The Singapore Engineer October 2019 by The Singapore Engineer

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019 | MCI (P) 105/03/2019

COVER STORY: PUB opens the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest ceramic membrane water treatment plant

PLUS

SUSTAINABILITY: Transforming the built environment sector DATA CENTRES: The challenge of designing data centres for tropical climates SMART CAMPUS: SIT begins construc on of centralised campus in Punggol

www.ies.org.sg

I BUILD ON EXPERIENCE I see the possibilities my career can bring. Because a career in the built environment is one that can create direct yet far-reaching impact. At BCA, my work on policy measures help to drive change in the built environment sector and make a positive difference. We constantly shape the landscape to prepare for the future of Singapore, rally the built environment sector to achieve farreaching goals beyond today, and improve the living environment for Singaporeans from all walks of life. Be part of this transformation, and join us for a fun and meaningful career. Find out more about our career opportunities at www.bca.gov.sg

Lim Yong Xian Senior Engineer

CONTENTS FEATURES COVER STORY

21 PUB opens the world’s largest ceramic membrane water treatment plant The new facility at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks is the result of R&D eﬀorts conducted over a decade.

SUSTAINABILITY 28 Transforming the built environment sector Progressive ideas and innova ve technologies were presented over a shared pla orm. 34 HDB towns to be kept future-ready Two research collabora ons will address the challenges faced by urban ci es, such as climate change and sustainable use of limited resources.

President Prof Yeoh Lean Weng Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com

Publica ons Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Publica ons Execu ve Queek Jiayu jiayu@iesnet.org.sg

Editorial Panel Dr Chandra Segaran Prof Simon Yu Dr Ang Keng Been Dr Victor Sim Mr Syafiq Shahul 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 PUB, Singapore’s Na onal Water Agency 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

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

www.ies.org.sg

DATA CENTRES 38 The challenge of designing data centres for tropical climates Higher ambient temperatures and rela ve humidity have to be considered.

SMART CAMPUS 40 SIT begins construc on of centralised campus in Punggol Expected to be completed in 2023, it will house the region’s first Mul -Energy Micro-Grid and be a ‘living lab’ for tes ng and implemen ng innova ons.

SMART CITIES 44 Approval for driverless parking without human supervision It will be implemented in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stu gart.

40 REGULAR SECTIONS 04 INDUSTRY NEWS 46 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 aﬃliates. 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.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

CERTIS LEVERAGES SMART TECHNOLOGIES TO SECURE

AND MANAGE JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT Integra ng facili es management and security in a single solu on is “Mozart”, a new pla orm developed by security services company Cer s. A part of the new “Security+” suite of hardware and so ware, Mozart is is a mul -services orchestra on pla orm that integrates data from smart opera ons, Internet of Things sensors, CCTVs and mobile devices. The pla orm integrates 12 different systems with over 5,000 sensors, more than 200 mobile devices and some 700 CCTVs monitored across all func ons at Jewel Changi Airport’s Smart Opera ons Centre. According to Cer s, it can help coordinate largescale cri cal opera ons involving mul ple processes, systems and responses, thus enhancing situa onal awareness and opera onal efficiency. This helps with the enforcement of safety and security and enriches guest experiences at Jewel. Mozart uses data analy cs and AI to provide predic ve opera onal insights, which helps coordinate and monitor the Rain Vortex there and its daily light and sound shows. Cer s has also deployed Argus, a smart mobility app that enables security officers and facili es management crew to be more efficient and produc ve in their management of security, guest rela ons at Jewel’s various a rac ons, and vehicular movements.

The four strategic areas that IMDA will focus on in order to achieve Singapore’s goal to be a front runner for innova on in secure 5G applica ons and services. This announcement facilitates the development of the fourth area (in blue), with the others being covered in due course. Image: IMDA

customer service resources to respond to incidents or safety risks in a mely manner.

Smart data analy cs are employed to op mise manpower and resource deployment to cri cal areas.

Kerbside patrol is made fully autonomous with PETER (Patrol and Traffic Enforcement Robot), Cer s’ robot enforcement officer that helps ensure smooth vehicular traffic flow with minimal human interven on. It is able to navigate on its own and return to dock at its own charging sta on a er eight hours of con nuous opera on.

Furthermore, Mozart employs Internet of Things (IoT) technology to collect data from ground sensors so it can be er coordinate security, facili es management and

The firm is planning to further its collabora on with Jewel and indicated that there was commercial interest in the Security+ suite, though it declined to provide more details.

SGD 40M FUND FOR 5G RESEARCH AND INNOVATION On 27 June 2019, Minister for Communica ons and Informa on S Iswaran announced that SGD 40 million has been set aside by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Na onal Research Founda on (NRF) to support 5G research and innova on, in order to achieve the aim of building an open and inclusive ecosystem and develop Singapore as a hub for 5G innova on. The fund will support technology trials to demonstrate the transforma ve impact of 5G, the crea on of a series of open testbeds to enable research and innova on, and R&D in key areas of 5G such as cybersecurity. IMDA plans to explore early trials in clusters such as mari me opera ons, urban mobility, smart estates, Industry 4.0, consumer and government applica ons. IMDA will work closely with sector leads, telecommunica ons operators and technology companies, oﬀer funding support, 5G trial licences and technical inputs to facilitate the

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

development of innova ve 5G applica ons and services, and sustainable 5G enterprise use cases. For test-bedding, IMDA will partner the various ins tutes of higher learning, technology companies and other government agencies to develop a series of open testbeds for both government and industry use. The first testbed will be at the agency’s PIXEL building in one-north, which is slated to be ready in the first half of next year. In a press release, IMDA said that the open testbed will enable media and tech startups in one-north to experiment with 5G applica ons and use cases, primarily in immersive media and casual gaming, before extending to other use cases such as content streaming, IoT and drones. On the R&D front, IMDA, NRF and the Cyber Security Agency will work together to support said eﬀorts in 5G cybersecurity.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEMBCORP PARTNERS CAPITALAND FOR 8.1 MEGAWATT PEAK

SOLAR POWER PROJECT IN SINGAPORE Sembcorp Industries is partnering CapitaLand Group for the installa on and opera on of roo op solar farms at six proper es in Singapore owned by CapitaLand. The solar panels, with a combined capacity of approximately 8.1 megawa -peak, will be installed atop the following buildings: 1 Changi Business Park Avenue 1, 9 Changi South Street 3, 2 Senoko South Road, 40 Penjuru Lane, Techpoint and LogisTech. These proper es are held under CapitaLand’s business space and industrial real estate investment trust (Reit), Ascendas Reit. More than 21,000 solar panels will be installed, providing renewable energy and significantly lowering CapitaLand’s carbon footprint. Any surplus solar power generated will be channelled to the grid. When completed, CapitaLand will house Singapore’s largest combined roo op solar farm by a real estate company. Upon full installa on at the end of this year, the solar energy system is expected to produce over 10,200 megawa hours of power annually. This is enough renewable energy to power about 2,300 four-room HDB flats for a year. The system will also help avoid over 4.3 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, equivalent to taking around 937 cars oﬀ the road or plan ng over 52,000 trees. Mr Koh Chiap Khiong, Head of Singapore, Southeast Asia & China (Energy), Sembcorp, said, “There is increasing demand for companies to adopt more environmentally sustainable prac ces. This creates more opportuni es for us to provide our solar power solu ons which not

only help them save money, but also reduce their carbon footprint.” To date, with over 140 megawa -peak of roo op solar power capacity in opera on and under development across more than 1,500 sites in Singapore, Sembcorp is one of the leading solar energy players in the country. It is also an established renewable energy player globally with 2,600 megawa s of wind and solar projects, including in China and India. Last year, the company unveiled a new Climate Change Strategy, outlining ambi ous targets to double its global renewables por olio and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by approximately 22 per cent by 2022.

Nacelle assembly facility in Taiwan

Siemens Gamesa is also working closely with Taiwan Interna onal Ports Corpora on (TIPC) to establish inbound and outbound logis cs in newly-established quaysides nearby.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) recently held a launch ceremony with local government authori es and wind industry partners in Taiwan for what will be the company’s first oﬀshore nacelle assembly facility outside of Europe. Construc on is due to begin in 2020 at the site located in the port of Taichung. This represents an important milestone for the company in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. Siemens Gamesa currently has oﬀshore nacelle assembly and manufacturing facili es in Germany and Denmark.

Construction is planned to begin in 2020, and production in 2021. The facility will then support Ørsted’s 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a project, for which the SG 8.0-167 DD turbine will be used. In later years, it will provide an option for the supply of nacelles to other regional projects.

The parcel of land being developed in Taiwan measures over 30,000 m2, and will be used for nacelle assembly, tes ng, warehousing, oﬃce buildings, and outdoor storage.

Located in the mature housing estate of Ang Mo Kio, Techpoint will be one of the six proper es with a roo op solar facility by end of 2019. Image: CapitaLand Group

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

As of June 2019, SGRE has over 3,300 offshore wind turbines in opera on globally with a combined capacity of more than 14 GW. The company’s experiences reach back as far as 1991, when it established the world’s first offshore wind power plant. Through a strong focus on safety and innova on, SGRE constantly strives to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy from offshore wind power.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SINGAPORE MANUFACTURER GEARS UP FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH

SMART FACTORY TRANSFORMATION Fong’s Engineering & Manufacturing, a manufacturer of medical devices, has launched its Smart Factory journey. As part of its Industry 4.0 transforma on, the company digitalised and adopted solu ons to automate one of its manufacturing lines into a lights-out produc on line. This enables the company to run its produc on roundthe-clock with minimal human interven on, increasing produc vity by 30 per cent. The company said that the move towards Industry 4.0 was necessary to maintain its leadership. The smart factory transforma on process is expected to be completed in three to five years. Fong’s is also making use of advanced robo cs and autonomous intelligent vehicles, integra ng them through industrial IoT. This forms a network of machines, devices, equipment and products in

a mul -direc onal communica on between networked objects, with big data analy cs exploited to facilitate realme decision-making support and op misa on. Fong’s worked closely with Enterprise Singapore (ESG) on its overall expansion and digital transforma on strategy. It received specific advice and support through ESG’s global networks and assistance programmes, which helped the company build internal capabili es and connect with poten al partners for new business opportunies in key target markets such as the United States. To speed up the transfer of global capabili es to its employees, the company also tapped on Workforce Singapore’s Capability Transfer Programme (CTP), and plans to bring in overseas specialists to train its employees, as well as send selected employees for overseas training.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

SURBANA JURONG AND 10 PARTNERS TO COLLABORATE ON IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND DRIVING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Surbana Jurong Group CEO Mr Wong Heang Fine (7th from le ) with representa ves of nine partners at the signing of the MoUs, including JTC CEO Mr Ng Lang (6th from right) and JTC Assistant CEO (Engineering and Opera ons Group) Mr Heah Soon Poh (4th from right). Also seen in the picture are representa ves of Surbana Jurong and the various other organisa ons that signed the MoUs, including, from le to right, Novade Founder and CEO Mr Denis Branthonne; Signify CEO Mr Mahesh Iyer; VR Collab CEO Mr Tee Jia Hen; Surbana Jurong Deputy CEO Mr Seah Kim Huah; Glodon Managing Director Mr Andy Zhang; Surbana Jurong CEO Singapore Mr Yeo Choon Chong; Surbana Jurong Senior Director Special Projects Mr Eugene Seah; 51 VR Director of Global Sales Mr Michael Tang; Republic Polytechnic Deputy Principal Dr Michael Koh; Bentley Systems Vice President Mr Kaushik Chakraborty; and One to One Display Director Ms Marian Rafael.

Surbana Jurong, one of the largest Asia-based urban, infrastructure and management services consul ng firms, signed a record 10 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with industry partners, on 5 September 2019, to collaborate on ini a ves which will help improve produc vity, drive sustainable prac ces in the built environment industry, and support overseas expansion of home-grown solu ons. The MoUs focus on areas such as digitalisa on, automaon and sustainability-related solu ons. They were inked in conjunc on with the Interna onal Built Environment Week 2019, organised by Singapore’s Building and Construc on Authority (BCA), and demonstrate the commitment which Surbana Jurong and its 10 partners have in contribu ng to the growth and development of the built environment industry in Singapore and the region.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY For many years, Surbana Jurong has focused on producvity improvements by leveraging on technology and innova ons, including the digitalisa on of its tools and solu ons. This focus will become significantly stronger with the MoUs, due to the ability to tap on the unique strengths and complementary capabili es of partners in the areas of Building Informa on Modelling (BIM), cost es ma on technology, robo cs, compliance, smart ci es and smart ligh ng.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Surbana Jurong Group CEO Mr Wong Heang Fine (standing, on right) and JTC CEO Mr Ng Lang (standing, on le ) witnessing the signing of the MoU by Surbana Jurong Deputy CEO Infrastructure Mr Seah Kim Huah (seated, on right) and JTC Assistant CEO (Engineering and Opera ons Group) Mr Heah Soon Poh (seated, on le ).

Surbana Jurong, together with partners JTC Corpora on (JTC), Glodon, VR Collab, Bentley Systems, 51VR, Novade, One To One Display, and Signify, seeks to expand the use of technology to improve produc vity for the architecture, engineering and construc on industry. With Glodon, Surbana Jurong will expand the adop on of ‘5D BIM’ to support the eﬀec ve quan fica on of construc on materials. 5D BIM is a model-based cost es ma on technology system which allows be er visibility of the quan es and associated costs at the building design stage. This will enable designers and architects to

INDUSTRY NEWS

be er understand how their designs will affect the costs of the whole project, at an early stage, and also allows the es mator to explore new ways of providing cost-effec ve and efficient designs and performance. Facilita ng informa on mobility is crucial for the built environment, so that different par es involved in a construc on or development project are aligned to a common set of requirements. To strengthen this area, VR Collab and Surbana Jurong will co-develop a transparent, end-to-end automated solu on which enables all stakeholders involved in the project life-cycle to view and update informa on in real me. Bentley Systems will also work with Surbana Jurong to develop onsite construc on solu ons which can be embedded into current processes to boost produc vity. Other technological solu ons to be ini ated by the MoUs focus more on project applica ons, such as in the area of planning of smart ci es using virtual reality (by 51VR), audit compliance (by Novade), floor plan projec on (by One To One Display) and connected LED ligh ng for data access and insights (by Signify).

