

Battery charge by deceleration of electric motor

All-Electric EV: Pure electric vehicles are powered by a ba ery, which is charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source.

Figure 2 - Vehicle Types

Cleaner air quality, especially in crowded ci es

Reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions (depending on origin of electricity used to charge the EV)

The Singapore-designed Dendrobium EV supercar premiered in March 2017 at the Geneva Auto Show. An increasingly wide range of EV types are in the works worldwide.

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

To be er integrate charging sta ons into exis ng infrastructure, they can be situated in areas like parking lots and garages, exis ng petrol sta ons, bus depots, truck stops, fleet centres, or even integrated into parking spots along city streets. But part of rolling out infrastructure involves adop ng widespread charging standards and plug types that cover all types of EVs currently on the roads today. This is no small task: there are now around eight diﬀerent plug types for various models of EVs in opera on in the US, Europe, China, Japan and other regions. Regular and fast charging modes also require diﬀerent fit-outs and safety precau ons. Careful selec on in this regard is necessary to avoid inves ng in inappropriate charging equipment, or ones that will soon be obsolete. Building codes and green building standards also must keep pace for easy installa on of charging facili es, and to ensure appropriate electricity provisions exist for EVs. Once built, the charging infrastructure would need to be con nuously maintained to ensure reliability.

Users in London recently learned the hard way when contractual confusion led to chargers being put out of service in several areas of the city.

Shoring up for change Meanwhile, in Singapore, an EV test bed programme is currently in progress to help iden fy important considera ons for rolling out EV infrastructure, a feat that involves the coopera on of various major industry players and a pool of commercial users. EV tes ng extends to public transport as well: Build Your Dreams (BYD), a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of electric automobiles, came on board with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and local public transport provider Go-Ahead for Singapore’s first e-bus trial. An electric bus, which could have a range of up to 250km on a 10-hour charge, successfully completed its trials in mid-2017. In a separate development, in late February of 2017, HDT taxis in Singapore also announced the launch of its first fleet of 50 electric taxis. By October last year, it had 100 cabs in its fleet and was planning to expand the

Car connects to normal household socket via normal cable (not recommended) Residen al

Car connects to normal household socket via a charging cable with charging control and an inline module with current protec ve device (Home charging)

Public

Car with onboard EV charging device connects to EV supply equipment that includes a control module, via a charging cable (AC public charging)

Fast

Car connects to AC network with a rec fier. An AC/DC-sensi ve residual current circuit breaker lies on the network side, and overcurrent protec ve devices for AC/DC are needed (DC public charging)

Figure 4 - How EVs tap into the grid. Source: Sustainable Energy Associa on of Singapore

Combined Charging System (CCS) Combo 1 USA standard since 2013

Type 2 Mennekes S ll used in Europe, and adopted as Singapore’s standard

Type 3 SCAME S ll used in Italy and France, but not a standard

compa ble

Type 1 SAE J1772 S ll used in the USA, unoﬃcial standard in Japan compa ble

Combined Charging System (CCS) Combo 2 European Union standard since 2013

compa ble via adaptor

Figure 5 - Types of EV charging plugs and modes. Source: Sustainable Energy Associa on of Singapore 40

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

GB/T China standard

CHAdeMO Widely used in Japan, Europe and the USA, unoﬃcial fast-charging standard in Japan

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

number to 900. Across the island, 57 charging facili es have been made available to keep the cars rolling—a key considera on for successful opera on. Infrastructure remains a pressing concern, especially in land-scarce Singapore. To equip the island for a possible deluge of electric vehicles in the future, Greenlots, a global provider for EV networks, has added addi onal EV charging sta ons at CapitaLand proper es in the Central Business District (CBD) and other loca ons. Over the next few years, Greenlots plans to triple the number of charging sta ons and loca ons currently available in Singapore. Tailored to Singaporeans’ demands for both mobility and flexibility in transport choices, BlueSG has signed an agreement with LTA and the Economic Development Board to operate a na onwide electric car-sharing programme. This service was launched in December 2017 - drivers can collect their cars at a neighbourhood carpark, and when they are done, return the vehicle at their final desna on. Towns like Ang Mo Kio, Jurong East and Punggol will be the first to experience the programme, with 50 EV sta ons and 250 charging points installed. BlueSG aims to introduce 1,000 EVs to the programme by 2020, and to install an islandwide EV charging infrastructure consis ng of 2,000 charging points—20 per cent of which will be open for public use.

