Surbana Jurong acquires blast testing and consultancy firm The acquisition will enhance expertise in the protection of buildings and infrastructure

SURBANA JURONG ACQUIRES BLAST TESTING AND CONSULTANCY FIRM

The acquisition will contribute towards greater protection and security of buildings and infrastructure.

Surbana Jurong, a global multidisciplinary urban, infrastructure and managed services consultancy has acquired Prostruct Consulting, a leading urban and infrastructure protection firm specialising in security, blast consultancy and testing. This move augments Surbana Jurong’s portfolio of built environment services, which includes solutions to protect buildings and infrastructure against blast and other effects of explosions and weapons. Iconic buildings and infrastructure that attract high crowd density or provide essential services are common targets for terrorist attacks. This underscores the need to incorporate protective security features into the design and development of the built environment. With Prostruct’s specialisation in designing blast-resistant structural systems, Surbana Jurong Group can couple it with its existing architectural and civil and structural engineering expertise, and deliver building designs with integrated security measures. The process, dubbed Security by Design, ensures that security measures are effectively incorporated into the building without compromising the design of the building or requiring expensive retrofitting during the later stages of the development life cycle. The newly acquired specialist capability is timely for the group as the Singapore government has enacted an Infrastructure Protection Act that requires designated buildings to integrate security measures, such as strengthening against blast effects, into their designs before they are built or renovated. These designs must be assessed by certified security and blast consultants. Prostruct Consulting has provided blast consultancy for a wide range of projects including industrial, commercial, healthcare, recreation, transportation and defence facilities in the public and private sectors. It is a commercial blast testing service provider accredited by Singapore Accreditation Council, and has conducted blast tests to assess the blast resistance of building structures such as door systems and protective structures. Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group Chief Executive Officer of Surbana Jurong said, “Prostruct’s expertise in blast consultancy complements the group’s civil and structural engineering capability and security services, allowing us to safeguard urban and infrastructure projects globally. The combined strengths reinforce Surbana Jurong’s commitment to build safe, secure and sustainable spaces for communities to live, work and play in”. Dr Ang Choon Keat, Founder and Managing Director of Prostruct Consulting, said, “Joining Surbana Jurong enables Prostruct to leverage the group’s global presence and multidisciplinary services across the urban and infrastructure development value chain, and extend our reach beyond the Singapore market. Since the acquisition, Prostruct has secured new projects jointly with other disciplines and member companies within the Surbana Jurong Group”.

A blast-resistant roller shutter.

INNOVATIONS BY PROSTRUCT CONSULTING

Blast-resistant roller shutters

The blast-resistant roller shutter is designed such that the panels of the shutter do not detach and are able to withstand the enormous blast pressure and heat from an explosion. Using such shutters prevents fragments from panels flying and causing more injury during an explosion. The shutters are easy to operate and can be retrofitted to existing buildings without excessive structural works.

Fibre Reinforced Polymer material to strengthen structures

Prostruct has partnered Nanyang Technological University and JTC to develop a type of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) material that is ready-to-stick and can be easily applied onto building structures to reinforce and protect them. This innovation is especially useful for the repair and rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure and buildings. Blast tests conducted by Prostruct have demonstrated that the FRP material is suitable for strengthening any structure against blasts. Besides halving the time and effort needed for installation, prefabricating this FRP material in the factory ensures consistency in quality as conditions can be better controlled.

Crash bollards

Crash bollards protect the perimeters of buildings as they can withstand high impact from heavy vehicles. Crash tests and simulations of the performance of a crash bollard system have proven the resistance of the bollards against vehicles crashing into them.

All images by Prostruct Consulting.

A brick wall without FRP is shattered after a blast test.

Blast tests on brick walls protected with FRP material showed that the structures can withstand blasts.

Installation of FRP material to protect a wall.