THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE www.ies.org.sg

SINGAPORE
ENGINEER
April 2018 | MCI (P) 009/03/2018

COVER STORY:
SBF CENTER PROJECT GAINS
RECOGNITION FOR SAFETY

HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING: Protecting Critical Infrastructure against terrorist attacks
PLUS ENVIRONMENT & WATER ENGINEERING: Clearing the air
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING: Singapore entry wins first prize in ferry design competition
 CONTENTS
FEATURES

COVER STORY
16 SBF Center project gains recogni on for safety
The development was a winner of the BCA Design
and Engineering Safety Excellence Award, in the
Commercial Category, at BCA AWARDS 2017.

HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING 20

22 Protec ng Cri cal Infrastructure against terrorist
a acks
The ar cle gives a brief introduc on of the
Infrastructure Protec on Act (IPA), passed by
Singapore, in October 2017, the security-by-design
(SBD) process, as well as some common mi ga on
strategies to enhance building protec on.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
23
26 Interna onal Benchmarking of Singapore’s
Construc on Workmanship Quality Standards
A descrip on of a study ini ated by the Building
and Construc on Authority (BCA) is provided, as
well as an analysis of the results.

29

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02 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
 www.ies.org.sg

ENVIRONMENT & WATER

ENGINEERING
34 Clearing the air
To improve ambient air quality, ac on is underway
to reduce diesel emissions and other vehicular
pollu on.

MARINE & OFFSHORE 35

ENGINEERING
36 Singapore entry wins first prize in ferry design
compe on
The innova on is in reducing costs whilst
conforming to the highest safety standards.
40 Cyber security has become a hot topic
The marine and energy industries are far from
being immune to cyber-a acks and security
breaches, and the consequences can be far-
reaching.
36
43 Danfoss opens applica on development centre
in Singapore
The company’s technologies will help customers
achieve energy efficiency.

REGULAR SECTIONS
04 INDUSTRY NEWS
14 EVENTS 41
44 IES UPDATE

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

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 03

April 2018
INDUSTRY NEWS

COLLABORATION, DATA, R&D AND

SKILLS TAKE CENTRE STAGE IN
PLANS FOR PORT GROWTH

The Mari me and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) This will help enable the development and test-bedding
announced a slew of measures last month to strengthen of digital apps and services for the mari me industry as
the inter- and intra-connec vity of Singapore’s mari me well as promote data sharing. It will also serve as a col-
cluster, build a vibrant innova on ecosystem and develop labora ve pla orm for technology companies, startups
a skilled, future-ready workforce. and mari me stakeholders to co-develop data-driven
mari me solu ons, support projects under the MPA
These will facilitate growth and support Singapore’s
Living Lab and enhance connec vity among mari me
vision to be a global mari me hub.
logis cs stakeholders.
Investments in port capacity and infrastructure will
As a start, the SG-MDH will make available to the public
con nue together with PSA. By early 2019, reclama on
real- me access to MPA’s port and ship-related data such
works for the first phase of the Tuas Terminal should be
as vessel informa on, vessel arrival and departure me
complete. Concurrently, PSA is tes ng out new opera on
and vessel posi on and movement by the third quarter
systems involving automated guided vehicles, yard and
of 2018.
quay cranes for deployment in Tuas.
MPA will work with stakeholders such as classifica on
Apart from promo ng the growth of non-tradi onal
socie es and mari me companies on this front and will
mari me technology enterprises, the authority will also
also look to integrate SG-MDH with the Na onal Trade
co-fund the cost of shared workspaces and services to
Pla orm and other industry-wide and government sys-
encourage exper se and resource sharing.
tems.
In the longer term, to foster collabora on and co-inno-
Besides systems and technologies, MPA will con nue to
va on across the mari me and other sectors, MPA, PSA
invest in developing the mari me workforce. The author-
and other government agencies will experiment with
ity will roll out a new Global Talent Programme (GTP) by
concepts such as inter-modal logis cs and explore the
2019 to groom local mari me talent for future leadership
se ng up of a port and logis cs cluster at Tuas, which
and management posi ons, and will also co-fund 70 per
could spur the development of more efficient systems for
cent of eligible expenses incurred by companies which
supply chain management.
are prepared to commit to training local talent through
Furthermore, MPA will capitalise on digitalisa on and au- structured rota ons and overseas a achments.
toma on with the Mari me Transforma on Programme
It aims to partner up to 20 mari me companies with a
(MTP).
strong focus on human capital development over the
This will be rolled out “over the next few months” and next seven years.
build new capabili es plus capture new growth areas.
Furthermore, the authority will top up the Mari me
In collabora on with the Na onal Research Founda on,
Cluster Fund by SGD 100 million to co-fund the concep-
ins tutes of higher learning and industry, the MTP will
tualisa on of new products or services, to spur innova-
deepen Singapore’s mari me R&D capabili es in four
on and forge collabora ons amongst mari me players.
focus areas:
It is expected to support about 30 new projects and ben-
• Efficient and intelligent world class next genera on
efit some 5,000 people annually.
port;
• Smart autonomous vessel and mari me opera ons;
• Strategic sea space and mari me traffic management;
• Effec ve mari me safety and security.
Funding will be made available for industry partners to
help develop new capabili es and technologies that have
high applica on poten al.
Addi onally, MPA will establish the Singapore Mari me
Data Hub (SG-MDH), a one-stop data repository with a
centralised applica on programming interface gateway
and data management capabili es. MPA plans to s mulate port growth through smart digital technologies