The capital “C” As with many other new technology types, EVs can o en be more expensive when pi ed against their conven onal alterna ves. But this is star ng to change. As greater numbers of EVs roll into mass produc on, aided by battery technology improvements and greater produc on levels, prices will begin to drop. For would-be users to get over the ini al s cker shock, it may take some convincing. While one may have to pay more up front as a capital expense, opera onal expenses in the way of fuel and maintenance can be substan ally lower for EVs. Aspects like these are bound to appeal to owners of taxi and bus fleets, which would ordinarily be shouldering heavy usage and fuel costs.

Awareness and a tudes In spite of the successes, there are s ll some people wary of EVs. In a recent whitepaper, the Sustainable Energy Associa on of Singapore (SEAS) explored some of the perceived drawbacks. They noted that despite the impressive range of EVs, there are those who worry about ge ng to a charger in me. It will take me for consumers to change their a tudes and understanding of the technology. However, SEAS highlighted the range of electric cars has improved drama cally, with some reaching as high as 390km on a single charge, while others hover around 120–160km mark. This is impressive, considering an average car usage per day might be 40–50km in a typical urban environment.

For heavy use vehicles like buses, delivery vehicles, or other fleet vehicles which may be driven far more than 50km in a day, charging infrastructure needs to be accessible for topping up on-the-go, to encourage larger network operators to make the change. The white paper notes safety is also something under scru ny, as ba ery packs, charging infrastructure, and the powerful electricity sources that they tap into all pose a certain risk. While incidents are few and far between so far, some are s ll cau ous. Switching to EVs—be it for personal driving or for some industrial or commercial purpose—does require a change of mindset from the consumer’s perspec ve. But SEAS summarises that combus on engine vehicles currently in opera on have their own maintenance and reliability issues, not to men on a defini ve environmental downside of causing pollu on and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Se ng sights on electric But despite these factors, the global future of EVsremains bright. Major automo ve makers like Mecedes-Benz, Tesla Motors and Mitsubishi Motors have already announced plans for all-electric commercial vehicles like trucks and vans—with some of them already on produc on lines. New electric vehicle concepts are con nuously unveiled, including a Volvo prototype that enables the en re car body to serve as a rechargeable ba ery to increase its driving range. It is conceivable that it is only a ma er of me before EVs grow in acceptance for a mul tude of uses—supported by lower costs, incen ves and infrastructure to give the green light.

A glimpse into the future: the energy independent electric vehicle It is also conceivable that technology will move quickly beyond EVs as we know them. According to IDTechEx, energy independent electric vehicles (EIVs) are an emergent class of vehicles that possess their own power-genera ng source. Some examples include vehicles powered by wind or solar energy, or powered by trac on fuel cells (with the hydrogen fuel being made onboard using sunlight or from other energy harves ng methods), and vehicles that harvest ambient power (aided by features like sails). They note that drawing power from mul ple sources of energy increases security of supply, reducing intermi ency and the need for ba eries. IDTechEx also highlights that in the coming decades, EIVs will increasingly be oﬀered for sale as viable solu ons for an ever-wider variety of tasks by land, water and air—with some already in regular use underwater and in the upper atmosphere. This ar cle previously appeared in Issue 12 of the Na onal Environment Agency’s ENVISION Magazine. To read more about these and other topics, please visit: h p://www.nea. gov.sg/training-knowledge/publica ons/envision-magazine THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

PERSPECTIVE

THE ACCELERATION

OF CHANGE by Er. Aaron Foong, Director, KTP Consultants Pte Ltd Technology is increasing the pace of change and disrup ng every aspect of modern life. Engineers of the future will face a cri cal challenge to lead, shape, plan and integrate the built environment solu ons that allow society to live safe and rewarding lives.

