The Singapore Engineer September 2017 by The Singapore Engineer

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

www.ies.org.sg

September 2017 | MCI (P) 003/03/2017

COVER STORY: CHANGI AIRPORT’S NEW TERMINAL 4 TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS

PLUS

PROJECT APPLICATION: Tower cranes performing heavy li s in all-concrete PPVC building project MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: Chinatown Point celebrates launch of mul -million dollar air-condi oning system CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT: Industry structure has no major impact on Singapore’s construc on produc vity

CONTENTS FEATURES

COVER STORY 20 Changi Airport’s new Terminal 4 to commence opera ons Outstanding features include a bou que design and innova ve opera onal technology.

PROJECT APPLICATION 26 Renova on of concrete in a cable-stayed bridge in Portugal Since the structure showed signs of deteriora on, correc ve measures had to be taken. 30 Tower cranes performing heavy li s in all-concrete PPVC building project Several firsts have been achieved. 32 Liebherr HS 8130 HD performing 70 t li s on Kuala Lumpur MRT site The crane is li ing sec ons of steel caging for a slurry wall.

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 34 Eaton opens new oﬃce in Singapore The power management company will consolidate six exis ng oﬃces within a single loca on.

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

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Publica ons Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg

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

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

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

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

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Cover designed by Irin Kuah Cover images by Changi Airport Group 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

www.ies.org.sg

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 35 Chinatown Point celebrates launch of mul -million dollar air-condi oning system The owners of the development need pay only for the chilled water consump on. 36 Renovated elevator test laboratory with a depth of 350 m High-rise innova ons and technologies can be developed and tested at this facility.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 38 Industry structure has no major impact on Singapore’s construc on produc vity The results of a compara ve study of the construc on industries in Singapore, Australia, Japan, UK and USA, are discussed.

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY 44 Ergonomically designed operator cabins for tower cranes The new products will soon be available.

REGULAR SECTIONS 04 16 45 48

INDUSTRY NEWS EVENTS IES UPDATE VIEWPOINT

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 September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

SINGAPORE SUSTAINABILITY ACADEMY

OFFICIALLY OPENED

At the Oﬃcial Opening of the Singapore Sustainability Academy are, from le , Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, Group General Manager, CDL; Er. Edwin Khew, Chairman, SEAS; Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Coordina ng Minister for Na onal Security; Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources; Mr Sherman Kwek, Deputy CEO, CDL; and Ms Esther An, Chief Sustainability Oﬃcer, CDL. Image by CDL.

On World Environment Day, which was on 5 June 2017, the Singapore Sustainability Academy (SSA) was oﬃcially opened by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Coordina ng Minister for Na onal Security, together with Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. Jointly created by City Developments Limited (CDL) and the Sustainable Energy Associa on of Singapore (SEAS), the academy is a major People, Public and Private (3P) ground-up ini a ve in support of global and na onal goals to tackle climate change. This is the first me that a local private-sector property developer and a non-profit organisa on have teamed up to create a major training and networking facility on sustainability. The SSA aims to promote a low-carbon economy, resource eﬃciency, and sustainable prac ces among businesses and the community, and in par cular, among the youth. It will focus on advocacy, building capacity and collabora on, educa on and training, informa on and resources sharing, as well as user engagement. Globally, sustainability integra on has gained strong momentum with the Paris Agreement and alignment of corporate agendas with the United Na ons Sustainable 04

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Development Goals. In Singapore, the Government is leading the way with the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, Climate Ac on Plan and the Green Building Masterplan which aims to green 80% of all buildings by 2030, and the newly-launched Public Sector Sustainability Plan 2017-2020 which outlines the public sector’s plans to improve resource conserva on. The SSA is supported by six government agencies and 15 founding industry partners. It will be governed by an advisory board, chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, and a programme commi ee that will provide strategic direcon and implement programmes to a ain its mission. The six government agencies are Building and Construcon Authority (BCA), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Na onal Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), Na onal Environment Agency (NEA), Na onal Parks Board (NParks) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The 15 founding industry partners are Arcadis Singapore Pte Ltd, Building System & Diagnos cs Pte Ltd, Eco-Business, Interface Inc, Meinhardt Singapore Pte Ltd, Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd, ONG&ONG Pte Limited, Rankine&Hill Pte Ltd, REC, Schneider Electric Singapore

INDUSTRY NEWS

Pte Ltd, Singapore Green Building Council, Venturer Pte Ltd, VMW Group – Visualmediaworks, Woh Hup (Private) Limited, and World Green Building Council. At the Official Opening, it was also announced that the SSA will be a pla orm for the Women4Green ini a ve by CDL, the first Singapore network for women in sustainability. Women4Green brings together women execu ves in green industries who contribute to climate ac on, sustainable business and social change. It will harness the collec ve knowledge and exper se of these female leaders to empower other women to incite meaningful change in areas such as green building, technology, energy, financing, consultancy and non-governmental organisa ons. To raise awareness of climate issues and build a larger community for change, SSA will also partner Eco-Business, a leading media company on sustainable development, to set up a Sustainability Studio. The studio will produce films on sustainability for various digital pla orms. Mr Sherman Kwek, Deputy Chief Execu ve Officer of CDL, said, “CDL firmly believes that sustainability creates immense value for businesses, stakeholders, the community and the environment. Sustainability is strategically integrated into CDL’s business and opera ons, from developing green buildings and managing them in an energy-efficient and resource-efficient manner, to engaging and influencing stakeholders on sustainable development. The SSA and Women4Green ini a ves will further advance CDL’s stakeholder engagement to achieve a greater impact in building a sustainable future”.

Er. Edwin Khew, Chairman, SEAS, said, “SEAS as the voice of the sustainable energy industry in Singapore has been promo ng sustainable technologies, project development as well as financing of clean energy projects locally and regionally. Our partnership with CDL for the SSA will provide a pla orm for not just the industry but also the youth and community to learn about and collaborate on sustainable development, mi ga on of carbon dioxide emissions, as well as figh ng and adap ng to climate change and its eﬀects”.

Sustainable building The SSA building is located on the roof terrace of City Square Mall. A winner of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award, the building is said to be the first in Singapore to be built with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam), that have been verified by the Nature’s Barcode system, as having come from responsible sources. This entails scientific tests like DNA analysis to minimise the risk that the wood comes from illegal logging. CLT is made from wood harvested from sustainably-managed forests and fabricated by stacking layers of timber such that the wood grain of each layer is oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the wood grain of adjacent layers, and then binding the layers with structural adhesives. The production of Glulam is similar to the production of CLT, but here the layers of wood are all stacked, with the wood grain in the same direction, and then bonded with structural adhesives. CLT and Glulam are light yet structurally robust, making them a lightweight alternative to steel or concrete.

Built by CDL with support of like-minded building partners, the Singapore Sustainability Academy will be operated by the Sustainable Energy Associa on Singapore (SEAS) to conduct training classes for energy professionals from the region. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

Both CLT and Glulam are game-changing technologies that support the concept of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), to significantly boost produc vity. For the SSA building, the use of CLT and Glulam increased produc vity by more than 30% and saved around 130 man-days. Pre-fabrica ng the mber components off-site improves efficacy in assembly. This also keeps on-site pollu on to a minimum, resul ng in a cleaner and safer worksite. The energy requirements of the building are met en rely by solar energy, generated by about 3,200 2 of photovoltaic panels, thereby making it a zero-energy building. The SSA accommodates classrooms, a verandah, an office and an exhibi on gallery, spread over an area of 4,300 2. It also features a real- me tracker of energy genera on and consump on. The made-in-Singapore solar panels are expected to generate an annual energy output of over 60,000 kWh. This is more than the SSA’s es mated annual energy consump on of about 50,000 kWh. There will also be an automa on control and energy monitoring system that adapts ligh ng and air-condioning to situa ons, providing maximum energy savings while maintaining full comfort.

talent amongst local ar sts and the youth, foster greater apprecia on for this art form and enrich Singapore’s cultural landscape through the commissioning of winning works for public display. Centred on the theme ‘Towards Zero-Waste’, the submissions, which drew inspira on from the concept of a circular economy and Singapore’s vision of becoming a zero-waste na on by 2030, u lised the residual building materials, a er construc on of the SSA, such as CLT, Glulam and mber decking. Through this theme, CDL hopes to shi mindsets and change behaviour from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model to a more circular one, in which resources are circulated back into the economy and used for a prolonged period.

The approach that the SSA has taken, in the design and construc on of the building, is in line with its mission to promote sustainability among the industry and community.

Upcycling residual building materials At the Oﬃcial Opening of the SSA, DPM Teo also met the winners of the 6th CDL Singapore Sculpture Awards. Introduced by CDL in 2002, the Awards nurture ar s c

The SSA is built with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam), that have been verified by the Nature’s Barcode system, as having come from responsible sources.

The energy requirements of the building are met en rely by solar energy, generated by about 3,200

of photovoltaic panels.

All images by CDL and VMW, unless otherwise stated.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

SIEMENS GAMESA RECEIVES 20 TURBINE ORDER FOR WIND POWER PLANT IN INDONESIA Siemens Gamesa has secured its first order in Indonesia for the gearless SWT-3.6-130 wind turbines. The company will supply 20 SWT-3.6-130 wind turbines for the ‘Tolo 1’ onshore wind power plant, being developed by Equis Energy. Installa on is expected to be completed by late 2017. Commissioning is planned for early 2018. Equis Energy has signed 5-year contracts with Siemens Gamesa for engineering, procurement and construc on (EPC) as well as opera ons and maintenance (O&M). The ‘Tolo 1’ wind power plant will be installed in Jeneponto on the south-coast of the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi. For the installa on work, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is working in consor um with one of the largest Indonesian construc on companies, PT PP (Persero) Tbk. The wind project will be connected to the Indonesian energy

grid via a local substa on and a purpose-built 150 kV transmission line. The SWT-3.6-130 direct-drive turbines, each with a rating of 3.6 MW and a rotor-diameter of 130 m, will be installed on steel towers with hub heights of 135 m.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Headquartered in Zamudio, Spain, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is involved in onshore and oﬀshore wind turbine design, manufacturing, installa on and provision of service solu ons.

Equis Energy Headquartered in Singapore, Equis operates from 15 Asian oﬃces, employing 272 professionals. The company is the largest renewable energy IPP (independent power producer) in the Asia-Pacific region.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

MASTERPLAN FOR

JURONG LAKE DISTRICT UNVEILED

The ambi on is to develop the area into a new mixed-use business area.

Recently, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) unveiled the masterplan for Jurong Lake District, Singapore’s future second Central Business District. The masterplan was exhibited and the public were invited to share their views. KCAP Architects&Planners, leading a mul -disciplinary team consis ng of SAA Architects, Arup, S333 and Lekker, is responsible for many of the key ideas developed in the plan. A er the appointment as consultant in early 2017, the team has elaborated on the winning design, whilst remaining true to concept. The compe on design defined key quali es that could be strengthened throughout the integrated design process.