04 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

MULTISPECTRAL LENSLESS IMAGING
TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED BY NTU SCIENTISTS
A new camera technology developed by scien sts from
NTU can take sharp, colour images without using a lens
and colour filters.
Using only a piece of ground glass and a monochrome sen-
sor, the scien sts created mul -coloured images by u lising
an algorithm to ‘reverse engineer’ light that is sca ered by
the translucent ma surface of the ground glass, recon-
struc ng the original image that was projected on to it.
To do this, they created a library of ‘speckle pa erns’
linked to each wavelength of light, including those in the
infrared and ultraviolet spectrums which are not visible
to the naked eye.
The project leader, Assistant Professor Steve Cuong Dang
from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
said, “The unique feature of our camera is that it can
capture any range of light spectrum, unlike exis ng cameras
on the market which are pre-fixed. It is also less affected by
op cal alignment issues like conven onal cameras, because
there are no moving parts and no focusing op cs.”
In a conven onal camera, op cs made from glass or plas-
c lenses capture light and guide it onto the colour filters
and camera sensor to obtain images. These lenses are
SMRT MCLAREN PARTNERSHIP TO TAP ON F1 TECHNOLOGY
TO MONITOR TRAIN PERFORMANCE
On 15 March 2018, SMRT Trains and McLaren Applied Technol-
ogies announced that they would be partnering on condi-
on-monitoring solu ons to track and predict the performance
of SMRT trains.
The United Kingdom-based company is part of the McLaren
Group, which includes the Formula 1 team and high-perfor-
mance car maker McLaren Automo ve.
The agreement marks the first me that engineers at SMRT and
McLaren Applied Technologies are jointly seeking to adapt race
car condi on-monitoring technology for tracking MRT train
performance.
The sensors and high-speed loggers installed on race cars are
small and light to save space and weight. They are also of
robust construc on to withstand the stresses imposed during
high speed races, meaning they can be readily adapted for use
on trains.
Over a Grand Prix season, the McLaren race team captures an
average of more than 12 billion real- me data points from over
INDUSTRY NEWS
usually bulky and
expensive due
to the precision
manufacturing
required.
Replacing these
with ground glass
opens up poten-
al applica ons
in compact cam-
eras and smart
phones to reduce Prof Dang (le ) and Dr Sahoo demonstra ng
their physical size their mul spectral lensless imaging technique.
Photo: NTU
further.
According to NTU, the ability of this new technique to
reconstruct images in other wavelengths, even at the mi-
croscopic scale, means that many domains can benefit,
such as medicine, surveillance, and astrophysics.
This interdisciplinary project involving physics and pho-
tonics engineering took Prof Dang and his researchers Dr
Sujit Kumar Sahoo, and Dr Tang Dongliang, over a year of
research and development. A patent has been filed for
this new technology.
300 sensors embedded on its two race cars. This enables the
team to monitor, analyse and make informed decisions in real
me to op mise on-track performance.
The joint team will work on customising solu ons to monitor
the train motors, brakes, pneuma c systems and gearboxes
aboard one train; these will serve as a test-bed to allow en-
gineers to validate the performance of an end-to-end condi-
on-monitoring pla orm.
Mr Desmond Kuek, SMRT President and Group CEO, said, “We
look forward to collabora ng with McLaren Applied Technolo-
gies to elevate this capability further, combining our engineer-
ing exper se in rail with their proven capabili es harnessing
sensors, telemetry and so ware in motorsport.”
Adding on, Mr Dick Glover, Ac ng CEO, McLaren Applied Tech-
nologies, said: “This unique partnership with SMRT will deliver
advantage for Singapore by maximising vehicle availability and
maintenance capacity of their train services.”
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 05
April 2018
INDUSTRY NEWS
ST ENGINEERING TRIALS NEXT GEN
SMART BUS STOP OUTSIDE PLAZA SINGAPURA
In early March, ST Engineering announced the launch of the
world’s first next genera on smart bus stop that addresses
the challenges of urban heat and PM2.5 par cle-based air
pollu on.
Located along Orchard Road, outside Plaza Singapura, the
Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop was developed within 18
months from idea to market by Innosparks, an ST Engineer-
ing Open Lab, and harnesses digitalisa on and data analyt-
ics to transform the commuter’s overall transit experience.
It uses water to cool air to as low as 24 degrees Celsius, de-
livering energy-efficient, sustainable cooling with no waste
heat genera on. It also u lises air purifica on to remove
harmful airborne PM2.5 par cles. Other tech features will
enable it to detect suspicious ac vi es such as una ended
baggage and loitering, trialling the applica on of public
safety technologies.
Innosparks will trial the Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop for a year.
“Designers of Smart Ci es need to reimagine infrastructure
and design solu ons that improve their liveability for ci -
The Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop and its features. Image: ST Engineering / Innosparks
06 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
zens. With this world’s first Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop, ST
Engineering is trialling an approach of harnessing technolo-
gy and innova on to transform land transport infrastructure
so that even simple daily ac vi es such as wai ng for a bus
can be greatly improved through data analy cs, air cooling
and purifica on technologies,” said Mr Gareth Tang, Head
of Innosparks.
Findings from the trial will be shared with LTA and other
interested government agencies.
Through data collected from the bus stop technologies and
communter surveys conducted of commuters, Innosparks
will also explore how its technologies, such as its overhead air
cooling and purifica on unit, can be deployed in other ways to
meet ci zens’ needs in various public outdoor spaces.
The Airbitat Oasis Smart Bus Stop leverages the already
proven technology of the Airbitat Smart Cooler which
has been successfully deployed in other commercial and
industrial urban spaces, such as the Singapore Mandai Zoo,
Resorts World Sentosa, and CHIJMES.