Er. Aaron Foong

a touchscreen, we can now access the informa on we need and find answers to virtually any ques ons we ask. In the old-world view, technology was an outcome of engineering. Today, we are riding the reverse wave, with technology now very much a tool assis ng our engineering processes. It enhances our crea ve process and helps to maximise all relevant resources as we solve problems. Where technology was once an opera onal requirement, it is now the clear strategic diﬀeren ator. In the built environment, applica ons like Virtual Design and Construc on (VDC) are increasing our visibility and communica on clarity. Our economy is influenced by the global marketplace for engineering services. We see a growing demand for interdisciplinary and system-based approaches and an increasingly diverse talent pool. Engineers of the future are challenged to lead, shape, plan and integrate built environment solu ons that allow people to live safe and rewarding lives.

I vividly recall my school days when mechanical pencils were a novelty. Today, not only are there many more diﬀerent wri ng tools to choose from, even the humble piece of paper has morphed into the modern electronic tablet. Communica on has evolved, enabling society to fully embrace the digital world. In the same way, businesses are moving fast and changing to embrace the on-going digital disrup on. Across society we see that digital is the new normal, disrup on is real and technology has become the key enabler. Engineers working in the built environment sector have also seen emerging digital technologies promote tremendous change, impac ng all aspects of work, from design to procurement to construc on and asset management. New applica ons and tools are emerging, driven by digitalisa on of informa on and technological innova on.

New tools to solve new problems The explosion in knowledge-sharing has had a profound impact on our lives. At the click of a mouse or swipe of 42

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

But cri cally, the steady integra on of technology into our infrastructure and lives also demands that engineers develop safe mechanisms and appropriate strategies to protect the public from the risks that this disrup on brings.

Communica ng the new solu ons developed Predic ng the future with precision is not possible. However, scenario-based strategic planning can help us understand these risks and future possibili es. It can assist our thinking about the future of engineering. Within the realms of our intellectual capacity, we must be con nuously challenged to an cipate future needs, find resilient proposi ons and build on ideas that are cost-eﬀec ve. And at cri cal junctures, it will require paradigm shi s in our thinking to challenge the establishment. This will require team players with eﬀec ve communicaon skills and an understanding of the complex issues of a global market and the social context in which we operate. They must be able to ar culate the value proposi on of engineering and infrastructure investment to both technical and public audiences. Ideas need to be prac cal and pragma c, and engineers must remain open, flexible, recep ve to change and respec ul. And with technology increasingly providing

PERSPECTIVE

engineers with a common pool of tools, the future diﬀeren ators will be the quality of ar cula on and rigour of the thought - put into finding and delivering cost-eﬀecve, resilient and prac cal engineering designs.

minded of the relentless duty that we owe to the public at large, and to be honest in our day-to-day delivery of work. While we engage in ever bolder design solu ons that push the boundaries of engineering possibility, we must always be guided by first principles of safety.

Experience and integrity

This approach will preserve the quality of our work in this complex environment. In our day-to-day opera ons, we are habitually guided by the essen al scru ny that cau ons us on the probability of error against the possibility of success. This helps to cul vate an honest, downto-earth approach, coupled with the ability to graciously admit what we could have done be er.

