TSE Nov 2019

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE
THE www.ies.org.sg
SINGAPORE
ENGINEER
November 2019 | MCI (P) 105/03/2019
COVER STORY:
Structural excellence created through
safe processes and solutions
PLUS
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT & OPERATION: Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards presented at ceremony and gala
PROJECT APPLICATION: Reimagining the Eiffel Tower landscape using BIM
HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING: A Study of Protective Features in Singapore’s Buildings - Part 3 (Barriers and Drivers)
Have your competency recognised!
I BUILD ON
EXPERIENCE
I see the possibilities my career
can bring. Because a career in the built
environment is one that can create direct
yet far-reaching impact. At BCA, my work
on policy measures help to drive change in
the built environment sector and make a
positive difference.
We constantly shape the landscape to

prepare for the future of Singapore, rally the
built environment sector to achieve far-
reaching goals beyond today, and improve
the living environment for Singaporeans
from all walks of life. Be part of this
transformation, and join us for a fun and
meaningful career.
Find out more about our career

opportunities at www.bca.gov.sg
Lim Yong Xian

Senior Engineer
CONTENTS
FEATURES
COVER STORY
14 Structural excellence created through safe processes
and solutions
Tanjong Pagar Centre was a Winner of the Design and
Engineering Safety Excellence Award 2018 at BCA
AWARDS 2018.
INFRASTRUCTURE 14
DEVELOPMENT & OPERATION
22 Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards presented at
ceremony and gala
The achievements of users of Bentley Systems’
software, in advancing design, construction and
operation of infrastructure throughout the world,
received recognition.
22
PROJECT APPLICATION
28 Achieving higher productivity and output
A compact milling machine mills an entire road
pavement in Mexico, for the implementation of a new
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
28
President Publications Manager Editorial Panel Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd
Prof Yeoh Lean Weng Desmond Teo Dr Chandra Segaran
Cover designed by Irin Kuah
desmond@iesnet.org.sg Prof Simon Yu
Chief Editor Dr Ang Keng Been Cover images:
T Bhaskaran Publications Executive Dr Victor Sim Main image by Ying Yi Photography
t_b_n8@yahoo.com Queek Jiayu Mr Syafiq Shahul Inset images by Arup
jiayu@iesnet.org.sg Published by
Media Representative
MultiNine Corporation Pte Ltd The Institution of Engineers, Singapore
70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758
sales@multi9.com.sg Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108
Printed in Singapore
02 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

November 2019
www.ies.org.sg
PROJECT APPLICATION
30 Tennis centre design combines tradition and
modernity
Project-specific formwork solutions were required for
the dome-shaped building.
32 Reimagining the Eiffel Tower landscape using BIM
Earlier this year, the City of Paris announced the
winning proposal to redevelop the ‘grand site’.
30
HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING
35 A Study of Protective Features in Singapore’s
Buildings - Part 3 (Barriers and Drivers)
In this last part of the three-part series, the barriers
and drivers influencing the adoption of protective
features are presented.
REGULAR SECTIONS
04 INDUSTRY NEWS
13 EVENTS
45 IES UPDATE
32
The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publication is distributed free-of-charge
to IES members and affiliates. Views expressed in this publication 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 time, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but
their inclusion in the magazine is at the discretion of the Editor.
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 03

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
Aurecon completes South-East Asia’s

largest solar farm project in Vietnam
As part of its renewable energy initiative, the Vietnamese “To accelerate the project’s delivery, we also tapped on
government aimed to produce 5,000 MW of the nation’s our international teams,” said Mr Worakarn Aimdee,
electricity through solar energy by June 2019. To do so, Aurecon’s technical director of infrastructure services,
they engaged engineering design and consultancy firm “Our South African unit contributed their considerable
Aurecon to bring the Dau Tieng 1 and 2 Solar Power experience in engineering large-scale renewable
Plant Project to life. projects, while our Bangkok team had good experience
collaborating with B. Grimm Power on previous solar
At completion, the 420 MW solar power plant is the
projects in Thailand.”
largest in Southeast Asia. Aurecon served as the Owner’s
Engineer, in addition to providing project management, Through resourcefulness and close collaboration,
design review, and site supervision services. the Dau Tieng 1 and 2 Solar Power Plant Project was
completed in less than a year. Recognised as the largest
The biggest challenge facing the project was the June 2019
solar farm in the region, it will help meet the electricity
deadline; to fulfil Vietnam’s renewable energy initiatives,
demands of two nearby cities. It comprises over 1.3
the project was scheduled to be commissioned and
million PV modules, 170 000 pile foundations and 600
connected to Vietnam’s power grid in under a year.
kilometres of steel mounting structures.
Exacerbating the need for speed, the solar farm was also
built next to a reservoir which would flood from October
to February every year during monsoon season, pausing
construction.
In a press statement released by Aurecon, the firm
attributed the timely completion of the project to several
factors: Close collaboration between project owners
and contractors, flexibility with the client through
on-site inspections, clear communication between the
multinational stakeholders and supplementary services The project, with more than 1.3 million PV modules installed over a
provided by Aurecon such as calculation checks and 500-hectare site, is the largest solar farm project in South-East Asia.
expedition of approval processes. (Photo: Aurecon)
Aurecon appoints new Client Director

for Infrastructure in Asia
As Aurecon’s new Client Director for Infrastructure in Asia, Ms really innovative outcomes and find
Lili Tao, who is based in the firm’s Singapore office, will work solutions to complex problems for
with Hong Kong-based Client Director, Keith Chong, the global clients”, she added.
client leadership team and the Asia leadership team, to build
on project successes. Projects won by Aurecon include the “While I was working in the UK, I
MRTA Purple Line in Thailand, Hong Kong West Kowloon Sta- was an apprentice to the first female
tion, the recent contract to design three of the first five stations President of the Institution of Civil
on Singapore’s Jurong Regional Line, as well as major structures Engineers, Jean Venables CBE, which
for the rail line. gave me invaluable insight into how
senior female figures operate in the
“My journey brought me a long way from originally growing up industry. It stressed to me the impor-
in Beijing, working in the UK, to returning to Asia, initially being tance for young aspiring engineers Ms Lili Tao
based in Hong Kong to now settling in Singapore - an interna- to have female role models who are
tional gateway”, Lili said. changing the industries they work in, for the better”, Lili continued.
“What this has taught me is in our global business world, when In recent years, Lili has held several roles at Aurecon, including
you can bridge cultures and transfer knowledge from one sec- that of Lead Project Manager and Technical Director, and Proj-
tor to another and continuously build on this, you can achieve ect Services Lead for Singapore.

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
JTC and Singapore Polytechnic come together

to drive tech adoption and train students in manufacturing
To build a pipeline of skilled talent for the advanced

manufacturing sector, JTC and Singapore Polytechnic (SP)
signed an MOU on 14 September 2019. This pools to-
gether resources from academia and industry expertise,
so as to further knowledge on advanced manufacturing
concepts and technologies in preparation for Industry 4.0
transformation.
SP and industry technology providers will develop and pro-
vide technology solutions, as well as conduct workforce
training for companies. Businesses will experience real-life
applications of advanced manufacturing solutions at smart
facilities within SP’s campus. SP will also facilitate process
Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal and CEO of SP (foreground, left) signs
re-design to drive technology adoption, build capabilities, the MOU with Mr Ng Lang as Mr Tan Chong Meng, Chairman of JTC
and improve the companies’ current operations. (background, left); Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam; and Mr
To upskill the local talent pool, SP will introduce work- Max Loh, Member of the SP Board of Governors, look on. (Photo: SP)
study programmes for students, entry-level professionals
projects with advanced manufacturing industry part-
and employees, supported by JTC. SP students will be
ners, while German engineering firm Bosch Rexroth runs
given internship and project opportunities at advanced
manufacturing companies in the Jurong Innovation District programmes on the applications of Industry 4.0 methods
(JID) and beyond. Over 400 talents from SP are expected and technologies at its Regional Training Centre.
to benefit from this programme in the next three years. Mr Ng Lang, CEO of JTC, said “The global digital transfor-
This complements the suite of upcoming research and mation in manufacturing will require a new generation to
training opportunities at JID, which include both local work alongside new technologies in a digitalised work-
and international programmes. place. Partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning
like SP are important in ensuring that our workforce is
The NTU-JTC Industry Talent Development Programme, equipped with the right skillsets to meet the needs of
for example, allows students to intern and work on new manufacturing jobs.”
IPAF announces the appointment

of CEO and Managing Director
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has an- to confirm our recruitment
nounced the appointment of Mr Peter Douglas as its new CEO process has attracted some
and Managing Director, following a thorough recruitment pro- truly impressive candidates and
cess that attracted almost 50 applicants from around the world. that, after such a competitive
The new CEO and MD takes up the positions on 1 December and wide-ranging search, Peter
2019, and will be based in the UK. has been selected to lead this
organisation as it continues to
Mr Norty Turner, IPAF’s President, who served on the recruit- thrive and grow. I am honoured
ment and selection panel, said, “The past few years have seen to hand over the leadership of
IPAF go from strength to strength, innovating to update its IPAF to such a well-qualified Mr Peter Douglas
training courses into new languages and eLearning, developing and enthusiastic CEO. Peter will
virtual reality applications and creating exciting new events”. take IPAF to the next level of excellence”.
“With Peter being based in the UK, this will consolidate IPAF’s Speaking on his appointment, Mr Douglas said, “I am delighted
global headquarters and enable full-service support of the organ- and honoured to have the opportunity to lead such a well-rec-
isation’s core market and membership, which in recent years has ognised and respected global safety, technical and training
delivered more PAL Cards than ever before”, he added. organisation. I am looking forward to the challenge of making
Mr Andy Studdert, who has served as Interim CEO of IPAF and the powered access industry worldwide as safe as it possibly
helped lead the recruitment search, commented, “I am pleased can be”.

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
LTA awards contract

for Tengah Depot
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the civil Construction of Tengah Depot is expected to commence
contract to design and construct Tengah Depot and its in 2020 and is slated for completion in 2026.
associated facilities for the Jurong Region Line (JRL) at a
total contract value of SGD 739.5 million to China Railway China Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation (Sin-
11 Bureau Group Corporation (Singapore Branch). Tengah gapore Branch) is an established and experienced
Depot comprises an Integrated Rail and Bus depot, ancil- construction company that has completed various
lary buildings and a transport workers’ dormitory. rail-related projects worldwide. In Singapore, China
Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation has completed
Located adjacent to the west of Tengah New Town, the
at-grade Tengah Depot will be Singapore’s 10th MRT several major infrastructure projects including three
depot. It will occupy a 44.5-hectare site and will be de- MRT stations (namely Tuas Link, Tuas West Road and
signed for the stabling and maintenance of 100 four-car Tuas Crescent stations) and their associated railway
trains and 600 buses as well as their associated mainte- viaducts - on the East-West Line’s Tuas West Exten-
nance facilities. To optimise land use, the depot will also sion. The company also constructed Singapore’s first
include a four-storey transport workers’ dormitory that integrated Rail and Road Viaduct as part of the Tuas
can accommodate 450 bus captains. West Extension project.

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
Paya Lebar Quarter becomes

Singapore’s latest business and lifestyle hub
At the official opening of PLQ are, from left to right, Ms Ng Hsueh Ling, Managing Director, Singapore and Chief Investment Officer, Asia, Lendlease;
Mr Tony Lombardo, Chief Executive Officer, Asia, Lendlease; Mr Steve McCann, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Lendlease; Mr
Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance; Mr Bruce Gosper, the High Commissioner of of Australia in
Singapore; and Mr Richard Paine, Managing Director, Paya Lebar Quarter by Lendlease.
Developed by Lendlease, Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) was tion of Paya Lebar Central, a 12-hectare centrally located
officially opened recently, at an event graced by Guest-of- sub-regional hub, into a dynamic and vibrant business
Honour, Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Devel- and lifestyle precinct.
opment and Second Minister for Finance, and Mr Bruce
Gosper, High Commissioner of Australia in Singapore. With the completion of PLQ, the 22,000-strong work-
force within a seven-minute walking radius of PLQ and
Mr Wong and Mr Gosper joined Mr Steve McCann, one million residents in the trade area (Urbis Retail
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Market Study, March 2015) can now enjoy the 100,000
Lendlease, and Mr Tony Lombardo, Chief Executive ft2 of green spaces across the precinct. PLQ also sup-
Officer, Asia, Lendlease, to mark the opening by activat- ports Singapore’s car-lite vision, with its connectivity,
ing a vertical domino show which gradually unveiled the direct links to the dual-line Paya Lebar MRT interchange
Paya Lebar Quarter logo against the songket-inspired and seamless connection to the wider Park Connector
backdrop. PLQ’s distinctive architecture and design, Network.
inspired by the intricate weaving patterns of the songket,
a traditional brocade textile from the Malay culture, is Following the domino show was the first-ever joint
also visible from the building facades to public realm fea- performance by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and
tures. Apart from aligning with the rich Malay heritage of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - a musical collab-
the area, the design language helps to unify the buildings oration echoing the Singapore-Australia connection in
and public areas into a single tapestry that authentically Lendlease’s largest project in Singapore.
reflects the community PLQ sits within. “Urban regeneration is a key pillar of Lendlease’s strat-
The domino show signified the delivery of the SGD 3.7 egy. Every day around the world, we work with cities
billion, 4-hectare landmark urban regeneration develop- and governments to create the best places. Today, we
ment by Lendlease, which will catalyse the transforma- have before us a truly world-class example of what can

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
be achieved when government and companies such as One initiative is an upcoming collaboration between
Lendlease partner with local communities to deliver PLQ, Health Promotion Board and anchor tenant Vir-
game-changing urbanisation projects that will leave a gin Active to host complimentary health and wellness
positive legacy for the community for generations to activities at PLQ to improve the health and well-being
come”, said Mr McCann. of residents as well as building a healthy and vibrant
workplace community.
Centrally located business and lifestyle hub PLQ has also been engaging with schools in the area
Home to Lendlease’s new Asia headquarters, PLQ’s and is partnering a secondary school for the next
900,000 ft2 of Grade A office spaces, available across three years to enable their students to learn about
three towers, and 200 retail shops, are almost fully sustainability using PLQ as a case study. Other initia-
leased, while its residential component, Park Place Res- tives are also in the works, including the creation of
idences, had only one unit left before the expected TOP an online portal to support sustainability education by
in November. schools.
PLQ Workplace is now home to 18 multinational corpo- On the employment front, PLQ previously partnered with
rations and leading Singapore organisations, including Workforce Singapore for a job fair, showcasing jobs at
UOB, Sabre Asia Pacific, Roche Singapore, Obayashi PLQ, bringing jobs closer to homes and enabling employ-
Singapore and Tokyo Electron Singapore. Lendlease’s ment and upskilling.
inaugural flexible workplace solution, csuites, which
combines the benefits of premier corpo-
rate offices with the advantages of shared
services and collaborative spaces offered
by co-working products, has received much
interest from the market, and is set to wel-
come German multinational pharmaceutical
and life sciences company, Bayer.
As the heart of a new lifestyle precinct and
the social heart of the Paya Lebar commu-
nity, PLQ offers a line-up of exciting retail
offerings.
Living up to its vision of one place, many mo-
ments, PLQ Mall also offers a multi-layered
experience for the community - from book
exchange spots, quirky photo booths, Insta-
gram-worthy backdrops, interactive activity/
play areas and a Cine-Mini installation.
“We set out with a mission to create one
of the best and most progressive places for
Singapore, with PLQ. Today, we are proud to
say that we have achieved this mission, with
the support from the community, tenants
and partners. Moving forward, our goal will
be to create a community fabric in the area
to bring everyone who lives, works and plays
here together”, said Mr Lombardo.
A range of initiatives and activities

At Lendlease, sustainability is about creating
the best places for people today and for gen-
erations to come. This vison will come to life
at PLQ which will centre its initiatives around
weaving a social fabric for the area, in addition
to the development’s environmental focus.
As part of its Community Development Plan,
PLQ has been actively engaging the commu-
nity from the start of the project in 2015,
including the conceptualisation of events and
activities to be held at 100,000 ft2 of green
public spaces in PLQ. The VIPs touring PLQ, at the official opening..