CYBERCRIMINALS DEPLOYED MORE STRATEGIC
CYBERATTACKS ON COMPANIES IN 2017
According to cybersecurity firm Trend Micro’s 2017
Annual Security Roundup Report, cybercriminals are u l-
ising more strategic methods to achieve a higher success
rate and return on investment.
Although the number of data breaches made public in
2017 decreased to 553, compared to 813 in 2016, the
number of affected records hit almost 5 billion, com-
pared to 3.3 billion in 2016.
Ransomware threats and exploit kits also decreased, sig-
nalling a shi away from “spray-and-pray a acks” towards
smaller-scale, more effec ve, and more targeted a acks.
In 2017, 630 million threats were detected in the
Asia-Pacific alone, almost 40 per cent of Trend Micro’s
global total. Although this was a significant decrease
INDUSTRY NEWS
from 2016 (1.07 billion), a 32 per cent increase in new
ransomware families in 2017 was observed.
Major variants, such as WannaCry and Petya, were re-
sponsible for large-scale, contagious a acks and incurred
an es mated USD 5 billion in losses globally.
In addi on, the report reveals a doubling of Business
Email Compromise a empts between the first and
second half of 2017 and soaring rates of cryptocurrency
mining malware, peaking at more than 100,000 detec-
ons in October.
Vulnerable IoT devices are also a major security risk
across several trending threats. So ware vulnerabili es
also con nued to be targeted, with 1,008 new flaws
discovered and disclosed in 2017.
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 07
April 2018
INDUSTRY NEWS

ST ENGINEERING CREATES NEW MANAGEMENT POSITION

TO DRIVE GROWTH IN NEW BUSINESS AREAS

ST Engineering has appointed Mr Russell Tham as Presi-
dent, New Enterprises and Ventures, effec ve 19 March
2018.
In this newly created posi on, Mr Tham will drive the
expansion of the Group’s business by building new adja-
cencies for growth through technology and innova on
in ver cals outside of the Group’s core businesses in the
aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.
He will report to the Mr Vincent Chong, President and
CEO of ST Engineering.
“The crea on of this new posi on represents a further
strengthening of our management team, and signals our
commitment to pursue growth beyond our core business
sectors as we advance into building new business ver cals,
including health and medical technology,” said Mr Chong.
Mr Tham joined ST Engineering a er 23 years with
Applied Materials, where he held various manage-
ment posi ons before being appointed president of its
South-east Asian opera ons in 2009. In this posi on, he
oversaw the regional business and led the company’s
business, infrastructure and strategy to grow their foot-
print in Singapore and South-east Asia.
He has concurrently held various global roles based in
Singapore, including corporate business development
responsibili es to drive opportuni es in new growth
markets.
Mr Tham serves on the board of the Energy Market
Authority (EMA) and a member of the Singapore gov-
ernment’s Future Economy Council a er serving on the
Commi ee on the Future