DRIVING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES Surbana Jurong has been championing sustainable built prac ces in the industry since 2016. Under the MoU between Surbana Jurong and Republic Polytechnic, the two organisa ons will undertake eﬀorts to facilitate knowledge-sharing and conduct joint research pertaining to the areas of sustainability and resiliency, aquaculture and agriculture. Joint projects in aquaculture and agriculture have been iden fied and will be worked on in the following months.

DEVELOPING DIGITALISATION AS WELL AS AUTOMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS Under the MoU between Surbana Jurong and JTC, Singapore’s lead industrial masterplanner and developer, the two organisa ons will collaborate and share research and development resources in the areas of digitalisa on, produc vity and automa on, sustainability and resilience. The MoU aims to combine JTC’s project management and engineering capabili es with Surbana Jurong’s urban and infrastructure consul ng exper se to develop prac cal and scalable solu ons. Subsequently, these solu ons will be test-bedded or piloted by the two organisa ons at their respec ve estates, buildings, or projects. The solu ons can poten ally be trialled or rolled out by other collaborators in the built environment sector, including interna onal players.

Transforming through digitalisa on One of the key focus areas of the MoU is looking at implemen ng digital technologies to enhance produc vity and automa on across the built environment value chain. The two organisa ons will look at building capabili es in Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD). This improves collabora on and increases eﬃciency while maintaining quality and safety.

To digitalise informa on gathering, so ware applica ons and drones with Ar ficial Intelligence (AI) capabili es can be u lised. A challenge is handling and analysing large amounts of informa on in the areas of progress monitoring, resource management, quality and safety. Thus, one of the desired outcomes of the collabora on is to co-develop digital solu ons that will automate data collec on and analy cs in these areas for building, infrastructure and reclama on projects. This will reduce the me spent by engineers in on-site manual monitoring while empowering project managers to make more informed decisions. They can further increase their produc vity and reduce the margin of error by adop ng other technologies such as computer-aided machines, robo cs and new prefabrica on solu ons. JTC and Surbana Jurong will also explore new advancements in the field of Building Informa on Modelling (BIM) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) to improve project delivery in terms of resources, me, quality and cost.

Sustainability and resilience As the need to mi gate the eﬀects of climate change gains urgency, sustainability in the built environment has become increasingly important for Singapore and the rest of the world. In line with this, JTC and Surbana Jurong will jointly explore new alterna ve materials for building, infrastructure and reclama on. The aim is to reduce consump on of conven onal construc on materials in order to address poten al shortages and build resilience into the supply chain. Both par es will also look into technologies that can improve energy and resource eﬃciency to achieve a lower carbon footprint, improve long-term durability and reduce the life-cycle costs in buildings and infrastructure.

INTERNATIONALISATION OF SINGAPORE SOLUTIONS In support of the implementa on of the Construc on Industry Transforma on Map, Surbana Jurong, a leader in the development of aﬀordable housing and townships in Singapore, will be collabora ng with Shui On Joint Venture in Hong Kong to facilitate the expansion of prefabricated prefinished volumetric construc on (PPVC) products and services into overseas markets. The two will also conduct research and development into innova ve solu ons in PPVC. An MoU was signed by the two organisa ons, which was witnessed by Second Minister for Na onal Development, Mr Desmond Lee. Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group Chief Execu ve Oﬃcer, Surbana Jurong said, “Surbana Jurong has remained steadfast in our commitment to transforming the built environment industry. As a company, we have strived to stay ahead of the game by constantly delivering be er and stronger solu ons to benefit our clients and the market. The 10 MoUs which we have inked today demonstrate our dedicated focus in working with industry partners to seek improvements and innova ons. What we bring to the table is our strong track-record, deep and diverse competencies, and long-standing market knowledge of the urban, infrastructure and management services sectors. We thank our 10 partners for joining us on this journey to excellence”. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

SUSTAINING GROWTH IN A LOW CARBON ECONOMY AND

A CLIMATE RESILIENT ENVIRONMENT In tandem with its Annual Report, City Developments Limited (CDL) released its Integrated Sustainability Report 2019 (ISR 2019) tled ‘Changing the Climate: Towards Future Value 2030 Goals’. The digital report communicates CDL’s progress towards its material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals and targets established under the CDL Future Value 2030 Sustainability Blueprint. This future-fit blueprint drives CDL’s integrated sustainability strategy towards 2030, a milestone year for global climate agreement and sustainable development.

Accelera ng ac ons against climate change In 2018, CDL raised its carbon emission intensity reduc on target across its Singapore opera ons from 38% to 59%, by 2030, from base year 2007. It also became the first real estate company in Singapore to have its carbon emissions reduc on target assessed and validated by the Science Based Targets Ini a ve (SBTi). Having a ained a 32% reduc on in 2018, CDL is on track to achieve its target. That year, CDL was also the first real estate company in Singapore to complete a Climate Change Scenario Planning Study, based on the recommenda ons by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The study considered two scenarios where global temperatures rise by 2° C and 4° C, and aims to raise CDL’s business resilience and readiness for poten al climate-related risks. Planning is underway to expand the study to a 1.5° C warmer scenario, a level highlighted by the landmark Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report released in November 2018. Advancing its sourcing strategy for renewable energy in 2018, CDL became one of the two pioneer buyers for Renewable Energy Cer ficates (RECs) in Singapore, using a blockchain-enabled pla orm that offers convenient, seamless and secure digital transac ons, launched by the SP Group. Tapping on this innova ve REC marketplace, CDL procured RECs from solar providers with a view to raise the use of renewable energy. By procuring locally-sourced RECs, all electricity consumed by the operaons of CDL’s headquarters in 2018 can be a ributed to renewable sources. When the Singapore Government introduced a new standard for Super Low Energy (SLE) non-residen al buildings, CDL was among the first 14 developers and building owners to pledge their commitment to achieve at least one SLE project in the next five years. To achieve SLE status, buildings need to a ain at least 60% energy savings based on the 2005 building code, by adop ng energy-efficient measures and on-site renewable energy. CDL’s investment in raising energy efficiency has lowered 10

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

A first-of-its-kind sustainable building in Singapore developed by CDL, the Singapore Sustainability Academy at City Square Mall is built using Cross Laminated Timber and Glued Laminated Timber verified to have come from responsible sources. The zero-energy building has about 3,200 2 of photovoltaic panels. Image by CDL.

its carbon footprint and has proven to be a strong business case. From 2012 to 2018, CDL achieved more than SGD 24 million in savings due to energy-eﬃcient ini aves and retrofi ng at eight of its commercial buildings.

Fulfilling investors’ demand for enhanced ESG disclosures Year 2018 was the first year that Singapore-listed companies were required by the Singapore Exchange to issue sustainability reports on a ‘comply-or-explain’ basis. Leveraging its comprehensive, consistent and transparent ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) disclosures, CDL is well-posi oned to lower its cost of capital by tapping on sustainable financing. As an early adopter of sustainability repor ng, CDL is said to be the first Singapore company to issue a Global Reporting Ini a ve (GRI)-checked sustainability report in 2008 and has consistently aligned its sustainability repor ng with leading global standards and frameworks such as the Interna onal Integrated Repor ng Council’s (IIRC) Integrated Repor ng Framework, since 2015, as well as TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) and Sustainable Development Goals Repor ng, since 2016. In a report by the Centre for Governance, Ins tu ons and Organisa ons, tled ‘2018 Sustainability Repor ng in Singapore’, CDL was ranked the top company. To ensure accuracy and transparency, CDL’s 2019 and 12th sustainability report is independently assured by Ernst & Young in accordance with Interna onal Standard on Assurance Engagements 3000 (Revised), and its greenhouse gas emissions disclosures are externally verified in accordance with ISO 14064.

INDUSTRY NEWS

FOURTH SOLARNOVA TENDER AWARDED TO GENERATE MORE CLEAN ENERGY The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has awarded the fourth solar leasing tender, under the SolarNova programme, to Sunseap Leasing Pte Ltd. The SolarNova programme is a whole-of-government eﬀort led jointly with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), to promote and aggregate demand for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across government agencies to achieve economies of scale, and to drive the growth of Singapore’s solar industry.

By 2020, 5,500 HDB blocks will be fi ed with, or iden fied for, solar PV installa on, bringing clean energy to more than 50% of housing blocks island-wide.

Under the tender, installa on of solar PV systems at 1,218 HDB blocks and 49 government sites is expected to begin in 1Q 2020 and be completed by 3Q 2022. Called in December 2018, the fourth tender received eight bids, from both local and foreign companies. With this latest tender, a solar PV capacity of 70 megawa -peak (MWp) will be reaped island-wide, which is a 40% increase from the last awarded tender of 50 MWp. This will generate more clean energy, help to further reduce carbon emissions, and aid in mi ga ng the eﬀects of climate change. As the largest driver for the installa on of solar PV systems in Singapore, HDB contributes significantly to the na onal solar energy target of 350 MWp, by 2020, with more than 60% coming from HDB’s solar ini a ves and programmes. This enables the genera on of 277 GWh of clean energy annually, which is equivalent to powering about 57,500 4-room flats with clean energy, and poten ally reducing carbon emissions by 138,500 tonnes each year. The clean and renewable energy generated by PV panels on HDB blocks will be used to fully power common services in HDB estates, such as the li s, lights and water pumps in the HDB blocks, during the day. These blocks are able to achieve net-zero energy consump on, with excess solar energy channelled back to Singapore’s electrical grid. As of August 2019, about 2,000 HDB blocks have been fi ed with solar panels, and solar PV installa on on around about 2,370 HDB blocks is in progress.

Overview of SolarNova tenders awarded.

Installa on works under the first three tenders in the SolarNova programme is es mated to be completed by end-2020. HDB’s Chief Execu ve Oﬃcer, Dr Cheong Koon Hean said, “HDB is a key player in the development of green and sustainable towns and estates in Singapore. From pioneering the installa on of solar PV systems in our housing estates, more than a decade ago, to becoming the largest adopter of solar energy today, we will con nue to ramp up eﬀorts to harness solar energy and do our part to prepare for climate change”. Images by HDB THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AWARDS PRESENTED ACROSS 12 CATEGORIES The winners of the 2019 Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) were announced in late June, in the presence of Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor. More than 80 of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest companies and SMEs entered the awards, making it a record year for Singaporean companies. Nearly half of the winners across all categories this year are Singaporean companies. This year has also seen the highest

number of new companies entering the awards, with over 70% of first- me contestants. Organised by Global Ini a ves, the 5th edi on of the awards was run in collabora on with PwC Singapore, Control Union and ACCA. SBA recognises outstanding leadership in sustainable business prac ces through a rigorous assessment of both process and performance.

WINNERS OF SUSTAINABILITY CATEGORIES Best, Strategy & Sustainability Management Olam Interna onal

Best, Climate Change Interface

Special Recogni on, Strategy & Sustainability Management Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts

Special Recogni on, Climate Change Unilever Asia

Best Workforce SODEXO

Best Supply Chain Management Unilever Asia

Special Recogni on, Workforce Keppel Corpora on

Special Recogni on, Supply Chain Management Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd

Best Sustainability in the Community Accor Special Recogni on, Sustainability in the Community Golden Agri-Resources Best Energy Management City Developments Limited Special Recogni on, Energy Management Panalpina Asia Pacific Management Pte Ltd Best Water Management Mondelez Interna onal Special Recogni on, Water Management Olam Interna onal

Best Land Use and Biodiversity Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Special Recogni on, Land Use and Biodiversity Olam Interna onal Best Business Responsibility & Ethics Accor Special Recogni on, Business Responsibility & Ethics Ericsson Best Stakeholder Engagement & Materiality Singtel

Best Waste and Material Produc vity Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd

Special Recogni on, Stakeholder Engagement & Materiality Sindicatum Renewable Energy Company

Special Recogni on, Waste and Material Produc vity Ericsson

Best, UN SDGs Royal DSM

Special Recogni on, Waste and Material Produc vity SODEXO

Special Recogni on, UN SDGs BUY1GIVE1 (B1G1)

WINNERS OF SPECIAL CATEGORIES

Best Flagship Ini a ve Interface

Best Social Enterprise The Nurturing Co

Special Recogni on, Flagship Ini a ve H & M Hennes & Mauritz Pte Ltd

Special Recogni on, Social Enterprise Edible Garden City

Best SME Sindicatum Renewable Energy Company

Best Newcomer Olam Interna onal

Special Recogni on, SME Sustainable Development Capital (Asia) Limited

Special Recogni on, Newcomer Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

NUS ‘SMART’ TEXTILES BOOST CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN

WEARABLE SENSORS BY 1,000 TIMES Researchers from the NUS have invented a completely new way for wearable devices to interconnect. They incorporated conduc ve tex les into clothing to dynamically connect several wearable devices at once. This ‘wireless body sensor network’ allows devices to transmit data with a thousandfold increase in signal strength over conven onal technologies, which translates to drama c improvements in the ba ery life of connected devices. Wireless networks of these wearable devices on a body have future applica ons in health monitoring, medical interven ons and human– machine interfaces.

From le : PhD student Tian Xi, Research Fellow Dr Lee Pui Mun and Assistant Professor John Ho, together with seven NUS researchers, took a year to develop the ‘smart’ tex les. Photo: NUS

This technological breakthrough, which took the 10-member team a year to achieve, was published on the cover of Nature Electronics in June 2019. Currently, almost all body sensors like smart watches connect to smartphones and other wearable electronics via radio-waves like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. These waves radiate outwards, meaning that most of the energy is lost to the surrounding area. This reduces the eﬃciency of the wearable technology as most of its ba ery life is consumed in a emp ng the connec on. To fix this problem, Assistant Professor John Ho and his team from the Ins tute for Health Innova on & Technology (NUS iHealthtech) and the NUS Faculty of Engineering worked on confining the signals between the sensors closer to the body. Their solu on was to enhance regular clothing with conduc ve tex les known as metamaterials. Rather than sending waves into surrounding space, these metamaterials are able to create ‘surface waves’ which can glide wirelessly around the body on the clothes, enabling wearable electronics to use much less power than normal and detect much weaker signals. “This innova on allows for the perfect transmission of data between devices at power levels that are 1,000 mes reduced. Alterna vely, these metamaterial tex les could boost the received signal by 1,000 mes which could give you drama cally higher data rates for the same power,” Asst Prof Ho stated. In fact, the signal between devices is so strong that it is possible to wirelessly transmit power from a smartphone to the device itself – opening the door for ba ery-free wearable devices.