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
PUB completes drainage improvement works

for Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal
PUB, the national water agency, unveiled the newly that working spaces had to be carefully managed. The
expanded Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal on 13 final phase required the careful navigation of hilly terrain
September this year. and forested areas, as well as tougher than anticipated
ground conditions due to the discovery of hard granite in
It is a key drainage infrastructure project that some areas.
enhances flood protection in the upper Bukit Timah
catchment area. “This (canal upgrade) is probably PUB’s most challenging
drainage project ever, and one of the most costly. Its
The upgrading works involved the deepening and completion will significantly reduce the risk of flooding
widening of the canal and construction of additional for areas upstream of Sixth Avenue (and) provides some
tunnels, allowing it to take in 30 per cent more rainwater. added protection for the notoriously flood-prone Bukit
This will help alleviate the risk of flash floods along Bukit Timah corridor,” said PUB Chief Executive Ng Joo Hee.
Timah Road and Dunearn Road.
The entire project was carried out
over three phases starting from
September 2012, at a combined
cost of SGD 300 million. From an
open and shallow drain passing
through hilly terrain, forested areas
and private residential estates, the
canal has now been turned into a
major waterway that is now better-
equipped to deal with intense rainfall
events.
The Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal
serves a catchment size of around
1,000 hectares (roughly equivalent
to 1,450 football fields) consisting
of private residential housing,
educational institutes, shopping and
commercial buildings.
Upgraded section of the canal along Holland Green. Photo: PUB
Measuring 3.2 km from Bukit Timah
Road (near Sixth Avenue) to Clementi
Road, it was built in 1972 as part of
the Bukit Timah Flood Alleviation
Scheme to divert stormwater from
the upstream section of the Bukit
Timah Canal to Sungei Ulu Pandan.
Areas surrounding the undersized
Bukit Timah Canal had experienced
frequent flooding due to rapid
urbanisation.
Each of the project’s three phases
posed its own unique set of
challenges to PUB’s engineers and
appointed contractors. Phase 1, for
instance, required extensive road
diversions at Ulu Pandan Road and
frequent dialogue with stakeholders
to manage inconveniences.
For the second phase, the canal’s
proximity to private houses meant A newly excavated tunnel through Military Hill. Photo: PUB

November 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS
MIT researchers develop

battery-free sensor for underwater exploration
One of the currently-proposed ideas to inves-

tigate Earth’s vastly unexplored oceans is to
build a submerged network of interconnected
sensors that send data to the surface, akin to
an underwater Internet of Things.
To overcome the constant need to power
these deep underwater sensors, MIT re-
searchers have come up with a battery-free
underwater communication system that uses
near-zero power to transmit sensor data.
The system could be used to monitor sea tem-
peratures to study climate change and track
marine life over long periods, and even sample
waters on distant planets.
It makes use of two key phenomena: The
piezoelectric effect, which occurs when vibra-
tions in certain materials generate an electri-
A battery-free underwater “piezoelectric” sensor invented by MIT researchers transmits
cal charge, and backscatter, a communication data by absorbing or reflecting sound waves back to a receiver, where a reflected wave
technique commonly used in RFID tags, that decodes a 1 bit and an absorbed wave decodes a 0 bit — and simultaneously stores
transmits data by reflecting modulated wire- energy. Image courtesy of the researchers.
less signals off a tag and back to a reader.
In the researchers’ system, a transmitter sends For a 0 bit, when the transmitter sends its acoustic wave
acoustic waves through water toward a piezoelectric sensor at the node, the piezoelectric resonator absorbs the
that has stored data. When the wave hits the sensor, the wave and naturally deforms, and the energy harvester
material vibrates and stores the resulting electrical charge. stores a little charge from the resulting vibrations. The
receiver then sees no reflected signal and decodes a 0.
The sensor then either takes no action, or uses the
stored energy to reflect a wave back to a receiver, alter- However, when the sensor wants to send a 1 bit, the
nating the two states in a way that corresponds to the nature changes. When the transmitter sends a wave,
bits in the transmitted data: For a reflected wave, the the microcontroller uses the stored charge to send a
receiver decodes a 1; for no reflected wave, the receiver little voltage to the piezoelectric resonator. That voltage
decodes a 0. reorients the material’s structure in a way that stops it
“Once you have a way to transmit 1s and 0s, you can from deforming, and instead reflects the wave. Sensing a
send any information,” said Assistant Professor Fadel reflected wave, the receiver decodes a 1.
Adib of the Department of Electrical Engineering and The researchers demonstrated their Piezo-Acoustic Back-
Computer Science, who co-authored the research paper scatter System in an MIT pool, using it to collect water
documenting this project. temperature and pressure measurements. The system
“Basically, we can communicate with underwater sensors was able to transmit 3 kilobits per second of accurate
based solely on the incoming sound signals whose ener- data from two sensors simultaneously at a distance of 10
gy we are harvesting,” the founding director of the Signal meters between sensor and receiver.
Kinetics Research Group added. Applications go beyond our own planet. The system, said
Communicating with the sensors relies on preventing Prof Adib, could be used to collect data in the recently
the piezoelectric resonator from naturally deforming in discovered subsurface ocean on Saturn’s largest moon,
response to strain. Titan. In June, NASA announced the Dragonfly mission
to send a rover in 2026 to explore the moon, sampling
At the heart of the system is a submerged node, a circuit water reservoirs and other sites.
board that houses a piezoelectric resonator, an ener-
gy-harvesting unit, and a microcontroller. Any type of Next, the researchers aim to demonstrate that the sys-
sensor can be integrated into the node by programming tem can work at farther distances and communicate with
the microcontroller. An acoustic projector (transmitter) more sensors simultaneously. They are also looking to
and underwater listening device, called a hydrophone test whether the system can transmit sound and low-res-
(receiver), are placed some distance away. olution images.

November 2019
EVENTS
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020
and IFPE 2020 to highlight ‘Smart City’ and education
A 10 ft by 22 ft smart city replica will be on display at are grouped into tracks that will include the following
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 which will be held in Las subjects:
Vegas, USA, from 10 to 14 March 2020 and will demon- • Aggregates
strate how a smart city, through sensors and analytics,
• Asphalt
will be able to transform information into digestible data,
providing knowledge for the city to work smarter. The • Concrete
replica will showcase several scenarios including: • Cranes, rigging and aerial lifts
• Different city grids and how a city responds to heat, • Earthmoving and site development
wind and storms.
• Connectivity in the city, including 5G, sensors, telemat- CONEXPO-CON/AGG
ics and IOT. Held every three years, CONEXPO-CON/AGG is a lead-
• The construction jobsite of the future within the city ing event for construction industry professionals. The
and how equipment will communicate. show features the latest equipment, products, services
“Our goal for the Tech Experience in 2020 is to show and technologies for the construction industry, as well
contractors how all of these exciting new technologies as industry-leading education. CONEXPO-CON/AGG will
will impact their current work, how the expectations and cover developments in asphalt, aggregates, concrete,
demands of customers will change and how the current earthmoving, lifting, mining, utilities and related industry
state of infrastructure may change”, said Al Cevero, Se- segments.
nior Vice President, Construction, Mining & Utility, at the More information on CONEXPO-CON/AGG may be ob-
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). tained from www.conexpoconagg.com.
Expanded footprint and connected campus Association of Equipment Manufacturers

The show is expanding the 2020 footprint to include the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is the
Las Vegas Festival Grounds, located on the Las Vegas North American-based international trade group repre-
Strip adjacent to the Circus Circus Hotel. The types of senting off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers,
exhibits in the Festival Grounds will include aerial equip- with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200
ment and cranes, earth moving and hauling machines, product lines in the agriculture and construction-related
and equipment for underground construction. industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufac-
The 2020 show’s connected campus will include new and turing industry supports 1.3 million jobs in the US and
expanded transportation, including multi-site drop-off 149,000 more in Canada. Equipment manufacturers also
locations for shuttles, complimentary monorail passes, contribute USD 188 billion combined to the US and Cana-
golf cart shuttles, and various experiential transportation dian economies. AEM is celebrating its 125th anniversary
options for the benefit of the attendees, throughout the in 2019.
week.
“AEM is committed to bringing people
together at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, as the
show serves as a catalyst for industry
growth and development. We wanted
to make sure everyone can explore the
entire show and have the best possible
experience”, said Dana Wuesthoff, Vice
President of Exhibitions and Event Ser-
vices at AEM, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG
Show Director.
Expanded educational opportunities

In addition to the displays by 2800
exhibitors over 2.6 million ft2 of exhibit
space, 180 education sessions will be
held. The education sessions will feature
the latest topics and industry trends and An overview of the outdoor exhibits at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, the previous edition of the event.

November 2019
COVER STORY
Structural excellence
created through safe processes and solutions
Guoco Tower was a Winner of the Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Award 2018 at the
BCA AWARDS 2018, among many other accolades.
The 290 m tall Guoco Tower (formerly Tanjong Pagar

Centre) currently holds the title of Singapore’s tallest
building, breaking the record held for more than 20
years. Developed by GuocoLand Group, the 64-storey
skyscraper is strategically located in the heart of Tanjong
Pagar - an area earmarked for rejuvenation as Singa-
pore’s next business and lifestyle hub in the Central
Business District (CBD).
This vibrant, mixed-use development sprawls over an
area of more than 156,000 m2 comprising Grade-A
offices, residences, a business hotel, retail and sheltered
event spaces, and a 150,000 ft2 urban park. It sits on
a site bounded by a few small roads, the busy Tanjong
Pagar Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and historic
shophouses.
Opened in 2017, Guoco Tower is an exemplar of robust
and innovative engineering design solutions, brought to
life using buildable and safe construction techniques.
Robust design process

With its scale and location within a dense CBD environ-
ment (Figure 1), Guoco Tower is a showcase of structural
excellence that was implemented under a tight time
frame, and created within a constrained basement space
that is directly connected to the MRT.
To achieve the construction schedule and optimise base-
ment construction, the top-down construction approach The 290 m Guoco Tower soaring above the Singapore city skyline.
was adopted so that the erection of superstructures Image by Ying Yi Photography.
could be accelerated within a robust design of temporary
supports and sequence of works. This provided more time
The site was divided into four phases - two within the for basement construction,
restricted zones of the railway reserve lines. The other two given a thick pile raft slab,
were outside this zone and was split under Phases 1 and while the superstructures
2. The construction sequence required Phase 1 to be com- progressed upwards.
pleted with the office tower first, while Phase 2, where the Due to good progress
hotel tower sits, would serve as staging area during Phase on the office tower, the
1 construction. There was a central retaining wall between possibility of using a similar
the two phases for excavation works to be independent. construction sequence for
The retaining walls and foundation piles were already the basement of the office
completed during the advance piling package. tower was also studied. This
To achieve a more aggressive construction progress, the led to a proposed solution
conversion of the reinforced concrete (RC) members of converting the Level 2
to structural steel members at both the podium and podium to steelwork con-
the basement was proposed. The savings in self-weight struction due to a levelled
translated directly into more floors attainable by king- layout. The project team The mixed-used development
post capacity. The superstructures could then be con- also proposed a delay in includes offices, residences, hotel,
structed to 15 storeys and the corewall up to 18 storeys. casting pockets of Level 3 retail and sheltered event spaces.
and 4 to keep construction Image by Arup.

November 2019
COVER STORY
loads within kingpost capacity. In addition, extra bracing

was installed for some kingposts to reduce the effective
lengths by splaying to the soffit of the basement slab cast
above. In this way, the hotel tower’s podium structures
were advanced to Level 4 while constructing Basement 3
simultaneously.
Adopting a pile raft foundation

As the site is underlain by Jurong Formation, the project
team leveraged the strength of the good soil by adopting
a pile raft foundation. Given that the Tanjong Pagar MRT
Station is founded on a raft foundation, the base slab was
proposed to be kept at the same level as the MRT struc-
Figure 1: Guoco Tower is located within a dense CBD environment. ture, for ease of connectivity and to avoid over-stressing
the existing foundation. The design of the load transfer
sought to allow piles to take 70% of the total foundation
load while the soil takes the remaining 30%. This solution
saved 30% of the potential costs incurred, by mobilising
soil as foundation and cutting down on the amount of
piles needed to support the structure adequately and
economically. Self-compacting concrete was also used
to cast the 4 m raft continuously - in one operation, over
three days - raising safety and productivity, and enhanc-
ing buildability (Figure 3).
Design solutions that overcome complex building

geometry
For both the hotel and office towers, the inherent
behaviour of the building’s geometry is included on
opposite sloping faces, with changes in the slope on the
south side at Level 6, due to the retraction of the floor
Figure 2: Basement construction and top-down construction sequences. plate from above the MRT station (Figure 4).
Image by Arup. Due to the large amount of forces in the columns at
Level 6, floor beams were employed as ties to resist
tensile forces and transfer them to the corewall. Due
to the compatibility effect, significant tensile forces
were also found at Levels 5 and 7 floor structures,
which were similarly resisted by the steel beams and
post-tensioning beams, respectively. At Level 1, the
sloping columns are supported by vertical basement
columns, thus large horizontal forces were imposed at
this level which are then transferred to the corewall by
RC beams.
From Level 39, the counterbalancing weight from the
residential tower will shift the tower towards the north.
This complexity can be illustrated from the building’s
central corewall layout (Figure 4), which is larger below
Level 39, while reduced to half on the north side, at the
same level.
As sloping columns turn in opposite direction at Level 6,
it was expected that the floor structures, at 300 mm low-
er than the architectural finished level, will be subjected
to high tension due to the ‘kick-out’ forces (denoted as
‘T’ in Figure 5) at the four southern columns.
The kink occurs at the centre of the steel floor beams
which would serve as tying structures to resist these
forces.
Figure 3: Casting of Basement 3 raft slab in progress. Image by Arup. As these steel beams are resisting the tensile forces

November 2019
COVER STORY
solely before transferring them to the corewall, the floor

plates supported by these beams not only accounted for
these notional forces, but also prevent cracking. At the
connections where the change in direction of the column
occurs, embedded steel connectors were introduced to
direct the forces that come down from the RC column
above Level 6 to the steel columns and beams on Level 6.
The centre of the steel connector coincides with that of
the steel beam at Level 6. This nodal design is illustrated
in Figure 6, showing the angles of the sloping columns as
they change in direction.
As this is the most critical part of the building structures,
structural steelworks have been innovatively used to resist
these large ‘kick-out’ forces. Large steel plates with shear
studs were embedded in the corewall to ensure that the
‘kick-out’ horizontal forces were transferred to the core-
wall directly and effectively. The fabrication and erection
of the Level 6 steel tie beams and columns were also com-
pleted in accordance with the design intent and on time.
From the global analysis, the project team also found
that the levels above and below Level 6 would also be
subjected to tensile forces of a smaller magnitude. In
addition to full load at Level 6, Level 5 and Level 7 were
Figure 4 Deformation of corewall due to vertical loads. Image by Arup. also administered with a similar design approach, with
the floor beams, steel and post-tensioning members
strengthened to accommodate these residual forces.
At Level 1, where the sloping columns are supported on
vertical columns, the horizontal forces, as a result of the
directional change of forces, are supported by the Level 1
RC struts encasing the steel floor beams.
Using structural steel to address space constraints

To work around the challenge of space constraints in
the basement levels, the project team decided to adopt
the use of steel at the office podium and basement
structures. This ensured that, despite the challenging
construction conditions due to space constraints in the
Figure 5: Nodal design at steel connection. Image by Arup.
Figure 6: Column nodes and reinforced plates in the corewall at Level 6. Image by Arup.