A boardwalk at Jurong Lake District

A dis nc ve iden ty The ambi on is to develop the area into a new mixed-use business area built around the future Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail terminus, which will further anchor Jurong Lake District as Singapore’s second Central Business District. Quali es of the plan are its high-density mixed-use programme which incorporates new waterways and a series of stacked horizontal landscape datum and connec ons that weave through the en re district, to create a dis nc ve iden ty for Singapore and its vision as a ‘City in the Garden’.

A powerful dialogue The high-density urban typology maximises ver cal urban greenery within a ver cal city, next to the beau ful 08

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Jurong Lake Gardens and creates a streetscape network for ac ve mobility and with interac ve public spaces. The integrated, sustainable urban systems maximise the streetscape by proposing to place all major transport and engineering below the city, crea ng layers of op mised infrastructure and a car-lite district. Exis ng heritage buildings, landscapes and ecosystems are respected and repurposed in a powerful dialogue with the new development. With its strategic loca on, open environment and livework-play programming, the area will become a new gateway to Singapore and, possibly, the new hub for the emerging science and innova on corridor in West Singapore. Images by KCAP Architects & Planners, SAA Architects, Arup, S333 and Lekker.

INDUSTRY NEWS

RECORD NUMBER OF GREEN MARK

AWARD WINNERS THIS YEAR The Building and Construc on Authority (BCA) gave out a record number of Green Mark Awards this year. There were more than 350 BCA Green Mark Award recipients in 2017, up from 306 and 221, in 2016 and 2015, respecvely, demonstra ng the strong momentum of Singapore’s green building movement.

This year, PA also received the BCA Green Mark Pla num Award for Wisma Geylang Serai. The project makes extensive use of passive design to achieve a high ra o of naturally ven lated community spaces. Architectural elements from the former Malay Village will also be reused within the building.

The BCA Green Mark Pla num and GoldPLUS Awards were given out at BCA AWARDS 2017, held on 13 June 2017 at Resorts World Conven on Centre, itself a BCA Green Mark Pla num Award-winning venue.

BCA GREEN MARK CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS The public sector has been taking the lead in greening its buildings. This year, two public agencies, People’s Associa on (PA) and Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), were named BCA Green Mark Champions. To-date, there are 15 BCA Green Mark Champions, including public agencies such as the Housing & Development Board (HDB), JTC Corpora on and the Ministry of Educa on. Private developers, such as City Developments Limited, Keppel Land Limited and Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd, have also been recognised as BCA Green Mark Champions. Introduced in 2008, the BCA Green Mark Champion Award is given to developers with a strong commitment towards environmental sustainability and who have at least 10 projects rated Green Mark Gold and above, including at least three Pla num and three GoldPLUS rated projects.

People’s Associa on Since the 1990s, PA has been adop ng green and sustainable measures to transform its community infrastructure. To-date, its achievements include 13 facili es that are cer fied BCA Green Mark Gold and above. They include Ci Yuan Community Club, the first Green Mark Pla num Community Club and Bukit Panjang Community Club, a Green Mark GoldPLUS project, which saw a strong collabora on between PA, the Community Development Council and grassroots organisa ons. Bukit Panjang Community Club is a community club with extensive installa on of solar panels on the roo op, as well as installa on of sensors for monitoring the use of electricity and water. The facility also has systems for monitoring waste on a monthly basis, educa on corners, a recycling box for electronic waste products and a range of green ac vies to promote environmental sustainability among the residents. 10

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Wisma Geylang Serai

Defence Science and Technology Agency DSTA has introduced green and sustainable features in defence facili es, while mee ng the opera onal requirements of the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). To-date, DSTA has delivered 13 facili es which are BCA Green Mark-cer fied. These include three BCA Green Mark Pla num facili es (the DSTA Integrated Complex, the Temasek Club, as well as a training and accommoda on building for the Army) and two Green Mark GoldPLUS facili es, over the last two years. As the form and func on of defence facili es vary significantly, DSTA has devised eﬀec ve solu ons for greater sustainability. For example, passive designs were adopted for army facili es, which maximise natural ligh ng and ven la on. Building management systems with smart control points were introduced to allow automated adjustment of ligh ng, cooling and water systems for energy conserva on. In addi on, ini a ves to harness natural energy sources were implemented including solar panels and light pipes to u lise daylight, ac ve chilled beams with heat recovery to cool buildings by convec on, and flushing systems that use rainwater. Exis ng SAF camps have been retrofi ed by DSTA to be more sustainable, such as by replacing ligh ng systems that consume the bulk of electrical power in these facilies with energy-eﬃcient LEDs.

INDUSTRY NEWS

The DSTA Integrated Complex

GREENING EXISTING BUILDINGS While developers can always plan for and design new green buildings, there may be some challenges in retrofi ng exis ng ones, such as site and space constraints, or when structural works need to be done to alter part of the building to accommodate the load from new equipment.

The Adelphi will embark on a series of retrofi ng works, including improvement works to the chiller plant, as well as installa on of LED ligh ng with high efficacy, for the common areas and for 30% of the tenants. Ini a ves are also being rolled out to reduce waste within the building. As an ini al investment is needed to retrofit an exis ng building, the MCST of The Adelphi applied for financial assistance through BCA’s Building Retrofit Energy Efficiency Financing (BREEF) scheme and the Green Mark Incen ve Scheme for Exis ng Building and Premises (GMIS-EBP). They engaged an energy service company for a contract period of eight years, to design and implement engineering ini a ves to reduce the building’s energy consump on, and to guarantee that the energy consump on for the common areas can be reduced by approximately 30%. This means that poten al energy savings could amount to around 2.5 million kWh/ year, transla ng to over SGD 400,000 of savings per year at current tariff rates.

Old Hill Street Police Sta on One of the BCA Green Mark Pla num Award winners this year, the 83-year-old Old Hill Street Police Sta on (OHSPS), has proven that it is possible to retrofit an exis ng building to improve its energy efficiency, even though it has greater constraints, as a conserved building. Improvement works to the building include installa on of solar panels, and retrofi ng of light fixtures and chiller plants. However, the OHSPS team is aware that besides targe ng the hardware, there is an even greater need to target the ‘heartware’ - the mindset and behaviour of the occupants. As such, staff from the Ministry of Communicaons and Informa on who are located at OHSPS, have been rolling out green ini a ves within the organisa on, which include a ‘Bring-Your-Own-Cup’ campaign to encourage all staff and tenants to reduce usage of disposable items. The Adelphi

GREEN BUILDING EFFORTS

Old Hill Street Police Sta on

The Adelphi The Adelphi, a 36-year-old building, is another BCA Green Mark Pla num Award winner this year. The journey to greening the building showcases how like-minded tenants and occupants can collec vely make a diﬀerence in reducing the carbon footprint when they come together for the same cause. The more than 250 owners of units in the strata- tled building, who are running different types of businesses, made the collec ve decision on greening the building. 12

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Commen ng on this year’s bumper crop of BCA Green Mark Awards, Mr Ang Kian Seng, BCA Group Director (Environmental Sustainability) said, “It is a strong testament to our eﬀorts in driving the green building movement, in Singapore and even regionally. Through the BCA Green Mark, we want to also reach out to building users and raise awareness of the need to adopt environmentally friendly prac ces in their daily ac vi es. We are heartened to see many building owners recognising this important aspect and are ac vely rolling out ini a ves to engage their tenants. But more will need to be done and we hope to obtain the strong support of the industry and building users in this next phase of Singapore’s green building journey”. With the latest batch of BCA Green Mark Award winners, there are now more than 3,000 building projects in Singapore, that have met the BCA Green Mark standards. This is equivalent to more than 89 million m2 or one-third of the gross floor area of the total building stock. The na onal target is to green 80% of all buildings by 2030.

INDUSTRY NEWS

GE SELECTED FOR GAS POWER PROJECT IN BANGLADESH GE recently announced that it has been selected by the Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group) to supply the power genera on equipment for the upcoming 220 MW combined cycle power plant in the Bhola district of Bangladesh. This will be GE’s second power plant in Bhola and it will have the same capacity as the first which was commissioned in 2015. The Bhola project is being developed by the SP Group as an Independent Power Producer (IPP). The SP Group has signed a 22-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board. The power plant will operate on duel-fuel technology, using natural gas as the primary fuel and diesel as the back-up fuel, and is expected to achieve commercial opera ons by December 2019. The project will result in the genera on of power equivalent to the electricity needs of 200,000 homes in Bangladesh.

GE Power will supply the full engineered equipment package (EEP) for the project, including two 6F.03 gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), one steam turbine generator, condenser and associated control systems. GE will also provide technical exper se during the installa on phase of the project. Once completed, the Bhola power plant will be the fleet leader for GE’s heavy duty 6F.03 gas turbines with advance gas path, delivering higher levels of eﬃciency, flexibility and reliability, typically seen only in large capacity power plants. Today, GE oﬀers the full scope of power genera on technology and services in various regions globally. Currently, GE has an installed base of more than 35 gas turbines in Bangladesh, genera ng more than 2.2 GW of power.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

ADVERTORIAL

‘EVERYDAY COACHING’ TO INSPIRE INNOVATORS IN FOOD INDUSTRY Food development and manufacturing are recognised as crucial sectors in the global economy. This means a sustained demand for graduates to fill vacancies. The Bachelor of Food Technology programme (Honours), jointly offered by the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Massey University, trains students to be innovators and agents of change in the food industry. Launched in 2016, the programme aims at empowering students with industry know-how through its strong emphasis on food science fundamentals and applied food technology skills. Students will learn how to apply scientific and engineering principles, as well as to recognise and create what is needed in the marketplace. They will also gain the entrepreneurial skills to bring new ideas to the consumer successfully. It was a calling for Associate Professor Lim Bee Gim when she moved from industry to academia to helm the Bachelor of Food Technology programme.

for Defence that “beyond teaching, ‘teachers’ mentor, guide, encourage and nurture the students. They share their life and career experiences with the students”. She hopes to be an inspiration for students and help them develop problemsolving and decision-making skills. “We have to move away from a culture where lecturers provide all the solutions, to a culture where students find their own solutions. I believe it will help both lecturers and students unlock their potential, maximise their performance, as well as impact their development more powerfully than conventional knowledge transfer.” To prepare students to face challenges in their future employment, A/Prof Lim strongly advocates working on team projects so that students are given opportunities to effectively collaborate as a team. By working on projects featuring real problems faced by the industry, students can apply the knowledge they have learnt in class, and at the same time, sharpen their problem-solving skills and get a glimpse of what to expect when they join the work force.