Regardless of technology, it will be experience and innova on, plus the ability to cross-fer lise ideas, that will enable the engineering community to add value through its services. Such innovation is likely to be through application of approaches from different sectors. The context of a great design is no longer viewed from the angle of aesthetics, but more often, from holistic qualities. These might include fitness for purpose, safe design, energy efficiency, flexibility of future reuse or the way that infrastructure complements its surroundings over the long term. Integrity must con nue to underpin the core principles of our engineering work. We must be constantly re-

Even more so, when we increase our carbon footprint on Mother Earth, we must work hard to ensure that sustainability becomes an important driver. Incorpora ng life-cycle thinking in all engineering design will become the norm. Solu ons today will need to be adapted to incorporate the inevitable improvements and innova on brought about by future technologies. Some believe that the emerging, digitally enabled era will eventually eliminate the profession of Engineering. I disagree that this will be the case. We have seen how IKEA has changed the furniture industry, raising ques ons on whether the same will happen on a larger scale across the built environment. Will the digitally printed and flat package be the eventual outcome of our built environment? It does not sound too remote and the future possibili es of technology are endless. And if that is the case, it is even more vital that the engineer’s brain remains focused on solving society’s fundamental problems, fully integra ng core knowledge and skills from across the various disciplines.

Future challenges and opportuni es The future of engineering will be defined by even greater challenges and opportuni es. As the economic competi veness, military strength and standard of living of a na on are closely linked to its engineering ability, we will con nue to play a pivotal role in this collabora ve eﬀort, solving societal problems long into the future. However, engineers will have to embrace a major leadership role in this technological society. This will see us shape, plan, generate and integrate new and possibly revolu onary solu ons and ideas to meet growing challenges in our society. We are all par cipants in a dynamically changing and evolving interconnected world, guided by the hands of social, cultural, poli cal, and economic forces. So, as we con nue to design endless exci ng future possibili es, we must remember to reflect upon the fundamentals of professionalism. Globally, change is taking place at a frene c pace. This is no moment for engineers to rest. With its bold design, The Sco s Tower, an award-winning private residen al project by Surbana Jurong, has pushed the boundaries of engineering. Image by Far East Organiza on.

(KTP Consultants Pte Ltd is a member of the Surbana Jurong Group) THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

IES UPDATE

SUTD PARTNERS IES TO EXPAND SKILLSFUTURE COURSE OFFERINGS IN

ENGINEERING AND OTHER GROWTH SECTORS

Minister for Educa on (Higher Educa on and Skills) Ong Ye Kung (4th from le ), SUTD Ac ng President and Provost Prof Chong Tow Chong (11th from le ) together with representa ves from all the MOU signatories. IES Deputy President Dr Yeoh Lean Weng is standing 6th from right. Photo: SUTD

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) launched its new SUTD Academy on 10 January 2018 in support of the SkillsFuture Series of training programmes. In collabora on with 13 strategic partners, it will oﬀer 20 new Con nuing Educa on and Training (CET) courses in cybersecurity, data analy cs, engineering, urban solu ons and tech-enabled services. These courses, taught by SUTD faculty, staﬀ and adjunct faculty/fellows, will provide more engineering and design-centric professional educa on op ons to jobseekers, mid-career professionals, execu ves and senior management. The Academy aims to develop up to 60 courses in the next five years. At the launch event, SUTD’s Ac ng President and Provost, Professor Chong Tow Chong, also signed MOUs with the 13 partners to formalise the collabora on. IES was represented by Deputy President Dr Yeoh Lean Weng. For its part, the Ins tu on, through its training arm (IES Academy), will work with its SUTD counterpart to share resources and co-develop customised programmes.

The MOU will see SUTD collaborate with 13 other partners, both public and private, including IES. Photo: SUTD

To maintain the quality of class delivery, class sizes are capped at 20 to 25 students per instructor. Since the courses are typically technical in nature, some basic scienfic/technical knowledge will be expected of par cipants.

The aim of these programmes is to keep engineering professionals up-to-date with the latest technological developments, and help them stay relevant in the evolving job market. This will provide yet another avenue for them to enhance their skillsets in the face of new demands in the disrup ve economy.

SUTD further men oned in its press statement that the pool of instructors would be augmented by established industry leaders in relevant fields of exper se. They would be iden fied and engaged as SUTD Academy Adjunct Fellows, allowing them to play an advisory role to the Academy, and assist with course development and training, so as to meet urgent industry needs.