SOFTBANK ROBOTICS EUROPE SELECTS COGNIZANT

FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF AI SYSTEMS IN ITS ROBOTS
IT services MNC Cognizant has been selected by So Bank Robo cs
Europe, a specialist in humanoid robo cs, to provide quality engi-
neering and assurance (QE&A) services for the ar ficial intelligence
(AI) systems in the popular Pepper and NAO robots.
Cognizant’s exper se ensures high quality machine-human interac-
ons and will enable So Bank Robo cs Europe to scale produc on
to meet rising global demand in sectors such as retail, healthcare,
tourism and educa on.
Cognizant’s QE&A engineers, based in Grenoble, France, will devel-
op a standardised tes ng protocol for the NAOqi opera ng system
– the two robots’ “brains” – as well as their default applica ons for
speech recogni on, movement percep on and obstacle and colli-
sion avoidance, to ensure op mal performance.
Cognizant will also provide tes ng services for the development
toolkit and content management system, as well as tes ng appli-
ca ons developed by partners, to ensure conformity to rules and
policies throughout So Bank Robo cs Europe’s en re value chain.
Cognizant’s advanced tes ng capabili es will also enable So Bank
Robo cs Europe to develop apps more quickly, allowing their Pep-
per and NAO robots to be even more intui ve, agile and person-
alised.
These robots are currently used in shops and public places to wel-
come, inform and entertain customers, and in educa onal se ngs,
such as helping children to learn in a unique and fun way. The NAO (le ) and Pepper robots. Photo: So Bank Robo cs

08 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 09
April 2018
INDUSTRY NEWS
PROF RITA R COLWELL WINS
LEE KUAN YEW WATER PRIZE 2018
In conjunc on with World
Water Day 2018, on 22
March, and the launch of the
‘Interna onal Decade for Ac-
on: Water for Sustainable
Development 2018 - 2028’,
Prof Rita R Colwell was
unveiled as the recipient of
the pres gious Lee Kuan Yew
Water Prize 2018.
Prof Rita R Colwell
One of the most well-known
and respected water scien sts
in the world today, Prof Colwell is Dis nguished University
Professor at both the University of Maryland at College Park
and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
Though her immensely rich and mul -faceted career,
which con nues ll today, Prof Colwell has benefi ed
the lives of millions worldwide through her pioneering
insights into microbial water quality surveillance and her
reless efforts in building upon these insights to trans-
form the surveillance and control of cholera and other
waterborne diseases.
As the 8th Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Laureate, Prof Rita
R Colwell will deliver the Singapore Water Lecture on 9
July 2018. She will also receive the Lee Kuan Yew Water
Prize at the Lee Kuan Yew Prize Award Ceremony and
Banquet on the same night.
The award ceremony is one of the flagship programmes of
Singapore Interna onal Water Week 2018 (SIWW 2018),
which will be held from 8 to 12 July 2018, concurrently with
the World Ci es Summit 2018 (WCS 2018) and CleanEnviro
Summit Singapore 2018 (CESS 2018), at Sands Expo and
Conven on Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
SIWW 2018 will feature a range of flagship programmes
and pla orms that bring together the global value chain
of water, to share the latest in business and technological
innova ons, as well as policy developments in water.
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Launched in 2008 to recognise outstanding contribu ons
by individuals or organisa ons towards solving the world’s
water problems by developing or applying innova ve tech-
nologies or implemen ng policies and programmes which
benefit humanity, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize (named in
honour of Singapore’s first Prime Minister) is the highlight of
SIWW. The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize laureate receives SGD
300,000, a cer ficate and a gold medallion at the award
ceremony held during the event. The award is sponsored by
Temasek Founda on Innovates, a non-profit philanthropic
organisa on that funds and supports programmes focusing
on developing prac cal solu ons for a be er life through
research and innova on.
10 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
Singapore Interna onal Water Week
Organised by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment
and Water Resources and PUB, Singapore’s Na onal
Water Agency, and with Experia as the Event Organiser,
Singapore Interna onal Water Week (SIWW) is a global
pla orm to share and co-create innova ve water solu-
ons. The event will comprise the Lee Kuan Yew Water
Prize, Water Leaders Summit, Water Conven on, Busi-
ness Forums, Industrial Water Solu ons Forum, Water
Expo, TechXchange, Young Water Leaders Summit and
the HydroPreneur Programme.
CleanEnviro Summit Singapore 2018 to
address environmental challenges
Themed ‘Transforming Tomorrow’s Ci es with Clean
Environment Solu ons’, the fourth biennial CleanEn-
viro Summit Singapore 2018 (CESS 2018), organised
by the Na onal Environment Agency, Singapore, will
be held from 8 to 12 July 2018, in conjunc on with
SIWW 2018 and WCS 2018. The event will provide a
global pla orm for industry and government leaders
to iden fy, develop and share prac cal, replicable and
scalable solu ons to address environmental challeng-
es. CESS 2018 will deep-dive into five streams:
Waste Management: Singapore has developed an
advanced and integrated waste management system
that minimises land use and maximises resource re-
covery. In working towards the Zero Waste Na on vi-
sion, new solu ons need to be con nuously explored.
Cleaning: A recession-proof sector, the cleaning industry
is one of the fast-growing areas in developing economies.
Pest Management: The pest management industry is
con nually progressing with increasing emphasis on
integrated pest management and technology, and its
transforma on into a knowledge industry.
Sustainable Energy: Energy efficiency and renewable
energy play significant roles in decoupling econom-
ic growth from the increase in carbon emissions.
Renewable energy solu ons are helping to move away
from fossil fuel dependence, while improvements in
smart grid and storage technologies will reshape how
electricity is produced and delivered.
Pollu on Control: Smart systems can be used to
bolster pollu on control capabili es, allowing for re-
al- me analysis of air, land, and marine pollu on, and
implementa on of suitable measures.
In-depth discussions and the sharing of global best
prac ces will be facilitated through business forums
and high level plenaries, such as the Clean Environ-
ment Leaders Summit, Clean Environment Conven on,
and Clean Environment Regulators Roundtable. The
Innova on Pitch will showcase the latest environmen-
tal solu ons.