While the transition could seem daunting to some, this career switch has been a natural process for her. A/Prof Lim is no stranger to imparting knowledge and skills. She has conducted many training seminars on topics ranging from product mastery to statistical process control during her 20-year stint in F&B giant, Nestlé. Thus, the applied learning curriculum that SIT adopts is a good fit for A/Prof Lim who finds fulfilment, particularly when her seminars bring about new concepts and ideas that resulted in improved manufacturing performance, reduced quality defects and enhanced team morale. Eager to impart knowledge to her students, A/Prof Lim shares, “I enjoy the work of aligning curriculum to industry needs. My years of R&D and manufacturing experiences allow me to value-add in the area of manufacturing competencies; from product design to process development, quality management and regulatory compliances.”

A/Prof Lim (2nd from right) with Food Technology students at the SIT Open House 2017.

Yet, A/Prof Lim does not believe in spoon-feeding model answers to students. In line with SIT’s mission, A/Prof Lim is a firm believer in the ‘Everyday Coaching (EDC) model’. This self-motivation doctrine encourages leaders to be active listeners and inspires employees to find their own solutions. A/Prof Lim hopes to apply the same model in her teaching to create a positive learning environment for students. A/Prof Lim also resonates with Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) & 2nd Minister

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

A/Prof Lim and Food Technology students at the food product development project presenta on.

EVENTS

SINGAPORE TO HOST

INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE Bentley Systems’ The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference will be held from 10 to 12 October 2017, at Sands Expo and Conven on Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Organised annually, the event is a global gathering of leading industry execu ves and prominent thought leaders in the design, construc on, and opera on of the world’s infrastructure. This year’s conference will feature keynotes by leading industry experts, six industry-focused forums, interacve workshops, panel discussions, product demonstraons, invita on-only summits, and technology exhibits and presenta ons from Microso , Siemens, Topcon, and Bureau Veritas. The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference will feature a corporate update by Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems, as well as highlights of some of the projects from Bentley’s 2017 Be Inspired Awards programme. The Awards will honour excep onal infrastructure projects delivered by users of Bentley’s so ware. Specifically, Greg Bentley will discuss projects that have embraced digital technologies and processes for more 16

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

advanced Building Informa on Modelling (BIM). In turn, this will enable data, which has tradi onally been locked in applica on-specific files or paper documents, to be analysed and used throughout the design and construc on stages of a project as well as for operaons and maintenance. Keith Bentley, Execu ve Vice President and Chief Technical Oﬃcer, Bentley Systems and Bhupinder Singh, Chief Product Oﬃcer, Bentley Systems, will present the company’s vision for future product innova ons, and other Bentley speakers will present a product keynote discussing Bentley’s recent and upcoming CONNECT Edi on applica on releases and will demonstrate their uses for project teams and enterprises. Guest keynote speakers include Helmuth Ludwig, Siemens Global Head of Informa on Technology and Corey Sanders, Head of Cloud Compute, Azure, for Microso . Further, there will be forums that will address the following topics: Buildings and Campuses, Digital Ci es, Rail and Transit, Roads and Bridges, Industrial, and U li es and Water. As part of the industry forums, the 51 Be Inspired

EVENTS

Awards programme finalists will present their projects to independent jurors, the press and conference a endees, throughout the conference.

More informa on on the conference can be obtained from www.bentley.com/yii2017.

More than 400 nomina ons were submi ed by organisa ons from more than 50 countries, for the Be Inspired Awards.

Bentley Systems

The Award Winners will be announced at an evening ceremony and gala on 12 October.

Bentley Systems is a global leader in providing engineers, architects, geospa al professionals, constructors, and owner-operators, with comprehensive so ware solu ons for advancing the design, construc on, and opera on of infrastructure.

TOWARDS BECOMING A SMART NATION Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems, underlines the significance of Singapore and Marina Bay Sands as the loca on for The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, and touches on a couple of event highlights, in a conversa on with ‘The Singapore Engineer’. Singapore provides leadership in Informa on Technology This is the first me The Year in Infrastructure Conference is leaving London, and the first place we are going to, outside of London, is Singapore. The venue is Marina Bay Sands, the structural design for which, done by Arup, won Bentley’s 2010 Be Inspired Award, for Innova on in Structural Engineering. More recently, Singapore Land Authority received the 2015 Be Inspired Award, for Innova on in Government, for ‘Mapping Singapore in 3D’. We are bringing our conference here, largely because of the aspira on of Singapore to be a Smart Na on and its appe te to be the leader in realising the poten al that has been created by the BIM focus and BIM mandate. The digital engineering models that have already been created, through BIM processes, and during maintenance and opera on of assets in Singapore that engineers have delivered with BIM technologies, can serve as the digital DNA to more intelligently operate these assets. Singapore has already invested in, mandated and quality assured BIM. We want these to be useful in the future without having to recreate them. We just need be er so ware technologies to find them, orient them, place them, make them accessible and then look inside, read them, find their seman c data and u lise them for purposes that were not conceived when we created them. So that is the excitement. We will show some progress towards that, at The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference in Singapore.

Collabora on among Alliance Partners Topcon, Bureau Veritas, Microso , Siemens and Bentley Systems are ‘fellow travellers’ in the supply chain for infrastructure project delivery and asset performance. What is new and is the reason to cooperate, par cularly now, is cloud services. Topcon, Bureau Veritas and Bentley Systems have their own cloud services which can

interact with one another, for informa on mobility, and they all leverage Microso Cloud Services. So, Microso is a member of the supply chain for each of us. Siemens is supplying hardware and analy cs and, through MindSphere, its new IoT opera ng system, Greg Bentley the opera onal technologies. Topcon provides posi oning technologies while Bureau Veritas is in the cer fica on and inspec on business. It is cloud services that can provide the integra on. And reality modelling enables everyone to use the same context, since it is now technically and commercially feasible for Siemens, Topcon, Bureau Veritas and Bentley, to oﬀer the cloud services of the other, to our customers. This is the concept. Users benefit from this informa on mobility and the connec on through the content of the 3D model, throughout project delivery, inspec on and asset performance. The collabora on is a set of strategic alliances. Not everything we are doing with our partners is part of the joint cloud services, to start with, but the inten on is to achieve that, ul mately. The Alliance Partners will be hos ng a Technology Pavilion at The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference.

New product range We will unveil OpenRail in Singapore, in October. The so ware includes OpenRail ConceptSta on, OpenRail Designer and OpenRail AssetWise. It is the successor to very many diﬀerent and separate so ware oﬀerings from Bentley Systems. This is the first me that the rail engineering design and maintenance so ware is based around intelligent components and a connected data environment.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

EVENTS

LOCAL PROJECTS NAMED AS FINALISTS IN BE INSPIRED AWARDS PROGRAMME

Final product

Pedestrian bridges

Crea ng Singapore’s Na onal 3D Map Using Mobile Mapping. Images by AAM Group.

Among the finalists for Be Inspired Awards are AAM Group, for ‘Crea ng Singapore’s Na onal 3D Map Using Mobile Mapping (Singapore)’, in the BIM Advancements in Municipal Opera ons category, and Stream Environment Sdn Bhd, for the ‘Automated Waste Collec on System for Changi Airport Terminal 4 (Singapore)’, in the BIM Advancements in Environmental Engineering category.

Crea ng Singapore’s Na onal 3D Map Using Mobile Mapping Singapore’s Smart Na on Programme has, at its core, a highly accurate 3D digital map of the en re country. The Singapore Land Authority was charged with creating the map and awarded AAM Group the SGD 4.4 million contract to conduct a vehicle-based mobile mapping 18

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

survey of the nation’s 5,500 km road network and produce highly detailed 3D models of the roads and city furniture. AAM’s mobile survey produced three million high-resoluon images and 600,000 million LiDAR points. Using the open source CityGML standard data format, MicroSta on’s precise modelling capabili es helped achieve an accuracy level of 0.3 m while allowing the AAM team to work at a rate of 2.5 km per day. AAM’s Singapore and Australia oﬃces collaborated using ProjectWise to manage and share data and documents. The combined eﬀort took about 2,200 resource-days, compared to 5,200 resource-days using other so ware. Bentley products used: MicroSta on, ProjectWise

EVENTS

Automated Waste Collec on System for Changi Airport Terminal 4. Images by Stream Environment Sdn Bhd.

Automated Waste Collec on System for Changi Airport Terminal 4 The culmina on of a major expansion project, Changi Airport Singapore Terminal 4 (T4) is expected to handle up to 16 million passengers per year. Security concerns about manual refuse collec on indicated the need for a be er waste collec on solu on. Stream Environment Sdn Bhd (Stream) has designed, engineered, supplied, installed, and will maintain a SGD 5 million automated waste collec on system (AWCS) that conveys 6 t to 8 t of waste per day, without on-site personnel. To deliver the AWCS on me, Stream used MicroSta on and Promis.e for 3D modelling, visualisation, and electrical engineering, with support from Bentley Channel Partner, Hertford MES Sdn Bhd. The software enabled Stream to complete accurate schematics in less than three days and with one engineer.

Stream saved an es mated SGD 100,000, using Bentley technology. Bentley products used: MicroSta on, Bentley Navigator, Promis.e THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

COVER STORY

CHANGI AIRPORT’S NEW TERMINAL 4 TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS Outstanding features include a bou que design and innova ve opera onal technology.

An exterior view of Terminal 4.

Changi Airport Group (CAG) recently announced that the new Terminal 4 (T4) at Changi Airport is scheduled to commence opera ons on 31 October 2017. This follows the recent successful conclusion of major trials, with a small number of checks and reviews to be completed in the final phase of the prepara ons. Built on the southern end of Changi Airport, T4 is a two-storey, 25 m-high building with a gross floor area of 225,000 m2, including car parks, coach stands and taxi deck. The terminal has a 68 m Ramp Control Tower to enhance air traﬃc controllers’ management of aircra movements in the apron and taxiways around the terminal. The terminal has 25 aerobridges, with 17 contact stands for narrow-body aircra and four for wide-body aircra . The construc on contract of SGD 985 million was awarded to Takenaka Corpora on, a company which was also involved in other Changi Airport projects, including the development and subsequent upgrading of T1 and upgrading works for T2. Construc on commenced in early 2014. Completed in about three years, the T4 project involved over 4,000 workers at the peak of its construc on works. The building has received the Green Mark GoldPLUS and 20

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Universal Accessibility Awards from the Building and Construc on Authority. Nine airlines will operate from T4. They are the Air Asia Group (four airlines), Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Korean Air, Spring Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. These airlines collec vely operate close to 800 flights a week to over 20 regional des na ons, and serve an es mated 8,000,000 passengers per annum. To ensure a smooth transi on of flight opera ons from the exis ng terminals, the opera ons of the nine airlines will be shi ed to T4, over a one-week period, from 31 October 2017 to 7 November 2017. Since October 2016, CAG has collaborated with its airport partners to prepare T4 for flight opera ons. This began with table-top exercises to develop the standard opera ng procedures, and later progressed to ground deployment exercises to familiarise staﬀ with the new terminal and processes. Volunteers from the airport community and members of the public were invited to role-play as passengers to test the cri cal airport systems and processes. These included the Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) self-service op ons at check-in, bag drop, immigra on and boarding; as well as security screening, baggage handling, flight informa on, ground transport, wayfinding, and transfer processes, etc.