November 2019
COVER STORY
Figure 7: Podium and basement view. Image by GuocoLand Group.
basement levels, the podium’s changing floor layout, and

critical structural elements at Levels 1 and 6 (Figure 7),
construction was sped up and not impeded, and produc-
tivity improved.
It is unusual to adopt structural steel at the basement
levels, as there are challenges such as of moving the ma-
terials to the basement and fire-rating requirements. To
overcome the challenge of transporting steel beams and
decking, two openings that were 12 m in length were
located near the corewall to allow the lowering of beams
to the respective basement levels. These openings were
considered in the excavation strategy and analysis for
top-down construction.
With regard to fire rating, the beams and slab decking
were protected for up to four hours’ exposure to fire. The
construction of the basement floors was neat, and the Figure 8: Levels 38-39 transfer floor structures. Image by Arup.
high-performance steel decking provided formwork for
the slab, without the need to prop below. As the slab was
workmanship and skilled workers with proper training
considered to support the retaining wall laterally at each
for fabrication and installation, resulting in an effective
basement level, adequate thickness is required for them
reduction of the total workload on site. As this steelwork
to perform as compression members.
was repetitive with simple connections, it lightened the
As steel structures are lighter, the saving in self-weight workflow, leading to an effective use of manpower.
at the basement and podium, as compared to conven-
tional RC structures, translated directly into additional Innovative transfer structures
floors that the kingposts can support during top-down
With residences occupying the spaces above Level 39,
construction. At the same time, the reduction in the total
Level 38 was designated as the mechanical floor. Given
loads on the foundation also created less impact on the
the different layout of the residential floors, transfer
adjoining Tanjong Pagar MRT station and surrounding
structures were required at Levels 38 and 39 (Figure 8).
heritage shophouses.
The project team proposed an innovative transfer and
The use of steel also ensured effective use of man- belt-truss system at the upper levels to achieve stability
power during fabrication, as it requires well-organised of the overall tower structure.

November 2019
COVER STORY
To speed up the construction progress of the residential

tower, the transfer floor and belt-truss construction had
to be completed first, and the original storey-high trans-
fer steel trusses at Levels 38 and 39 were converted to
transfer structures at Level 39.
These structures are made up of 1.2 m deep twin steel
beams with infilled RC beam at the location of the transfer
columns, such that both concrete and steel beams support-
ed the columns above. The steel beams serve to resist pri-
marily the huge shear forces. In this way, Level 38 adopted a
post-tensioning beam system for typical office floors, while
Level 39 could be constructed safely at that floor level. The
belt trusses were converted to RC walls and the construc-
Figure 9: Transfer twin steel beams with sandwiched RC beam. Image tion could proceed after completion of Level 39 but before
by Arup. Level 43 was completed (Figure 9).
With this innovative approach, the complicated and
time-consuming works at the transfer floors was con-
verted to floor by floor construction, so that the belt wall
system could be erected independently, while allowing
progress of the superstructures at the residential tower.
To reduce temporary supports for the erection of floor
structures at the office towers, steel decks forming
ribbed slabs were adopted (Figure 10). The 8 m long steel
deck spanned across the post-tensioned (PT) beams,
as the ribbed slab formwork was supported, in turn, by
temporary supports at the PT beams (Figure 11). The
permanent structures were formed after pouring con-
crete over the deck.
As the imported steel deck did not obtain the approval
Figure 10: Typical ribbed beam details. Image by Arup.
to be part of the permanent design, it served well as
temporary formwork for structures which are difficult
to form by the traditional method. It is uncommon for
projects in Singapore to utilise ribbed beams, given the
difficulty in procurement. The project team recognised
the benefits of ribbed beams as they do not require
scaffolding and free up space, improving the safety of the
work-place. The method also enhanced productivity.
It was also extremely challenging to install falsework and
scaffolding on Levels 38 and 39 to support the heavy
construction loads, owing to their heights. To circumvent
this, the project team adopted a composite transfer
structure consisting of twin I-section steel plate girders
and transfer RC beams. The concrete was poured in
Figure 11: Deep deck supported by PT beam supports. Image by Arup.
between the twin beams with steel decking as a tempo-
rary framework without propping. With this structural
system, it freed up the space for mechanical and elec-
trical needs on Level 38 - making the area safer and less
cluttered to work in.
Design analysis, checking and specification

As Guoco Tower is a super high-rise building, lateral
stability is an important design criterion to be considered
(Figure 12). Global analysis of the building was per-
formed using ETABS and non-linear analysis was carried
out to model the effect of construction sequence, P-delta
and long term effects.
As the total loads in the columns are large in magnitude,
Figure 12: Lateral behaviour of building due to gravity loads. Image by Arup. the columns at the lower floors were subjected to short-

November 2019
COVER STORY
ening which affected the floor construction. Due to the was recommended that a comprehensive wind tunnel
connection of the column to floor level as it progressed test be carried out.
upwards, in-place analysis of the building model was
The model for the wind tunnel test represented an area
considered to be a conservative approach. Non-linear
with a radius of about 500 m from the proposed site and
analysis of the building’s lateral stability was considered
included future developments adjacent to the site. Two
to be more accurate in predicting the internal stresses
separate tests were conducted and it was found that the
due to the construction sequence.
loading due to wind, obtained from the tests, was signifi-
At the office and residential tower, the southern face cantly higher than code-prescribed values (Figure 13).
slopes to Level 6 from the office roof, and the slope This is likely due to a few factors such as the presence of
changes to the opposite direction till Level 1, so that the adjacent buildings and proximity to the sea.
columns fall outside the first reserve line of the Railway
Protection Zone. At Level 39, the residential tower stands Design features for safe inspection and
on the northern half tower footprint. maintenance
The first feature would induce the building to sway Special markers at beam soffit were introduced to the
towards the south as the floors progressed upwards and post-tensioned beams in the office tower to highlight the
more loads were imposed. locations of tendons so that they are not damaged due to
future works. Easy identification during inspection would
On the other hand, the loads from the residential tower, be crucial to protect the tendons which are in tension.
being eccentric to the central core, would cause the
building to sway towards the north. Thus, the building All the roofs of the buildings were designed with main-
will start to shift to the south due to gravity loads as tainability in mind. This is especially important given the
the upper floors were built, while the sway switched requirement for flexibility in the use of the spaces. The ac-
direction when the residential tower construction cess walkways were integrated into the design of the roof
commenced. This behaviour of the building is crucial to crown and canopies, for regular maintenance services.
the serviceability state as both human comfort and lift
A telescopic boom on rail was proposed for maintenance
performance are affected. Sensitivity studies were car-
of the building façade at height. The support for this
ried out, including both linear and non-linear analysis, to
boom accounts for the forces imposed during operation.
ensure the critical behaviour and force were considered
and accounted for. Pre-setting of the corewall was also
prescribed, as a result of comprehensive analysis, based Multiple safety-first measures
on the team’s construction sequence. Multiple measures were put in place to review and eval-
uate the construction process to ensure safety during the
Enhancing structural safety and serviceability construction stage.
Due to the nature of super high-rise buildings, wind load During excavation of the three basements, in-soil instru-
is an important design parameter to be accounted for in ments such as inclinometers, vibrating wire piezometers,
the serviceability state. While the wind code prescribes water standpipes and ground settlement markers, and in-
a loading condition based on terrain, height and shape wall inclinometers were installed. These allowed ground
of the building, the actual site conditions may be more movement monitoring during the deep excavation,
influenced by proximity to other high-rise buildings. It against alert and work suspension levels, as prescribed.
Figure 13: Building movement and building performance when affected by winds. Image by Arup.

November 2019
COVER STORY
The basement of Guoco Tower directly connects to the Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Image by Ying Yi Photography.
A specialist took readings from the various monitoring closely followed comprehensive procedures outlined in
instruments and submitted daily reports. The results of the project execution plan for site works and clearly allo-
the readings were compared against the predicted move- cated the roles and responsibilities within the RSS team.
ment of the retaining wall and soil, and deviations from
prediction were highlighted. Deviations were reported The project team was committed to a high standard
to the design Qualified Person (QP) for re-analysis of the of safety as demonstrated by the involvement of the
excavation works and appropriate remedial measures QPs, QP supervisors and Project Manager in monthly
were carried out when necessary. The supervision team meetings with the RSS team to highlight any accidents,
monitored the progress of excavation to ensure that the suspected foul play and non-compliance. In a systematic
required struts/slabs were in place before further excava- manner, the list of non-conformance issues was moni-
tion was allowed. tored via an elaborate schedule.
Additional strain gauges and load cells were installed at Safety teams comprising Work Safety and Health Officers
column and wall locations of Basement 3, to monitor the and Safety Coordinators were deployed throughout the
load transmitted to the foundation during construction, site to ensure a safe working environment. Risk assess-
as well as after completion of building, and compare ments were carried out prior to commencement of work,
against predicted values. in accordance with Safe Work Procedures and Safety
Management Systems.
Monitoring of the MRT station and tracks was also carried
out, using real-time instruments which continuously re- Temporary design works were also carefully reviewed
turned the readings of the movements for checking against and endorsed by PEs, followed by strict and close super-
stringent displacement limits imposed by the authority. vision implemented throughout the entire construction
phase.
For the superstructures, verticality of the towers was
checked monthly and reported for every five storeys. The use of steel in construction safeguarded against
This was monitored, based on a designated hole on every environmental damage and facilitated easier erection
floor plate, and measured by laser beams. The measured compared to other construction methods.
lateral displacements were plotted onto a graph for com- As most of the steelworks at the podium and basement
parison with the predicted movement. were installed and erected during the day, there was
minimal impact to the neighbourhood during construc-
Construction safety and impact to surroundings tion. In addition, most of the steelworks were fabricat-
The construction site was ably managed by an experi- ed off-site, which helped to increase productivity and
enced resident site staff (RSS) team supervising a large ensured quality control.
competent team comprising Resident Engineers (REs) As the site is adjacent to existing buildings on all four
and Resident Technical Officers (RTOs). The RSS team sides, the construction method employed ensured safety
was responsible for reporting the safety risks on site and of the public. Catch platforms were installed at construc-
raised issues to the main contractor on a proactive and tion levels, and the use of steelworks along with deep
cooperative basis. decks and pre-formed formwork helped to avoid the
Inspectors were placed in the fabrication yards in both risk of falling objects - ultimately minimising risk to the
Tuas, Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia. This team surrounding public areas.

November 2019
COVER STORY
Guoco Tower’s City Room in the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood. Image by Ying Yi Photography.
LIST OF AWARDS WON PROJECT DATA

Award Presented by Project Date of Completion
Guoco Tower October 2017
Year in Infrastructure Bentley Systems
Awards 2019 (Winner) Category Cost
Commerical SGD 682 million
Land Transport Excellence Land Transport Authority
Award 2019 - Best Land (LTA) Location
Transport Integration Tanjong Pagar, Singapore
(Winner)
ULI Global Awards Urban Land Institute
for Excellence
(Winner) PROJECT CREDITS
IStructE Singapore IStructE Singapore Client
Structural Awards 2018 GuocoLand Group
– Supreme Award for
Structural Engineering Civil & Structural Engineering
Excellence (Winner) Arup
IStructE Singapore IStructE Singapore Qualified Persons
Structural Awards 2018 – Er. Chia Wah Kam
Award for Tall or Slender Er. Jason Tan Bok Leng
Structures (Winner)
Façade Engineering
BCA Design and Engineering Building and Construction Arup
Safety Excellence Award Authority (BCA)
2018 (Winner) Environmentally Sustainable Design
Arup
BIM Award 2015 Building and Construction
(Gold) Authority (BCA) Architects
Singapore Green Mark Building and Construction Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Award 2013 (Platinum) Authority (BCA) Architects 61
Structural Steel Excellence Singapore Structural Steel Contractor

Award 2016 (Merit) Society (SSSS) Samsung C&T Corporation

November 2019
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT & OPERATION
Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards

presented at ceremony and gala
The achievements of users of Bentley Systems’ software, in advancing design, construction and
operation of infrastructure throughout the world, received recognition.
Bentley Systems Incorporated, a leading global provid- Category: Digital Cities Award for Comprehensive
er of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud Roadway Digital Twins
services for advancing the design, construction, and
Winner: Shenzhen Highway Engineering Consultant
operations of infrastructure, held its Year in Infrastruc-
Co Ltd
ture 2019 Conference at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore,
from 21 to 24 October 2019. Project: Yangang East Interchange Project
The annual event brings together professionals from Location: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
many industries around the globe to share innovative
practices in infrastructure project design, engineering,
construction, and operations.
Category: Digital Cities Award for Comprehensive
Bentley Systems acknowledged nine Special Recog- Water Digital Twins
nition Awards winners and 18 Year in Infrastructure
Awards winners at a ceremony and gala, held on 24 Winner: Águas do Porto, EM
October, at the conclusion of the Year in Infrastructure Project: H2PORTO Technological Platform for the Inte-
2019 Conference. grated Management of Porto’s Urban Water Cycle
Twelve independent jury panels of industry experts Location: Porto, Portugal
selected 54 finalists from 571 nominations submitted by
more than 440 organisations, in more than 60 coun-
tries, that use software from Bentley Systems.
Category: Advancing Infrastructure Resilience through
Digital Twins
WINNERS OF YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 2019 Winner: Italferr SpA
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS Project: The New Polcevera Viaduct
Category: Advancing Urban Planning through Digital Location: Genova, Liguria, Italy
Twins
Winner: Civil Engineering and Development Depart-
ment, Hong Kong SAR Government and AECOM Category: Advancing Construction Industrialization
through Digital Twins
Project: The Town Plaza Urban Design Study for the
Establishment of the Kwu Tung North, New Develop- Winner: Heilongjiang Construction High-Tech Capital
ment Area Group Co Ltd
Project: Smart and Digital Application in Heilongjiang Con-
Location: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
struction Industry Modernization Demonstration Park
Location: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China
Category: Advancing Industrial Sustainability through
Digital Twins
Category: Advancing Economic Infrastructure through
Winner: MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorpo- Digital Twins
ration Ltd
Winner: CCCC Water Transportation Consultants Co Ltd
Project: Henan Jiyuan Iron & Steel, 80MW High-Tem- (WTC)
perature Ultrahigh-Pressure Gas Power Generation
Project: SAPT Automatic Container Yard and Housing
Energy-Saving Renovation Project
Project in Pakistan
Location: Jiyuan, Henan Province, China Location: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

November 2019
Category: Advancing Digital Workflows through Category: Digital Cities

Digital Twins
Winner: Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research
Winner: Mott MacDonald / Systra Designers working Institute Co, Changjiang Ecological Environmental
with Balfour Beatty / Vinci Joint Venture Protection Group Co
Project: High Speed Two (HS2) Sectors N1 and N2 Main
Project: Application of Digitalization in Jiujiang Smart
Works Civil Contract
Water Management Platform
Location: Birmingham, Country North Sectors, United
Kingdom Location: Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
Category: Bentley Institute Knowledge Advancement Category: Geotechnical Engineering

Advocate Award
Winner: ARUP Singapore Pte Ltd
Winner: Alison Watson, Chief Executive and Founder,
Class of Your Own Project: Tanjong Pagar Mixed Development
Location: Singapore
WINNERS OF YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 2019

AWARDS Category: Manufacturing
Winner: Hatch
Category: 4D Construction
Project: Sulfuric Acid Plant Project in the DRC
Winner: Mortenson, Clark - a Joint Venture
Location: Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Project: Chase Center and Warriors Mixed-use Office
and Retail Development
Location: San Francisco, California, United States Category: Mining and Offshore Engineering
Winner:Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research
Institute Co Ltd
Category: Bridges
Winner: PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk Project: China Three Gorges New Energy Dalian
Zhuanghe III (300MW) Offshore Wind Farm Project
Project: Design and Build Harbour Road 2 Project
Location: Dalian, Liaoning, China
Location: North Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
Category: Power Generation

Category: Buildings and Campuses
Winner: Voyants Solutions Winner: Hunan Hydro & Power Design Institute
Project: Detailed Design, Tendering and Project Man- Project: Hanjiang Yakou Shipping Hub Engineering
agement Services for Establishment of 12 IT/Hi-Tech Project
Parks in Bangladesh
Location: Yicheng, Hubei, China
Location: Bangladesh
Category: Project Delivery

Category: Communications and Utilities
Winner: South Carolina Department of Transportation
Winner: POWERCHINA Hubei Electric Engineering Co (SCDOT)
Ltd
Project: Technology Application in Miluo Western Project: Seamless Information Sharing and Integration
220kV Substation Project Across Multiple Platforms Using ProjectWise
Location: Miluo City, Hunan Province, China Location: Columbia, South Carolina, United States

November 2019
Category: Rail and Transit Category: Structural Engineering

Winner: Italferr SpA Winner: WSP
Project: AV/AC in Southern Italy, Napoli-Bari Route Project: WSP Delivers Optimized Design for Complex
Basement under Iconic Admiralty Arch
Location: Napoli-Bari, Campania-Puglia, Italy
Location: London, United Kingdom
Category: Reality Modeling

Category: Utilities and Industrial Asset Performance
Winner: MMC Gamuda KVMRT (T) Sdn Bhd
Winner: EPCOR Utilities
Project: Drone Surveying for BIM and GIS Data Capture
- Malaysian Metro Megaproject Project: Implementing Risk Based Asset Management
for Power Distribution
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Category: Road and Rail Asset Performance

Category: Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
Winner: Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd Winner: Jacobs Engineering Group and Singapore’s
National Water Agency, PUB
Project: Pan Borneo Highway
Project: Tuas Water Reclamation Plant
Location: Sarawak, Malaysia
Location: Singapore
Category: Roads and Highways

Category: Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Networks
Winner: Foth Infrastructure & Environment LLC Winner: Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, BAM Nuttall
Project: Foth Transforms, Connects, and Revitalizes Joint Venture
Cedar Falls, Iowa Corridor Project: Thames Tideway Tunnel
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States Location: London, United Kingdom
Winners of Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards. Image by Graham Carlow.