Some programmes will introduce SUTD’s signature Big-Design concepts to par cipants and require them to work as a team to iden fy and develop a real solu on/ prototype that solves a technical problem they will face in the course of their work.

Minister for Educa on (Higher Educa on and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who oﬃciated the Academy launch, also announced that his Ministry will be se ng aside up to SGD 75 million to bolster SUTD’s growth plans.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

IES UPDATE

IES CHARTERED ENGINEER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME EXPANDS TO THE PORT AND MARINE SECTOR To develop engineering talent for the mari me industry, IES and PSA Corpora on announced on 11 January 2018 that the Chartered Engineer cer fica on programme had been extended to engineers in the port and marine sector. Launched by IES in 2013, the Chartered Engineer cer ficaon programme is an external valida on of an engineer’s experience, exper se and technical competence across various sectors. This collaboraThe first batch of Chartered Engineers for the Port and Marine sector take a group photo with Er. Ong See on allows port engineers with Ho, Chairman, IES Chartered Engineer Board (first row, 5th from le ); Mr Ong (6th from le ) and Dr Yeoh the requisite experience and (7th from le ). training to be conferred a globally recognised and pres gious cer fica on of engineering professionalism. IES Deputy President Dr Yeoh Lean Weng and PSA Interna onal Regional CEO (Southeast Asia) Ong Kim Pong presented the Chartered Engineer cer ficates to the pioneer batch of 13 engineers from the Mari me and Port Authority of Singapore, PSA, Jurong Port, Portek Internaonal and Na onal University of Singapore. These engineers passed a rigorous assessment process that examined their experience and skills in managing complex engineering systems and their commitment to developing the skills of others in the engineering profession. They will form the assessment panel for this par cular sector. In tandem with the cer fica on, PSA will collaborate with IES to iden fy relevant skills development programmes for the engineers to enhance their engineering capabili es, to meet the needs of the intelligent port of the future. Said Mr Ong: “PSA is delighted to have found in IES a like-minded partner that believes in the professionalisaon and development of engineers. This collabora on will elevate the pres ge of engineering careers in the port industry, a rac ng and retaining the talent needed for the future.” Adding on, Dr Yeoh men oned that “the programme’s stringent peer review system and interna onal benchmarking will help to build a strong core of competent engineers”, so as to to support the development of the 46

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

Invited guests browsing an interac ve display at the Intelligent Port of the Future exhibi on.

Tuas mega port and strengthen Singapore’s posi on as a leading global mari me hub. One of the Chartered Engineers who was appointed at the a ernoon ceremony was Mr Jonathan Lee, Assistant Vice President, Pasir Panjang Terminal 1 Engineering. “I appreciate this interna onal recogni on as it spurs me on to deepen my professional knowhow, drive innova on and develop new technologies to meet the needs of the future,” he said. The launch also coincided with a PSA exhibi on on the Intelligent Port of the Future, showcasing technologies such as automated cranes, self-driving vehicles and exoskeletons. These are currently undergoing development and will be deployed at Singapore’s ports in the coming years.

IES UPDATE

IES MEMBERS GAIN FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE OF FUTURE

RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY FOR DEPOTS AND TRAINS

Coordina ng Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan (7th from le ), together with the chiefs of LTA and various suppor ng partners at the start of the event.