COVER STORY

CAG also conducted trials involving selected commercial flights with airline partners at T4, which were essen al to validate, in a live se ng, the interoperability and process integra on of the airport’s and airlines’ systems. Altogether, more than 100 trials have been conducted, involving over 1,500 volunteer par cipants and 2,500 airport staﬀ. T4 will add a capacity of 16 million passengers per annum to Changi Airport, bringing the airport’s total annual handling capacity to 82 million passenger movements per annum. There will thus be more capacity at Changi’s terminals to support the growth plans of all airlines.

A NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

Automated Check-In Kiosks (ACK): Depending on the airline, passengers enter their booking reference or scan their passport to retrieve the flight booking, select seat (where available), print boarding pass and bag tag(s). They then tag their luggage to be checked in.

T4 will be the first terminal at Changi Airport to oﬀer end-to-end Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) for depar ng passengers. With the extensive use of technology, including facial recogni on so ware, FAST re-defines the passenger’s travel experience, enhances opera onal eﬃciency and raises produc vity. Passengers will enjoy the flexibility of checking in at their own convenience, without having to wait for counters to open. FAST will also yield produc vity gains, with manpower savings of about 20% expected in the longer term, when opera ons have stabilised. With a total floor area of 225,000 m2, including the two-storey terminal, car parks and taxi deck, T4 is half the size of Terminal 3 (T3). But the planners and designers of T4 have managed to deliver a terminal that will have a capacity of 16 million passenger movements a year, which is two-thirds that of T3.

Automated Bag Drop (ABD): A photo of the passenger is captured and matched against the photo in the passport, before the luggage is accepted and inducted into the baggage handling system.

A BOUTIQUE DESIGN T4’s design theme is fun, vibrant and posi vely surprising. There is a sense of space - a hallmark of Changi Airport - brought about by a high ceiling and height limits for equipment and machines. The terminal’s showpiece is a Central Galleria (300 m long x 18 m wide x 23 m high) which separates the public zone from the transit area. This visual transparent concept provides a clear view from the check-in hall through the transit area and, at some loca ons, even right up to the boarding gates. Due to its compact size, T4 will have centralised areas for departure and arrival immigra on as well as pre-board security screening. This provides for more op mised use of space and deployment of manpower and equipment. In the Departure Hall, the check-in islands are angled towards the common immigra on control area, to create natural and intui ve wayfinding for passengers.

Automated Immigra on Gate (AIG): The AIG is an enhanced version of the automated immigra on lanes currently being used at exis ng terminals. The AIGs at T4 will use a dual facial and thumbprint biometric recogni on system. The passenger’s photo is captured and matched against the one in the passport. Only Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and travellers who have registered with the Immigra on & Checkpoints Authority can use the AIG. They must also be at least six years old.

A Viewing Gallery is located at Level 2M in the public area, adjacent to the Food Emporium. Occupying 140 m2, it serves as a cosy look-out area for avia on enthusiasts to plane-spot and watch flights take-oﬀ from and land on Runway 2. T4’s interior design is based on a concept inspired by the symmetry of orchid petals. This contemporary mo f appears ubiquitously at various loca ons within T4, such

Automated Boarding Gate (ABG): At the boarding gate, passengers only need to scan their boarding pass and authen cate their iden ty by taking a photo. The facial recogni on system matches this photo against the photo taken earlier at the AIG. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

COVER STORY

FAST Departure Journey at T4.

as on the skylights, marble flooring, carpets, air-conditoner binnacles and even the dustbins and holders for fire ex nguishers, to create a coherent design language that adds to its bou que feel. With skylights and glass walls allowing natural light in, T4 not only provides a naturally ambient day me experience for passengers, it also simulates a natural environment for plants and trees. At T4, landscaping covers 2,000 m2 and it is home to 186 large trees. Along the boarding corridor, 160 ficus trees form a boulevard of trees, separa ng the boarding area from the common area at the departure gates. Across the terminal, there are about 582,000 plants, trees and shrubs, represen ng more than 340 species of plants. The external green wall façade has over 16,000 plants.

A THEATRE OF EXPERIENCE With its unique design, entertainment features and innova ve art pieces, T4 takes the Changi Experience to new heights.

Retail oﬀerings With more than 80 stores and restaurants, featuring both local and interna onal retail and F&B brands, over a 16,000 m2 area, T4 will be a shopping and dining haven. This includes an integrated duty-free zone covering both liquor & tobacco as well as cosme cs & perfumery products. Shoppers will be able to pay for their purchases at common cashier counters. The T4 shopping experience is enhanced by stores with 11-metre high double-volume façades and visually impac ul storefront designs.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

The Heritage Zone T4 presents an opportunity to permanently showcase Singapore’s local culture and flavour to interna onal passengers. This is a first for Changi Airport. The Heritage Zone in the transit area gives a glimpse into the evolu on of shophouse architecture from the 1880s to the 1950s, and includes the rich and colourful Peranakan heritage o en seen in areas like Katong and Chinatown. Passengers will also enjoy a special performance displayed on the Peranakan façade. A 10 m x 6 m LED screen transforms two shophouse bays into a digital theatre stage, to present ‘Peranakan Love Story’, a six-minute, cultural mini-theatre show. Besides sights and sounds, the Heritage Zone completes the mul -sensory experience of local culture, through taste and smell, with the integra on of retail and F&B outlets housing local brands.

Art installa ons Art pieces within T4 portray the vibrance of the terminal. The pieces are specially curated based on what they represent as well as how they connect with their surrounding elements, for a visually immersive experience. Passengers can admire these art pieces at strategic loca ons within the terminal. Petalclouds is a vast kine c installa on spanning a distance of 200 m along the Central Galleria. It evokes the impression of clouds moving slowly in the sky. The design of its basic element - a symmetrical shape that can be found throughout the architecture and interior design of

COVER STORY

The terminalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showpiece is a Central Galleria which separates the public zone from the transit area.

In the Departure Hall, the check-in islands are angled towards the common immigra on control area, to create natural and intui ve wayfinding for passengers. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

COVER STORY

the terminal, was inspired by orchid petals. The harmonic, collec ve choreography of the six iden cal sculptures results in a fascina ng and con nuous interplay of form, animated light, and reflec ons that can be seen from all around the terminal. The artwork is an integral part of the space, crea ng a connec on between the public and transit sides of the terminal. Each of the six clouds consists of 16 individual petal elements that are each suspended on two motors with four wires. The wires are used to animate the movement of the petals as well as to transmit power to the ligh ng elements inside them. A customised so ware enables the ar s c composi on of the moving sculpture and its physical behaviour, by controlling the movement of the 192 motors and lights, in unison.

The Heritage Zone in the transit area gives a glimpse into the evolu on of shophouse architecture.

The Immersive Wall A 70 m x 5 m Immersive Wall spans across the Central Departure Security Screening area. The LED display has 17 different immersive content capsules, each lasting about two to four minutes, showcasing Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyline, ASEAN landmarks, and also a whimsical animated clip of suitcasesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; being screened before flight. In all, 50 minutes of high-definition content have been produced.

Sculptures T4 is home to three physical art sculptures, all depic ng the theme of travel or avia on.

Petalclouds is a vast kine c installa on spanning a distance of 200 m along the Central Galleria.

A 70 m x 5 m Immersive Wall spans across the Central Departure Security Screening area. 24

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

COVER STORY

Restrooms As a planning considera on, restrooms in T4 are located about 100 m apart. Out of 30 pairs of restooms, two pairs are fi ed out uniquely. One pair is located within the Heritage Zone and sports a Bri sh colonial-style heritage design, comprising pa erned floor les, pendant lamp shades and wooden ceiling panels. In contrast, a pair of restrooms located in the middle of the Transit Hall represent modernity and hospitality. With an area of about 260 m2, and complete with a high ceiling, they exude grandeur and bespoke design.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

func ons focusing on airport opera ons and management, air hub development, commercial ac vi es and airport emergency services. CAG also manages Seletar Airport and through its subsidiary, Changi Airports Interna onal, invests in and manages foreign airports. Changi Airport is the world’s sixth busiest airport for interna onal traﬃc. It served a record 58.7 million passengers from around the globe in 2016. Including the soon-to-be-opened Terminal 4, Changi Airport will have 400 retail and service stores, as well as 140 F&B outlets. With over 100 airlines providing connectivity to 380 cities worldwide, Changi Airport handles about 7,000 flights every week, or about one every 90 seconds.

Passengers and visitors can travel to and from T4 by car, taxi, public bus or complimentary shu le bus. Around 1,700 parking spaces are available in two mul -storey car parks. Both car parks are connected to the terminal via sheltered links. T4’s taxi stand is located at the arrival level. The taxi holding area has a capacity of approximately 300 spaces. A coach bay with 38 parking spaces is located at Level 1. Three new bridges have been constructed across Airport boulevard, comprising an airside vehicular bridge, a pedestrian overhead bridge and a flyover that provides access to T4.

CHANGI AIRPORT GROUP Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CAG) was formed on 16 June 2009 and the corpora sa on of Singapore Changi Airport followed on 1 July 2009. As the company managing Changi Airport, CAG undertakes key

Hey Ah Chek!, installed at the Departure Check-in Hall, depicts a mother and her son hailing a trishaw ride a er a typical visit to the market.

Three bird sculptures, made of stainless steel wires, greet passengers in the Arrival and Departure Halls. One bird is perched on the ground, while the other two are suspended in mid-air, soaring high. The three birds, each with a diﬀerent a tude, symbolise the connec on between sky and earth, between dream and reality, reflec ng the poetry of daily life.

All images by Changi Airport Group

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

PROJECT APPLICATION

RENOVATION OF CONCRETE IN A CABLE STAYED BRIDGE IN PORTUGAL The structure showed signs of deteriora on and thus required the adop on of correc ve measures. Completed in 1991, the bridge over the River Arade estuary, located in the Portugese city of Por mão, in the Algarve region, is a three-span, cable-stayed bridge made from prestressed reinforced concrete. The central span is 256 m long and each of the two lateral spans is 107 m long. There are also two 107 m reinforced cement towers, each shaped like an inverted ‘Y’, between the three spans, to which the steel e rods for the cables are a ached. The viaducts for the road access, at the eastern and western ends of the bridge, have spans measuring 30 m, 24 m and 27 m. The bridge has a road deck for vehicles, which is supported by beams and safety parapets made from iron. The upper deck, which forms the actual road for the traﬃc, is from 12 m to 17 m wide, and has two lanes running in each direc on, with a hard shoulder running alongside each carriageway. The road surface is made from reinforced cement, prestressed in a longitudinal direc on with steel reinforcement running transversally across the road. The founda ons for the reinforced cement towers and the support pillars sit on 1.10 m diameter piles which are from 50 m up to a maximum of 63 m long. The total length of the River Arade Bridge, including the two access viaducts, is 842 m. One of the par cular characteris cs of the bridge, which makes it an original structure, is the total lack of any form of rigid connec on along the suspended road surface. This par cular configura on impedes any movements in a horizontal direc on. The structure has a series of oscilla on dampers which give the bridge an -seismic proper es, so that it behaves like a pendulum and can oscillate in any direc on. Portugal and this area, in par cular, are prone to seismic ac vity.