Crucially, this signal boost does not require any changes to either the smartphone or the Bluetooth device – the metamaterial works with any exis ng wireless device in the designed frequency band. This inven ve way of networking devices also provides more privacy than conven onal methods, as the wireless communica on signals are now harder to eavesdrop on now that they are confined to within 10 cen metres of the body. The team has a first-year provisional patent on the metamaterial textile design, which consists of a combshaped strip of metamaterial on top of the clothing with an unpatterned conductor layer underneath. These strips can then be arranged on clothing in any pattern necessary to connect all areas of the body. The metamaterial itself is cost-effective, in the range of a few dollars per metre, and can be bought readily in rolls. Once made, the ‘smart’ clothes are highly robust. They can be folded and bent with minimal loss to signal strength, and the conduc ve strips can even be cut or torn, without inhibi ng the wireless capabili es. The garments can also be washed, dried, and ironed just like normal clothing. The team is talking to poten al partners to commercialise this technology, and in the near future Asst Prof Ho is hoping to test the ‘smart’ tex les as specialised athle c clothing and for hospital pa ents to monitor performances and health. According to NUS, poten al applica ons could range from measuring a pa ent’s vital signs without inhibi ng their freedom of mo on, to adjus ng the volume in an athlete’s wireless headphones with a single hand mo on. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

SIEMENS MOBILITY TO SET UP SINGAPORE’S DOWNTOWN LINE

SIGNALLING SIMULATION CENTRE Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract by the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design and establish a simula on centre for the Downtown Line’s (DTL) signalling system. The centre will enable in-depth and faster technical analysis surrounding signalling-related incidents, enhance tes ng of new signalling features and system func onali es before deployment, as well as increase capabili es for training LTA’s and the operator’s technical staﬀ. The DTL is one of Singapore’s longest mass transit lines - with nearly 42 km of track and 34 sta ons, from Bukit Panjang in the north-west to Expo in the east, and with a daily ridership of more than 500,000. When its expansion is completed in 2024, it will be 44 km long with an addi onal three sta ons. The test centre, which will be ready by the end of 2020, will enable tes ng and integra on of the DTL’s signalling system before these three new sta ons commence opera ons. The test centre will be located in Gali Batu Depot, where the DTL’s opera on control centre is housed. DTL currently uses Siemens Mobility’s signalling system and automa c train opera ons. The test centre will be a digital twin of DTL’s signalling system, with capabili es to test key hardware interfaces. It will digitally simulate these opera ons to eliminate any risks of service disrupons during system enhancements, trouble-shoo ng, vulnerability checks, and system patching, as well as allow tes ng of new so ware releases prior to deployment. It will also allow hands-on training and thus boost opera ons and maintenance competency. “Singapore is at the forefront of mass transit technology. By u lising digitalisa on, LTA’s opera ons will see greater availability and reliability. Data analy cs and preven ve failure predic on that was previously done on the lines will now be done remotely and digitally, without impacting opera ons or passenger service”, said Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility. The test centre will include hardware similar to the rest of the system, including WESTRACE MKII interlocking; Trackside TRAINGUARD Communica ons-Based Train Control (CBTC) System and radio network equipment; Trainborne TRAINGUARD CBTC System; and RAIL9000 Automa c Train Supervision (ATS) System in Depots and Opera on Centres.

addi on to the signalling and test centre for DTL, it will also provide electrifica on for two other mass transit projects - Circle Line Stage 6 and North East Line extension. The company also operates one of its digital labs in Singapore, transforming the future of road traﬃc, and is conduc ng extensive autonomous driving research with its partner CETRAN (Centre of Excellence for Tes ng and Research of Autonomous Vehicles - NTU).

Siemens and Grundfos enter into partnership Siemens and Grundfos have signed a digital partnership framework for strategic coopera on between the two companies. The new partnership focuses on the complementary products and soluons provided by both par es in three main areas - water and wastewater applica ons, industrial automa on, and building technology. By combining their complementary exper se and knowledge in a long-term co-development digital partnership, both Siemens and Grundfos will benefit customers by crea ng synergies that extend beyond the sum of their parts. Both par es are entering into this partnership with the aim of achieving sustainable global change by joining forces in digital solu ons. Siemens and Grundfos have pledged to lead the way on global sustainability and share the aim of making a posi ve impact on Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean water and sanita on) and 13 (Climate ac on). By 2030, Grundfos aspires to be Climate Posi ve, and the company aims to halve its own water consumpon by 2025. By 2030, Grundfos will have contributed to providing safely managed drinking water to 300 million people in need. In addi on, through water eﬃciency and water treatment, the company will have saved 50 billion m3 of fresh water.

The test centre will be established in two stages and completed by end-2020. The first will include the ATS simula on environment and the second will include the full test environment - CBTC, interlocking, communicaons and trackside elements. Siemens Mobility is playing an important role in transforming Singapore’s transporta on infrastructure. In 14

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Siemens and Grundfos sign digital partnership.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SUEZ SUPPORTS THAILAND IN RECYCLING PLASTIC WASTE SUEZ will build a plas c recycling plant in Thailand to turn waste plas cs into circular polymers. The group’s first-ever plas c recycling project in Asia, the circular polymer plant, will be a model for the rest of Southeast Asia. It will also adhere to strict environmental standards and contribute to Thailand’s ambi ous 2030 target to achieve 100% plas c recycling. This will help ease the global plas c waste crisis. The plant, located in the Bang Phli District, A 3D rendering of SUEZ’s circular polymer plant, located in the Bang Phli district near near Bangkok, will convert 30,000 t/year of Bangkok. Construc on works are expected to be completed by the middle of 2020. locally collected low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) plas c film waste, that would have otherwise gone to waste or ended up in the environment, into high-quality post-consumer recycled plas c (PCR). This PCR will be used to produce products for a circular economy.

Plan for leadership in environmental services

The plant will meet the highest local environmental compliance standards. It will be equipped with an efficient and advanced water treatment system that minimises water usage and ensures that the surrounding environment is not affected. Part of the energy used by the plant is powered by roo op solar panels to further reduce the environmental footprint. Construc on works for a building area of 14,000 m2 are expected to be completed by the middle of 2020. The plant will employ 80 staff. “In Thailand, two million tons of plas c waste are produced per year and only a quarter is recycled. As a leader in plas c recycling in Europe, SUEZ will fully u lise its technological exper se to support the country in meeting its objec ve of reducing plas c waste, thus contributing to the preserva on of the oceans”, said Steve Clark, CEO, SUEZ Asia. Plas c recycling is a key business for SUEZ. Each year, the group processes nearly 400,000 t of plas c waste in nine specialist facili es in Europe and produces 150,000 t of circular polymers. SUEZ is also among the founding members of the Alliance to End Plas c Waste, an internaonal ini a ve launched in January 2019 to end plas c waste in the environment, especially in the ocean. This new plant is part of the group’s development strategy in Southeast Asia, where it has been suppor ng regional countries in improving their drinking water, sanita on and waste management services, in response to a rapidly growing popula on. Over the past two years, SUEZ has won contracts to build an industrial waste-to-energy plant in Thailand, extend the Medan drinking water produc on plant in Indonesia, and build a wastewater treatment plant and a sewerage network in Vietnam’s southern province of Hau Giang. 16

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

SUEZ recently announced ‘Shaping SUEZ 2030’, a comprehensive strategic plan to posi on the group now, for the opportuni es and the challenges of the next decade. The plan enhances value crea on for all stakeholders over four years with material results as soon as 2021. The plan posi ons SUEZ as the global leader in environmental services. Given the key trends in the group’s business the con nued growth of the circular economy and its impact on customers, the emergence of new business models and new compe tors, combined with a profound shi in the mindset of ci zens towards the climate crisis and a need for concrete ac on - SUEZ said it will accelerate its transforma on. With this new plan, the group will leverage what it says are its core strengths - innova on, bestin-class technologies and know-how, excep onal teams, and an excellent reputa on. The plan drives selec vity in growth, simplicity in its way of working and a renewed engagement grounded on a passion for the environment. The plan is expected to transform the group at all levels in the medium-term. The ambi on for the four years to 2023 is to embed its new values and culture firmly across the group, set the scene for sustained organic growth with lower capital intensity, change the business por olio, and improve the returns on capital employed. ‘Shaping SUEZ 2030’ will be implemented across the group’s three business segments - Water, Recycling & Recovery, and Environmental Tech & Solu ons.

INDUSTRY NEWS

‘ONE BANGKOK’ UNVEILS MASTERPLAN

One Bangkok’s crowning achievement is the 430 m Signature Tower, housing oﬃce spaces and a super luxury hotel. It is set to become one of ASEAN’s 10 tallest buildings.

One Bangkok recently unveiled the masterplan for its THB 120 billion fully integrated district. A joint-venture between TCC Assets Co Ltd and Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co Ltd, One Bangkok is said to be Thailand’s largest private sector property ini a ve ever undertaken, se ng new benchmarks in design, smart-city living and sustainability, and aiming to be the first project in Thailand to receive the LEED Neighborhood Development Pla num cer fica on. The fully integrated district is poised to become a global landmark, a rac ng top-level businesses, tourists and locals alike, by seamlessly connec ng oﬃces, retail, luxury hotels, residences, as well as cultural and social spaces.

Integra ng five dis nct realms into a district One Bangkok’s mixed-use masterplan is op mised to deliver a vibrant, successful community with best-in-class buildings and eﬃcient use of space to ensure flexibility for occupants, and adaptability to evolving markets, consumer behaviour, and technologies. The masterplan proposes a set of four diverse precincts centred around a 10,000 m2 landscaped civic plaza. These precincts are connected on mul ple levels, and each comprises a retail & lifestyle element at lower levels to create vibrant streetscape, with towers rising above, for working and living. 18

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Mr Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, Group CEO, Frasers Property Limited and Ms Su Lin Soon, CEO - Development, One Bangkok, at the press conference to unveil the masterplan for One Bangkok.

One Bangkok’s masterplan priori ses ease of accessibility and naviga on, being directly connected to the MRT BlueLine at Lumphini Sta on and allowing users to enter and walk to every point in the district in full comfort. By road, One Bangkok features six access points. These accesses link directly into a common underground infrastructure for easy circula on, enabled by a smart traﬃc management system, allowing One Bangkok to promote walkability across the district with a network of streets and alleys lined with shops, cafes, artworks and

INDUSTRY NEWS

public spaces, connec ng every single component. To ensure pedestrian comfort in the Bangkok climate, these streets are shaded with open-air structures, tall canopied trees, or fully enclosed, air-condi oned spaces. To be completed in phases from 2023 to 2026, the Offices at One Bangkok have been planned to the highest specifica ons including LEED and WELL cer fica ons, and will generate a combined office Net Le able Area (NLA) of almost 500,000 m2 that will be home to over 500 local and interna onal organisa ons and their more than 50,000-strong workforce. All five office towers are seamlessly integrated into the mixed-use scheme, and each tower has been designed to respond to changing demands of the workplaces as places that people want to spend me in, before, during and a er working hours. Presen ng more than just the best choices for shopping and dining, One Bangkok will allow for a wide range of leisure ac vi es and social experiences. With five new-to-market hotels, the district’s comprehensive suite of hospitality op ons ranges from bou que to business to super luxury, offering a combined 1,100 rooms. Each hotel will be designed with a focus on delivering the finest hospitality and local lifestyle experiences. The first luxury hotel, The RitzCarlton, Bangkok is scheduled to open in 2023. Three luxury residen al towers are located at the north of the district, offering utmost privacy and unprecedented vistas of Lumphini Park and the city beyond. The first residences, located on top of The RitzCarlton, Bangkok, comprise 110 ultra-luxury apartments with two to four bedrooms, star ng from 130 m2 and will be launched in early 2020.

One Bangkok’s crowning achievement is the 430 m Signature Tower, housing office spaces and a super luxury hotel. Set to become one of ASEAN’s 10 tallest buildings, Signature Tower will offer visitors panoramic views of the city. One Bangkok will be a cultural des na on and vibrant node for the community, providing inclusive and accessible ar s c offerings to all. One Bangkok is designed to offer a green, safe, and invi ng environment for all. Some 50 rai of the total 104 rai land plot is allocated to an integrated system of streets, squares, and open spaces, that encourages people to spend more me outdoors together, including a 10,000 m2 landscaped civic plaza that will be a natural venue for interna onal events and Thai fes vals. A 40 m wide con nuous linear park will provide a green and spacious approach to the district. The en re district will have a smart centralised infrastructure system, the first of its kind in Thailand for a private development. Features include district cooling, fully centralised security, water and energy management systems overseen by a District Command Centre, a data centre and more than 250,000 smart sensors for efficient facility management and preven ve maintenance. By integra ng innova ons in sustainability into the physical development, all businesses, visitors, workers, and residents will benefit from significant energy savings, and a cleaner and healthier environment. With piling works already completed in June this year, One Bangkok is expected to open in 2023, with full comple on slated for 2026.