On 13 November 2017, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) organised the “Future Railway Technology for Depots & Trains” event at Tuas West Depot. It was supported by ST Engineering, SMRT Trains and SBS Transit, and demonstrated how technological innova ons could help value-add and enhance the efficiency of different work processes within and beyond the train depot. The event was also held to reach out to the professional community, so as to further develop local interest and capabili es in railway engineering. Hosted by the Singapore Rail Academy, the IES Railway & Transporta on Engineering Technical Commi ee a ended the event in the a ernoon, following a visit by the Coordina ng Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan in the morning. Nine ini a ves in three work processes were exhibited to showcase the ongoing effort to improve rail reliability and produc vity by leveraging new technologies. Work Processes

Technology

Data Collec on

1. Automa c Track Inspec on System 2. Automa c Vehicle Inspec on System

Data Processing

3. Integrated Maintenance & Diagnos cs Centre

Maintenance and Opera ons

4. Maintenance Management Mobile Device 5. Depot Facility Management Display 6. Augmented Reality 7. Virtual Reality (VR) 8. Addi ve Manufacturing (3D Prin ng) 9. Autonomous Mobile Robot (TUG)

These will enable railway operators to achieve greater work eﬃciency and produc vity.

At the same me, technological advances also facilitate predic ve maintenance, allowing our railway engineers to monitor, detect and rec fy poten al faults before it happens, thereby improving our overall rail reliability and ensuring smooth journeys for commuters. Before deploying any new ini a ves, LTA conducts rigorous assessments and tes ng together with operators to ensure that such investments are suitable for the local environment and value-add to the work processes of railway professionals. It was an insigh ul and knowledgeable visit for all. A postevent survey ne ed feedback such as “The site demo was very interes ng and gave us a very insigh ul look into depot opera ons & technologies”. A member also felt that events like this should be opened up to the public to drum up awareness on the eﬀort put in to raise the standards of the rail system”.

Visitors at the Depot Facility Management Display Exhibi on booth. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018

IES UPDATE

ENGINEERING DON SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON SINGAPORE’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES A very special guest turned up at IES for the 9 November 2017 edi on of Members’ Night: Professor Lui Pao Chuen, IES Honorary Fellow, Life me Engineering Achievement Award recipient, former Chief Defence Scien st and current Advisor to the Na onal Research Founda on. Prof Lui was invited to speak at the event, where he discussed with members the shared engineering challenges and opportuni es for Singapore, as well as the ma er of energy security. His vast experience in all ma ers of engineering and R&D, gained in his 41 years with the Ministry of Defence, meant that his words were worth their weight in gold. During the talk, Prof Lui highlighted the scarcity of land as a major na onal challenge and a perennial issue to be tackled. He shared his experience with designing and building the Underground Ammuni on Facility (UAF) for the Singapore Armed Forces, located within a disused granite quarry at Mandai.

func ons such as flood protec on, storm water harvesting and electricity storage. The la er half of his talk touched upon climate change, with extreme weather and rising sea levels real challenges that Singapore will face. Climate change also has an impact on energy security as countries a empt to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel, seeking alterna ve energy sources such as renewable energy and nuclear power. Capping his talk oﬀ, Prof Lui highlighted some of the diﬀerent technologies used in other countries that Singapore could possibly learn from. Many of the par cipants were considerably enlightened and gained deeper insight into Singapore’s future and that of engineers a er this session.

For him and his team, the challenge was to develop a large ammuni on depot that was situated less than a kilometre from residen al buildings, something which had not been done before anywhere in the world. It was a necessity as the previous above-ground ammuni on storage site took up far more space than its physical area due to the necessity for a buﬀer zone in case of an explosion. To that end, the government invested SGD 12 million to research, test and evaluate the possibility of an underground facility, which culminated in the UAF and resulted in land savings of some 100 hectares, in addi on to freeing up more than 300 hectares for development. The safety standards developed during this project were of such high quality that they were adopted by the United States and the North Atlan c Treaty Organiza on.

Professor Lui speaking during Members’ Night.

Prof Lui then went into details about the opera ons analysis used to determine the design requirements of the UAF and the layout of UAF storage chambers. He also pointed out that the rocks and caverns could fulfil other

Er. Edwin Khew presen ng a token of apprecia on to Prof Lui.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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Building and Construc on Authority ––––––––– Page29 Cementaid S.E.A. Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 09

Singapore Armed Forces ––––––––––––––––––– Page 19 Volunteer Corps (SAFVC)

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2018