PROPOSALS FOR THE INTERVENTION A decision was made to carry out requalifica on work on the bridge which had delivered around 25 years of uninterrupted service. The surface of the reinforced concrete showed signs of ageing, due to the aggressive ac on of atmospheric agents and the water flowing in the river below the bridge. Also, a er so many years of service, the level of stress in the cable-stays needed to be checked and the condi on of the supports for the road decks needed to be verified. In order to iden fy the most suitable materials and installa on techniques for the requalifica on work, a thorough preliminary survey was carried out. 26

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

One of the two inverted ‘Y’-shaped, reinforced cement towers.

The contractor commissioned to carry out the requalifica on work contacted the Technical Services Department of Lusomapei (the Mapei Group’s Portuguese subsidiary), who provided support for the designers and contractor during the survey, and then for the en re dura on of the work, recommending the most suitable materials to overcome the problems found on the structure. The concrete for the support pillars had par ally deteriorated, locally, and por ons of the material had become detached, thereby exposing the steel reinforcement. All the damaged and detached concrete were removed by hydro-blas ng, to expose the steel reinforcement which was then treated with MAPEFER 1K, a one-component mortar. This product, made from cemen ous binders, powdered polymers and corrosion inhibitors, has an -corrosion and re-alkalisa on proper es that prevent rust forming on steel reinforcement. Also, when the mor-

PROJECT APPLICATION

tar hardens, it is impermeable to water and aggressive gases present in the surrounding atmosphere. The areas of the pillars, where the damaged concrete had been removed, were integrated with MAPEGROUT GUNITE, a one-component, ready-mixed, cemen ous mortar for renova ng concrete, which can be applied using either the dry or damp spraying technique. Since the structure is exposed to strong winds, the mortar could have dried too quickly, so MAPEQUICK AF 300 DRY alkali-free set-accelerator, which is suitable for shotcrete, was added directly to the mixing water. The areas of the towers where the damaged concrete had been removed, and other areas that did not suďŹ&#x20AC;er from the problems men oned above, were repaired with MAPEGROUT THIXOTROPIC, shrinkage-compensated, fibre-reinforced mortar. In the areas where the site surveys had highlighted cracks on the surface of the structure, the Technical Services Department of Lusomapei recommended the strengthening and consolida on of the structure, by injec ng EPOJET super-fluid epoxy resin and ADESILEX PG1 thixotropic adhesive into the cracked areas.

A er removing the damaged concrete by hydro-blas ng, the steel reinforcement was le exposed and treated with MAPEFER 1K, a onecomponent mortar.

The areas of the towers, where the damaged concrete had been removed, were repaired with MAPEGROUT THIXOTROPIC, shrinkagecompensated, fibre-reinforced mortar.

The towers, during the consolida on work. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

PROJECT APPLICATION

MAPEGROUT GUNITE MAPEGROUT GUNITE is a one component, readyto-use, mul -purpose, fibre-reinforced, cemenous mortar, applied using either the dry or damp spraying technique. It may be used to repair concrete, damaged bridges, stone and masonry structures, and to cover stone or masonry in tunnels. It can also be used to repair hydraulic works, such as canals, tunnels, reservoirs etc, as well as industrial concrete structures. Further, it can be used in the construc on of swimming pools, in excava on work in open-ground and in tunnels, and in the excava on of founda on foo ngs.

PROJECT DATA Project The bridge over the River Arade, Por mão, Portugal Design Engineers Armando Rito Year of Comple on 1991

INTERVENTION BY MAPEI Period of Interven on 2015-2016 Client Estradas de Portugal Contractor Conduril Contribu on by Mapei Supply of products for the protec on of the reinforcing rods, for the repair of damaged concrete and for the repair and sealing of cracks Installer Company Prozinco Applica on for Mapei Products Repair of concrete - MAPEGROUT THIXOTROPIC, MAPEGROUT GUNITE, MAPEQUICK AF 300 DRY, PLANICRETE Protec on of reinforcing rods - MAPEFER 1K Reinforcement, consolida on and sealing - ADESILEX PG1, EPOJET, MAPEFLEX PU 45 Website for further informa on www.mapei.pt www.mapei.com

This editorial feature is based on an ar cle from Realtà MAPEI INTERNATIONAL Issue 62. All images by Mapei.

A view of the whole bridge a er comple on of the requalifica on work. 28

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

PROJECT APPLICATION

TOWER CRANES PERFORMING HEAVY LIFTS IN

ALL CONCRETE PPVC BUILDING PROJECT Several firsts are recorded in the design and construc on. Although this form of construc on has been used elsewhere in the world, the project is said to be the tallest ever to be built anywhere using concrete PPVC.

Manufacture and transporta on of modules In this project, PPVC has allowed a reduc on of the on-site workforce, but there are increased numbers of personnel involved in the factory prefabrica on. The concrete modules are being manufactured in Malaysia, and then trucked over the causeway into Singapore, where they are taken to the Dragages fi ng-out factory at Tuas, on the far western side of the island.

Liebherr’s two 1000 EC-H40 tower cranes are being used to erect the PPVC modules required for the construc on of The Clement Canopy at Clemen Avenue 1.

Main contractor Dragages Singapore is using two Liebherr 1000 EC-H 40 Litronic High-Top tower cranes to erect the two 40-storey towers of The Clement Canopy, a condominium that is being constructed at Clemen Avenue 1, using an all-concrete version of the Prefabricated Pre-finished Volumetric Construc on (PPVC) system. This is said to be the first applica on in Singapore of the all-concrete PPVC system. Developers United Venture Development appointed Dragages Singapore as the main contractor for the project, in April last year.

Li ing and posi oning According to Liebherr, these cranes are, to-date, the heaviest-li tower cranes imported into Singapore. Manufactured at Liebherr’s Biberach factory in Germany, the cranes have a li ing capacity of 40 t at a working radius of 35 m.

Comprising two 40-storey tower blocks, the project will have 505 apartments with a total floor area of 46,000 m².

As this was the first occasion that a Liebherr 40 t capacity tower crane was brought into Singapore, there was a lengthy and stringent approval process that had to be completed, which took around six months, before the cranes could be imported.

They arrived in December 2016 and January 2017, and took between four to five days to erect on site.

Advantages of PPVC PPVC is a method in which free-standing volumetric modules, complete with finishes for walls, floors and ceilings, are prefabricated and then erected on site. Much of the construc on work is therefore done oﬀ-site, in a controlled manufacturing environment, achieving produc vity improvements, in terms of manpower and me, and minimising dust and noise pollu on, whilst also upgrading skills and improving on-site safety. 30

Tranformed into fully fi ed modules, they are then taken by flatbed truck to the site. The largest of the modules measures 8.5 m (length) x 3.2 m (width) and 3.15 m (height), thereby complying with Singapore’s transporta on regula ons that s pulate a maximum trailer width of 3.4 m and overall trailer transporta on height of 4.5 m.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Dragages and the architect worked together to op mise the layout, dividing the residen al units into modules and ensuring that one tower crane could be used to build each block. In this way, it was calculated that the heaviest module would weigh 29 t, with the lightest at 17 tonnes. Liebherr cranes were selected by Dragages, for a number of reasons, including li ing capacity and reliability as well as the availability of back-up services and technical support.

Another advantage is the smaller size of the tower crane sec ons. Transpor ng the 2.4 m x 2.4 m tower sec ons is easier and less costly. Also, less space is taken up on site. Li ing the modules into place is very quick. It takes only a few minutes to li the module, but longer to do the precision placing. Placing has to be within Âą2 mm, because if there is any greater discrepancy, the en re building could go out of alignment.

There are in total 1,866 modules. Dragages in the early stages of the project is averaging the li ing of five modules per day, with the objec ve of increasing this to eight, as the project progresses. The total li ing opera on is programmed to take between 13 and 14 months.

The Liebherr tower cranes are equipped with a micro-move precision placing system, operated from the cab and, in addi on, Dragages has its own laser guiding system to ensure accuracy. The operators are Dragages personnel and have been provided with training by Liebherr Singapore. With a jib length of 35 m, both of the cranes are able to operate from a fixed posi on outside of the two towers, and being tethered to a non-modular element of the building, will grow as the structures grow.

A new PPVC module arrives on site.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

PROJECT APPLICATION

LIEBHERR HS 8130 HD PERFORMING 70 T LIFTS

ON KUALA LUMPUR MRT SITE

The crane is li ing sec ons of steel caging for a slurry wall.

The Liebherr HS 8130 HD li s a 70-t sec on of the steel reinforcing cage.

Malaysian founda on and geotechnical specialist Geopancar Sdn Bhd is deploying its newly delivered Liebherr HS 8130 HD duty cycle crawler crane for the construc on of a slurry wall on the Kuala Lumpur MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line, where it is li ing 70 t sec ons of steel reinforcing cage. It is working alongside a Liebherr HS 855 HD, as part of Geopancar’s exis ng fleet which is digging the trench for the total 400 m circumference of the wall. Geopancar is one of Liebherr’s largest customers in Malaysia, with a fleet of more than 20 machines, and is working as founda ons subcontractor to main contractor MMC-Gamuda, a joint-venture Malaysian company that specialises in tunnelling and rail-based infrastructure engineering.

Liebherr HS 855 HD (le ) and HS 8130 HD (right).

The slurry wall is being built at the Ti wangsa MRT staon which is already a major transport interchange for the LRT and the Monorail systems.

About 1 m³ of spoil is brought out by the clamshell grab which takes between four and five days to dig a 6 m sec on of the 1.2 m wide trench.

The HS 8130 HD has a maximum li capacity of 130 t and a maximum main boom of 53 m. It is equipped with a mechanical slurry wall grab and is excava ng to a maximum depth of 55 m, digging first through silty sand and then gravel before striking granite at a depth of 20 m or more.

The HS 855 HD has a maximum li capacity of 90 t.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Geopancar also has a 90 t capacity Liebherr HS 872 HD duty cycle crawler crane, a long-established part of the fleet, working on the Ti wangsa site and providing heavy-li du es.