November 2019
Bentley Systems and Topcon

Positioning Systems launch joint-venture
Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Systems, a world we committed respectively to completing its software
leader in positioning technology for the survey and con- requirements. Indeed, our new software capabilities
struction industries, have announced that its new, jointly make possible construction digital twins - converging
owned company, Digital Construction Works, is open for digital context, digital components, and digital chronol-
business, with a full global staff of digital construction ogy. What remains, in going digital for infrastructure
experts from Bentley Systems and Topcon. construction, is for constructors’ people and processes
to take advantage of the technology. We and Topcon
Digital Construction Works provides digital automation,
have now in turn committed many of our best resources,
integration, and ‘twinning’ services around a portfolio
professionals experienced in both construction and soft-
of fit-for-purpose software and cloud services, from
ware, to serve shoulder-to-shoulder, in virtual hardhats,
Topcon, Bentley, and other software vendors, to realise
to innovatively advance the required digital integration.
the breakthrough potential of constructioneering, for
The Digital Construction Works joint-venture has the full
industrialising construction.
management and capital commitments of both our com-
The announcement, regarding the setting up of the panies, multiplying its unique strengths for helping to
joint-venture, was made at Bentley Systems’ Year In realise constructioneering’s potential to close the world’s
Infrastructure 2019 Conference in Singapore. infrastructure gap”.
Bentley Systems and Topcon joined forces in 2016, to Ray O’Connor, President and CEO of Topcon Positioning
jointly develop enhanced integration between their Systems, said, “What Topcon and Bentley Systems initi-
respective MAGNET and ProjectWise cloud services so ated in recent years was done in the spirit of changing
that engineering and construction workflows could be in- mindsets and processes on how we approach construc-
tegrated for improved project quality and performance. tion, and that collaboration has led to the development
Since then, Bentley and Topcon have continuously intro- of this joint-venture. The creation of Digital Construction
duced new ‘4D’ innovations in surveying, reality model- Works perfectly aligns with our focus of helping the
ling, scheduling and logistics, work packaging, machine industry succeed in meeting infrastructure demands
control, and progressive assurance for construction. In through technological innovations. Through the new or-
2017, they together opened Constructioneering Acade- ganisation, companies will have the opportunity to inte-
mies, including at Topcon’s ‘sandbox’ facilities globally, grate hardware and software capabilities to more quickly
for construction professionals to experience new digital and efficiently adopt new technology for more rapid
best practices, first-hand. During 2018, the companies as- productivity improvements. With customised services to
similated Bentley’s SYNCHRO and Topcon’s ClearEdge3D address the individual needs of an organisation, wide-
acquisitions into constructioneering offerings. spread adoption and technology improvements can be
more readily realised. We are excited to take this journey
Now, Digital Construction Works is chartered to embed with Bentley Systems in moving the industry forward”.
its experts within constructors’ major project teams to
advance and optimise constructioneering processes for
delivering better design-build outcomes. Through its
digital integration services, to connect and automate
constructors’ existing processes with constructioneering,
Digital Construction Works can make the projects better
while also helping to institutionalise these digital work-
flows throughout a constructor’s full project portfolio.
At the same time, experiences gained by Digital Con-
struction Works will help guide Bentley Systems and
Topcon in prioritising their constructioneering software
development investments.
Digital Construction Works is led by CEO Ted Lamboo,
previously Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
for Bentley Systems, and COO Jason Hallett, formerly
Vice President of Digital Construction and Business De-
velopment for Topcon.
Digital Construction Works provides digital automation, integration,
Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, said, “When we and ‘twinning’ services to help organisations realise the breakthrough
and Topcon recognised the opportunity for construc- potential of constructioneering, for industrialising construction. Image
tioneering to finally industrialise capital project delivery, by Digital Construction Works.

November 2019
Bentley Systems accelerates focus on infrastructure

engineering for digital cities
Bentley Systems has presented its new digital cities ture and Orbit GT to derive as-operated 3D models from
initiatives, applying digital twins for more efficient city photogrammetry (including from UAVs) and/or point
and regional operations and for more connected and clouds. Reality modelling provides engineering-precise,
resilient infrastructure. Digital twins converge assets’ real-world context to support planning, design, construc-
4D-surveyed and engineering representations to enable tion, and operations. Users of Bentley’s open applica-
new collaborative digital workflows to serving planners tions (OpenBuildings, OpenSite, OpenRoads, OpenRail
and engineers in public works, utilities, property man- and OpenUtilities) can leverage this digital context to
agement and development, and city stakeholders. Digital model new and improved buildings, roads, transit sys-
twin cloud services provide an intuitive and immersive tems, tunnels, bridges, utilities, and more.
4D environment converging digital context and digital
4D digital twins become a common and federating index
components with digital chronology for ‘evergreen’
for previously siloed information, without requiring
infrastructure digital twins over asset lifecycles. For infra-
source systems to change their existing environments or
structure professionals, Building Information Modelling
data formats. The foundation context for any digital twin
(BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are
includes reality meshes, terrain models, imagery, and GIS
effectively advanced through 4D digital twins.
sources. Engineering models (from any BIM software) of
Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems said, “Bentley buildings, streets, transit systems, utilities, and other city
Systems’ major technical thrust is the advancement of infrastructure, both surface and subsurface, are semanti-
digital twins across infrastructure domains. This finally cally aligned and geo-referenced to enhance the richness
opens up, for owners, their previously ‘dark’ engineering and relevance of digital twins over time.
technologies and data (ET), for federation with tradition-
Public works departments, property developers, utilities,
al information technology (IT) and newly connected op-
transportation agencies, and others now have access to
erating technologies (OT). Correspondingly, because the
a full and current contextual view of the built environ-
opportunities for benefits are so compelling, our major
ment. Engineering and architectural firms will be able
organisational initiative is our new digital cities product
to develop new services that contemplate updating and
advancement group. Our digital cities group’s charter is
managing digital assets over their lifecycles. And, cities
both to ramp up infrastructure engineering digital twins
will benefit from living and current digital twins of their
to full city scale and, at the same time, to help with going
infrastructure and surrounding environment.
digital through entry points for any engineering depart-
ment in any municipality”.
Sustainability and resilience digital twins
“At Bentley Systems, we have long and rich histories in,
respectively, GIS and BIM, for municipal infrastructure Cities can combine their surface and subsurface surveys
applications spanning CAPEX and OPEX”, said Robert and engineering data into cohesive 4D digital twins to
Mankowski, Vice President, Digital Cities, Bentley Sys- ensure, over time, their asset performance, resiliency, and
tems. sustainability. Using Bentley’s open simulation applica-
“Today, I believe we are the leading

innovator in reality modelling and in
geotechnical modelling and data man-
agement. With our new cloud-based
iTwin Services bringing this all togeth-
er, city and campus digital twins now
offer an immediate opportunity to help
cities and regions solve a wide range
of challenges and problems, enhancing
their infrastructure performance and
their constituents’ quality of life”, he
added.
INFRASTRUCTURE DIGITAL TWINS

FOR DIGITAL CITIES
City-scale digital twins begin with, and
are updated through, 4D surveying The City of Helsinki leveraged Bentley’s reality modelling software to generate a 3D
and reality modelling by ContextCap- representation of Helsinki as part of its smart city initiative, improving internal services and
processes. Image by City of Helsinki.

November 2019
tions during asset lifecycles, for example, as-constructed ness intelligence, converging IT (GIS) with OT (telemetry,
buildings can be evaluated for seismic resilience (using SCADA instrumentation, sensors) and ET (hydraulic sim-
STAAD); the evacuation of vehicles and people in stations, ulation). WaterOPS provides real-time operational deci-
stadiums, and other public places can be assessed and op- sion support, extending SCADA (Supervisory Control and
timised (LEGION and CUBE); the impact of flooding events Data Acquisition) to help users monitor, maintain, and
like hurricanes can be determined (OpenFlows FLOOD); forecast various hydraulics and water quality scenarios.
and the suitability of subsurface conditions for urban proj-
ects can be ensured (PLAXIS, SoilVision). City planning digital twins
Digital twins for cities have many stakeholders, includ-
Introducing OpenGround ing constituents not directly involved in engineering or
Bentley’s geotechnical engineering and analysis appli- infrastructure. Now hosted in Microsoft Azure, OpenCi-
cations empower subsurface digital twins, critical for ties Planner delivers cloud-based, city-scale digital twins
assessing and managing risks in infrastructure projects to improve stakeholder and citizen engagement and to
and assets. Subsurface digital twins entail modelling of simplify and facilitate urban development. Addressing a
the underground environment, including the geology, wide variety of potential use cases, OpenCities Planner
hydrology, chemistry, and engineering properties, made helps users, through devices like web, mobile, touch-
possible by Bentley’s geotechnical offerings (PLAXIS, screens, and digital billboards, to intuitively visualise
SoilVision, Keynetix and gINT). To further enable subsur- and explore 2D, 3D, GIS and other data aligned with the
face digital twins, Bentley has announced OpenGround, a reality modeling of the city.
new cloud service (available end-2019) to store, manage,
report, and share data about natural ground conditions. DIGITAL CO-VENTURES FOR DIGITAL CITIES
Cloud-based photogrammetry processing powered by
Water network digital twins Bentley’s ContextCapture is incorporated in Topcon
Building upon its deep experience with hydraulics and MAGNET Collage Web, a web-based service for publica-
hydrology software, Bentley is introducing OpenFlows tion, sharing, and analysis of reality capture data. The in-
WaterOPS for water and wastewater utility operators. trinsic Bentley ContextCapture Cloud Processing Service
OpenFlows WaterOPS provides water and wastewater enables operators to upload UAV imagery direct-to-web
utilities with real-time operational support, smart water without the need for high-end hardware requirements or
response planning, and optimised performance and busi- IT constraints.
Bentley Systems announces support of IFC for digital twins

Bentley Systems has joined buildingSMART iModels are specialised containers for infrastructure
International as a multinational member. information that are at the heart of Bentley’s digital twins
strategy for infrastructure engineering. iTwin Services now
buildingSMART International is a vendor-neutral enable iModels to export snapshots in IFC and treat IFC
and not-for-profit body that leads the development datasets as an input source, aligning their content for use
of open digital information flows across the built by Bentley’s design applications. Earlier in 2019, Bentley
asset industry. Its mission is to proactively support announced the availability on GitHub of version 1.0 of
industry participants who want to develop open iModel.js, an open source platform for digital twins.
standards for planning, design, procurement,
assembly and operation of buildings and Bhupinder Singh, Chief Product Officer, Bentley
infrastructure worldwide. Systems said, “Bentley is committed to supporting the
best implementation of IFC for digital twins. We are
It provides the international network plus the necessary committed to openness, and in fact we are making
technical and process support. Its members, who plans to open source iModel Bridge for IFC. The
range from across the built environment spectrum, combination of IFC support and open source principles
collaborate under the buildingSMART organisation. should give the community confidence that they can
buildingSMART is engaged with other international create and curate digital twins without being boxed in
standards bodies such as ISO, the European Committee by dark data”.
for Standardisation (CEN) and the Open Geospatial
Richard Petrie, CEO, buildingSMART International said,
Consortium (OGC). Its core Industry Foundation Class
“I am delighted that Bentley has joined buildingSMART
(IFC) standards achieved ISO approval in 2012.
International. As one of the major software vendors in
At the same time, Bentley announced the availability our field, Bentley plays a critical role in our community.
of iModel Bridge for IFC, a generic IFC bridge that The vision Bentley has for iModels and open source
enables Bentley’s iModels to consume IFC geometry offers the IFC community exciting new possibilities for
and business data. open interoperable ways of working with digital twins”.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
Achieving higher productivity

and output
A compact milling machine, equipped with new 1,800 mm milling drum assembly, mills the entire
road pavement along the main city corridor in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, for the implementation of a
new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
Milling prepares the ground for more mobility

The project in one of Mexico’s most important econom-
ic and industrial centres includes a new, exclusive hy-
draulic concrete BRT lane plus the rehabilitation of two
adjacent asphalt lanes. The project is expected to result
in better, faster mobility with improved transportation
security for city residents.
However, before being able to build the new lanes, mill-
ing contractor TATSA (Triturados Asfalticos de Torreón S
A de C V) faced the challenge of removing the complete
pavement at a maximum milling depth of 25 cm to 30
cm. With the W 150 CF, from Wirtgen, it was possible to
fulfil this task in one single pass but, depending on the The W 150 CF/W 150 CFi can tackle a wide array of different jobs. The
stretch requirement, TATSA was also performing milling milling machine is therefore especially suitable for large-scale projects in
confined spaces, such as on urban job sites, as in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.
of the layers in two or three passes.
“These roads are old and have been paved over many
times during several years without any milling work. In
some parts, the pavement is even above the sidewalk”,
explained Engineer Gisela Gutiérrez, Production Coordi-
nator at TATSA
W 150 CF meets project requirements

The entire project covers a length of 24.3 km and
includes the integration of 9.3 km of central confined
lanes in Torreón and 15 km of highway between Tor-
reón and Matamoros. The tender stipulated a single
milling machine that could work at several locations in
the city within the same day. Due to this requirement With the Flexible Cutter System, users can switch between milling
and the large-scale project in confined spaces, the con- drums with different working widths of 600 mm, 900 mm, 1,200 mm
tractor chose Wirtgen’s 150 CF with a 1,800 mm milling and 1,500 mm, simply and quickly. A new extension kit is now available,
drum assembly. With the extended drum, the powerful which extends the milling drum housing by 300 mm. Thanks to the
cold milling machine in the compact class is now even 1,800-mm milling drum assembly, customers can profit from a wider
range of applications that the W 150 CF/W 150 CFi can be used for.
more versatile and ideal for surface course rehabili-
tation on medium-to-large job sites. Furthermore, W
150 CF’s optimised machine transport weight, despite
its high engine power, spoke for itself. To maximise the
cost-effectiveness of milling operations, cold milling
machines need to be transported quickly from one site
to the next.
“Before participating in this tender, we talked to the
application experts from the Wirtgen Group dealer,
Construmac. And soon we were sure the W 150 CF
would be the best solution for this job. And so was the
ordering authority. After its arrival, the machine imme-
To maximise the cost-effectiveness of milling operations, cold milling
diately convinced us. In the meantime, we ordered a machines need to be transported quickly from one site to the next.
new unit for further projects in Mexico”, said Engineer Wirtgen’s most powerful compact milling machine therefore has an
Ruben Tinoco, Owner of TATSA. optimised machine transport weight despite its high engine power.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
Cost-efficient rehabilitation sensors - cable, hydraulic cylinder, ultrasonic and slope