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INDUSTRY NEWS
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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 11
April 2018
INDUSTRY NEWS

SEOUL CONFERRED
LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITY PRIZE 2018
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has
won the Lee Kuan Yew World City
Prize 2018.
Through a combina on of visionary
leadership and ac ve engagement of
its ci zens, it has flourished to become
an inclusive, crea ve and sustainable
city with a high quality of life.
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize
honours outstanding achievements in
and contribu ons to the crea on of
liveable, vibrant and sustainable urban
communi es around the world. The
biennial interna onal award has been
jointly organised by the Urban Rede-
velopment Authority (URA) and Centre
for Liveable Ci es (CLC), since 2010.
Seoul has exhibited several model
strategies in crea ng a dis nc ve and
deligh ul home for its ci zens: Overview of Seoul, including Seoullo 7017 - a lushly planted elevated walkway with ac vi es along
the way. Image by Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Bold leadership with innova ve Crea ve rejuvena on of modern heritage

solu ons
Post-democra sa on in the 1990s, Seoul faced the chal-
lenges of rapid urbanisa on. These included an increas-
ingly resistant and vocal populace, a dras c increase in
the number of cars and resul ng environmental degra-
da on. Bold leadership to implement cataly c projects,
such as the Dongdaemun Area Regenera on, to shi
Seoul’s focus from tradi onal manufacturing to design,
led to benefits for the en re city.
Good communica on with ci zens and stakeholders
City leaders also engaged and nego ated with stakehold-
ers represen ng different interests, and formulated a
set of conflict management strategies. The government
introduced a team of nego ators for urban development
projects, to engage ci zens on the city’s vision. The Seoul
Master Plan 2030 went further to make ci zen par ci-
pa on the norm of all plans, and priori sed bo om-up
processes.
Decisive shi to people-centric spaces
Seoul u lised big data to help ci zens make a seamless
and convenient transi on from car-oriented transpor-
ta on to public transport. Elevated highways and main
roads were reclaimed to become prominent public spac-
es. For instance, an elevated highway was removed to
restore a stream and create a natural recrea onal haven
at Cheonggyecheong, and a formerly congested area at
Yonsei-ro was pedestrianised.
Seoul seeks innova ve ways to repurpose its heritage
buildings, a prac ce also known in the city as ‘devel-
opment without demoli on’. For example, Makercity
Sewoon is a cluster of seven commercial superblocks
built in the 1970s, which were rehabilitated through the
sensi ve introduc on of new uses and interven ons.
From among the ci es considered for the Lee Kuan Yew
World City Prize 2018, four ci es won ‘Special Men ons’
for their best prac ces in city management. They are
Hamburg, Germany; Kazan, Russian Federa on; Suraba-
ya, Indonesia; and Tokyo, Japan.
Prize Lecture and Award Ceremony
Seoul will be invited to give the Prize Lecture on 9 July
2018 at the World Ci es Summit 2018 (WCS 2018)
which will be held at Sands Expo and Conven on Centre,
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 8 to12 July 2018. It
will also receive the prize at the Lee Kuan Yew World City
Prize 2018 Award Ceremony and Banquet on 9 July 2018,
during the summit.
The prize comprises an award cer ficate, a gold me-
dallion and a cash prize of SGD 300,000, sponsored by
Keppel Corpora on.
Representa ves of the four ci es that won ‘Special Men-
ons’, will also share their experiences, at a dedicated
Prize Forum, during the summit.
WCS 2018 is also organised by CLC and URA.