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

EATON OPENS

NEW OFFICE IN SINGAPORE Power management company Eaton recently announced the inaugura on of its new office in Singapore, marking the expansion of its East Asia headquarters which is located in the republic. The investment will consolidate Eaton’s six exis ng offices with 200 employees, within a single loca on at Interlocal Centre, as well as facilitate building of a new customer experience centre equipped with integrated power management solu ons from the company. “Eaton is commi ed to Singapore. It is a focus market and a strategic business hub for us”, said Ms Revathi Advaithi, Chief Opera ng Officer-Electrical Sector, Eaton. “The country’s business-friendly environment and drive for innova on provide a strategic backdrop for investment and growth, both locally and in the wider ASEAN region”, she added. “With decades of exper se and a deep understanding of the Asian markets, Eaton con nues to strengthen its presence in the region. We are now well posi oned to provide businesses in Singapore and the ASEAN region with advanced power management technologies and services tailored to the Asian business environment”, Ms Advaithi con nued. “Mega-trends like Industry 4.0, tropical data centres and green energy storage sources are on the rise. For Eaton, the core purpose of our business is to consistently offer solu ons to new and emerging energy management

At the Official Opening of the new office are, from le , Mr Jimmy Yam, Vice President, Sales, East Asia, Eaton; Ms Revathi Advaithi, Chief Opera ng Officer - Electrical Sector, Eaton; Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board; and Mr Brian Brickhouse, President, Electrical Sector - Asia Pacific Region, Eaton.

challenges driven by these trends”, said Mr Jimmy Yam, Vice President, Sales, East Asia, Eaton. “One such solu on is the Smart Grid which eﬀec vely distributes electrical power across homes, buildings and factories, providing a safer and more reliable power distribu on network”, he added. Eaton is a global leader in the electrical business, with exper se in power distribu on and circuit protec on, backup power protec on, control and automa on, lighting and security, structural solu ons and wiring devices, development of solu ons for harsh and hazardous environments, and engineering services.

NEW GAS LEAK DETECTOR PROTECTS UTILITY EQUIPMENT The new Fluke Ti450 SF6 Gas Leak Detector combines a high-quality infrared camera with an SF6 leak detector that visually pinpoints the loca on of SF6 leaks without shu ng equipment down. SF6 is used as an electrical insulator in extremely high-voltage u li es applica ons. The Ti450 SF6 allows u lity crews to include it as a normal part of their maintenance rou ne, allowing them to conduct both infrared and gas inspec ons whenever and wherever necessary. It eliminates the need to wait for special annual or bi-annual leak inspec ons, and the corresponding expensive equipment rentals or contractors, so maintenance work can be done as required, reducing poten al equipment damage. The pistol-grip Ti450 SF6 makes diagnoses of issues convenient through a point-and-shoot process, even in hardto-reach or high overhead loca ons. With the Ti450 SF6, technicians can monitor leaks more frequently allowing

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

maintenance to be scheduled at a convenient me, without unplanned down me. The leak detector can also be used to quickly verify that the repair was done. The infrared camera includes the award-winning LaserSharp Auto Focus that delivers instant focus on a single target, using a built-in laser distance meter to calculate and display the distance to the designated target, accurately. LaserSharp Auto Focus enables technicians to precisely target up to a distance of 100 away for infrared readings and SF6 gas detec on, even if the target is in an awkward posi on. This makes it safe to measure around high voltage areas and poten ally dangerous areas. It also features Fluke IR-Fusion technology which combines both digital and infrared images for be er clarity. By adjus ng the blending of the image, technicians can easily detect and then pinpoint the exact loca on of the SF6 gas leak.

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

CHINATOWN POINT CELEBRATES LAUNCH OF MULTI MILLION DOLLAR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Chinatown Point, the shopping mall and office building located in Chinatown, recently celebrated the launch of a new air-condi oning system. Kaer Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based provider of Air Condi oning As A Service (ACAAS), designed, financed and installed the new chilled water system at Chinatown Point. Kaer will own, monitor and operate the system. Furthermore, Chinatown Point has signed a ‘Kaer Water Contract’, under which Kaer will provide chilled water to the development, over the next decade. The owners of Chinatown Kaer designed, financed and installed a new chilled water system at Chinatown Point. Kaer will own, Point need to pay only for the monitor and operate the system. consump on of chilled water, on a monthly basis. They do not have to pay for repairs, maintenance, electricity and all other costs associated with the chiller plant system. Speaking at the launch, Mr Jus n Taylor, CEO, Kaer, said, “The team at Chinatown Point recognises that outsourcing of non-core ac vi es has enormous benefits. In addi on to their being no capital cost to the building owner, there is also the fact that we are passionate about ensuring that every air-condi oning system that we are responsible for is opera ng at the maximum performance level, thereby helping businesses maximise sustainability and profitability”. “We are very happy to offer the Kaer Water model, as it allows the owners of Chinatown Point, and indeed most other building owners, to focus on their strategic business func ons. At the same me, the building owners can rest assured that the chiller plant is being run, at the highest possible levels of performance, by a team of dedicated professionals using the very latest monitoring and repor ng technology”, he added. First opened in 1993, Chinatown Point is a mixed development with a shopping mall and a 25-storey office tower located above the mall. Before the implementa on of Kaer Water, the chilled water system had an efficiency of 0.938 kW/RT, but this has improved to 0.60 kW/RT.

The chiller plant is being run using the latest monitoring and repor ng technology.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

RENOVATED ELEVATOR TEST LABORATORY

WITH A DEPTH OF 350 M

“At Tytyri we can push the limits of elevator physics. With the extreme tests such as the free-fall tests, we can drop an elevator frame weighing 10,000 km into a 200 m sha and test safety gear performance, bringing the elevator to a controlled stop”, said Tomio Pihkala, Chief Technology Oﬃcer, KONE Corpora on.

KONE’s Tytyri high-rise tes ng laboratory is located in the city of Lohja, Finland.

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has unveiled its refurbished high-rise elevator tes ng facility in Tytyri, Finland, a er extensive renova ons. The test lab reaches a depth of 350 m, and is an integral part of a working limestone mine. It hosts what is said to be the world’s deepest elevator test sha , meaning the company can develop and test high-rise innova ons and technologies. At the site, KONE can carry out tests under condi ons which are much harsher than in regular buildings. The great depths of the sha s mean KONE can test elevator speeds of up to 70 km/hour, or around 19 m per sec at conven onal accelera on rates. With KONE’s free-fall tests, speeds of up to 90 km/hour, or 26 m per sec, can be reached. In total, the transformed site at Tytyri comprises 11 elevator sha s with a combined length of 1.6 km. Seven sha s are dedicated for super-tall and mega-tall tes ng, with the remaining four sha s available for mid- and lowrise tes ng. This means that KONE can test for numerous configura ons. In addi on to sophis cated analysis of ride comfort and aerodynamics, the company can advance other cu ng-edge innova ons, such as robot-aided solu ons for precision installa on, resul ng in faster installa on mes and be er ride comfort. 36

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

“At KONE, we have introduced technological breakthroughs which have changed the face of the industry. As plans for tall and mega-tall buildings reach new heights, we will be able to use new materials to simulate the demands of tomorrow’s buildings, today. With the deepest and tallest facility of its kind in the world, we are excited to bring together design, engineering and technology, specifically to meet and exceed the needs of our customers”, he added.

KONE’s high-rise laboratory at Tytyri was first opened in 1997. Today, it is part of the company’s global tes ng network which comprises facili es located at R&D sites located in Finland, Italy, China, USA, Mexico, and India. The Tytyri R&D team works in close collabora on with KONE’s exis ng high-rise laboratory researchers in Hyvinkää, Finland, and in Kunshan, China. The Kunshan test tower was opened in late 2015, and ranks as one of the tallest test towers in the world, reaching a height of 235.6 m.

One of the elevator sha s in the high-rise tes ng laboratory at Tytyri.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

HAS NO MAJOR IMPACT ON SINGAPORE’S CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY by Dr Low Sui Pheng, Professor, Department of Building, and Director, Centre for Project Management and Construc on Law, Na onal University of Singapore This ar cle examines whether fragmenta on in Singapore’s construc on industry is one of the root causes for its rela vely lower produc vity, measured in terms of value added per worker, as compared to the produc vity in the construc on industry, in advanced countries. In rela on to construc on market structures, this study also examines the leadership provided by large firms in enhancing the performance of the industry, and recommends suitable measures to address construc on produc vity issues associated with industry structures.

Dr Low Sui Pheng

Based on a recent compara ve study of the construc on industry in Singapore and in four advanced countries (namely Australia, Japan, UK and USA), conducted by the author for the Building and Construc on Authority (BCA), the observa on is that Singapore’s industry structure is not significantly different from those of advanced countries. Compared to these countries, the extent of fragmenta on in Singapore is actually less pronounced. Hence, fragmenta on does not appear to be a key factor for the rela vely lower value-added produc vity in Singapore. INTRODUCTION Produc vity issues have always been one of the key concerns of Singapore, in the quest to move the country away from low-cost, labour-intensive industries to high value-adding, knowledge-crea on ac vi es. Produc vity in the construc on industry is especially challenging, given the uniqueness and complexi es of building projects, around which the industry structure has evolved over me to become what it is today. Issues rela ng to the fragmenta on of the construc on industry have also been observed, wherein: • Different projects take place in different sub-categories (eg residen al versus commercial buildings), with different stakeholders that are supported by a transient workforce. • Design and construc on have tradi onally been separated in the industry. • The industry structure reflects extensive subcontracting and mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ces, supported by a large number of small firms. The study observes that the construc on industry structure in Singapore is not unique. In terms of firm profile and subcontrac ng prac ces, it is similar to those of

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

advanced countries with high construc on produc vity. Hence, fragmenta on does not seem to be the cause of rela vely lower value-added produc vity in Singapore.

COMPARISONS OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY STRUCTURES Firm size and employment The construc on industry structure of Singapore is no diﬀerent from those exis ng in Australia, Japan, US and UK. Historically, the number of firms in all these five countries grew in tandem with growth in the construcon industry and there appears to be li le or no barriers to entry by new businesses into the industry. Based on oﬃcial sta s cs and the largely similar data repor ng formats for Singapore, US and UK, Table 1 shows that there are more small firms than large firms in these countries. In the UK, the propor on of firms with 1-13 employees is par cularly large, at 95.56%. A separate analysis showed that the propor on of small firms in Australia, employing 0-19 persons, was also large, at 97.7%. The high proporon of very small firms in both UK and Australia could be partly due to the generally higher propor on of small housing/residen al developments in these countries.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Percentage of firms (%)

Number of employees in firm

Singapore

Number of employees in firm

1-9

54.90

77.68

95.56

1-13

10-49

34.20

18.97

3.79

14-59

50-99

6.70

1.99

0.37

60-114

100-499

3.50

1.11

0.24

115-599

500 persons & over

0.40

0.20

0.04

600 persons & over

(Note: the percentages may not sum up to 100%, because of rounding oﬀ) Table 1: Comparison of the rela ve propor ons of the diﬀerent categories of construc on firms (determined on the basis of the number of employees), within the respec ve construc on industries in Singapore, US and UK.