Today, urban jobsites are required to be much more sensors or laser and sonic ski sensors as well as multiplex
dynamic and fast, causing minimal impact to the traffic systems - and can be extended as required. 3D levelling
as well as the routines of residents, workers and people is also possible with installed interfaces that are compati-
passing the area. So in Torreón, minimising the traffic ble with 3D systems from common manufacturers.
interruptions was an essential goal. In Torreón, TATSA used the multiplex system. In this sys-
According to Tinoco, the plan is similar to what he tem, three sensors on each side of the machine scan the
found out from jobsites in Europe. height. The automatic levelling system factors all three
measurements into its analysis so that the pre-set target
“In Finland, at 6 pm, a paving train with Wirtgen Group milling depth is met exactly, while ensuring that any
machines arrived in front of my hotel in Helsinki. The unevenness in the road surface is not copied.
next morning, when I got up, all the equipment was
gone and the road was perfectly paved. We want our “The work with Wirtgen’s LEVEL PRO PLUS and multiplex
jobs in Mexico to be done just as fast and efficient, with systems is intuitive and comfortable, and the milling
minimal impact on regular transit and in high quality”, results showed an evenly milled surface, true to line and
he said. level. This is a crucial factor when it comes to paving
the new surface courses and avoiding costly correction
measures in the form of asphalt levelling courses”, said
Cutting-edge levelling system Engineer Liborio Frias Estrada, Milling Jobsite Coordina-
To achieve optimum milling results, the W 150 CF offers tor for the BRT project in Torreón.
advanced features. These include one of Wirtgen‘s
core technologies - levelling. When the surface course Summary of advantages
is removed, the LEVEL PRO levelling system continual-
ly compares the actual milling depth with the present • For increased productivity and area performance
target milling depth. LEVEL PRO can work with different levels, the W 150 CF / W 150 CFi can be equipped with
1,800 mm-wide milling drums, by means of a housing
extension.
• Extension kits can be retrofitted on any W 150 CF / W
150 CFi
• The W 150 CF/W 150 CFi can tackle a wide array of
different jobs, ranging from partial road surface repairs
to the removal of entire road pavements.
• The W 150 CF / W 150 CFi with 1,800 mm milling drum
assembly is suited for surface layer restoration on me-
dium-to-large construction sites.
• Easy loading of milled material even in difficult con-
struction situations, thanks to extremely large con-
veyor slewing angles of 60° both to the left and to the
right.
One of the decisive factors in milling a surface true to line and level is • Quick construction site change, thanks to applica-
precision levelling. The complete integration of the LEVEL PRO PLUS tion-optimised machine transport weight and easy
levelling system into the machine’s control system permits a high transport.
degree of automation.
• High engine rated output.
Job site details

Total length of the project - 25.5 km
Length of inner city section - 9.3 km
Width of section - 12 m
Total area of section - 111,600 m²
Working parameters
Milling depth - 25 cm to 30 cm
Milling width - 1.8 m
Equipment used - Wirtgen W 150 CF compact
milling machine with
1.800 mm milling drum
Multiplex system with up to four ultrasonic sensors.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
Tennis centre design

combines tradition and modernity
Project-specific formwork solutions were required for the dome-shaped building.
Triangular recesses were taken into consideration for the thin reinforced concrete slab. With different heights of up to 11 m, these feature up to 120
circular openings, each with a diameter of 20 cm. They form a fine net which allows natural sunlight through the subsequently integrated glass blocks
in the interior of the tennis centre.
As part of the Kuwait University’s Student Activities mosaics made of limestone, triangular recesses were tak-
and Athletic Facilities Project (SAAF) in Al-Shadadiya, an en into consideration for the construction. The recesses
indoor tennis centre is being realised. The training centre have been positioned at different heights of up to 11 m
will provide athletes and students with an area of 7,100 m2, and have up to 120 circular openings with diameters of
in order to carry out their daily training activities. In 20 cm. These form a fine net that allows natural sun-
addition, the building also has three floors and space for light to pass through the subsequently integrated glass
around 2,000 spectators. Externally, the sports venue blocks, into the interior of the tennis centre. As a result,
impresses with its dome-shaped roof in the style of tradi- the sports venue with its diameter of over 80 m will be
tional Islamic architecture. illuminated in a unique way.
PERI planned and delivered a project-specific solution for
facilitating the efficient execution of the architecturally Customised design
sophisticated dome-shaped building. In order to fulfil the vision of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill,
the architects, Gulf Consultants, Kuwait University and
The SAAF is part of the new campus of Kuwait Univer-
construction company Societe d’Enterprise & de Gestion
sity, whose plans were developed back in 2004. Upon
(SEG Qatar) put their trust in the experience of PERI engi-
completion, the new campus will bring together all 16
neers, gained in the area of free-form formwork.
faculties of the university and its 40,000 students at one
central location over an area covering 600 hectares. A to- Engineers from the technical office of the PERI Group
tal of seven different colleges will be accommodated on in Germany designed the 3D building models as well
the area - from the College of Art and College of Business as 3D plans on the basis of the building plans. For
through to the College of Architecture. Furthermore, constructing the complex, curved reinforced concrete
students will have access to additional facilities such as walls with differently sized box-outs along with varying
the indoor tennis centre. wall thicknesses between 20 cm and 30 cm, custom-
ised 3D special formwork elements were used. In the
The facade of the 25 m high tennis centre was construct-
process, the statically load-bearing elements were
ed using eight concreting heights. For the later refine-
based on the VARIO GT 24 Girder Wall Formwork.
ment of the thin reinforced concrete slab with Trencadis
After site personnel had undergone comprehensive

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
For constructing the complex, curved reinforced concrete walls with

differently sized box-outs along with varying wall thicknesses, customised
As the shape of the curved walls repeats itself horizontally within a
3D special formwork elements were used. Image by PERI GmbH.
concreting height, it was possible to use the special formwork elements
multiple times. This reduced the production costs and also saved valuable
assembly time on the construction site. Image by PERI GmbH.
of other work activities such as the installation of the

precast spectator seats. As the shape of the curved walls
repeated itself horizontally within a concreting height,
it was possible to utilise the special formwork elements
multiple times. This meant that it has been possible to
use the same formwork elements up to four times, with
each concreting operation. This has reduced the con-
struction costs and also saved valuable assembly time on
the construction site.
Different geometries and loads

CNC-cut panels were prefabricated to suit the planned number of uses
and assembled on-site, in accordance with the PERI assembly plans. For the efficient realisation of the building´s shape, with
Image by PERI GmbH. its demanding architectural requirements, the PERI
formwork and shoring solutions were matched to each
other. Through the continuous system grid of 25 cm or 50
cm, as well as the possibility of combining with SRU Steel
Walers taken from the VARIOKIT Engineering Construc-
tion Kit, the PERI UP Flex Modular Scaffolding System, in
the form of a load-bearing structure, could be optimally
adapted to accommodate the different geometries and
loads of the free-form formwork. The shoring system was
also used as a safe and stable working platform for the
construction team.
On-site project support

PERI supervisors supported the construction team in
ensuring the efficient and safe handling of the PERI sys-
tems. A PERI Project Manager assisted the site manage-
PERI UP Flex served as support shoring for the free-form formwork and ment in facilitating strict adherence to the construction
provided safe working conditions as large-sized working platforms.
schedule and cost plan. He ensured the smooth flow of
Image by PERI GmbH.
all processes and work activities in the area of formwork
training under a PERI supervisor, assembly of the 3D and scaffolding technology - especially regarding the
formwork units and individual elements was carried delivery logistics. As a result, profitability of the project
out directly on the construction site, in accordance was ensured not only by the project-specific equipment
with the PERI assembly plans. but, in particular, also by the constant supervision and
adaptation of the material quantities on the jobsite.
Importantly, all those processes involved in the planning
Multiple use of the PERI formwork solutions and logistics along with the formwork assembly were
Logistical challenges faced by the contractor included the precisely tracked and timed by the PERI Project Manager,
tight space conditions, limited availability of crane times, and matched to the actual construction process, down to
as well as timing difficulties relating to management the last detail.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
Reimagining the Eiffel Tower Landscape

using BIM
Earlier this year, the City of Paris announced the winning proposal to redevelop the ‘grand site’.
Every year, 30 million people visit the Eiffel Tower, situat-

ed at the heart of Paris. Seven million choose to ascend
the monument for soaring views over the city. One of the
most iconic landmarks in the world, the site is a victim
of its popularity. Fundamental issues like over-crowding,
impaired accessibility, lack of services, and congested
gardens have impacted the experience of the Eiffel Tower
and its surroundings.
Through a major international competition, the City of
Paris invited proposals for redeveloping the Eiffel Tower’s
‘grand site’ - an area which includes some of Paris’ most
treasured landmarks including the Eiffel Tower itself, the
Champ de Mars, and the Trocadero Gardens across the
Digital model of the City of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the centre.
Seine River. Four teams were shortlisted from a list of 42 Images by Autodesk.
entries. The four teams were Gustafson Porter + Bow-
man and BIM Services, AL_A and Quatorze-ig, Agence ter At an event held in Paris’ City Hall in May 2019, Gus-
and Arcadis, and KOZ Architectes. tafson Porter + Bowman was named the winner of the
competition.
This competition sought designs that would respond
to the brief - discover, approach, visit - and deliver a The winning proposal, Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s OnE
landscape that aligns with the city’s vision for a resilient, scheme, envisions one readable landscape that reveals
inclusive and environmentally-oriented future. unity, continuity and diversity.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
Digital modelling of the site and designs ing and reduced potential errors. Thus, the members of
In 2018, Autodesk announced a partnership with the City the jury were able to virtually immerse themselves in
of Paris to use building information modelling (BIM) to the designs to visualise all the proposed developments
create a 3D model of the Tower’s grand site - all 2.4 km2 but also to feel and experience the future journey of
of it. Working with WSP and Gexpertise, Autodesk cre- visitors. We congratulate the City of Paris for their
ated the largest urban model of its kind, complete with commitment to this digital challenge, the winning team
buildings, roads and infrastructure, pedestrian zones and and all the finalists for adopting methods that illustrate
street crossings, urban furniture and green areas. The the future of architecture and construction industries”,
model was unveiled in May 2018, along with the names said Nicolas Mangon, VP Business & Marketing AEC at
of the four teams shortlisted in the competition. Autodesk.
Autodesk worked closely with the teams over the last By visualising the designs in 3D before they are built, the
year to help them visualise their designs, giving them ac- City of Paris anticipates a reduction in errors, greater
cess to a simplified version of the 3D model in Autodesk clarity and collaboration with the winning team, and
Infraworks, to use during the different stages of the an opportunity to involve the public in the process. The
process. Autodesk also held workshops to help the teams 3D models were also used by the jury panel during final
collaborate internally and understand the challenges of judging to better understand the four proposals in a
the existing site, as well as to define the working meth- common format and to experience the site changes like a
ods for the integration of the models. future visitor.
“Autodesk is proud to have supported the City of Paris The renovation of the Eiffel Tower area is expected to be
and the four selected teams for one year in this com- completed in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The
petitive dialogue around this large-scale project, unique makeover will not be just cosmetic. This revitalisation will
in the world. The use of an intelligent digital model, im- help the City of Paris address growing challenges related
mersive 3D visualisation tools and collaborative meth- to energy, greening, supply networks, mobility, logistics,
odologies have significantly accelerated decision-mak- waste management, security, and flooding.
Aerial view of the Eiffel Tower. Image by Gustafson Porter + Bowman.

November 2019
PROJECT APPLICATION
The OnE scheme

Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s OnE scheme proposes a OnE thus evokes the union of two historic landscape
unifying axis - celebrating the Eiffel Tower at the cen- typologies - classical French gardens characterised by
tre of a line that connects the Place du Trocadéro, the major axes that express power, and French picturesque
Palais de Chaillot, the Pont d’Iéna, the Champ de Mars gardens as places of artistic experimentation. In this
and the Ecole Militaire. Along this central green axis, a urban landscape, green routes and gardens reserved
series of reimagined landscapes interlock. At the Place for creative pursuits frame and soften the central axis.
du Trocadéro, an amphitheatre of greenery restores These ‘corridors’ and ‘glades’ introduce biodiversity,
space to pedestrians. A new and enlivened public space as well as areas for hosting temporary events such as
unfolds from the Varsovie Fountains towards the Pont musical performances and sculpture exhibitions. Thus,
d’Iéna. The bridge is reincarnated as a green promenade OnE compresses into one word the idea and ideal of a
towards the gardens of the Eiffel Tower. The forecourt of
unified space.
the Eiffel Tower caters to the crowds with additional ser-
vices and facilities discreetly hidden amongst the trees, Lastly, OnE embodies the international character of
and the raised lawns of the Champ de Mars protect and the site. It connects the site from West (Trocadéro) to
elevate the landscape. East (Joffre). Also, the Ouest-Est / OnE represents the
OnE also creates spaces of pleasure and contempla- interconnections on this site between the West and East
tion that punctuate the length of the site, and serve to of the world - one humanity, one planet. Therefore, OnE
prioritise the human scale. New perspectives are framed encapsulates a unified environmental approach towards
and staged, rebalancing the gravitational pull of the the future. The City of Paris and the OnE proposal repre-
Eiffel Tower and activating a sense of arrival throughout. sent the vanguard of instituting environmental resilience
The OnE proposal establishes a coherent and refined into an urban context.
hierarchy of uses across the site, improving pedestrian
accessibility and city circulation.
The Eiffel Tower Esplanade. Image by MIR.
Vision 2030 masterplan. Image by Gustafson Porter + Bowman. The Pont d’Iéna Bridge re-greened as a planted promenade. Image by MIR.