12 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

NEW CHAIR FOR
ARUP IN AUSTRALASIA
Arup, the global design, engineering and business con-
sultancy has recently appointed Mr Peter Chamley as the
Chair for Arup in Australasia. Formerly Group Leader for
Arup’s Infrastructure prac ce, Mr Chamley has over 35
years’ experience in leading major projects across the
UK, Europe, Australasia, East Asia and USA.
Mr Chamley, who will be based in Melbourne, takes over
as Chair from Mr Peter Bailey who has moved into the
role of Group Director of Sustainable Development.
Earlier, Arup had appointed Mr Kevin Koh to lead the
digital services team, and Mr Neil Walmsley, to lead the
ci es and planning team, in Singapore.
With more than 23 years of experience in the industry,
INDUSTRY NEWS
Mr Koh joined Arup as a market leader, focussing par-
cularly on the crea on and implementa on of ver cal
solu on plans for na onal governments. Having worked
in Australia, USA and Asia, he has in mate knowledge
on Asia’s growing and emerging markets. Mr Koh also
takes a personal interest in working with start-ups who
are developing drone, video analysis and robo cs capa-
bili es, to bring new levels of op misa on to the built
environment.
Mr Walmsley joined Arup in 1997 and brings with him
more than 20 years of global planning and design experi-
ence. The ci es and planning team will bring together a
holis c range of specialist technical and advisory services
across all aspects of the built environment.
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 13
April 2018
EVENTS

ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME 2018

CLOSES ON A HIGH NOTE
Asia Pacific Mari me 2018 (APM 2018), Asia’s premier ship- New at the exhibi on area was the Career & Skills pavil-
building & marine, workboat and offshore exhibi on and ion, where industry professionals looking for upskilling
conference, was held from 14 to 16 March 2018, at Sands and career opportuni es obtained insights from over
Expo and Conven on Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. 10 presenta ons by industry observers, and met with
agencies involved in human capital, recruitment, talent
Close to 14,200 trade visitors a ended the biennial event management, and training & development.
which featured the displays of 1,432 brands from 60 coun-
tries, at over 644 booths. APM 2018 was organised by Reed
Exhibi ons. APM 2018 Conference
More than 60 industry leaders spearheaded discussions
APM 2018 Exhibi on at the APM 2018 conference, cemen ng its posi on as
an important knowledge exchange pla orm.
Leveraging the convergence of mari me decision-makers
at APM 2018, several exhibitors presented their newest The APM 2018 Conference also covered cri cal industry
launches at the exhibi on floor. Among them were the ma ers rela ng to hybrid mari me, marine fuels, mari-
following: me finance, the offshore sector and the tanker market,
as well as Vietnam’s role in the Southeast Asian and glob-
• The ALCONA brand of professional-grade products al mari me industry.
from AMOS Interna onal (S) Pte Ltd
• AQUAMAP keyed GPS - the advanced all-in-one solu- The next edi on
on from Garmin Corpora on APM 2020, the next edi on of APM will take place from
• New industrial spark plugs and marine ba eries from 18 to 20 March 2020.
Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd “Through the years, APM has always been a marketplace
• A mobile applica on for ship sales and purchase from of ideas, innova on and to exchange deals. It is heart-
Sovereign Shipping Global ening to witness strong par cipa on and support from
interna onal exhibitors and visitors - the strong turnout
• The propulsion research vessel from Teignbridge Pro- also reaffirms APM’s importance in Asia. As the industry
pellers Int Ltd looks forward to a posi ve year ahead, partnerships
• The 6M33NG Marine Gas Propulsion Engine from We- cemented and knowledge gained over the three days
ichai Singapore Pte Ltd will certainly power the industry forward as we navigate
the upward cycle”, said Ms Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project
Several business announcements were also made. Au- Director, APM, Reed Exhibi ons Pte Ltd.
tronica Fire & Security
AS relocated its regional
office to Singapore to
be er serve the needs
of mari me clients in the
region, while Hanseat-
icso is looking to open
a Singapore office to ac-
celerate its growth in the
Asian shipping market.
APM 2018 also brought
together 18 official pavil-
ions - from Austria, Aus-
tralia, China, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germa-
ny, Greece, Indonesia,
Japan, Malaysia, Norway,
Singapore, South Korea,
Spain, Taiwan, the Neth-
erlands and the United
Kingdom. Asia Pacific Mari me 2018 a racted large numbers of visitors.