For example, in the 3rd Quarter of 2014, the UK Oﬃce for Na onal Sta s cs reported the following figures for firms opera ng under the ‘Main Trades’: 18.5% (commercial buildings), 47.5% (residen al buildings) and 34.0% (civil engineering). Addi onally, among the significant 47.5% of firms in the residen al buildings sector, there were many small firms. Collec vely, these results showed that the percep bly high propor on of small firms in Singapore is actually lower than the propor ons of small firms in US, UK and Australia. In fact, in percentage terms, there are generally more small firms in US, UK and Australia, than in Singapore.

40.1% 39.2%

37%

Propor on of subcontrac ng The larger number of small firms as well as the larger propor on of employment in these small firms appear to point to the significant prac ce of subcontrac ng in all these five countries. Of these countries, only Australia, Japan and Singapore publish sta s cs rela ng to subcontrac ng prac ces in the construc on industry. In both Australia and Japan, these sta s cs are presented, based on the income derived from subcontrac ng. In Singapore, sta s cs rela ng to subcontrac ng prac ce are presented, based on the amount of subcontract work done by others, and expressed as a ra o of construc on turnover. From Figure 1, it can be seen that subcontrac ng pracces are extensive in Australia (40%), Japan (37%) and Singapore (39%) and we can extend the conclusion to the UK and US, as well, even though no subcontrac ng sta s cs are available from these two countries. The subcontrac ng prac ce seems to be underpinned and supported by the large number of small firms in the five countries, which further reinforced the observa on that Singapore’s construc on industry structure is similar to those of advanced countries.

SUBCONTRACTING PRACTICES To be er understand why subcontrac ng is extensively prac sed locally and its eﬀect on produc vity, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 main contractors and five subcontractors, in Singapore. The interviews revealed that main contractors turned to subcontrac ng prac ces to counter market uncertain es and reduce business risks, and when they do not have the necessary exper se to do a job. 40

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

AUSTRALIA

JAPAN

SINGAPORE

Figure 1: Extent of subcontrac ng in Australia, Japan and Singapore.

As subcontractors are specialists and are more proficient in their own trades, compared to general main contractors, subcontrac ng can help raise produc vity if the main contractor has good project management to deal with both the large numbers as well as mul ple-layers of subcontractors. This study further reviewed the extant literature on studies related to mul -layer subcontrac ng in various countries. The literature review showed that subcontrac ng is ac vely and extensively prac sed worldwide for pragma c reasons, related to economics and efficiency. There is no difference between the mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ces in Singapore and those in other advanced countries, as summarised in Table 2. Further in-depth interviews conducted with foreign main contractors opera ng in Singapore also suggested that there is no difference between the mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ces in Singapore and those in the home countries of the interviewees (a majority of them were from Japan). There might be a rela onship between the size of a project and mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ces. For instance, more complicated and larger building projects would involve more layers of subcontrac ng. However, the extent of this rela onship should be viewed on a

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Countries

Subcontrac ng layers

Sources

Singapore

2-4

Interviews with 30 local/foreign main/subcontractors in Singapore

Hong Kong

Lo, 2000; Tam, 2001; Yik and Lai, 2008; Tam et al, 2011

Japan

3-5

Hippoh, 1983; Hasegawa, 1988; Levy, 1990; van Kooij, 1991; Yau, 1991; Reeves, 2002; An and Tsunemi, 2011; MLIT, 2015

South Korea

3-5

Yun, 2010

United Kingdom

≥3

Oyegoke et al, 2012; DBIS, 2013

United States

5-6

Ardi and Cho bhongs, 2005; Warrick, 2006; Beck, 2012; Smith and Brand, 2010

European countries

Typically starts with 3

Houwerzijl and Peters, 2008

Table 2: Summary of subcontrac ng layers in diﬀerent countries.

case-by-case basis. In addi on, there is a rela onship between the types of trades in the construc on industry and mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ces. Again, this rela onship seems to vary and should also be viewed on a case-by-case basis. All the main contractors interviewed were of the view that mul -layer subcontrac ng cannot be eliminated completely in the construc on industry. The interviewees seemed to have accepted mul -layer subcontrac ng as part and parcel of work prac ces in the industry. Nonetheless, while the interviewees were generally of the view that mul -layer subcontrac ng cannot be eliminated completely, they remain open to opportuni es to reduce the number of layers, on a case-by-case basis. This is especially so, if they no ce that too many layers of subcontractors are hampering work progress and aﬀecting quality standards in their projects.

Figure 2: Normalisa on based on Construc on Output/Firm.

In addi on, regardless of the number of ers one sees in mul -layer subcontrac ng, it appears that clear, mely communica ons and coordina on are the two most important factors for eﬀec ve project management.

the advanced countries, who would nego ate for higher minimum wages for their members, means higher labour costs in these countries.

FRAGMENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY The findings of a normalisa on exercise (Figure 2), using construc on output per firm as a proxy for fragmentaon, showed that the industry structure in Singapore appears to be less fragmented than those in Australia, Japan, UK and US. However, while Singapore’s construcon industry structure appears to be less fragmented, Singapore’s construc on produc vity is lower than that in Australia, Japan, UK and US, based on value added produc vity (VAP) or value added per worker. Previous studies elsewhere have however concluded that VAP is not a reliable indicator, due to its many inherent limita ons (Low, 2015). Specifically, the low wage level in Singapore has resulted in lower VAP, given that remunera on cons tutes a significant por on of construc on value added. The presence of strong labour unions in

Notes: 1. As a proxy, greater Construc on Output/Firm denotes less fragmenta on. 2. Construc on output/firm and labour produc vity data were derived, based on reference years 2013 and 2011-2013, respec vely.

RAISING CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY The construc on industry has a fragmented industry structure due to the unique nature of construc on and building works as well as due to the ease with which new businesses can readily enter and exit the market. If properly managed, specialist (mul -layer) subcontrac ng actually serves to support and not undermine construcon produc vity, because of the unique nature of the industry. Hence, granted that the industry structure and mul -layer subcontrac ng prac ce is here to stay, a three-pronged approach is recommended to address construc on produc vity issues associated with industry structures. The three areas in this approach are: (a) Technology Enhancement (b) Project Management THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

(c) Launching a na onal drive for construc on research and development (R&D), as a rallying point for the local construc on industry, along the lines of that prac sed by top Japanese contractors. It is noteworthy that significant por ons of this threepronged approach are already in place, to some extent, in Singapore, through the ini a ves of BCA, to promote the adop on of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) technologies, lean construc on, Building Informa on Modelling (BIM) as well as Virtual Design and Construc on (VDC). These should help to reduce the number of workers on-site as well as wastage, which should then alter the industry structure in Singapore, so as to achieve higher labour produc vity in construc on. It will also help to further enhance communica ons and coordina on in project management prac ces. The study also found that Singapore does not have a consistent core of local contractors to anchor and lead the industry, unlike in Japan where the group of top Japanese contractors (eg Obayashi, Kajima, Shimizu, Taisei and Takenaka) con nues to thrive and seems to have provided long-term stability and core leadership in upgrading the Japanese construc on industry, in the areas of produc vity and technology, through their campus-like research ins tutes as well as their emphasis on reducing wastage through lean thinking. Therefore, by pu ng in place a na onal drive for construc on R&D, such as the recent establishment of the Built Environment Research & Innova on Ins tute (BERII) and the Built Environment Technology Centre (BETC), by BCA, resources can be pooled to facilitate more impac ul R&D ac vi es at the na onal level, that will help local contractors to level up and strengthen their capabili es through technology licensing, with a long-term view of expor ng their services overseas. These various ini a ves by BCA, to drive innova on, will transform the construc on industry so that it will achieve higher labour produc vity. REFERENCES An T and Tsunemi W (2011): ‘Towards the sustainable construcon labor market in China: facilita ng subcontractor’s development’, Proceedings of the 27th Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2011, Bristol, UK, pp 663-674. Ardi D and Cho bhongs R (2005): ‘Issues in subcontrac ng prac ce’, Journal of Construc on Engineering and Management, 131(8):866-876. Beck C (2012): ‘Problems of mul -layer subcontrac ng’, Small Business Chronicles, US (www.smallbusiness.chron.com) (accessed 16th May 2016). DBIS (2013): ‘Supply chain analysis into the construc on industry. A report for the Construc on Industry Strategy’, Department for Business Innova on & Skills (DBIS), UK, BIS Research Paper No 145.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

Hasegawa F (1988): ‘Built by Japan. Compe ve strategies of the Japanese construc on industry’, John Wiley & Sons, USA. Hippoh Y (1983): ‘The construc on industry in Japan: A survey’, Asian Produc vity Organiza on, Tokyo, Japan. Houwerzijl M and Peters S (2008): ‘Liability in subcontrac ng processes in the European construc on sector’, European Founda on for the Improvement of Living and Working Condions, Dublin, Ireland. Levy S M (1990): ‘Japanese construc on. An American perspecve’, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, USA. Lo S L L (2000): ‘A study of restric ng the mul -layers subcontrac ng prac ce to improve the safety performance of the Hong Kong construc on industry’, unpublished Master of Applied Science report, University of Western Sydney and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Low S P (2015): ‘A review of construc on produc vity indicators in Singapore’, The Singapore Engineer, August 2015, pp 24-30. MLIT (2015): ‘The current situa on of the Japanese construcon industry’, Slides prepared for the 12th Mee ng of the Basic Problems Subcommi ee, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Tokyo, Japan (in Japanese). Oyegoke A et al (2012): ‘Transforma on in the tradi onal procurement route in the UK’, Proceedings of the Joint CIB W070, W092 & TG72 Interna onal Conference: Delivering Value to the Community, University of Cape Town, South Africa, pp.486-493. Reeves K (2002): ‘Construc on business systems in Japan: General contractors and subcontractors’, Building Research and Informa on, 30(6):413-424. Smith M P and Brand J S (2010): ‘Annual report of the Joint Enforcement Task Force on Employee Misclassifica on’, to David A Paterson, Governor of the State of New York, Department of Labor, New York State, US. Tam S S (2001): ‘The eﬀect of construc on contractor’s mul -layer subcontrac ng strategy on project performance: a case study of construc on firms in Hong Kong’, unpublished DBA disserta on, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Tam V et al (2011): ‘Impacts of mul -layer chain subcontrac ng on project management performance’, Interna onal Journal of Project Management, 29(1):108-116. van Kooij E (1991): ‘Japanese subcontrac ng at a crossroads’, Small Business Economics, 3(2):145-154. Warrick J (2006): ‘Mul ple layers of contractors drive up costs of Katrina cleanup’, The Washington Post, 20th March 2006 (www.washingtonpost.com) (accessed 16th May 2016). Yau H W J (1991): ‘A study of subcontrac ng in the Hong Kong construc on industry and its impact on the management of quality’, unpublished MBA disserta on, University of Hong Kong. Yik F W H and Lai J H K (2008): ‘Mul -layer subcontrac ng of specialist works in buildings in Hong Kong’, Interna onal Journal of Project Management, 26(4):399-407. Yun A (2010): ‘Regula ng mul -layer subcontrac ng to improve labour protec on’, Interna onal Ins tute for Labour Studies, Interna onal Labour Organiza on.