November 2019
A Study of Protective Features in

Singapore’s Buildings - Part 3 (Barriers and Drivers)
by Professor Low Sui Pheng and Clifford Yeo, Department of Building, National
University of Singapore
Buildings are increasingly targeted and are susceptible to acts of terrorism. There is, therefore, a
need to ramp up the terrorism-preparedness of Singapore’s built environment. The results of a
questionnaire survey conducted by the authors show a lack of implementation of protective features
in Singapore’s buildings despite its high perceived importance. In this last part of the three-part
series, the authors present the survey and interview findings which highlight the barriers and drivers
influencing the adoption of protective features in Singapore’s building projects.
BARRIERS TO INCORPORATING PROTECTIVE to implement protective features in the building design,

FEATURES as they might not see the imminent threat of terrorism
Having understood the various types of protective fea- and thus perceive it as unreal. In addition, Harre-Young,
tures available to mitigate the threat of terrorism and the Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012) further added that the
advantages of their early incorporation into the building perceptions and incidences of the various threats will
design, this study progresses to examine the barriers and continue to influence the decisions of developers to
drivers for building owners and consultants when imple- incorporate security measures.
menting such features. The institutional framework will Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2009) also argued
also be introduced to explain these barriers and drivers. that the absence of protective features in the building
A survey conducted by the National Counter Terrorism design could be attributed to the unavailability of best
Security Office in the UK established that only 8% of practices guidelines and research. The uncertainty of
planners and 24% of architects factored counter-ter- the project stakeholders on the effectiveness of these
rorism security in their building designs (Jon & Bosher, protective features has also raised doubts on whether
2008). In order to promote the practice of designing for they are worth the expense (Kitchen & Schneider, 2007),
protective buildings, it is useful to identify the different thus deterring their implementation. This was further
possible barriers to the incorporation of protective fea- supported by Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2009)
tures in buildings. who found that the lack of awareness concerning the
effectiveness of protective features could inhibit their
One of the main barriers to the incorporation of pro- implementation in buildings.
tective features in the building design is cost. Many
researchers have identified that the protective measures Another deterring factor for the incorporation of protec-
required to mitigate the threat of terrorism in buildings tive features in buildings was aesthetics. Harre-Young,
are often costly (Ettouney, Smilowitz & Rittenhouse, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2009) noted that developers
1996; Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass, 2009; Little, often consider the aesthetic consequences of imple-
2007; Norville & Conrath, 2006; Shanmugam, 2016). menting protective features. For instance, if the protec-
Similarly, Emmitt (2012) pointed out that by designing tive features were too obtrusive or unfriendly, building
buildings for anti-terrorism, projects will tend to incur owners would tend to refrain from incorporating protec-
higher initial and upfront costs. It was also acknowledged tive features in buildings. This was especially applicable
that by incorporating protective features, the operating for commercial buildings such as shopping malls, where
costs of the building will escalate (Shanmugam, 2016), the presence of protective features may dissuade visitors
hence possibly deterring their implementation. from entering the mall, thus negating the initial function
and purpose of the building.
In addition to the high costs required for incorporating
security, the lack of government funding could also be In addition to the barriers identified in existing literature,
another possible barrier that hinders building owners several other barriers to implementation were also critical-
from incorporating protective features in their buildings. ly identified by the authors specifically for the Singapore
context. From a peer perspective, the seemingly low level
The perceptions of terrorism by building owners and of implementation by other building developers could
designers could also be a possible hindrance to protec- also be one of the possible barriers discouraging owners
tive building design. Low, Liu & Sio (2010) found that and designers from incorporating protective features.
construction firms perceived the threat of terrorism to Furthermore, a result from the lack of implementation in
be hypothetical. This could possibly affect their decisions the industry was the inadequate experience of developers

November 2019
and designers in incorporating protective features in new In addition, contractual obligations may also promote
development projects. They may not have worked on any the practice of incorporating protective features. Fussey
past projects which require the implementation of securi- (2011) stated that the building owner’s duty of care
ty measures, thereby impeding them from doing so. The could be interpreted to also take into account acts of
lack of technical expertise among building designers, in terrorism. This could prompt developers and designers
the domain of security, may also impede the incorporation to adopt protective designs in their buildings to avoid
of protective features in buildings. claims arising from negligence.
In summary, the 14 barriers identified that may impede Another possible driver could be the presence of
the incorporation of protective features are: incentives. Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012)
• Not required under regulations and laws reported that decisions to implement protective features
in buildings were taken not only as a counter-terrorism
• Not required under contract measure but also due to their underlying incentives and
• Lack of government funding benefits. These incentives included enhanced property
• Insufficient support from upper management and and developer reputation, and reductions in risk. Rouse
stakeholders (2004) added that an increased value to businesses also
• Low level of implementation in the industry incentivises building owners to incorporate protective
features in buildings, which included value-adding factors
• High initial and upfront costs such as greater revenue generation opportunities and
• High operating costs competitive advantages (Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty &
• Perceive threat of terrorism as unreal and improbable Glass, 2012). White & Cochrane (2017) also agreed that
the incorporation of protective features may improve the
• Unavailability of best practices guidelines
development’s marketability and hence increase its sale
• Uncertainty of the effectiveness of protective features and lease value.
• Lack of awareness of the protective features available
Providing accreditation and recognition to developments
• Lack of technical expertise and advice that incorporate protective features in the design phase
• Lack of experience in previous projects of the project could be a motivating factor for develop-
• Aesthetic implications of protective features (obtrusive ers (White & Cochrane, 2017). For instance, the Building
and unfriendly) Security Accreditation scheme launched by the City
of London Crime Prevention Association (2014) pro-
vides recognition for buildings that devote resources to
DRIVERS TO INCORPORATING PROTECTIVE maintain and ensure security for its occupants. Similarly,
FEATURES the United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment
On the other hand, some researchers have also suggest- Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) also
ed drivers that spur building owners and consultants to awards credits to developments that factor in protective
incorporate protective features early in the developmen- features in the design of the building. By attaining such
tal process. Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012) recognition, developers may be more enticed to incor-
conducted a study on the various factors that affect porate protective features into the building design as it
the integration of security into the building design, and increases the property’s marketability.
found that regulations and local policies are the greatest
influencing factors. For instance, critical infrastructural The provision of government subsidies and funding for
projects in Singapore are required to undertake a securi- developers may also drive the practice of incorporating
ty review during the design process of the development, protective features in buildings. By providing funding
programmes to reduce the initial cost of implement-
thereby pushing for the early integration of building
ing protective features, building owners may be more
security in high-risk projects.
inclined to adopt such practices.
Correspondingly, Singapore introduced the Infrastructure
The driving force for incorporating protective features in
Protection Act in October 2017 (Yusof, 2017). The Act
buildings could also stem from the organisation’s stance
will require designated new building developments with
on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Organisations
a gross floor area exceeding 100,000 m2 to incorporate
with a strong company culture may recognise the threat
security measures in their design before construction
of terrorism as a social responsibility issue and hence,
begins. Similarly, selected existing buildings undergoing
embed protective features into their development proj-
major renovations will also be required to incorporate
ects to protect their occupants.
security measures in their plans. However, the Act does
not apply to every new project development. Instead, Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012) also found
the Minister will be given the authority to designate and that the support and commitment of the stakeholders
select the buildings that are required to comply with the involved in the project was another influencing factor for
Act, based on its symbolic significance, location, footfall the implementation of protective features in buildings. If
and other considerations. The Infrastructure Protection stakeholders provided their full support, greater amount
Act therefore provides a clear regulatory framework to of resources could be allocated to the incorporation of
fight terrorism by driving and mandating the incorpora- protective features. Normative pressures may also be
tion of security measures in buildings. a driver for the implementation of protective features

November 2019
in buildings. Building owners and consultants may be • Reduce security retrofitting costs
pressured by social norms and thereby follow industry • Developers are conscious of corporate social respon-
and competitors’ practices of incorporating protective sibility (CSR) and recognise the value of incorporating
features. protective features in their building design
In addition, building owners and consultants who are • Seen favorable results achieved by other building projects
aware of the effectiveness of protective features in
enhancing the security of the building against threats INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
of terrorism may be more inclined to implement them
(Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass, 2009). Having The institutional theory is increasingly being employed to
seen favourable results from past projects which have understand the construction industry, such as in the case
incorporated protective features, building owners and of ethics (Low, Gao, Che-Ani & Siah, 2014) and post-proj-
consultants may also change their understanding and ect reviews (Chin, Gao & Low, 2015). It is also appropri-
perceptions and thereby be encouraged to strive for a ate to use the institutional theory to better understand
protective building design. the behaviour relating to the incorporation of protective
features in buildings.
In summary, the identified 19 drivers that encourage the
incorporation of protective features are: The institutional theory analyses ‘the processes and
mechanisms by which structures, schemes, rules and rou-
• Regulations and laws tines become established as authoritative guidelines for
• To satisfy duty of care requirements social behavior’ (Scott, 2005, p 408). It also examines the
• Contractual obligations reasons for the existence of such systems, how they dif-
fuse, and the roles they perform in providing support and
• Government subsidies and funding programmes
purpose to social behaviour (Scott, 2005). Additionally,
• Accreditation for the development the institutional theory also questions how such ‘arrange-
• Support from upper management and stakeholders ments deteriorate and collapse, and how their remnants
• Following industry-standard practice shape successor structures’ (Scott, 2005, p 408).
• Following competitors’ practices Scott (2014) proposed the three pillars of institutional
• Encouraged by a professional body or an association theory to analyse social behaviour. The three pillars - reg-
ulative, normative and cultural-cognitive - identified by
• Enhance property’s reputation
Scott (2014), constitute the underlying pillars of support
• Enhance developer’s reputation and critical components of institutions. Table 1 illustrates
• Greater revenue generation opportunities the various attributes and characteristics of the three
• Increase competitiveness of company pillars as described by Scott (2014).
• Improve development’s marketability Having presented Scott’s (2014) institutional framework,
• Developer sees the importance of security and ac- the barriers and drivers identified earlier for incorporat-
knowledges the need to incorporate protective fea- ing protective features in buildings were mapped onto
tures for this particular project the three institutional pillars to provide an explanatory
framework for the empirical analysis of the study. The
• Aware of the effectiveness of protective features
mapping is shown in Table 2.
Regulative Normative Cultural-Cognitive
Basis of compliance Expedience Social obligation Taken-for-grantedness

Shared understanding
Basis of order Regulative rules Binding expectations Constitutive schema
Mechanisms Coercive Normative Mimetic
Logic Instrumentality Appropriateness Orthodoxy
Indicators Rules Certification Common beliefs

Laws Accreditation Shared logics of action
Sanctions Isomorphism
Affect Fear Guilt/Innocence Shame/Honour Certainty/Confusion
Basis of legitimacy Legally sanctioned Morally governed Comprehensible

Recognizable
Culturally supported
Table 1: Three Pillars of Institutions (Source: Scott, 2014, p 60).

November 2019
Regulative Pillar Normative Pillar Cultural-Cognitive Pillar
Barriers 1. Not required under 1. Insufficient support from 1. High initial and upfront costs
regulations and laws upper management and 2. High operating costs
2. Not required under stakeholders
3. Perceive threat of terrorism as unreal and
contract 2. Low level of improbable
3. Lack of government implementation in the
industry 4. Unavailability of best practices guidelines
funding
5. Uncertainty of the effectiveness of protective
features
6. Lack of awareness of the protective features
available
7. Lack of technical expertise and advice
8. Lack of experience in previous projects
9. Aesthetic implications of protective features
(obtrusive and unfriendly)
Drivers 1. Regulations and laws 1. Accreditation for the 1. Enhance property’s reputation
2. To satisfy duty of care development 2. Enhance developer’s reputation
requirements 2. Support from upper 3. Greater revenue generation opportunities
3. Contractual obligations management and
stakeholders 4. Increase competitiveness of company
4. Government 5. Improve development’s marketability
subsidies and funding 3. Following industry-
programmes standard practice 6. Developer sees the importance of security and
4. Following competitor’s acknowledges the need to incorporate protective
practice features for this particular project
5. Encouraged by a 7. Aware of the effectiveness of protective features
professional body or an 8. Reduce security retrofitting costs
association 9. Developers are conscious of corporate social
responsibility (CSR) and recognize the value of
incorporating protective features in their building
design
10. Seen favourable results achieved by other
building projects
Table 2: Barriers and Drivers categorized in Scott’s (2014) Institutional Framework.
SURVEY FINDINGS - DRIVERS lations and local policies were the driving factors for the
Based on the drivers identified above, respondents were implementation of protective features. Similarly, Hayhoe
asked to rate the level of importance of the drivers which (2015) also observed and agreed that existing building
influenced them to incorporate protective features in codes and regulations have to be reviewed and changed
their respective projects. In order to identify the signifi- to include measures to mitigate terrorist activities, indicat-
cant drivers and test if the institutional theory is applica- ing the considerable importance of regulations and laws in
ble, the one-sample t-test with a 95% confidence level influencing the implementation of protective features.
was conducted. The results are presented in Table 3, Since terrorism is a unique form of risk which has devas-
where the drivers were ranked according to the mean tating consequences and a low perceived probability in
scores within the institutional pillars. Singapore’s context, many building developers and consul-
While the respondents generally felt that all 19 identified tants do not perceive it as a critical issue to be addressed.
drivers were ‘fairly important’ to ‘very important’ Given the proactive stance of the Singapore government
(M = 2.85 to 4.36), the one-sample t-test results showed towards counter-terrorism efforts, this appears to have
that only 14 drivers had a one-tailed significance level of resulted in a complacent culture and mind-set within
less than 0.05, as indicated by the asterisks. This suggests building developers and consultants. Coupled with a
that these 14 driving factors indeed influenced them to profit-driven management which emphasises economic
incorporate protective features in their projects. The top performance, it is difficult for building developers and
two drivers within each of the three institutional pillars consultants to be convinced that there is a need to be
are analysed and discussed below. prepared against terrorism, without economic grounds.
Hence, having mandatory requirements such as laws and
Regulative pillar regulations would inevitably be the most significant driver
Within the regulative pillar, ‘Regulations and laws in pushing for implementation in Singapore’s context.
(M = 4.36)’ was recognised as the most significant driver This was further supported by the interviewees, where
in driving the implementation of protective features in Interviewee A emphasised the significance of having
buildings. This finding was consistent with the study by regulations and policies to drive the implementation of
Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012), in that regu- protective features in Singapore’s context:

November 2019
Drivers Mean SD Rank t Sig.

(2-tailed)
Regulative Pillar
Regulations and laws 4.36 0.843 1 10.073 0.000*
Contractual obligations 4.10 0.788 2 8.739 0.000*
To satisfy duty of care requirements 4.03 0.903 3 7.094 0.000*
Availability of government subsidies and funding 3.56 1.392 4 2.531 0.016*
programmes
Normative Pillar
Support from upper management and stakeholders 4.31 0.694 1 11.766 0.000*
Following industry-standard practice 4.05 0.857 2 7.662 0.000*
Accreditation for the development 3.44 1.252 3 2.174 0.036*
Encouraged by a professional body or an association 3.23 1.087 4 1.325 0.193
Following competitor’s practice 2.85 1.226 5 -0.784 0.438
Cultural-Cognitive Pillar
Aware of the effectiveness of protective features 3.87 0.864 1 6.302 0.000*
Developer sees the importance of security and 3.72 1.075 2 4.172 0.000*
acknowledges the need to incorporate protective
features for this particular project
Developers are conscious of corporate social 3.51 0.997 3 3.213 0.003*
responsibility (CSR) and recognize the value of
incorporating protective features in their building design
Enhance developer’s reputation 3.49 1.254 4 2.426 0.020*
Improve development’s marketability 3.49 1.275 5 2.387 0.022*
Increase competitiveness of company 3.41 1.272 6 2.015 0.051*
Reduce security retrofitting costs 3.36 1.203 7 1.864 0.070*
Enhance property’s reputation 3.33 1.305 8 1.596 0.119
Seen favourable results achieved by other building 3.23 1.266 9 1.138 0.262
projects
Greater revenue generation opportunities 3.23 1.441 10 1.000 0.324
Note: * p < 0.05 (one-tailed). These indicators were assessed using a Likert scale: 1 = “Least Important” to 5 = “Very Important”.
Table 3: One-sample t-test: Drivers for Incorporating Protective Features.
“The building industry in the private sector is basically we have to comply. No choice. Otherwise, we cannot get
driven by profits. If the profit is going to be reduced, approval and cannot build”.
when you do not need to reduce it because there is
Additionally, the respondents also felt that the presence
no legislation that requires it to be implemented, then
of ‘Contractual obligations (M = 4.10)’ requiring the im-
nobody is going to do it”.
plementation of protective features in buildings, would
Interviewee B also agreed with the importance of also influence them significantly. Contractual obligations
regulations in driving the implementation of protective are duties that each party is legally responsible for in
features in buildings by adding that: a contractual agreement, and the failure to fulfil the
contractual conditions would lead to a breach of con-
“If it is legislated and becomes a requirement, we have
tract which results in claims for damages. The possibility
to advise the owner that they have to comply. That will
of financial and legal penalties hence compel building
become part of the running cost, resulting in high op-
professionals to implement protective features, which
erating cost. If it is a mandatory requirement, then yes,
explains the high perceived importance of this driver.