Singapore and IEA to jointly promote energy-efficient buildings Over 100 par cipants from 15 countries gathered in Singapore recently for the Singapore-Interna onal Energy Agency (IEA) Green Buildings Training Programme. According to IEA, the building sector is responsible for 36% of global energy consump on and nearly 40% of total carbon emissions. With significant energy demand growth expected in this sector in the coming decades, it is important for the region to work towards low-emission, efficient and resilient buildings. The Green Buildings Training Programme has been developed to build up the capabili es in the areas of regula on, planning and design, system and opera on of energy-efficient buildings in the Asia Pacific. It featured experts from the IEA, and Singapore agencies such as the Building and Construc on Authority and the Na onal University of Singapore. Interna onal organisa ons such as the German Agency for Interna onal Corpora on and World Resources Ins tute were also present to provide professional advice. Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, Chief Execu ve of the Energy Market Authority, said: “EMA’s collabora on with the

Interna onal Energy Agency will enable the building sector in the region to be er manage their energy demand. The codes of prac ce for green buildings to be developed will help ASEAN achieve its aspira onal target of reducing its energy intensity by 20% in 2020 and by 30% in 2025, based on 2005 levels of energy intensity. Dr Fa h Birol, IEA’s Execu ve Director, said, “IEA’s energy eﬃciency training courses have trained over 1,300 people from 100 countries. Energy eﬃciency is an essen al component of all energy transi ons and we are suppor ng governments across the world in taking the right ac ons to deliver its full poten al”. The Singapore-IEA Training Programme on Green Buildings is a key outcome from the 36th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Mee ng (AMEM) held in Singapore last year. Ministers welcomed the progress towards the development of Green Building Codes in ASEAN Member States. The programme is also the third ac vity under the Singapore-IEA Regional Training Hub ini a ve launched in 2016, when Singapore became an Associa on Country of the IEA.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

NESTE HOSTS FOUNDATION STONE CEREMONY

FOR SINGAPORE EXPANSION Following up from the SGD 2.1 billion investment to expand its renewable products produc on capacity in Singapore, Neste recently held a founda on stone ceremony to officially mark the extension of the new produc on line. The construc on started at the beginning of the year. Finland-headquartered Neste creates Senior Minister and Coordina ng Minister for Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and President and CEO of Neste, sustainable soluMr Peter Vanacker. ons for transport, business, and consumer needs. The company’s wide range of renewable products enables customers to reduce carbon emissions. Neste is the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues, and has introduced renewable solu ons also to the avia on and plas cs inNeste has opened a new office in Shanghai, China, dustries. The company is also a technologically advanced and will start purchasing waste and residue raw refiner of high-quality oil products. materials for the produc on of renewable diesel, jet fuel as well as other renewable solu ons Alongside Singapore’s Senior Minister and Coordina ng globally. Minister for Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, dignitaries from the Embassy of Finland, Singapore These materials will be purchsed from local Economic Development Board and JTC Corpora on, collectors in the east coast of China, especially in Neste’s President and CEO, Mr Peter Vanacker comthe regions around Shanghai, but later on, also menced the ceremony with a welcome speech highlightfrom other big ci es. ing the significance of the investment and partnership in “Different waste and residues account for Singapore. approximately 80% of our renewable raw “The Singapore expansion marks an important step in materials. With our own proprietary NEXBTL technology, renewable products can be refined the execu on of our growth strategy for renewables flexibly from a wide variety of low-quality raw globally and the beginning for the world’s most unique materials while the end-products retain their and advanced refinery for renewables. The new produchigh quality. These products and solu ons help on line will be the best-in-class worldwide, thanks to our customers to reduce their greenhouse gas our con nuous process and technology development”, emissions”, said Ms Jennifer Jiang, General said Mr Vanacker. Manager of Neste Shanghai office. “Laying a founda on stone on a major construc on Neste has renewable diesel produc on facili es project is a great tradi on. And we are extremely happy in Singapore, The Netherlands and Finland. to be laying it in Singapore, in one of the most connectThe company’s renewable products produc on ed, economically significant, and vibrant places on earth. capacity is today close to 3 million tons of And in this spirit of coopera on, I would like to personalrenewable diesel and other renewable fuels. ly thank everyone who have been and are involved in the expansion project”, he added.

Neste opens an oﬃce in Shanghai

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

COVER STORY

PUB OPENS THE WORLD’S LARGEST CERAMIC MEMBRANE WATER TREATMENT PLANT The new facility at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks is the result of R&D eﬀorts conducted over a decade.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli (fourth, from right) oﬃciated the opening of the new plant.

PUB, Singapore’s Na onal Water Agency, recently unveiled its latest state-of-the art water treatment plant at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks (CCKWW), which houses the largest ceramic membrane system in the world. The ceramic membrane system treats up to 40 mgd (million gallons per day) of water. This is the result of PUB’s long-term investments in R&D, with over a decade of dedicated research in ceramic membrane technology and trials. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, joined by about 100 guests, oﬃciated the opening of the new facility.

Singapore’s most advanced water treatment facility In addi on to the large-scale deployment of ceramic filtra on membranes, ozone-biological ac vated carbon (ozone-BAC) filters have also been added in CCKWW, to strengthen the disinfec on and treatment process. PUB’s con nuous R&D and innova on eﬀorts to improve the eﬃciency of its water treatment process and opera ons ensure the con nued produc on of safe drinking water for Singapore.

Ceramic membrane technology Ceramic membrane technology is one of the latest break-

throughs in membrane technology. It is more energy-efficient, requires a smaller land footprint, is cost-eﬃcient and has a longer lifespan. The membranes are durable and are expected to last 20 years, in contrast to polymeric membranes which have to be replaced in around five years. More importantly, by using ceramic membranes, water loss is reduced significantly, from 5% to 1%.

Enhancing water treatment capabili es One of Singapore’s oldest water treatment plants, CCKWW was built in two phases, in 1975 and in 1981, with two facili es, each capable of trea ng 40 mgd of water. The total capacity of 80 mgd is equivalent to the capacity of about 145 Olympic swimming pools. CCKWW is Singapore’s second largest waterworks and treats water from the Western Catchment reservoirs, namely, Kranji Reservoir, Pandan Reservoir and Tengeh Reservoir. Back in the 1970s, Singapore relied on conven onal sand filtra on systems to remove turbidity, bacteria and large suspended solids, from the water. Subsequent advancements in technology increased the aﬀordability of membrane technology. In 2008, CCKWW completed the first upgrade to replace sand filters with polymeric membranes in one of the 40 mgd facili es, while PUB worked with industry partners to conduct trials on ceramic membrane technology. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

COVER STORY

Ceramic membranes: There are 12 vessels with 90 ceramic membrane elements in each vessel. Par cles larger than 0.1 micrometres in size are removed through membrane filtra on.

Advanced water treatment processes Clarifica on is the first part of the pre-treatment process, which removes large suspended par cles in raw water through chemical coagula on, floccula on and sedimenta on.

Ozone disinfec on: Ozone gas is diﬀused into the water for disinfec on. Bubbles of ozone gas can be seen through a window in the wall. Ozone gas also breaks down organic ma er so that they can be more easily removed in the next stage.

A er the ini al pilot project at Bedok NEWater Factory showed encouraging results, the first ceramic membrane demonstra on plant was built at CCKWW in 2011, at a cost of SGD 5 million and with a daily capacity of 1.2 million litres. The rigorous 18-month trial validated the eﬃciency and reliability of using ceramic membranes in water treatment. The second upgrade of CCKWW commenced in 2016, which involved the deployment of ceramic membranes on a large scale, to replace the sand filters in the other 40 mgd facility. This saw the construc on of a new facility, installa on of ceramic membranes and the inclusion of ozone-BAC treatment for the plant. Construc on works took about three years, at a cost of SGD 162 million. PUB will progressively incorporate advanced water treatment processes in the other five water treatment plants in Singapore when they are due for upgrading. The five waterworks are Bedok Avenue Waterworks, Bukit Timah Waterworks, Chestnut Avenue Waterworks, Lower Seletar Waterworks and Woodleigh Waterworks. 22

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

The clarified water passes through the membranes to filter and remove par cles that are larger than 0.1 micometres in size. Therea er, the water is dosed with ozone gas to kill germs and break down dissolved organic ma er. This water is then passed through ac vated carbon filters, where organic ma er is adsorbed, consumed and removed from the water. Chlorine is added to keep the water disinfected as it enters the distribu on network and into customers’ taps. Chestnut Avenue Waterworks and Woodleigh Waterworks are currently undergoing upgrading to include ozone-BAC treatment of water, and are expected to be completed by end-2019. “This reconstructed CCKWW, with its ceramic membrane technology, allows PUB to do advanced treatment of the tap water that we supply to homes, commerce and industry. That we are able to deploy this new technology on such a large scale is the result of years of research, experimenta on and rigorous tes ng. Advanced treatment technologies will allow us to cope with the impact of an increasingly urbanised catchment and the nega ve eﬀects of climate change on Singapore’s raw water quality”, said Mr Ng Joo Hee, Chief Execu ve, PUB.

COVER STORY

BAC filtra on: Ac vated carbon fills the tanks on both sides of the walkway and removes the organic ma er from the water as it passes through the carbon filter.

PROJECT DATA Total cost of upgrading works About SGD 162 million Upgrading period June 2016 to June 2019 Land area of new facility 3.4 ha

All images by PUB, Singapore’s Na onal Water Agency.

PROJECT CREDITS Designing & Building of new facility Jacobs Engineering Group Inc Installa on of ceramic membrane system UGL (Singapore) Pte Ltd Installa on of ozone-BAC filter system Chye Joo Construc on Pte Ltd-Sanli M&E Engineering Pte Ltd (joint venture)

Forma on of U li es Alliance To keep abreast of water treatment technologies, PUB, PWN from The Netherlands, and South West Water (SWW) from the United Kingdom (UK), have come together to form a U li es Alliance to share knowledge about the latest innova ons, as well as share opera onal data and best prac ces on ceramic membrane systems, for the next five years. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the three u li es at the oﬃcial opening of the new facility at CCKWW. All three u li es are currently deploying ceramic membrane systems in their water treatment plants. Other than Singapore’s CCKWW, the system is also used in PWN’s Andijk III plant in The Netherlands, and SWW’s Mayflower Plant in Plymouth, UK.

PUB, PWN from The Netherlands, and South West Water (SWW) from the United Kingdom (UK), have signed a MoU to form a U li es Alliance.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

COVER STORY

Enhanced water treatment process at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks 24

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

COVER STORY

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

SUSTAINABILITY

TRANSFORMING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SECTOR Progressive ideas and innova ve technologies were presented over a shared pla orm. Organised by Singapore’s Building and Construc on Authority (BCA), the inaugural Interna onal Built Environment Week (IBEW) was held from 4 to 6 September 2019, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The first-of-its kind built environment event in the region welcomed more than 12,000 overseas and local visitors.

research and innova on, and manpower development. Through collabora on and co-crea on with the industry and academia, the ITM seeks to bring about an advanced and integrated sector, with progressive and collabora ve firms, supported by a skilled and competent workforce, oﬀering good jobs for Singaporeans.

Themed ‘Transforming the Way We Build’, the inaugural IBEW brought together the whole built environment value chain to an integrated pla orm which showcased progressive firms and the latest innova ons in the industry, against the backdrop of global trends like urbanisa on, digitalisa on, and climate ac on.

As part of advancing the Green Building agenda, BCA has been suppor ng research and innova on eﬀorts to push the boundaries of transforma on. The Green Buildings Innova on Cluster (GBIC), managed by BCA, has enabled the development of several energy-eﬃcient technologies. These have been translated into commercial soluons adopted in Singapore and overseas.

IBEW was jointly presented with 12 Trade Associa on and Chambers (TACs) and par cipa on from more than 20 Singapore firms and partner agencies. This collec ve spirit across the built environment value chain represents the power of the BuildSG movement. The 12 TACs are Associa on of Property and Facility Managers; Interna onal Facility Management Associaon (Singapore Chapter); Real Estate Developers’ Associa on of Singapore; Singapore Green Building Council; Singapore Ins tute of Building Limited; Singapore Ins tute of Valuers & Surveyors; Society of Project Managers; Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore; Associa on of Consul ng Engineers Singapore; Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore; Singapore Contractors Associa on Limited; and Singapore Ins tute of Architects. BuildSG is a na onal movement to transform the way Singapore is built and it is a collabora ve eﬀort by the industry and government to enable firms to keep ahead of the curve through deep capability building, strong collabora ons and co-crea ng eﬀec ve solu ons for the built environment (BE) industry.

The latest recipient of grant support as a GBIC-Demonstra on project is PSA Corpora on who will develop, as part of the Tuas Port, a Net Zero Energy Building, projected to achieve energy savings of 58% when compared to the same building, had it been designed to comply purely with energy eﬃciency regula ons. PSA Corpora on will be exploring the use of coloured building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) on its administra on building, which will be integrated with the building walls, replacing the need for ordinary façade cladding. It provides an alterna ve to conven onal photovoltaics (PVs) for buildings with limited roof space, as a combina on of conven onal PVs and BIPVs can help be er manage energy demands of the buildings by providing a steadier power genera on pa ern throughout the day. To support the na onal drive towards Super Low Energy (SLE) buildings such as the PSA Corpora on’s Net Zero Energy Building, the Na onal Research Founda on Singapore (NRF) has provided a funding of SGD 20 million to enhance the GBIC programme. PSA, together with the Solar Energy Research Ins tute of Singapore (SERIS) and BIPV suppliers are currently working to have the BIPV panels cer fied in accordance with regulatory requirements of authori es.

Mr Hugh Lim, BCA CEO, said, “Since the Construc on Industry Transforma on Map (ITM) was launched two years ago, our built environment sector has seen good progress. Leading firms are staying ahead of the curve through deep capability building, strong collabora ons and co-crea ng eﬀec ve solu ons for the built environment sector. The inaugural IBEW is a shared pla orm that reflects both the aspira ons and the progress of the built environment sector in Singapore. Together with like-minded interna onal partners, we envision IBEW to be the pla orm in the region for rich exchange of ideas and co-crea ng innova ve solu ons to transform the built environment”.

In addi on, to help building owners and developers source for innova ve Super Low Energy (SLE) technologies, BCA and Hitachi have also launched the SLE Buildings Smart Hub (h ps://www.sleb.sg) - the first digital knowledge portal for green buildings in the region.

The Construc on Industry Transforma on Map (ITM) iden fied three key transforma on areas - Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), Integrated Design Delivery (IDD) and Green Buildings, underpinned by

To support the adop on of IDD, BCA and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) had launched a joint grant call for common digital pla orms, in November 2018. IMDA has awarded to Delphi Pte Ltd,

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

A Super Low Energy (SLE) building refers to a Green Mark cer fied building that achieves more than 60% of energy savings over the 2005 level.