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY

ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED

OPERATOR CABINS FOR TOWER CRANES The new products will soon be available. The new CUBE cab in Linden Comansa’s tower cranes combines looks with produc vity and comfort, keeping in mind that the cab is a work space and therefore producvity is the most important requirement. Proper visibility of the site and the working area is assured from the front of the crane’s CUBE cab, all of which is made of glass, not only at the front but also on the sides and at the floor, and even at the roof when installed in luﬃng jib cranes. Thanks to the op mum visibility of the load and working area, the crane operator has greater control over the opera ons and the surrounding area, which also means greater safety. In terms of the external appearance, the aim is a modern and innova ve design that gives Linden Comansa’s cranes a dis nc ve look. Inside, all of the elements have been designed to convey warmth and comfort to the user, through their materials and good quality finishes. The cube-shaped design of the cab with flat glass panes is not only aesthe cally a rac ve, it also aims to make maximum use of the space. Thanks to this cube design, all of the elements of the cabin are distributed in a more intelligent way and there is extra space for operator ergonomics, and there is even room to comfortably fit a second person in the largest cab.

Looks, produc vity and comfort are combined in Linden Comansa’s new CUBE cab, giving it a dis nc ve look.

Linden Comansa’s cranes are operated across the world, so the design of the CUBE cab has taken into account high and low ambient temperatures. Facilita ng maintenance was also one of the goals during the design of this work space. As a result, the window panes are easy to replace when necessary and they can be bought anywhere in the world, as they do not require a mould, unlike curved window panes. The new cab will be available in two sizes, L and XL, and it comes as standard with most Linden Comansa cranes. The smaller range, ie the 11LC132 and 11LC90 models and the models from the LC500 range, will retain the current, smaller cab, for now. The new L and XL cabs are slightly bigger than the current ones, so they cannot be installed on tower cranes that have already been delivered. Many of the improvements introduced in the CUBE cab have come from sugges ons made by clients and distributors, over the years. The joint eﬀorts of the engineering team, suppliers and the BigD design studio (Pamplona, Spain) have made it possible to incorporate them into the final design, a er two years of work. The XL CUBE cab will be shipped from October 2017, while the L size will be shipped from November. 44

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

The new cab is more spacious and all of its elements are distributed more intelligently.

IES UPDATE

ICYMI: IES TECHNICAL VISIT TO JAPAN’S SMART CITIES, ROBOTICS, PRECISION & HEAVY INDUSTRIES Led by Er. Alfred Wong, a delega on of 31 IES members visited Japan from 13 to 21 May 2017 and met with the Ins tu on of Professional Engineers Japan (IPEJ), as well as notable Japanese corpora ons known for their advances in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathema cs (STEM). During the visit, all par es exchanged innova ve ideas, professional engineering best prac ces, and enhanced their understanding of each other’s challenges with regard to engineering, encouraging STEM par cipa on and the respec ve countries’ Smart Na on ini a ves. The IES delega on also had the opportunity to tour the following companies and their facili es: • Daikin Corpora on, where they had a first-hand experience of its R&D achievements for air condi oning and refrigera on; • Panasonic Corpora on’s Centre for Robo c Ar ficial Intelligence and its aﬃliate ATOUN Inc.; • Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town, where they were introduced to sustainable, connected technologies that improve residents’ quality of life; • Fuijitec Co. Ltd, where they learnt about Japanese innova ons in li and escalator engineering; • Fuji Electric Co. Ltd, where they viewed several energy eﬃcient inverter drives; • Taisei Corpora on’s Technology Centre; • IHI Corpora on’s Azo Robo cs & Heavy industries; • NOHMI Bosai Ltd, where they witnessed a demonstraon of fire protec on equipment; and • Tokyo Denki University’s Senju Campus.

Tes ng the ATOUN Model As power assist suit, which alleviates the burden on the waist and arms when li ing heavy items.

Touring Daikin’s Technology & Innova on Centre.

IES also had a frui ul mee ng with IPEJ during the technical visit. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

IES UPDATE

A representa ve from Fuji Electric explaining to IES visitors the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest advancements in inverter drive technology.

The IES delega on being taken on a guided tour through the Fujitec facility.

Er. Alfred Wong (le ) presents a token of apprecia on to a representa ve from IHI Corpora on for hos ng the visit.

With an illustrious 90-year history, NOHMI Bosai is a pioneer in the fire protec on industry in Japan.

Prototype demonstra on at Taisei Corpora onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Centre.

Visi ng the Senju campus of the Tokyo Denki University

The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town makes liberal use of solar panels and real- me smart grid monitoring, among other energy technologies, to bring about remarkable savings in energy consump on. The connected town also has features such as a 24/7, sensor-based security system and intelligent package monitoring, which create a safe environment and bring convenience to residents. 46

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

IES UPDATE

OF BIG DATA, AI AND CONTEMPORARY ELECTRICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

QEC PRESTIGIOUS LECTURE 2017 Every year, the QEC (Qualified Electrical Contractors) Registry’s Monitoring Commi ee holds a Pres gious Lecture to share the latest industry knowledge, as well as facilitate networking amongst its members and other associated partners. This years’ Lecture was held on 26 May 2017 at the IES Auditorium. It a racted more than 200 QEC Registry members, mechanical and electrical engineering RE and RTOs, SCEMs (Singapore Cer fied Energy Manager), IES and ACES (Associa on of Consul ng Engineers Singapore) members. Mr George Lim, Technical Director, Power Technologies Pte Ltd, opened the evening’s programme with a 50-minute discussion on big data and AI-driven devices for monitoring building power usage in real- me, which could lead to poten al improvements in energy eﬃciency and system health. He also spoke about using thermally-sensi ve equipment to detect electrical failure in switchgear and busbar joints. Er. Lee Keh Sai, a veteran electrical engineer with more than five decades’ worth of industry experience, then shared his

Mr Lim speaking about big data and AI to the lecture par cipants, which numbered more than 200.

knowledge with par cipants on two topics, tled “Voltage drop in consumers’ installa ons” and “Eﬀects of triple harmonic currents in low voltage distribu on circuits”. A ques on-and-answer session between the par cipants and speakers rounded up the evening. Feedback from the Pres gious Lecture was generally posi ve, with par cipants looking forward to coming together again for next year’s edi on.

IES MOVIE NIGHT SPIDER MAN: HOMECOMING On 6 July 2017, IES held its first-ever Movie Night. Members were treated to a visual and narra ve spectacle with the blockbuster film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, on its first day of release, and in 3D no less!

He exhorted the young engineers to stay in the domain, connue contribu ng to the industry and to progress with the na on, especially since Singapore will need more engineering talent as it charts its future development and growth plans.

A hall was specially booked for the movie screening at Golden Village VivoCity by the Membership Department. Each member was en tled to purchase 4 ckets at 50 per cent oﬀ the original price.

Er. Khew also introduced IES’ new Chief Execu ve, Mr Alvin Charm, who will assist the council to steer IES to new and greater heights under his watch.

The a rac ve oﬀer, combined with the family-friendly choice of movie (hey, who doesn’t appreciate our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger?), ensured that all ckets were snapped up within 2 weeks of release.

We will definitely strive to organise more of such ac vi es in the future for all to unwind a er a hard day’s work. Don’t miss the no fica ons when they arrive!

This event was held to engage younger members and encourage greater par cipa on in IES ac vi es. It is also part of a drive to enhance the vibrancy of its ac vi es and value-add to the membership experience. Seeing par cipants bring along fellow engineering colleagues and friends who were of the same age group that evening was indeed heartening. President Er. Edwin Khew, who was the guest-of-honour, encouraged young engineers to stay ac ve in the engineering community.

In an cipa on for the movie to start.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017

VIEWPOINT

THE INNOVATIVE ENGINEER OF THE FUTURE Mr Vincent Chong, President & CEO, ST Engineering Member, Commi ee on the Future Economy

It is an exciting time to be engineers. We have entered the age of digital transformation and more than ever, we need to be fast to respond by harnessing new technologies, including disruptive ones, at a much quicker pace within our applied solutions to real-world problems. Disciplines within engineering and across other disciplines are now blurring. What we study today may not be able to sustain us for tomorrow. An insa able curiosity for the world, constantly ques oning and having an entrepreneurial mindset are cri cal. Engineers also need to harness collec ve resources and mul -disciplinary exper se to succeed, interac ng with stakeholders and collabora ng widely across disciplines to reach world class solu ons. Meanwhile, many opportuni es have emerged through disrup ve technologies, and engineers can look forward to these permea ng almost every industry. Ar ficial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robo cs are well known. We are also increasingly dependent on analysing and making good sense of data to deliver cu ng edge “intelligent engineering” products and services augmented by IoT to our customers, while powering solu ons with AI. As engineers, we need to be technically strong and have an analy cal mind to succeed in our professions. Engineers of the future have a greater challenge. They also need to be captains of their industry – and lead innova ve engineering amidst such vola lity. Thus they have to be agile social architects who are able to form communi es willing and capable to co-create with them in open collabora on. At ST Engineering, we realise that coun ng on organic growth and cost reduc ons is insuﬃcient and have priori sed investments in innova on and digital capabili es. We believe that open innova on and collabora on are enablers to grow Singapore’s intellectual property crea on capabili es and further strengthen the organisa on’s innova ve engineering ecosystem. We complement tradi onal R&D with open innova on to create new technologies. We invite collaborators from around the world to work with us at the ST Engineering Open Lab on breakthrough engineering-based solu ons. Our Corporate Venture Capital unit also scouts for start-ups globally to collaborate with us and take their technologies a step further. At the country level, Singapore is well placed to stand among the giants in the world in innova ve engineering. Singapore is currently top in Asia and sixth globally in terms of innova on capabili es, according to the 2017 Global Innova on Index that measures innova on in 128 countries. I encourage engineers of Singapore to come together to con nue building great things for the country and the world. This is what collec ve genius and open collabora on is about – cu ng across the ecosystem comprising the government, industry, academia, start-ups and small and medium enterprises.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Annual Dinner ––––––––––––––––––– Inside Front Cover

SBS Transit Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 13

Building and Construc on Authority ––––––––– Page 39

Singapore Environmental –––––––––––––––––– Page 31 Consultancy & Solu ons (SECS)

Cementaid S.E.A. Pte Ltd –––––––––––––––––– Page 09

Mapei Far East Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––– Page 29

Singapore Ins tute of Technology ––––––– Page 14 & 15

Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd ––––– Outside Back Cover

SPRING Singapore –––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 33

Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––– Page 37

WSP Consultancy Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 43

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2017