November 2019
Normative pillar building professionals’ awareness towards their effective-

The most significant driver perceived by the respondents ness (Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass, 2009). This
within the normative pillar was the ‘Support from upper seems to suggest that building professionals in Singapore
management and stakeholders (M = 4.31)’. In the context are driven by their cognitive understanding and internali-
of the construction industry, project stakeholders such sation of beliefs when implementing protective features.
as the building developers decide on the project budget Likewise, Interviewee A validated that:
and requirements. The developer would then request for “If they are aware of the benefits of having protective
the implementation of specific features in the building by features, then they will implement it. But right now, most
conveying his requirements to the architect through the developers do not feel that there is a tangible benefit”.
design brief. Hence, it is not surprising that the support
from the stakeholders will influence the implementation This was followed by “Developer sees the importance
of protective features as they are the ones who have of security and acknowledges the need to incorporate
the authority to decide. Furthermore, this finding was protective features for this particular project (M = 3.72)”,
in agreement with Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass which was ranked as the second most important driver
(2012) who asserted that strong commitment by the within the cultural-cognitive pillar. This suggests that
project stakeholders would drive the implementation of the personal belief of the building developer towards
protective features in buildings. security plays an essential role in determining whether
protective features are being implemented. If developers
While the interviewees generally agreed that there are are aware of the terrorism threat and thereafter the im-
currently no building developers who would insist on portance of security, naturally, this would motivate them
having extensive security features unless it was required to incorporate protective features in future projects to
by legislation, they offered some insights into situations mitigate such threat. The result was also in line with the
where building developers would request for the imple- findings of Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012)
mentation of protective features. One situation would be who recognised that stakeholder understanding would
where the building developer wants to attract an anchor influence the protection of buildings and infrastructure.
tenant that is concerned with security and perceives the
threat of terrorism as a plausible issue. These anchor In addition to the top two drivers from each institution-
tenants are often multinational corporations (MNCs) al pillar, there were several other noteworthy findings.
with large assets and operations. Interviewee A ex- Firstly, although ‘Enhance property’s reputation’ was
plained that: identified as a significant driver in various research pa-
pers (Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass, 2012; Rouse,
“The only reason that developers will implement security 2004; White & Cochrane, 2017), this factor was not
features is if I know that my tenants perceive the security perceived to be integral in driving the implementation of
threat as a real issue. Then, I can tell them I got blast- protective features in Singapore as it was ranked eighth
proof walls so that anything you do inside is protected. among the 10 cultural-cognitive drivers. This appears to
I have got bollards around it so that people with explo- suggest that building professionals are less concerned
sive devices cannot drive up to the building, so you are about implementing protective features to improve the
protected and so on”. property’s reputation. Instead, building developers may
Similarly, Interviewee B also remarked that: be more concerned with the project’s quality to achieve
better customer satisfaction and thus, better property
“By providing this (ie protective features), you can have reputation and sales.
a multinational corporation to come in and occupy your
building because these are marketing strategies that can Secondly, a driver for the implementation of protective
attract multinational corporations”. features that was not identified in the literature was also
raised by an interviewee. Interviewee A shared that an-
The respondents also agreed that ‘Following indus- other possible driver for the incorporation of protective
try-standard practice (M = 4.05)’ was a key driver for features was its potential in reducing the building’s risk
the implementation of protective features within the and consequently, its insurance premiums:
normative pillar. As in the example of CCTVs, presented
“If an insurance company says that if your office operates
in Part 2 of this three-part series of articles, building pro-
in a protective building against certain type of threats,
fessionals are driven by industry norms when deciding to
then they will lower your insurance premium. This has
implement protective features in buildings. This validates
a major effect in places like the US or Europe, because
the finding that norms could guide and influence the per-
clients will come and say - Okay, I need this because it
ceptions of building professionals in Singapore towards
lowers my insurance premium by so many thousand dol-
the implementation of protective features.
lars a month, and I do not mind paying a little bit more in
Cultural-cognitive pillar rent if it brings down my premiums”.
The most significant driver perceived by the respondents
within the cultural-cognitive pillar was ‘Aware of the ef- SURVEY FINDINGS - BARRIERS
fectiveness of protective features (M = 3.87)’. This finding Similarly, the respondents were also asked to indicate
echoed the argument in the literature that the imple- the level of importance of the 14 barriers that would hin-
mentation of protective features could be driven by the der the incorporation of protective features in their men-

November 2019
tioned projects, using a 5-point Likert scale. A one-sam- be compelled to incorporate protective features as these
ple t-test was conducted on the data obtained to identify are perceived to be costly and do not yield any economic
the significant barriers. Table 4 shows their perceptions benefits for them.
towards the barriers which were ranked according to
their mean scores within the institutional pillars. This observation was further validated by Interviewee A
who agreed with the finding and suggested that:
As shown in Table 4, the respondents generally perceived
the barriers to be important as they had higher scores “If the profit is going to be reduced when you do not
than neutral (M = 3.08 to 3.82). Among the list of bar- need to reduce it because there is no legislation that re-
riers, the one-sample t-test results show that only nine quires it (ie protective features) to be implemented, then
barriers had a one-tailed significance level of below 0.05, nobody is going to do it”.
as indicated by the asterisks. This suggests that these Likewise, Interviewee C who represents a real estate
nine barriers indeed significantly hindered the respon- developer, agreed that there was a lack of regulations
dents to incorporate protective features in their projects. governing the implementation of protective features
The top two barriers within each institutional pillar are in buildings. He commented that even for the imple-
discussed below. mentation of basic protective features such as CCTVs in
the shopping malls that he manages, the decision was
Regulative pillar
primarily fuelled by the need to protect the interests of
‘Not required under regulations and laws (M = 3.56)’ the organisation and the safety of the visitors rather than
appears to be the most significant barrier to the imple- for security reasons. In addition, Interviewee C suggested
mentation of protective features within the regulative that more can be done by making it mandatory for all
pillar. This barrier is in agreement with the findings of new buildings to engage a security consultant to assess
Harre-Young, Bosher, Dainty & Glass (2012) that the lack the terrorism risk and thereafter, propose suitable and
of regulations in place is one of the key barriers to the appropriate protective measures to enhance the imple-
implementation of protective features. Coaffee & O’Hare mentation of these features in new building projects.
(2008) also recognised that in the absence of regula-
tions, most building developers and professionals would In addition, the respondents also perceived ‘Not required
ignore the pressure to implement protective features. under contract (M = 3.54)’ as the second most important
Without regulations in place, building owners may not barrier to implementing protective features in buildings.
Barriers Mean SD Rank t Sig.

(2-tailed)
Regulative Pillar
Not required under regulations and laws 3.56 1.046 1 3.367 0.002*
Not required under contract 3.54 1.189 2 2.829 0.007*
Lack of government funding 3.10 1.231 3 0.520 0.606
Normative Pillar
Insufficient support from upper management and 3.49 1.144 1 2.659 0.011*
stakeholders
Low level of implementation in the industry 3.08 1.085 2 0.443 0.661
Cultural-Cognitive Pillar
High initial and upfront costs 3.82 1.144 1 4.479 0.000*
High operating costs 3.82 1.073 2 4.776 0.000*
Unavailability of best practices guidelines 3.49 0.970 3 3.137 0.003*
Aesthetic implications of protective features 3.49 1.121 4 2.714 0.010*
(obtrusive and unfriendly)
Uncertainty of the effectiveness of protective features 3.44 1.095 5 2.485 0.017*
Perceive threat of terrorism as unreal and improbable 3.41 1.141 6 2.246 0.031*
Lack of experience in previous projects 3.28 1.099 7 1.603 0.117
Lack of technical expertise and advice 3.28 1.191 8 1.479 0.147
Lack of awareness of the protective features available 3.18 1.048 9 1.069 0.292
Note: * p < 0.05 (one-tailed). These indicators were assessed using a Likert scale: 1 = “Least Important” to 5 = “Very Important”.
Table 4: One-sample t-test: Barriers to Incorporating Protective Features.

November 2019
Similar to the lack of mandatory regulations, the lack “It all boils down to money. Because whether you are
of contractual obligations is not an unexpected finding building apartments, office building or a shopping centre,
because building professionals are not compelled to developers are building it as a business”.
incorporate protective features if the contract forms and
Similarly, when asked if high upfront and operating costs
design specifications did not require them to do so.
were the most significant barrier to incorporating protec-
Normative pillar tive features in buildings, Interviewee B agreed and said
that:
‘Insufficient support from upper management and
stakeholders (M = 3.49)’ seems to be the most significant “Yes. Anything you see in Singapore, it is all about cost.
barrier within the normative pillar. This seems to suggest Anything you want is costly because everything is im-
that senior management and stakeholders in Singapore’s ported. … If cost does not permit, we cannot do any-
built environment are less supportive of the decision to thing. If cost permits, we also want to make sure that our
implement protective features in buildings. The inter- building is safe”.
views suggest that the implementation of protective
features in buildings follows a top-down approach and It is therefore evident that the high initial and oper-
requires extensive commitment from upper manage- ating costs were perceived to be the most significant
ment. Hence, the lack of such leadership would hinder barriers to the implementation of protective features
the successful implementation of protective features, in buildings. While the implementation of protective
which explains the high importance of this barrier. features would inevitably increase the overall con-
struction cost, its potential benefits may outweigh its
The other noteworthy barrier within the normative cost, depending on the risk and likelihood of a terror-
pillar was ‘Low level of implementation in the industry’. ist attack. Stewart (2008) conducted a risk-cost-benefit
Among the list of 14 barriers identified, this barrier had analysis and concluded that expenditure on protective
the lowest mean score of 3.08, indicating that most features was indeed cost-effective for commercial
respondents felt that it was the least important barrier. buildings, that had greater damage consequences or
Furthermore, this barrier had a p-value of 0.661 which were facing a specific threat, to implement protective
was greater than 0.05. This suggests that there is insuffi- features. These barriers can thus be seen as a biased
cient evidence to conclude that the low level of imple- perception due to the difficulty in highlighting the
mentation of protective features in the industry was a probability of a terrorist attack occurring on their proj-
significant barrier. ects and demonstrating the benefits in implementing
protective features.
Cultural-cognitive pillar
The results show that the top two barriers within the cul-
tural-cognitive pillar were ‘High initial and upfront costs
CONCLUSION
(M = 3.82)’ and ‘High operating costs (M = 3.82)’. This This study adopts the institutional framework of Scott
suggests that building owners and design consultants in (2014) to map the identified barriers and drivers to the
the Singapore construction industry perceive cost as an three institutional pillars to explain the organisational
integral factor in hindering their adoption of protective behaviour towards the implementation of protective
features. This is not surprising as building developers are features in buildings. The key findings are as follows:
profit-driven organisations who aim to maximise their • The drivers within the regulative pillar influence build-
profits. The literature revealed that the main reason for ing professionals to incorporate protective features in
the poor implementation rates of protective features buildings. All the drivers within the regulative pillar were
among developers was the increased construction costs significant.
(Emmitt, 2012; Ettouney et al, 1996; Harre-Young, Bosh-
er, Dainty & Glass, 2009; Little, 2007; Norville & Con- • The drivers within the normative pillar influence building
rath, 2006). For example, using blast-proof materials to professionals to incorporate protective features in build-
construct a building could increase the overall construc- ings. Three out of five drivers within the normative pillar
tion costs by approximately 15% to 20% as compared to were significant.
conventional buildings (Lin & Cheong, 2016). Due to the • The drivers within the cultural-cognitive pillar influence
high costs incurred for constructing a protective building, building professionals to incorporate protective features
it is comprehensible that high initial and operating costs in buildings. Seven out of 10 drivers within the cultur-
were perceived as the top two barriers. Consequently,
al-cognitive pillar were significant.
there seems to be a common belief among the respon-
dents in the cultural-cognitive pillar that the cost of • The barriers within the regulative pillar hinder building
incorporating protective features in buildings is substan- professionals from incorporating protective features in
tially high. buildings. Two out of three barriers within the regulative
pillar were significant.
Furthermore, from the in-depth interviews conducted,
all three interviewees validated and agreed with the sur- • The barriers within the normative pillar hinder building
vey findings that cost is a strong barrier to the implemen- professionals from incorporating protective features in
tation of protective features. When asked if cost was the buildings. One out of two barriers within the normative
primary factor, Interviewee A said that: pillar was significant.

November 2019
• The barriers within the cultural-cognitive pillar hinder ences to inform them of the security threats faced by
building professionals from incorporating protective the built environment sector, in order to raise their
features in buildings. Six out of nine barriers within the awareness with regard to building security issues. Best
cultural-cognitive pillar were significant. practices and the different protective features available
for implementation in buildings can also be introduced
The one-sample t-test established that nine out of 14 to industry professionals. This can help to improve the
barriers were significant. The top two significant barriers implementation of protective features in buildings, fol-
from each institutional pillar are: lowing the identification that personal belief arising from
(1) Not required under regulations and laws the cultural-cognitive pillar is one of the key motivational
(2) Not required under contract factors. Likewise, this initiative can increase management
support and commitment, following its earlier identifica-
(3) Insufficient support from upper management and tion as a significant driver within the normative pillar.
stakeholders
(4) Low level of implementation in the industry Embracing smart security technologies
A key barrier identified in this study relates to the high
(5) High initial and upfront costs
upfront and initial costs of incorporating protective
(6) High operating costs features. The high upfront costs often arise from the
Among these barriers, the two highest rated barriers implementation of passive security features such as
were high initial costs and high operating costs, which bollards, blast-protected curtain walls and structural
both appeared to have the same mean scores. The inter- strengthening. Hence, in order to reduce the reliance
viewees also highlighted that cost was a major impeding on passive security features to reduce the capital costs
factor to the implementation of protective features. incurred, industry professionals can consider embracing
active security features such as smart security technol-
The one-sample t-test indicate that 14 out of 19 drivers ogies. These include artificial intelligence and analytic
were significant. The top two drivers from each institu- CCTVs with facial recognition functions that can monitor
tional pillar are: video feeds and identify high-risk situations.
(1) Regulations and laws
(2) Contractual obligations REFERENCES
Chin B W A, Gao S & Low S P (2015): ‘An Institutional Approach
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(5) Aware of the effectiveness of protective features City of London Crime Prevention Association (2014). Building
Security Accreditation, Retrieved August 29, 2017, from http://
(6) Developer sees the importance of security and www.cityoflondoncpa.org.uk/bsa/
acknowledges the need to incorporate protective Coaffee J & O’Hare P (2008): ‘Urban resilience and national
features for this particular project. security: the role for planning’, Proceedings of the Institution of
Among these drivers, the two highest-rated drivers in Civil Engineers - Urban Design and Planning (pp 173-182), ICE
influencing the implementation of protective features Publishing.
are mandatory regulations and the support from higher Emmitt S (2012): Architectural Technology (2nd ed), West Sus-
management. This was also highlighted extensively by sex, UK, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
the interviewees. Ettouney M, Smilowitz R & Rittenhouse T (1996): ‘Blast Resis-
tant Design of Commercial Buildings’, Practice Periodical on
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Structural Design and Construction, 1(1), 31-39.
sion of this study:
Fussey P (2011): ‘Deterring terrorism? Target-hardening,
Mandatory risk assessment for terrorism threats surveillance and the prevention of terrorism’, A Sike (Ed), The
While the government has recently introduced the Infra- Psychology of Counter-Terrorism (pp 164-185), Abingdon, UK,
structure Protection Act to mandate selected buildings to Routledge.
implement protective features to enhance building security, Harre-Young S, Bosher L, Dainty A & Glass J (2009): ‘The impli-
the government can also consider mandating building de- cations of the UK’s counterterrorism strategy on the construc-
velopers to engage security professionals and consultants to tion sector’, A Dainty (Ed), 25th Annual ARCOM Conference
assess the terrorism risk of every building prior to its design (pp 1285-94), Nottingham, UK, Association of Researchers in
development. This ensures that the developer is aware of Construction Management.
the security risks involved and provides him with a better Harre-Young S, Bosher L, Dainty A & Glass J (2012): ‘Incorporat-
understanding of the appropriate mitigation measures that ing security measures into the built environment, S Smith (Ed),
can be introduced proportionately. 28th Annual ARCOM Conference (pp 1187-1196), Edinburgh,
UK, Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
Engaging the industry Hayhoe J (2015): ‘Designing Super-Tall Buildings for Increased Re-
Apart from a regulatory framework, local agencies such silience: New Measures and Cost Considerations’, H Robinson, B
as Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Singapore Police Symonds, B Gilbertson & B Ilozor (Eds), Design Economics for the
Force (SPF) can also consider engaging the developers Built Environment: Impact of Sustainability on Project Evaluation
and building designers through seminars and confer- (pp 284-298), West Sussex, UK, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Jon C & Bosher L S (2008): ‘Integrating counter-terrorist resil- Rouse J (2004): ‘Measuring value or only cost: The need for
ience into sustainability’, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil new valuation methods’, S Macmillian (Ed), Designing Better
Engineers Urban Design and Planning, 161(DP2), 75-83. Buildings: Quality and Value in the Built Environment (pp 55-
Kitchen T & Schneider R H (2007): Crime Prevention and the 71), London, UK, Spon Press.
Built Environment New York, N Y, USA, Routledge. Scott W R (2005): ‘Institutional Theory’, Encyclopedia of Social
Lin Y & Cheong D (2016): ‘Boosting anti-terror features of build- Theory (pp 409-414), Sage Publications Inc.
ings: Singapore government reviews security guidelines’, 4 April Scott W R (2014): Institutions and Organizations: Ideas, Inter-
2016, The Straits Times. ests and Identities (4th ed), Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, Sage
Little R G (2007): ‘Cost-effective strategies to address urban Publications Inc.
terrorism: A risk management approach’, H W Richardson, P Shanmugam K (2016): ‘Enhancing Singapore’s responses to
Gordon & J E Moore II (Eds), The Economic Costs and Conse- terrorism’, Keynote Address, The Home Team Leaders’ Forum,
quences of Terrorism (pp 98-115), Cheltenham, UK, Edward 19 March 2016, Singapore: Ministry of Home Affairs.
Elgar Publishing Limited. Stewart M G (2008): ‘Cost-effectiveness of risk mitigation strat-
Low S P, Gao S, Che-Ani A I. & Siah C (2014): ‘Institutional egies for protection of buildings against terrorist attack’, Journal
Framework for Understanding Ethics in Construction Firms’, of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 22(2), 115-120.
International Surveying Research Journal, 4(1), 1-20. White S & Cochrane D (2017): ‘Improving security through the
Low S P, Liu J & Sio S (2010): ‘Business continuity management in design process’, Construction Manager Magazine, Retrieved
large construction companies in Singapore’, Disaster Prevention August 19, 2017, from http://www.constructionmanagermaga-
and Management: An International Journal, 19(2), 219-232. zine.com/management/building-security-design-process/
Norville H S & Conrath E J (2006): ‘Blast-Resistant Glazing De- Yusof Z M (2017): ‘Industry welcomes new law to protect build-
sign’, Journal of Architectural Engineering, 12(3), 129-136. ings against attacks’, 5 October 2017, The Straits Times.
Fewer fatalities but more non-fatal injuries in first half of 2019