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a joint-venture between Hubble Pte Ltd and Aurum Investments Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of Woh Hup Holdings Pte Ltd), a grant to develop an interoperable and common pla orm that will digitally connect project par es, namely developers, designers, fabricators, builders, and building operators so that they can share digital assets through this AI-powered pla orm catered specifically for the construc on sector. Third-party service providers, such as quan ty surveyors, M&E consultants and DfM consultants, can offer their own digital products and services on the pla orm. The ability to more accurately es mate demand for materials and manpower, realise just-in- me efficiencies, ensure error-free transac ons, and eventually reduce of re-work through the use of new digital and data services, are some of the benefits of such a digital pla orm. To accelerate DfMA adop on which improves the quality of buildings, minimises noise and dust from construc on sites to the neighbourhood, as well as boosts site produc vity, BCA will be introducing several enhancements to the Buildability Framework. Large residen al non-landed projects with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 25,000 m2 and more will be required to meet a higher buildability requirement. A er several years of capability-building and more than 140 DfMA projects, it is clear that developments of this size are able to capitalise on the benefits of DfMA and enjoy economies of scale from off-site (factory) produc on. In order to place more focus on design, instead of just regulatory compliance, there will also be outcome-based op ons that consultants may adopt for these large residen al non-landed developments, instead of following the usual code compliance method. Also, small projects with a gross floor area (GFA) below 5,000 m2 will be exempted from the need to comply with the buildability framework. More details will be announced at a later stage. The outcome-based op ons will also be extended to other development types from 2020. In addi on, there will be greater emphasis on DfMA in Structural, Architectural, and Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) works in the new 2020 Code of Prac ce (COP) on Buildability. BCA will invite firms to par cipate in a pilot to walk-through the proposed changes, so that key learning points can be included in the detailed 2020 COP. Lastly, research and innova on in the built environment sector has also transformed - the Built Environment Accelerate to Market Programme (BEAMP) has opened up new opportuni es for start-ups and innovators in the built environment sector. Since its launch, it has garnered interest from 53 innovators within the built environment and adjacent sectors. From this pool of innovators, 14 were shortlisted to work with companies in the built environment to solve real-life challenges. One such firm is Tagvance who worked with Straits Construc on to develop an Internet of Things (IoT) network, to relay posi oning data on people and assets so as to enhance safety on the worksite. The novelty of this development is in its ability to address the challenge of penetra ng dense concrete structures to track ver cal posi oning in both semi-confined and large spaces which are both quite common on construc on sites.

An integrated pla orm IBEW 2019 featured BE Connect, a premier business platform that brings together urban solu ons providers from Singapore, developers from the region, and the investment community, to address urban challenges in the region. Over the past nine months, BCA has met with close to 100 developers in China,India and Southeast Asia, to understand their needs, and introducing solu ons, and sharing relevant experience by Singapore’s urban soluon providers. BE Connect marked a major milestone in a year-round effort to assist buyers in the region to access fully integrated solu ons across the en re built environment value chain for their building needs. IBEW 2019 offered four co-located tradeshows that featured the latest innova ons and industry solu ons for the built environment. Returning for its 12th edi on, BEX Asia presented sustainable solu ons for buildings across all sectors and, in its 5th edi on, Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia focused on solu ons to maximise building efficiency and energy opera ons. New to the por olio were Innobuild (IB) Asia, presen ng cutng-edge construc on materials, tools and technologies to drive construc on produc vity and resource efficiency, and Smart Ci es and Buildings (SCB) Asia, highlighting the convergence of technology and construc on in crea ng more liveable ci es. Together, the tradeshows encompassed the en re built environment value chain and gathered over 550 local and interna onal exhibi ng brands from more than 30 markets. More than 70 industry leaders shared their insights on the ho est technologies and trends at the tech talk seminar areas covering three thema c topics - Digital Rally, Energy Xchange and Green View. The exhibi ons welcomed over 70 delega on groups from seven markets to discuss and exchange ideas on the latest innova ons that will shape the future of sustainable ci es. BCA and its tripar te (Public, Private, People) partners will con nue its efforts to support the built environment sector to achieve greater quality and produc vity standards, build progressive and collabora ve firms and support workforce needs and aspira ons. At the same me, it is recognised that leading Singapore firms are able to provide cu ng-edge solu ons to meet the needs of developers from across the region.

PROGRESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION ITM The Construc on ITM was launched in October 2017, with the view to transform the construc on industry into an advanced and integrated sector with widespread adop on of leading technologies, led by progressive and collabora ve firms, and supported by a skilled and competent workforce, and oﬀering good jobs for Singaporeans.

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly Through the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) approach, buildings are designed with major components and modules fabricated oﬀ-site in a controlled manufacturing environment, then brought on-site THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

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for assembly. With more works done oﬀ-site, manpower and me needed to construct buildings are significantly reduced. With increase in produc vity, sites have the poten al to deliver buildings and infrastructure projects more quickly to end-users. Work sites are cleaner, safer, and create less disameni es to the surrounding living environment. Over the course of more than 140 DfMA projects, it has been found that the DfMA approach has indeed led to the achievement of higher quality, producvity and sustainability in the tradi onally manpower-intensive construc on industry. Singapore firms have also been inves ng in capability building to undertake DfMA projects. To-date, more than 80 (architectural, C&S, engineering and M&E) consultancy firms and about 60 builders have undertaken over 140 DfMA projects in Singapore. Several leading firms have also been inves ng in highly automated plants to produce higher quality prefabricated components and modules for DfMA in Singapore. In all, the industry has, since 2010, achieved a cumula ve site produc vity improvement of about 15%, and this will rise to 20% by the end of 2020, with the comple on of more DfMA projects.

Integrated Digital Delivery Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) refers to the use of digital technologies to integrate work processes and connect stakeholders working on the same project throughout the construc on and building life-cycle - from design, to off-site fabrica on, to on-site assembly and construc on, and finally to opera ons and maintenance. IDD helps project teams to smoothen coordina on, avoid miscommunica on and reduce abor ve works during construc on. The IDD Implementa on Plan was launched in November 2018. IDD is being piloted in over 20 projects now and 30 to 40 more will adopt IDD in the coming year. These projects cover a wide spectrum of building types, from residen al, ins tu onal and industrial to commercial projects. Collabora on across the en re value chain is key to mee ng the demands of the future, where buildings are expected to become more complex and high-density, yet liveable and sustainable. The industry’s efforts in IDD to leverage data and digital technologies to connect the different project par es will help to facilitate this process.

Green Buildings Buildings contribute one-quarter of Singapore’s carbon emissions and the industry has endeavoured to lower this through Singapore’s green building journey since 2005. To-date, close to 40% of the gross floor area in buildings has been greened, which is on track to meet the target of 80%, by 2030. In September last year, BCA launched the Super Low Energy Programme to push the boundaries of energy eﬃciency in buildings even more. The programme was jointly developed with industry and academia, with best-in-class SLE buildings beginning to show 60% greater energy eﬃciency over 2005 levels. To-date, 17 projects have already been cer fied and another 15 projects are ongoing. 30

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Manpower The Construc on ITM creates good jobs for Singaporeans through transforma on. There is funding support from Government and training to upskill workers in the construc on sector. In addi on, guided by the iBuildSG Tripar te Commi ee, Ins tutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have been upda ng their curricula to be er equip students with the competencies to par cipate in this transforma on. As of March 2019, about 40,000 persons have been trained in the three transforma on areas. This number will grow to 47,000, by 2020.

GREEN BUILDINGS INNOVATION CLUSTER TOP UP Background Research, development and demonstra on (RD&D) plays a key role in BCA’s Green Building Masterplans, to push the envelope and accelerate the adop on of promising energy efficiency (EE) technologies and solu ons in the industry. In 2014, NRF provided a funding of SGD 52 million for BCA to set up the Green Buildings Innova on Cluster (GBIC) as a one-stop integrated RD&D hub to experiment with, exhibit, and exchange knowledge on, promising energy efficiency solu ons, with stakeholders. Over the past five years, GBIC has supported a total of 32 projects, many of which have been translated into industry soluons and have been adopted in actual building projects in Singapore and overseas. Guided by the long-term goal of ‘super low energy buildings for the tropics’, a Super Low Energy (SLE) Programme and Technology Roadmap was launched in 2018 to bring about significant changes in Singapore’s energy landscape in a whole-of-government effort. Arising from this, NRF will provide addi onal funding of SGD 20 million to enhance the GBIC programme to further push the boundaries of energy efficiency.

Objec ves GBIC will be enhanced towards industry-led and deployment-oriented R&I projects and will serve as the focal point to reinforce the na onal drive towards greater energy eﬃciency as well as to streamline, coordinate and disseminate informa on on building EE-related ac vi es. The overall objec ves of GBIC are to: • Develop and demonstrate novel and market-proven solu ons in a mix of building types. • Validate performance, raise and build awareness and capability. • Proliferate energy eﬃciency across the built environment.

Key benefits GBIC will consolidate exis ng green building RD&D eﬀorts and capabili es. It will also provide pla orms for the demonstra on of promising novel technologies such that they can be brought closer to market adop on. The results of the demonstra on projects will be measured

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GBIC will have four key ac vi es - Compe

ve Research Programme, Prototyping, Demonstra on and SLEB Smart Hub.

and documented in detail. These results can then guide subsequent R&D direc ons. The experience and learning points from this endeavour will also be shared with industry stakeholders.

Key ac vi es GBIC will now have four key ac vi es - Compe ve Research Programme, Prototyping, Demonstra on and SLEB Smart Hub. CompeƟƟve Research Programme The Compe ve Research Programme (CRP) provides a pla orm for the industry to collaborate with the local and interna onal R&D communi es to develop applicable solu ons with significant impact in building energy efficiency and with high market adop on poten al. Prototyping Prototyping (new) provides a pla orm for ‘out-of-lab’ research outcomes to be refined and customised for actual building applica on and to support further development of promising solu ons from local/overseas companies and their adop on in our local environment. In addi on, it aims to encourage building owners, consultants and the stakeholders to adopt a more holis c approach to achieve greater energy efficiency at an early design stage of the building project. DemonstraƟon This ac vity serves to demonstrate novel energy-efficient technologies that have not been widely implemented locally in opera ng buildings. The programme aims to link building owners and technology providers with each

other, in order to establish pla orms where industry can test and showcase these technologies to generate local performance data for verifica on. By doing so, these demonstrated technologies can be replicated in other buildings and eventually commercialised. SLEB Smart Hub The SLEB Smart Hub is a centralised na onal database of building energy eﬃciency performance data and technologies with powerful smart data tools enabling professionals to make be er decisions to adopt innova ve technologies. The SLEB Smart Hub will allow companies to share the latest green building technologies with building owners, professionals, researchers and policymakers.

GREEN BUILDINGS INNOVATION CLUSTER DEMONSTRATION PROJECT The upcoming Tuas Port will be developed in four phases and terminal opera ons for the first phase is expected to start in 2021. As part of PSA Singapore’s sustainability plan to reduce carbon emissions, it is looking to develop green terminal buildings in the port. A six-storey Administra ve Building (under the GBIC Demo) will be part of the Tuas Port Maintenance Base, and will house an opera ons centre which will manage all terminal opera ons for Phase 1 of Tuas Port, as well as a canteen, an engineering oﬃce and briefing rooms. It is expected to be ready in the fourth quarter of 2020. The Administra ve Building will be the first major building and the first Super Low Energy Building (SLEB) to be completed in Tuas Port and is projected to achieve energy savings of 58% over the baseline building design. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

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PSA Corpora on’s six-storey Administra on Building is a GBIC-Demonstra on project.

This translates to an Energy U lisa on Index (EUI) of 98 kWh/m²/year compared to the baseline EUI of 235 Wh/ m²/year. With PSA’s plans to incorporate roo op PVs for the en re Tuas Maintenance Base which will generate 2,795 MWh/year of electricity, the energy consump on of the Tuas Maintenance Base (including the Administra ve Building) would be oﬀset by renewable energy genera on, making it a Net Zero Energy development.

Applica on of building integrated photovoltaics Free from any shade, the Administra ve Building is ideal for the installa on of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules in place of regular cladding in the northern, southern and western façades of the building, without adding redundant layers. BIPV is one of the promising renewable energy technologies, and its use in parts of a building envelope such as the roof, skylights and facades will generate sustainable PV power. A silent system that generates on-site electricity, the BIPV system will reach its peak in power genera on at a diﬀerent me than roof-mounted PV systems on the other buildings within the Maintenance Base and this will balance onsite energy consump on and on-site energy genera on. With a total area coverage of about 1,700 m2, the BIPV system on this building is es mated to generate 130,000 kWh of energy annually.

Other innova ons In addi on to BIPV, PSA has adopted several innova ve technologies arising from R&D as well as emerging technologies that have yet to be widely adopted in Singapore. They include: 32

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

• The enhanced passive displacement cooling (PDC) system for the office areas. The ‘Thermosiphon Beam’ developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) can increase the cooling capacity by 50% compared to exis ng PDC systems. The technology has resulted in the spin-off company Air T&D Pte Ltd. • A hybrid evapora ve cooling system conceptualised by GreenA Consultants. This mixed-mode versa le system is designed to respond to various weather condi ons by combining different cooling technologies such as free cooling, heat recovery cooling and evapora ve cooling to achieve thermal comfort for the users. • A precision secondary pumping system to replace the conven onal primary-pumping system by using the latest digital technologies to deliver chilled water, based on precise demand control. • Variable Air Volume (VAV) thermal diffusers integrated with Electronically Commutated (EC) Fan Coil Units (FCUs) to allow greater part-load controls to harness energy savings. • An Intelligent Building Management System (IBMS) integrated with Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) sensors (developed by NUS and spun-off into SenSING Pte Ltd) and Model Predic ve Controls (developed by NTU under GBIC-CRP funding). This system provides realme data for ligh ng controls and weather data for ACMV controls. • Thermal breaks in the façade system to reduce heat gains into the building. The test-bed will provide insights for the ongoing research project on the enhancement of the building code on the Envelope Thermal Transfer Value (ETTV).