14 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 15
April 2018
COVER STORY

SBF CENTER PROJECT

GAINS RECOGNITION FOR SAFETY
The development was a winner of the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Award, in the
Commercial Category, at BCA AWARDS 2017.

INTRODUCTION
Located in the Central Business District along Robinson
Road, SBF Center is a commercial development featuring
dedicated, purpose-built medical suites as well as high
quality, contemporary office spaces.
Developed by Far East Organiza on, SBF Center also fea-
tures a collec on of sky gardens interspersed through-
out the development, a fully sheltered plaza stylishly
landscaped into a park-like environment with F&B outlets
and alfresco dining areas, as well as recrea onal facili es
including a 20 m lap pool and gymnasium.
SBF Center consists of a 31-storey office tower and an
8-storey podium accommoda ng the medical centre as
well as F&B and retail outlets. There are also two base-
ment car parks.
Besides winning the BCA Design and Safety Excellence
Award 2017, SBF Center has also received the MOM WSH
Safety and Health Award 2016, the ROSPA Occupa onal
Safety Award 2016, the Green Mark Pla num Award 2016,
and the FIABCI Singapore Property Award 2017.

DESIGN PROCESSES AND SOLUTIONS FOR SAFETY

Robust transfer system
The major design challenge in this project was in rela on
to the transfer floor system of the building. Column
numbers were limited, due to the design requirement
for spacious medical suite podium floors without the
obstruc on of columns. Hence, a transfer floor, with
long-span transfer beams, was introduced at the inter-
sec on between the office and podium floors, to carry The mul -award-winning SBF Center
the loading from the office floors above.
Top down construc on
The tower block is a slender structure with a tower
The development is located in close proximity to the
height of 184 m, floor plan width of only 20.2 m, and a
East-West Line MRT tunnel and adjoining structures with
slenderness ra o of 9.1. The main lateral load resistance
various services and buildings.
system for the structure is provided by the tower li core
and gable end walls. The overturning moment ac ng on Hence, top down construc on, with a secant bored pile
the building is resisted by ‘push and pull’ coupling effects wall system, was adopted as the Earth Retaining and
generated by compression and decompression in the Stabilising Structure (ERSS), to minimise impacts and
walls. hazards to neighbouring structures.
A secant bored pile wall provides water ghtness, while a
This system minimises building sway, and reduces constructed RC slab possesses greater s ffness as a strut
accelera ons under wind loads to acceptable levels, for for the retaining secant bored pile wall.
occupant comfort.

16 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
 COVER STORY

Design analysis of ra founda on the methodologies was the use of ETABS so ware with
To ensure robust founda on design, load-taking was car- considera on of construc on sequence, and the other
ried out using two different methodologies and the most method was the conven onal tributary area load-taking.
cri cal cases were adopted as the design values. One of The design of the ra founda on was carried out using

Robust transfer system that integrates with the lateral load resisting system analysed with sophisticated 3D Finite Element, ETABS and RAM
Concept software.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 17

April 2018
COVER STORY

the 3D finite element so ware, RAM Concept, with the
most cri cal case values incorpora ng wind loadings
generated from the wind tunnel test.
As part of safe founda on design, monitoring of building
se lement at regular floor intervals was done, to cor-
relate the measurements with theore cal es ma ons up
to the comple on of the roof of the structure. The actual
se lement measurements showed favourable readings
compared to the theore cal projec ons, hence establish-
ing the veracity of the founda on design.