There were 17 workplace fatalities in 1H 2019, fewer and major injuries in 1H 2019, while the Manufacturing
than the 23 in 2H 2018 and 18 in 1H 2018. However, the Industry contributed 66 cases. In the Transportation and
number of non-fatal workplace injuries increased by 8%, Storage industry, fatal and major injuries rose from 22 in
from 6,073 cases in 1H 2018 to 6,561 cases in 1H 2019. 1H 2018 to 35 in 1H 2019.
Also, more major injuries are seen in the lower-risk
Fatal injuries industries of Accommodation and Food Services, Whole-
Falls from height remained a key concern, with four sale and Retail Trade and Professional Services.
fatalities in 1H 2019. This was one fatality more than in
1H 2018. Two falls from height occurred in the Construc- Dangerous Occurrences
tion Industry. Fatalities due to the collapse or failure of
structure and equipment increased from one case in 1H The number of Dangerous Occurrences (DOs) fell from
2018 to three cases in 1H 2019, while vehicular-related 10 cases in 1H 2018 to eight in 1H 2019. Five were due
fatalities remained at four cases in both 1H 2018 and 1H to collapse or failure of structures and equipment, while
2019. Regarding the fatalities due to the collapse or fail- the other three were due to fires and explosions. The
ure of structure and equipment, two were due to crane Construction Industry remained the top contributor for
failures and one was due to a collapse of a floor slab. the DOs (four cases).
Major and minor injuries Engagement and enforcement

Slips, trips and falls (STF) remained as the top cause of The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will sustain its in-
both major and minor injuries. While major injuries aris- spections, targeting workplaces more prone to fatal and
ing from STF decreased from 111 in 1H 2018 to 87 in 1H major injuries.
2019, STF-related minor injuries increased by 8%, from To raise industry capabilities to better manage Workplace
1,630 in 1H 2018 to 1,757 in 1H 2019. Although STF ac- Safety and Health (WSH) risks, the WSH Council will be
cidents can happen anywhere, simple control measures providing WSH consultancy services to approximately
such as proper housekeeping can help to prevent STF. 1,200 companies with major injury records in the past
Machinery-related incidents is the second most common three years. This will be complemented by sustained
cause of major and minor injuries. Machinery-related engagements through a series of campaigns and forums
major injuries rose from 35 cases in 1H 2018 to 41 cases in to raise public awareness on these risks.
1H 2019. Similarly, machinery-related minor-injuries spiked To address the rising number of non-fatal injuries, MOM
from 956 cases in 1H 2018 to 1,066 cases in 1H 2019. is in the midst of implementing the recommendations
of the WSH2028 Tripartite Strategies Committee to align
Injuries within different industries WSH outcomes more closely to commercial interest and
cultivate safety awareness among a more diverse range
The Construction Industry contributed 67 cases of fatal of industries.

November 2019
IES UPDATE
Engineering contributions recognised

and new initiatives launched at
IES 53rd
Annual Dinner
On 10 October 2019, IES hosted its 53rd Annual Din-
ner, themed ‘Engineering a Sustainable Singapore’, at
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat graced the occasion
as the guest-of-honour.
The dinner kicked off with members of the Young Engi-
neers and WiSER Committees pulling off some wicked
dance moves on stage with an energetic three-minute
performance.
“Who said engineers were boring?” remarked IES
President Prof Yeoh Lean Weng in his welcome address,
applauding their show and appreciating them for putting The IES-YEC and WiSER Committees put up a high-tempo dance
it together within a short period of time. performance during the dinner.
Noting that engineers could also be versatile, he pointed
out that the emcee for the evening was an engineer with
Er. Tan Ee Ping received the prestigious 2019 IES Lifetime
SMRT, and spoke of their value in other fields. He then pro-
Engineering Achievement Award for his accomplishments
ceeded to give a preview of the evening’s activities through
that have made profound impact on the engineering
a humorous speech that was well-received by the guests.
industry and community, and brought honours to Singa-
The first of the many awards that were given out during pore on the world stage. Over his 55-year career, he has
the dinner was the IES Distinguished Honorary Patron ti- contributed extensively to Singapore’s built environment
tle. This was conferred upon DPM Heng, in recognition of and economic growth.
his central role in shaping the advancement of engineer-
IES also presented the inaugural IES Outstanding Part-
ing in Singapore.
ner Award that recognises and honours outstanding
This year, Mr Ng Chee Meng, Minister in the Prime Minis- organisations which have contributed significantly to
ter’s Office and Secretary-General of NTUC was conferred IES and the engineering community. This went to the
the title of IES Honorary Fellow. This was to recognise Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), for its
his outstanding contributions in shaping engineering longstanding commitment in partnering IES to promote
education and developing engineering leaders to support engineering excellence and its impact on the practice of
Singapore’s future growth. engineering here.

November 2019
The Railway Systems Handbook, a resource tool for
rail engineering professionals and students, was also
launched in conjunction with this initiative.
To support engineers in their technopreneurship
journey, the IES Incubator and Accelerator (IES-INCA)
programme was also launched.
Set up by engineers for engineers, IES-INCA will sup-
port engineers in developing ground-breaking tech-
nologies via mentoring, leadership training, business
planning and start-up funding.
It will incubate technology enterprises in the scale-up
DPM Heng receives the IES Distinguished Honorary Patron plaque stage, particularly those developing infrastructure,
from Prof Yeoh. IoT, robotics, automation, cleantech and sustainability
technologies.
Lastly, an MOU was also signed between IES-INCA
Other awards presented at the dinner are the IES/ and the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants
IEEE Joint Medal of Excellence Award 2019 and the (ISCA) to mark their partnership in providing engineers
IES-Yayasan MENDAKI Scholarships. The Medal was with business-management mentorship from profes-
presented to Er. Lee Chuan Seng for his long-term, sional accountants.
multi-faceted contributions to Singapore’s sustainable
development and shaping the growth of the engineer-
ing profession, while the scholarships went to Mr Wan
Muhammad Ismail bin Wan Mahmood (Temasek Poly-
technic) and Mr Shiek Abdullah Abdul Arshath (NUS),
for achieving excellent academic results.
Launch of new initiatives

At the dinner, Mr Ng witnessed the launch of the Sin-
gapore Rail Standards Initiative. This initiative aims to
develop a comprehensive set of standards on railway
systems covering operations, and asset maintenance
to enhance system reliability and productivity.
A collaboration between LTA, SMRT, SBS Transit, Enter-
prise Singapore (ESG) and IES, it will be spearheaded
by a new Technical Committee to be set up under the
Singapore Standards Council, overseen by ESG.
During the dinner, IES also launched its Incubator and Accelerator (IES-INCA; above) and the Singapore Rail Standards Initiative. These will
assist engineers in their technopreneurship journey and further railway standards respectively.

November 2019
IES UPDATE
IES Student Chapters partner up with Science Centre FOR
Engineering
Discovery
Camp 2019
This year, the Engineering Dis-
covery Camp was a collaboration
among Science Centre Singapore
and three student chapters from
NTU, NUS and SUTD.
Held on 1, 17 and 22 June 2019,
the workshops held during the
camps exposed lower second-
ary school students to various
engineering disciplines through
hands-on activities.
NTU, NUS and SUTD introduced
civil engineering, chemical and
mechanical engineering, and
computer engineering plus pro-
gramming respectively. A total of Participants of the Engineering Discovery Camp session conducted by IES-NTU showing off their
57 students participated in the projects
camp.
The first session on 1 June began with a Seismic
Design workshop for the participants. The students
understood more about earthquakes from Kok Khuen,
the president of the NTU student chapter.
He demonstrated the importance of piling through a
simple experiment with tofu and toothpicks. After-
wards, each group of participants were given a certain
number of tokens to exchange for materials to con-
struct a seismic model, which was then subjected to a
four-level intensity seismic generator for load testing.
At the next workshop, the activity that the IES-NUS
student chapter came up with was to create a system
Intense discussion going on during the IES-NUS student chapter
to model a dilution process for paintball production. workshop.
It was well-received, with participants actively en-
gaged in making use of the given resources to produce
their own unique systems. They then showed off the
“fruits” of their labour by firing them at targets.
Last but not least, IES-SUTD conducted a workshop
using the Micro:bit processor. The student partici-
pants picked up computational thinking and basic
coding syntax using the micro:bit. At the end of the
workshop, they learnt how to put together motors,
wheels, and vehicle bodies together to create their
own working micro:bit-controlled car.
It was a fruitful experience for both the participants as Mr Mervyn Sirisena, Vice-President of IES, shared some of his
well as the IES Student Chapters. wisdom with the participants of the IES-SUTD chapter workshop.

November 2019
IES UPDATE
IES-YOUNG ENGINEERS COMMITTEE TALK:
THE ENGINEERING
MINDS
On 28 September 2019, the IES-Young Engineers Noting that there was no ‘fixed’ method to the analysis,
Committee (YEC) invited IES President Professor Yeoh Prof Yeoh mentioned that modular systems thinking
Lean Weng to share more about “The Engineering would vary with context. By recognising the links
Minds”. This is one of the Professional Development between modules and how they work, do not work, or
Talks that IES-YEC organises for the community, with could potentially work, one can draw useful outcomes.
more in the pipeline. With an analytical engineering mind that possesses
The talk attracted over 40 engineers, both young and system-based problem solving skills, an engineer would
experienced, from various engineering disciplines, as not only excel in engineering, but also in other fields.
well as engineering students from various IES Student For example, when it comes to business transformation,
Chapters in polytechnics and universities. there are many decisions to be made and being able to
see the strategic picture and assess the various factors
Prof Yeoh was invited to share more about systems would help one formulate more effective action plans.
engineering and his experiences in the industry. As
director of urban solutions and sustainability at the The talk ended with an engaging Q&A session. The
National Research Foundation, he is responsible candid exchange of opinions between all participants,
for strengthening Singapore’s R&D capabilities and whose perspectives were shaped by their education
fostering innovation to meet the nation’s long-term and experiences, made it a valuable learning journey
energy, water and environmental challenges. for all.
According to him, engineers

think in systems, which is more
than just being systematic. It
is about the understanding
that in the ebb and flow of life,
everything is ever-changing but
linked together.
He introduced the systems
thinking framework, which
was a systemic and systematic
approach of analysing diverse
elements of a complex problem
as integrated components of
a coherent system. Thus, the
analysis of relationships among
the modules of a system would
be more accurate when done as
a whole, not just examining its Prof Yeoh sheds some light on systems engineering with the audience.
constituent parts.
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Building and Construction Authority ––––––––––– Page 01 IES Membership –––––––––––––––––– Inside Back Cover
Cementaid (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd –––––––––––––––––––– Page 05 IES Railway Systems Handbook ––––––––––––––– Page 13
IES Chartered Engineer –––––––––––– Inside Front Cover MultiNine Corporation Pte Ltd ––––––– Outside Back Cover

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

We constantly shape the landscape to

Find out more about our career

Lim Yong Xian

02 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 03

Aurecon completes South-East Asia’s

Aurecon appoints new Client Director

04 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

JTC and Singapore Polytechnic come together

To build a pipeline of skilled talent for the advanced

IPAF announces the appointment

06 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

LTA awards contract

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 07

Paya Lebar Quarter becomes

08 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

A range of initiatives and activities

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 09

PUB completes drainage improvement works

10 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

MIT researchers develop

One of the currently-proposed ideas to inves-

12 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

Expanded footprint and connected campus Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Expanded educational opportunities

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 13

The 290 m tall Guoco Tower (formerly Tanjong Pagar

Robust design process

14 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

loads within kingpost capacity. In addition, extra bracing

Adopting a pile raft foundation

Design solutions that overcome complex building

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 15

solely before transferring them to the corewall, the floor

Using structural steel to address space constraints

16 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

Figure 7: Podium and basement view. Image by GuocoLand Group.

basement levels, the podium’s changing floor layout, and

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 17

To speed up the construction progress of the residential

Design analysis, checking and specification

18 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 19

20 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

LIST OF AWARDS WON PROJECT DATA

Structural Steel Excellence Singapore Structural Steel Contractor

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 21

Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards

22 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

Category: Advancing Digital Workflows through Category: Digital Cities

Category: Bentley Institute Knowledge Advancement Category: Geotechnical Engineering

WINNERS OF YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE 2019

Category: Power Generation

Category: Project Delivery

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 23

Category: Rail and Transit Category: Structural Engineering

Category: Reality Modeling

Category: Road and Rail Asset Performance

Category: Roads and Highways

24 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

Bentley Systems and Topcon

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 25

Bentley Systems accelerates focus on infrastructure