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BCA launches one-stop smart portal on green building solu ons The Building and Construc on Authority (BCA) has launched the Super Low Energy Building (SLEB) Smart Hub, a one-stop digital hub with a Smart Advisor on energy eﬃciency for buildings across Singapore. This was announced by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Na onal Development and Second Minister for Finance at the opening ceremony of the Interna onal Built Environment Week 2019. The ini a ve was commissioned by BCA and developed by Hitachi Asia Ltd (Hitachi Asia). In line with Singapore’s green building movement, SLEB Smart Hub is Singapore’s first digital knowledge centre for green buildings in the region. It is an open database that collates and analyses green building technologies for air-condi oning, ligh ng, façade and renewable energy. Beyond being a data repository, its Smart Advisor recommends suitable green technologies and predicts the associated costs and energy savings, using cu ng-edge, big data analy cs and ar ficial intelligence techniques based on a building’s current data set and the user’s requirements. It allows building owners and designers to evaluate and source green technologies to transform buildings to a ain high energy performance. This will ease the adop on of green technologies and support the na onal target to green 80% of buildings in Singapore (measured by gross floor area) by 2030. Close to 90 companies have par cipated in the pilot phase and benefi ed from accessing the building energy eﬃciency data to benefit their businesses. For example, Keppel Bay Tower is implemen ng five innova ve technologies, including an occupancybased smart ligh ng system which was featured by SLEB Smart Hub. The smart ligh ng system has achieved approximately an addi onal 12% ligh ng energy savings from LED lights. When the deployment of all the technologies are completed, Keppel Bay Tower will also be transferring realme performance data to SLEB Smart Hub to share informa on with the industry. Similarly, DBS Bank Ltd worked closely with BCA to leverage the SLEB Smart Hub Smart Advisor to provide a high level assessment of Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and energy consump on for the various systems in one of their buildings. In addi on, the Smart Advisor has been able to recommend several technologies for them to explore for an upcoming retrofit project.

Moving forward, there are future plans for more novel and value-adding services to be developed and added into the SLEB Smart Hub. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is collabora ng with BCA to develop the Chiller Doctor, an Ar ficial Intelligence (AI)-driven chiller fault detector. The plan is to include it on SLEB Smart Hub, so that interested operators can submit their building data on this web-based tool to iden fy chiller faults, diagnose them and have recommended fixes in a more effec ve way. An early pilot is currently being conducted and interested building operators can contact IMDA for more informa on. Mr Cheng Tai Fa , Managing Director of Built Environment Research and Innova on Ins tute, BCA, said, “SLEB Smart Hub offers a one-stop pla orm for building owners and designers to access the latest technological informa on and performance data of Green Mark buildings. This database, together with built-in ar ficial intelligence tools in the Smart Hub, enables users to improve their building design and opera ons, thereby saving energy and providing a be er indoor environment for occupants. This ini a ve is in line with our industry transforma on and drive towards the adop on of Super Low Energy buildings. We hope that the Smart Hub will facilitate the industry to build up capabili es in providing data-driven solu ons”. Mr Philip Heah, Assistant Chief Execu ve, Technology & Infrastructure Group of IMDA, said, “In the digital economy, AI, Machine Learning and Internet of Things are powerful emerging technologies. By combining them, businesses in the building sector can leverage this tool on SLEB Smart Hub to give them vital predic ve analy cs and diagnosis for building equipment. This is an excellent example of cloud-based technology that can augment processes to op mise their chillers’ energy consump on and maintenance”. Mr Kosuke Horiuchi, Managing Director of Hitachi Asia, said, “We are pleased to contribute towards Singapore’s broader push for a greener and more sustainable environment. Through the rollout of the SLEB Smart Hub, we hope to provide the necessary digital tools to help Singapore advance towards a greener and more resource-efficient built environment”.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

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HDB TO BE KEPT

FUTURE READY The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has entered into two research collabora ons with industry leaders to address the challenges faced by urban ci es, such as climate change and sustainable use of limited resources. At the Ministry of Na onal Development’s (MND) 5th Urban Sustainability R&D Congress, HDB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Evonik (SEA) Pte Ltd (Evonik), to explore solu ons to mi gate the eﬀects of climate change and to enhance concrete manufacturing processes for improved produc vity and sustainability. HDB also signed a Research Collabora on Agreement (RCA) with V-Key Pte Ltd, under HDB’s Cool Ideas Enterprise programme, to look into developing an open and secure ecosystem in HDB’s smart-enabled flats that enables the use of a variety of smart appliances across brands. Through these collabora on agreements, HDB aims to develop new housing solu ons to ensure that HDB towns con nue to be future-ready to meet residents’ evolving needs and aspira ons. HDB’s Chief Execu ve Oﬃcer, Dr Cheong Koon Hean said, “As the master developer of public housing in Singapore, R&D is an integral part of HDB’s work as we strive to build be er homes for Singaporeans. We are constantly exploring solu ons to address the challenges faced by urban ci es around the world. Today, we welcome on board new partners who are leaders in their respec ve fields to join us on this con nuous journey of progress. We are excited to tap on their exper se to broaden our knowledge and adopt advanced technology, to ensure that our towns will remain highly liveable and sustainable”.

COLLABORATION WITH EVONIK HDB will collaborate with Evonik on the following projects which will leverage Evonik’s exper se in material science: • Studying the applica on of addi ves or compounds in advanced construc on materials, to provide be er heat insula on for HDB buildings in Singapore’s tropical climate. • Studying ways to enhance the performance of concrete for 3D prin ng. “This collabora on with HDB will enable us to explore innova ve approaches and sustainable solu ons to address today’s urban challenges. It is a win-win partnership, and we look forward to making a significant contribu on to advance the quality of Singapore’s living environment in the long-term”, said Mr Peter Meinshausen, Regional President, Evonik Asia Pacific South. 34

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Tests will be conducted to measure the eﬀec veness of Evonik’s CALOSTAT in improving the heat insula on of secondary roof panels in HDB buildings. Images by HDB.

Mi ga ng heat gain in HDB buildings Singapore’s annual mean temperatures have climbed steadily at 0.29o C per decade in the last 40 years (1979 - 2018). Based on Singapore’s Second Na onal Climate Change Study, it is projected that Singapore could face an increase in daily mean temperatures of between

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The Ci es of Tomorrow programme was launched with the aim of building a highly liveable, sustainable and resilient city of the future through integrated development of R&D in four key ver cals, namely Advanced Construc on, Resilient Infrastructure, New Spaces, and Greater Sustainability, and two key horizontals, namely Urban Environment Analy cs, and Complexity Science for Urban Solu ons. The trials will also assess how the addi on of CALOSTAT will aﬀect other proper es of the secondary roof panel, such as its structural strength and water repellent capability, and whether this method is cost-eﬀec ve. The study is expected to commence in 1Q 2020. Upon successful trial, the solu on could poten ally be applied to other parts of HDB buildings beyond the roof, such as the façade and gable ends, to improve the buildings’ thermal insula on and enhance thermal comfort for residents.

Enhancing concrete for 3D prin ng

CALOSTAT has been tested and has proven to possess good thermal insula on proper es. Image by Evonik.

1.4o C and 4.6o C by 2100 (Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources’ Press Release ‘Singapore To Strengthen Capabili es In Climate Science’, 17 July 2019). With rising temperatures, it will become increasingly more challenging to reduce heat gain in buildings during day me and cool the buildings in an energy-efficient manner. Beyond adop ng passive design strategies such as natural ven la on and appropriate building orienta on to reduce heat gain, HDB is also exploring other solu ons that can improve thermal comfort for residents. HDB and Evonik will embark on a study to reduce heat transmi ed into HDB buildings through the use of Evonik’s CALOSTAT, a high-performance insula on material that can offer heat protec on for buildings in Singapore’s tropical climate. The silicon-based material, which is sustainable, non-combus ble, hydrophobic (able to repel water) and pressure-resistant, has been tested and proven to possess good thermal insula on proper es. It has been adopted in developments in Germany, Switzerland and the UK. HDB will study the incorpora on of CALOSTAT into the secondary roof panel of HDB buildings to improve its thermal insula on. To measure the effec veness of CALOSTAT in HDB buildings, lab and on-site trials will be conducted to compare the surface temperature before and a er applica on of the material. The study intends to achieve a reduc on of 2o C, in line with the na onal target of reducing ambient temperature by 2o C by 2025 under the Ci es of Tomorrow programme.

Since 2018, HDB has been conduc ng research into the use of 3D concrete prin ng for the produc on of unique architectural forms, in order to expand its design and construc on capabili es. Currently, the design and fabrica on of concrete building elements using the conven onal precast produc on process is me-consuming, as it requires the crea on of customised mould sets. Depending on the intricacy of the design, a set of large volumetric moulds could take 1.5 months to 2 months to fabricate. The digital fabrica on of such components using a 3D concrete printer will oﬀer more design opons for HDB developments, and expand the capabili es of the construc on industry. In addi on, it will raise construc on produc vity, and reduce the dependency on conven onal precast fabrica on workers, thus addressing poten al labour shortages. To further enhance the performance of 3D-fabricated concrete components, HDB will embark on a study with Evonik to improve the strength and workability of such concrete, through the use of Evonik’s special silica or metal oxides as addi ves to the concrete pre-mix. These addi ves are known to increase the early strength, homogeneity and flowability of the concrete. Good flowability, or workability, is crucial in allowing the smooth laying of concrete layers and ensuring that printed layers are well-bonded. The study is expected to commence in 4Q 2019.

Concrete for 3D prin ng requires early compressive strength and good workability as the prin ng is done in layers without the use of moulds. Images by HDB. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

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Lab trials will be carried out to assess the outcome of incorpora ng these addi ves into the concrete pre-mix. Upon successful trial, new standards could poten ally be developed for the concrete pre-mix for 3D-printed components in the construc on of HDB buildings.

ENHANCING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SMART LIVING In tandem with Singapore’s move towards being a Smart Nation, HDB has been leveraging technology to create better homes and improve the lives of Singaporeans. This is guided by the Smart HDB Town Framework which maps out how smart initiatives would be introduced to create a more liveable, efficient, sustainable and safe living environment for HDB residents. HDB is test-bedding the provision of smart-enabled flats that are equipped with digital infrastructure such as smart distribution boards (DBs) and smart sockets. This will support the use of smart technologies in flats and provide a springboard for residents to adopt the wide variety of smart home solutions offered in the market to meet their needs, thus paving the way for the creation of intelligent homes. To take smart living a step further, HDB will collaborate with V-Key to study ways to enhance the smart DB in the smart-enabled flats, so that smart home solu ons from across diﬀerent commercial providers can be connected in a secure and seamless manner, poten ally removing the need for external hubs for each individual smart solu on. This is especially useful for smart home appliances that do not have a built-in gateway, such as smart ligh ng, mo on sensors and smart curtains. A smart home gateway is an appliance that bridges smart devices to an internet connec on / network (local area network ie Wi-Fi) and allows the device to ‘communicate’ over the network (ie send and receive data) for it to func on. A gateway can be implemented completely in so ware, hardware, or a combina on of both. With smart ligh ng, smart curtains and mo on sensors installed in a smart-enabled flat, residents can have the lights switched on and curtains drawn automa cally when they step into a room. Households with elderly members can also choose to conveniently install an elder-monitoring system, where a system of mo on sensors in the home can detect and ‘learn’ the movements of the elderly, such as the me they usually get out of bed or leave their homes for their ac vi es. If the sensors fail to detect the regular movements, an alert can be sent to their next-of-kin or caregiver. This research project with V-Key comes under HDB’s Cool Ideas Enterprise programme, and is supported by Enterprise Singapore through the Government-Partnership Capability Transforma on (Gov-PACT) ini a ve. Launched by HDB in 2018, Cool Ideas Enterprise is an open innova on programme that welcomes ideas from aspiring entrepreneurs or enterprises to improve the HDB living environment. 36

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Each smart-enabled flat will come with a smart socket in each room and a smart distribu on board (DB). Images by HDB.

TOP HONOURS FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Separately, three of HDB’s projects were conferred the Minister for Na onal Development’s R&D Awards which recognise the important role that research and development plays in crea ng an endearing home and a dis ncve global city. Amongst them, HDB’s development of the Smart Hub was conferred the Dis nguished Award. The Smart Hub serves as a central data repository for the collec on, integra on, management, processing and analysis of data on estate services across 10,000 public housing blocks in 24 towns, and is akin to the ‘brain’ for the estates’ opera ons. The data collected can be analysed to transform the way HDB towns are planned, designed and maintained to provide a be er living environment for residents. For instance, dashboards can be created to monitor and analyse the performance of key estate services such as ligh ng, pumps and waste collec on; iden fy pa erns; and predict poten al maintenance issues. This allows proac ve upgrading and replacement of systems. Data collected on energy consump on pa erns can also be used to iden fy opportuni es for improving energy efficiency, for example, through the following: Smart Ligh ng - Through mo on sensors, ligh ng levels in common areas can be reduced when li le or no human traffic is detected. The Smart Hub will collect and analyse data on smart ligh ng so that HDB can be er understand human traffic pa erns and op mise the provision of ligh ng. Solar Energy - To achieve net-zero energy consump on for the common services, HDB will need to increase the amount of solar energy generated to cover the demand for li s, water pumps and common area ligh ng. Data analy cs of the solar energy generated will enable HDB to study the energy genera on trends in rela on to loca on, block layout and weather condi ons, in order to iden fy the blocks for the op mal installa on of solar panels. The informa on also enables solar vendors to detect solar panels that are not func oning well, and rec fy faults quickly.

SUSTAINABILITY

HDB also received merit awards for two other projects - the Biophilic Town Framework, formulated in collaboraon with the Na onal University of Singapore, Na onal Parks Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and the Integrated Environmental Modeller, a joint project with A*STAR. The Biophilic Town Framework outlines the strategies needed to plan and design urban landscapes to achieve the larger urban development goals of sustainability, liveability and resilience, through a comprehensive set of considera ons in the aspects of soil, flora and fauna; outdoor comfort; water; and people. Through this, HDB seeks

to promote a greater sense of place, be er health and well-being, and enhanced quality of life for residents. The Integrated Environmental Modeller is a modelling so ware pla orm that uses 3D city models to simulate the interac on of urban micro-clima c condi ons such as wind flow, temperature fluctua ons, and solar irradiance, with one another, as well as their combined eﬀects on the surrounding urban landscape. This enables HDB planners to be er understand how environmental condions interact with the layout and design of the town, to derive configura ons that will create a comfortable living environment for residents.

Singapore embarking on expanding Chain of Custody Cer fica on and responsible sourcing of forest products As a big consumer of imported materials, Singapore is being encouraged to become a centre of influence, commi ed to responsible procurement from the Asian region’s forests and planta ons. This was the message from Ben Gunneberg, the CEO and Secretary General of PEFC - the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Cer fica on - which is the world’s leading advocacy organisa on for sustainable and responsible forest management. He was speaking at a roundtable and lunch at Grand Copthorne Hotel on 19 September, a ended by 50 representa ves from government agencies, think-tanks, industry bodies, cer fica on bodies, private sector companies and media. It also marked the launch of PEFC’s Chain of Custody Cer fica on Scheme, now recognised by the Singapore Accredita on Council (SAC), which is managed by Enterprise Singapore. Deputy Director of Enterprise Singapore Ms Lee Ham Eng told the gathering that this scheme provides greater support to the industry to meet the Green Mark requirement for Mass Engineered Timber (MET) to be sourced from sustainably managed forests. It also facilitates recogni on and acceptance of cer fied wood products from Singapore’s key trading partners, who are members of PEFC, notably Indonesia, Malaysia and China. Mr Gunneberg, who has led what is now the world’s largest forest cer fica on organisa on from its beginning 20 years ago, gave an overview of PEFC’s work and stressed that sustainable forest management can contribute to mee ng social, economic and environmental challenges, as well as help countries and companies address all 17 United Na ons Sustainable Development Goals. With 17 million hectares of forests cer fied in Asia, it is the fastest growing region for PEFC, but Mr Gunneberg pointed out that there is a lot of room to grow responsible sourcing in countries like Singapore which currently has only 22 Chain of Custody Cer ficate holders out of a total 1421 throughout Asia.

Mr Gunneberg said there is greater value in expanding Chain of Custody Cer fica on in Singapore by incorpora ng it into private and public sector procurement policies, demonstra ng support for sustainably managed forests and mee ng UN Sustainability Development Goals. It also enables companies to meet legality issues and customer expecta ons as well as introduce traceability solu ons into the supply chain. Besides cer fica on of wood for buildings and furniture, there is the opportunity to greatly increase the use of cer fica on and the PEFC logo for publishing, prin ng, paper and packaging, where Singapore has made an encouraging start. He pointed out to where Singapore has already made its mark in the region by providing the exper se of one of its smart companies, Double Helix Tracking, to work with PEFC in Myanmar to help set up the forest cer fica on process and legalise teak for export to meet stringent EU requirements. Mr Gunneberg also drew a en on to The Local Tree Project, an ini a ve by Singapore wood cra s company Roger & Sons and supported by Na onal Parks Board, to turn discarded logs into fashionable furniture, which is very much aligned with the principles of PEFC’s Trees Outside Forests. As Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, are currently experiencing a worsening transboundary haze, from out-of-control forest fires and peatland burning in Indonesia, Mr Gunneberg stressed that having eﬀec ve fire management in place is a cri cal component of the PEFC forest cer fica on process. “Companies that are PEFC-cer fied have spent tens of millions of dollars on implemen ng mechanisms to train people as champions in the local communi es to help everyone understand the disadvantages of fire on the health of elderly people and children in the community. We also have to change cultural mindsets on how we prepare land, how we provide opportuni es for some very impoverished communi es to prepare for the next season without resor ng to fires”, Mr Gunneberg said.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

DATA CENTRES

THE CHALLENGE OF DESIGNING DATA CENTRES FOR TROPICAL CLIMATES by Philip Mo eram, Client Director - Data & Telco (Asia), Aurecon Higher ambient temperatures and rela ve humidity have to be considered. Half the world is now connected to the internet. At the end of 2018, some 3.9 billion people were using the internet to access informa on and communica on technologies, according to the United Na on’s Interna onal Telecommunica on Union. Not only is this a transforma ve moment for the internet, it is also changing how data centres, where the data is stored, are designed and located.

Hence the keen interest in Green Data Centres. The Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore partnered with industry players to undertake a proofof-concept trial to develop and deploy the world’s first Tropical Data Centre. The aim was to determine the viability of opera ng data centres in tropical climates using ambient temperatures of up to 38° C and humidity up to or exceeding 90%.

As more people are consuming data, we are seeing three notable trends that have an impact on the development of data centres:

The trial tested central processing units, hard disks and memory sticks and concluded that they are thermally safe with little or no impact on performance when the supply air temperature ranges from 25° C to 37° C and humidity is between 90% and 100%, as long as there is sufficient air flow and proper air filtration, combined with anti-corrosion and humidity control measures.

• More data means more storage is required. • Changes in the scale and power density requirements. • Decentralisa on of data centres, as demand grows in developing countries and as governments regulate that data be stored in-country.

Keeping data cool For many years, most data centres were housed in flat, sprawling complexes, located in more temperate climates and where land availability is high. But with decentralisa on, more data centres are being developed in tropical climates, and in built-up areas, where land is o en scarce. Data centres are also ge ng taller, as space becomes more confined. Take the example of Facebook, which is inves ng USD 1 billion to build its first data centre in Asia, and Google, which is inves ng USD 850 million to expand its Singapore data centre. With the shi to building data centres in tropical climates, comes a new set of challenges - how to locate them in these ho er climates and keep the data centre cool? Tradi onal ‘free’ cooling methods used in more temperate climates, which rely on cool outdoor air, are not suitable for data centres in loca ons such as Southeast Asia, where average daily temperatures exceed 30° C and the outdoor rela ve humidity usually exceeds 90%. Older data centres have been designed for indoor environments of 20° C to 24° C, with current standards recommending up to 27° C and 60% rela ve ambient humidity. Some operators are allowing temperatures up to 30° C and 80% rela ve ambient humidity, however data centres con nue to be big guzzlers of electricity, especially in tropical climates where temperatures, measured could reach close to 40° C with close to 100% rela ve ambient humidity. 38

Phil Mo eram

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Making data tall Tradi onally, it would be easy to just add another sec on to the sprawling complex, when expanding a data centre, par cularly in space-confined areas such as the dense urban centres of Asia. However, adding another level is a whole new ball game. In 2016, two Italian architects proposed a concept for a 65-storey data tower. While the data tower has yet to become a reality, at Aurecon, we are already designing data centres that are 16-storeys high. But building up presents challenges for cooling down. Tradi onally, cooling systems were located on roofs, but in mul -storey designs, the roof is propor onately small to its height. Ejec ng hot air horizontally on mul -storey designs is also a challenge as hot air from one level, if not carefully designed, could become the intake air for the level above. Many crea ve cooling solu ons are available but the biggest challenge is designing the best configuraon that balances opera onal needs, energy eﬃciency, and geographical limita ons.

Designing data centre trade-oﬀs With data centres being built in new loca ons, we also need to consider the availability of facility management talent in our designs. For example, in loca ons where such skills are not as readily available, we recommend a system that is simpler and easier to operate. If such talent is readily available, we s ll recommend designing to enhance human capability to improve opera onal performance of data centres.

DATA CENTRES

In the past, data centre designs focused mainly on reliability and redundancy. Now that the focus has shi ed to energy efficiency and ge ng the lowest power usage effec veness (PUE) possible, care must be taken to not take our eye off the ongoing need for resiliency. These shi s in design focus create new challenges but also major rewards when we find solu ons. With data centre designs, small improvements could result in major

impacts. If we reduce energy consump on by 5%, that could mean USD 1 million in annual savings. Over the past three years, we have seen how the data centre segment has boomed in Asia, in tandem with consumers’ insa able demand for ‘always available, always on’. With smarter ci es, driverless cars, and blockchain financial applica ons coming online, the next few years will be even more exci ng!

There is keen interest in Green Data Centres which can be operated at higher temperatures and rela ve humidity, without adversely aﬀec ng the thermal safety and performance of the equipment.

The Global Switch data centre in Woodlands, Singapore, is said to be an environmentally sustainable data centre. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

SMART CAMPUS

SIT BEGINS CONSTRUCTION

OF CENTRALISED CAMPUS IN PUNGGOL Expected to be completed in 2023, it will house the region’s first Mul -Energy Micro-Grid and be a ‘living lab’ where students and industry can test-bed and implement innova ons.

Oﬃcia ng the ground-breaking are, from le to right, Ms Ong Wen Hui, SIT Alumnus; Professor Chua Kee Chaing, Deputy President (Academic) and Provost, SIT; Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean; Mr Ng Yat Chun, Chairman, SIT; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; ProfessorTan Thiam Soon, President, SIT; Minister Ong Ye Kung; Minister Ng Eng Hen; Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary; and Mr Muhammad Firdaus Bin Ayub, SIT student.

The Singapore Ins tute of Technology (SIT) will commence construc on works for its centralised campus in Punggol. A ground-breaking ceremony for the project was held recently, oﬃciated by Guest-of-Honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The campus, situated in the Punggol Digital District (PDD) will strengthen SIT’s posi on as an industry-focused university of applied learning with close es to the community. The future SIT campus will consolidate SIT’s opera ons, and will be able to accommodate 12,000 students nearly twice the combined capacity of SIT’s current distributed campuses. Occupying a total land area of approximately 91,000 m2 over two plots of land, the centralised SIT campus will have a total gross floor area of around 240,000 m2. Expected to be ready by 2023, the SIT campus is envisioned to provide students with a full-fledged university learning environment and experience. Professor Tan Thiam Soon, President, SIT, commented, “SIT’s role is to provide an applied learning pathway for young Singaporeans, in par cular polytechnic graduates, to harness their aspira ons. At steady state, SIT will have an annual intake of over 3,000 undergraduates 40

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

Touring of the massing model of the future campus in Punggol.

and will play a key role in mee ng the government’s target of 40% cohort par cipa on rate by 2020”. Borderless and integrated with the surrounding community and industry, the centralised campus in Punggol is envisaged to provide a vibrant learning environment which underpins SIT’s applied learning pedagogy. With this, the new campus can be er support students in finding authen c learning opportuni es in industry spaces located within and beyond the campus, fostering collabora on and the exchange of ideas with indus-

SMART CAMPUS

Campus Heart, located in Plot 1, houses the academic blocks. Highly visible with its red facades from along the new Punggol Road, the Learning Hub serves as a prominent landmark and anchor of the Campus Heart.

The exis ng Punggol Road will be transformed into a 1.3 km pedestrianised Heritage Trail linking Punggol Waterway Park to the Punggol Promenade Park Connector.

Campus Court, located in Plot 2, houses the admin building, addi onal academic blocks, auditorium and indoor sports facili es blocks.

try professionals. The campus is envisioned as a ‘living lab’ that integrates applied research and innova on for SIT and its partners. Students can then be exposed to cu ng-edge industry know-how through working on interdisciplinary projects, as well as test-bedding of smart technologies in real-life environments. Developing the vision of the en re centralised campus in Punggol with SIT is WOHA Architects, the architect for the ‘Campus Heart’ plot which houses the academic blocks. RSP Architects Planners & Engineers is the architect and engineer for the ‘Campus Court’ plot which houses the administra on building, addi onal academic blocks, auditorium and indoor sports facili es blocks. SIT’s new home will boast several unique features as well as a sustainable design.

Co-existence and collabora on with the industry SIT will be the first autonomous university to have its campus situated in the north-eastern region of Singapore, right in the heart of the upcoming PDD which is set to become a vibrant and inclusive district underpinned by cu ng-edge technology. The centralised campus will be co-located with JTC’s business park buildings in PDD. This will enable students, faculty and industry professionals to come together to collaborate on projects that can benefit

the community. For example, new ideas conceived in SIT could be tested in PDD, bringing these ideas to the market faster. In addi on, companies can tap on SIT’s applied learning and research capabili es, as well as talent pool in areas such as cybersecurity, engineering, food technology, assis ve technology, allied health and hospitality. Students will be able to find real-world learning opportuni es in industry spaces located within the campus, fostering collabora on and the exchange of ideas with industry professionals.

Community places for the public To create a highly accessible and inclusive environment, all developments within the new campus are open for public access through its porous ground levels and public spaces. The pedestrianised Campus Boulevard will be a key spine with various retail and F&B oﬀerings, and is designed for ac ve mobility op ons such as walking and cycling. The exis ng Punggol Road will be transformed into a 1.3 km pedestrianised Heritage Trail linking Punggol Waterway Park to the Punggol Promenade Park Connector. A bustling Market Village will oﬀer new retail and dining op ons by the waterfront. Centrally located at the development is the Nexus - a large, sheltered event plaza that is integrated with the civic commons of the future Punggol Coast MRT sta on. The community places, including the Campus Boulevard, Heritage Trail, Market Village and Nexus are located within PDD, in proximity to SIT’s campus. The Heritage Trail will pass through the Community Park in SIT’s Campus Heart. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

SMART CAMPUS

The Canopy Walk is conceived to be a link bridge spanning between two academic blocks and hovering five floors above the Community Park.

Campus-in-a-Park by the waterfront Overlooking the waterfront, the new SIT campus preserves an exis ng forest around the scenic tree-lined Heritage Trail, giving it a dis nc ve ‘campus-in-a-park’ iden ty. Academic blocks are organised to encompass the central forest courtyard that is transformed into an accessible Community Park. This serves as the heart of SIT, contribu ng to a strong sense of place that is characterised by nodes for interac on, recrea on and rejuvena on.

Smart campus and living lab to facilitate applied learning To achieve a smart and connected campus, SIT’s future campus will be wired with a campus-wide smart sensor network of over 10,000 sensors. The sensors are capable of collecting temperature, ambient light and human presence data. This data will be shared with the Integrated Building Management System (IBMS) which will connect various building systems such as lighting, lifts, air-conditioning and security through the Internet of Things (IoT). Artificial Intelligence (AI) or a Data Analytics System will continuously analyse the data and control the building’s system through the IBMS platform, to derive the optimum building environment, and to enhance campus experience and workspace efficiency. In addi on, the campus is envisioned as a ‘living lab’ that integrates applied research and innova on for SIT and its partners. It will be a user-centric, open innovaon eco-system that ac vely invites people, industry and community to innovate and learn from the campus. Students will be exposed to leading-edge industry knowhow through working on interdisciplinary projects, as well as test-bedding of smart technologies in real-life environments, made possible through the living lab. “The aim of the living lab is to support Singapore to be a regional hub for digital advancements and talent development, by integra ng educa on, innova on and research into real-life environments and scenarios”, explained Associate Professor Steven Wong, Director, Projects, Oﬃce of the Provost, SIT. 42

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

The Hatchery is conceived to drive the cross-fer lisa on and incuba on of ideas between academia and industry.

“By involving our students and faculty in living lab projects with the industry and community, we hope to develop a prototypical SIT applied learning experience at both our current and future campuses whilst pushing the fron ers of innova ve technologies, services and solu ons with our applied research eﬀorts”, he added.

First Mul -Energy Micro-Grid in Southeast Asia Exemplifying the living lab concept is the setting up of Southeast Asia’s first Multi-Energy Micro-Grid (MEMG), a collaborative research venture between SIT and SP Group, at the future campus. Once installed by 2023, SIT will have approximately 10,000 m2 of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels installed on the buildings’ roof tops. The MEMG will supplement the power supply to the campus, hence reducing the overall reliance on the main utility grid and contributing to its target of being self-sustainable in the long run. In addition, the MEMG will also serve as a living experimental lab to support the research, development and test-bedding of distributed energy systems as well as cyber-security solutions. Another feature of the new campus is the District Cooling System (DCS) which provides the campus’ cooling needs and reduces the carbon footprint at the estate level. Such sustainable systems will support the university’s core facili es including classrooms, laboratories, makerspaces, library, mul purpose hall, administra on oﬃces, auditorium and food court.

Singapore Ins tute of Technology Singapore Ins tute of Technology (SIT) is Singapore’s university of applied learning. It aims to be a leader in innova ve university educa on by integra ng learning, industry and community as part of its unique pedagogy. Partnering world-class universi es, SIT oﬀers applied degree programmes targeted at growth sectors of the economy.

SMART CITIES

APPROVAL FOR DRIVERLESS PARKING WITHOUT HUMAN SUPERVISION It will be implemented in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stu gart. Bosch and Daimler have reached a milestone on the way to automated driving. The two companies have now obtained approval from the relevant authori es in the German state of Baden-Wür emberg, for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in the city of Stu gart. The automated valet parking service is accessed via a smartphone app and requires no safety driver. This is said to make it the world’s first fully automated driverless SAE Level 4 parking func on to be oﬃcially approved for everyday use. SAE Level 4 relates to driverless driving in a geographically discrete area, as defined by the Society of Automo ve Engineers (SAE) in its recommended prac ce J 3016. “Driverless driving and parking are important building blocks for tomorrow’s mobility. The automated parking system shows just how far we have already progressed along this development path”, said Dr Markus Heyn, Member of the Board of Management, Robert Bosch GmbH. “This approval from the Baden-Wür emberg authori es sets a precedent for obtaining approval in the future for the parking service in parking garages around the world.

As a pioneer in automated driving, our project paves the way for automated valet parking to go into mass producon in the future”, said Dr Michael Hafner, Head of Drive Technologies and Automated Driving, Daimler AG.

Two partners with a common objec ve From the very beginning, Bosch and Daimler’s top priority for the driverless parking service was safety. Since there is as yet no oﬃcial approval process for automated driving func ons that do not require a driver, the local authori es (the Stu gart Regional Administra ve Authority and the State of Baden-Wür emberg’s Transporta on Ministry), oversaw the project along with experts from the German technical inspec on service, TÜV Rheinland, from the outset. Their aim was to assess the opera ng safety of the automo ve and parking-garage technology. The result is a comprehensive safety concept with appropriate tes ng and approval criteria that can be applied beyond this pilot project. In the concept, the developers defined how the driverless vehicle detects pedestrians and other cars in its path and reliably comes to a halt when it encounters an obstacle.

Bosch and Daimler have now obtained approval from the relevant authori es, for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stu gart, Germany. 44

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

SMART CITIES

They also set up secure communica ons between all system components and took steps to ensure the reliable ac va on of the parking manoeuvre.

The technology behind driverless parking Automated valet parking does not need a driver. Once the driver has le the parking garage, the car drives itself to an assigned space and parks. Later, the car returns to the drop-oďŹ&#x20AC; point in exactly the same way. This process relies on the interplay between the intelligent parking garage infrastructure supplied by Bosch and Mercedes-Benz automo ve technology. Bosch sensors in the parking garage monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings and provide the informa on needed to guide the vehicle. The technology in the car converts the commands from the infrastructure into driving manoeuvres. In this way, cars can even drive themselves up and down ramps to move between storeys in the parking garage. If the infrastructure sensors detect an obstacle, the vehicle stops immediately.

Project milestones Bosch and Daimler started developing fully automated driverless parking in 2015, and in the summer of 2017, their pilot solu on in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stu gart reached an important milestone. Automated valet parking in real condi ons, with and without drivers at the wheel, was presented to the public for the first me. This premiere was followed by an intensive tes ng and start-up phase. Starting in 2018, museum visitors could use the parking service live, accompanied by trained safety personnel, and share their experience. One aspect of the pilot project involved testing lighting concepts on the vehicles. Turquoise lighting indicates that a vehicle is in automated driving mode and informs passers-by and other road users that the vehicle is driving itself. The insights from these tests are reflected in the recently issued SAE standard 3134. Obtaining final approval from the authorities is a further major milestone for Bosch and Daimler.

Once the driver has le the parking garage, the car drives itself to an assigned space and parks. Later, the car returns to the drop-oďŹ&#x20AC; point in exactly the same way.

One aspect of the pilot project involved tes ng ligh ng concepts on the vehicles. Turquoise ligh ng indicates that a vehicle is in automated driving mode. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

DISCUSSING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT CAFEO 37 The Pertubuhan Insinyur Indonesia (PII; Ins tu on of Engineers Indonesia) hosted the 37th Conference of the ASEAN Federa on of Engineering Organiza ons (CAFEO 37) from 11 to 13th September, gathering more than 1,500 engineering professionals from ASEAN and beyond to discuss sustainable development. This year’s theme focused on the poten al contribu ons of engineers towards the United Na ons’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through innova on, building and enhancing connec vity and enabling equitable access to resources.

AFEO Working Group Mee ngs

Er. Ong Geok Soo chaired the AFEO Sustainable Ci es Working Group mee ng.

IES chaired the AFEO Working Groups for Educa on & Capacity Building (ECB) and Sustainable Ci es (SC). At the ECB mee ng, Mr Mervyn Sirisena, the Chairman, invited members to share training eﬀorts in their respec ve countries.

The presidents of the various AFEO member ins tu ons shake hands in a show of friendship and unity within the ASEAN engineering community.

The opening ceremony kicked off with the ‘Stream of Colours’ march-in, an AFEO ceremonial tradi on to officially welcome the heads of delega on, who were received by PII President Dr Ir. Her Dewanto. A er a series of vibrant performances, the Conference was officially declared open by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

IES, for its part, has contributed to con nuing educa on and training through programmes such as cer ficate courses, exam preparatory courses, and so skill development through the Engineering Leadership Programme. ECB also discussed ma ers related to cross-border collabora on and engineering educa on trends in the region. At the SC mee ng chaired by Er. Ong Geok Soo, the members discussed publishing a handbook on best prac ces for sustainable city development. They also commi ed to engaging ECB on training programmes for the areas of transporta on, u li es supply, waste facili es and management, and drainage for diﬀerent land uses. Both chairmen spoke about the need for leadership renewal to ensure that the working groups remain relevant in the face of digitalisa on.

Country Reports Tied to this year’s theme on sustainable development, AFEO members presented their respec ve ini a ves and accomplishments with regards to mee ng the 17 UN SDGs. Par cipants were wowed by the vibrant performances, which showcased Indonesia’s rich history and diverse cultures.

In his opening address, Mr Joko emphasised the role of engineers in suppor ng technological innova on and its importance to Indonesian economic growth in the digital age, hailing mul -service pla orm Gojek and e-commerce company Bukalapak as noteworthy examples. The Singapore delega on was led by IES Vice President Mervyn Sirisena and Honorary Secretary Ong Eng Teck. The 32 representa ves a ended CAFEO 37 in a variety of capaci es, from chairing AFEO Working Group mee ngs to paper presenta ons over the four-day programme. 46

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

For example, despite facing logis cal and power genera on challenges, Myanmar reported good progress in new infrastructure projects such as the Myaung Mya and Dala bridges. They also opened their first solar plant in Minbu in June. Separately, Malaysia has been focusing eﬀorts on infrastructure projects such as the Pan Borneo Highway to boost connec vity and mobility between ci es. It is also hoping to leverage on Industry 4.0 in the development and manufacture of the third na onal car. Singapore’s journey and commitment in building a sustainable future through engineering was elaborated upon by the Honorary Secretary.

IES UPDATE

The Country Report for Singapore was presented by Mr Ong Eng Teck.

For example, under SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanita on), Singapore has op mised the use of water resources through wastewater reclama on, and is ac vely exploring low-energy desalina on to improve sustainability.

Dr Chew (3rd from le ), Er. Lee (5th from le ) and Er. Siow (6th from le ) receiving their AFEO Honorary Fellow cer ficates on stage. Er. Chua and Mr Ng were unable to a end the ceremony.

AFEO Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards 2019

Under SDG 12 (Consump on), Mr Ong shared Singapore’s circular economy approach. The Tuas Nexus Integrated Waste Management Facility and the Zero Waste Masterplan, for example, are part of eﬀorts to close the waste loop.

Signing the Jakarta Declara on The ten AFEO member ins tu ons signed the Jakarta Declara on at CAFEO 37, making a commitment to five major ini a ves: Forging a path to zero plas cs, advancing excellence in engineering educa on, enhancing engineering mobility, facilita ng digital technology enablement, and promo ng entrepreneurial thinking. This was in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Na ons 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

AFEO Awards and ASEAN Engineer Register Cer ficate Conferment This year, ten Singaporeans were honoured by AFEO for their contribu ons to the profession, while two projects were amongst those recognised for outstanding engineering achievements: AFEO Honorary Fellow

AFEO Honorary Member

Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, CEO, Frasers Centrepoint Trust

Ms Jasmine Foo, Immediate Past WEAFEO Chair & IES Council Member

Er. Chua Tong Seng, President, ACES

Er. Joseph Goh, Past AFEO Governing Board Member & IES Past Honorary Secretary

Er. Lee Chuan Seng, Chairman, NEA

Assoc Prof Lee Poh Seng, IES Past Council Member

Mr Ng Chong Khim, Senior Adviser, Ensign InfoSecurity

Assoc Prof Zhou Yi, IES Council Member

Er. Siow Keng Cheng, IES Past Honorary Secretary

Ms Wan Siew Ping, IES Council Member

Representa ves from Ecoline Solar and the joint HDBA*STAR (Ins tute of High Performance Compu ng and Ins tute for Infocomm Research) teams received the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award during the Closing Dinner. Their projects also clinched the IES Pres gious Engineering Achievement Awards this year (see story in The Singapore Engineer, September 2019 issue). Furthermore, three members were conferred the tle of ASEAN Engineer (AER): Ms Jasmine Foo, Mr Evengelista Ryan Soriente and Mr Lionel Phua. The purpose of the Register is to recognise and safeguard the interests of ASEAN engineers, technologists and technicians within and outside the region.

ASEAN Engineering Deans Summit (AEDS) 2019 Con nuing from last year’s discussions on fostering quality engineering educa on and accredita on, a two-day workshop focusing on the accredita on of engineering degree programmes was the highlight of AEDS 2019. It was a ended by about 100 deans and faculty members from the engineering schools of various Indonesian ter ary educa on ins tu ons. They met with Professor Lock Kai Sang, Dr Teo Tee Hui, Dr Foo Yong Lim and Dr Toh Siew Lok, who shared their experiences with them. At the end of the Conference, it was announced that CAFEO 38 would be held at Da Nang, Vietnam, in November 2020. Further details will be made known to all members when available. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019

IES UPDATE

EAB HOLDS WORKSHOP FOR PROGRAMME EVALUATORS AND SECRETARIES The IES Engineering Accredita on Board (EAB) organised a one-day workshop for its programme evaluators and secretaries on 24 Aug 2019 from 9.00am to 5.00pm at the Orchard Hotel (Nutmeg Room). Since last year, EAB has adopted the full set of graduate a ributes, published by the Washington Accord, as the basis for its Student Learning Outcomes. These relate to the knowledge, skills and behavioural traits that the students should acquire in the course of their engineering educa on.

IES President Prof Yeoh Lean Weng delivers the welcome address.

By the me they graduate, competencies and values such as applying engineering knowledge to solve complex problems, apprecia ng the environment, and commitment to professional ethics and responsibili es are expected to have been inculcated. The workshop was organised as part of EAB’s eﬀorts to update programme evaluators and secretaries about latest changes to the accredita on assessment requirements. It was conducted by Prof Lock Kai Sang, who is currently Deputy Chairman of the Washington Accord. Eight EAB members and 26 evaluators and secretaries were in a endance.

The workshop was conducted by Prof Lock Kai Sang.

Par cipants felt that the session was extremely useful to them as they are now more familiar with the accredita on process for the engineering degree courses. They also opined that similar workshops would benefit the various institutions of higher learning so that they could be kept abreast of the newer and more stringent requirements that have been drawn up in response to evolving skill requirements in the face of Industry 4.0.

Par cipants listen intently as Prof Lock briefs them on the updates to the assessment requirements.

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2019