Top down construc on with secant bored pile wall as ERSS system for construc on of basements

3D finite element analsysis of ra founda on, using RAM Concept

18 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

Wind tunnel test
As the tower is considered rela vely slender for its
height, there were significant challenges in the design
of the superstructure. In order to provide more certain-
ty, a scaled model was put through a wind tunnel test,
under present and future condi ons, to determine wind
loadings for both building and façade designs. The wind
tunnel test enabled a more accurate determina on
of the building accelera on, building dri and a more
robust façade design, thereby contribu ng to the safety
of the overall design.
QUALITY APPROACH
In addi on to con nuous monitoring of se lement
during construc on and implementa on of the wind tun-
nel test, other measures were implemented, to ensure
quality commensurate with the design intent.
Automated Monitoring System devices
Con nuous, real- me Automated Monitoring System
(ATMS) devices were installed within the adjacent MRT
tunnel, to closely monitor and ensure that the move-
ments are within LTA-approved allowable limits, through-
out the construc on period. Readings acquired showed
favourable results compared to the theore cal ERSS
analysis projec ons, hence establishing the veracity of
the ERSS system adopted.
Preven on of differen al se lement cracking
As the tower carries vastly greater loading than the low-
rise podium block, it is expected to se le differently from
the podium block. If the tower block and podium block
are connected integrally from the onset, cracks due to
differen al se lement can be expected to form along the
interface of the two blocks, due to the vastly different
structural condi ons. It was therefore decided during the
design process, to introduce post-pour strips along the
interface of the tower and podium blocks to mi gate this
concern.
Wind tunnel test
COVER STORY
Mock-up of thick ra founda on
As part of the efforts to validate quality, a mock-up of the
thick ra founda on was done, with the main objec ve
of determining the cross-sec onal temperature differ-
en al due to the heat of hydra on of concrete. Ther-
mocouples with real- me data loggers were deployed
to monitor the core and surface temperatures, and the
results of the mock-up showed a favourable temperature
differen al.
BIM modelling
A BIM model was built, to achieve synergic collabora on
amongst project team members from various disciplines
and increased quality of informa on sharing, in order
to ensure rec fica on of design conflicts at the earliest
possible me and achieve higher standards of safety in
construc on.
DESIGN FOR SAFE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Catwalks
There are sky terrace floors with double ceiling heights.
In order to facilitate safe access for future inspec on
and maintenance of M&E services installed in these sky
terraces, at height, catwalks have been provided. This is
in accordance with the philosophy of a safe design for
safe future opera ons.
Building Maintenance Unit
As part of the building maintenance strategy for the tow-
er’s curtain wall system, the roof design has allowed for
the provision of a Building Maintenance Unit. Detailed
coordina on was carried out to ensure that there was
sufficient roof space to posi on the track system, as
closely as possible, along the the roof’s edge, for higher
efficiency. The system represents a sustainable and eco-
nomical approach to carry out maintenance, for years to
come, with the safety of the opera ng personnel as the
top priority.
CONSTRUCTION QUALITY AND SAFETY
Prefabricated elements and components
Prefabricated perimeter beams and columns were ad-
opted for the construc on at the roof level, to minimise
concrete cas ng (wet works) and working at height, to
ensure safety of construc on site personnel. In addi on,
the roof crown steel connec ons were designed as pre-
fabricated nuts and bolts, to minimise welding works on
site and hence avoid poten al fire hazards.
Steel frame bar chairs
As the ra is thick, the ra reinforcement was supported by
means of bar chairs, to mi gate the risk of reinforcement
collapsing onto workers working within the ra founda on.
This greatly enhanced the safety of the workers, with regard
to reinforcement collapse, as well as to provide a firmer
pla orm for more accurate placement of the reinforce-
ment, thereby improving the quality of works.
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 19
April 2018
COVER STORY

Temperature monitoring of concrete pour

The 3 m thick ra founda on was cast using Portland
Blast Furnace Cement (PBFC) concrete, to keep the
heat of hydra on low enough to prevent excessive
heat cracks. Thermocouples with real- me data loggers
were used to monitor the difference in the tempera-
ture between the concrete core and the surface, such
that any abnormality could be picked up instantly and
rec fied swi ly. No excessive temperature differences
were recorded, hence ensuring the integrity of the ra
founda on.

Prefabricated retaining wall

A prefabricated RC retaining wall was employed as the
temporary earth retaining structure during excava on
and cas ng of deep core wall founda on, to ensure
the safety of all site personnel, during the construc on
works. The prefabricated RC retaining wall also provided
a s ffer surface that served as formwork for the concrete
pour, hence improving both construc on quality and
safety.

B2 PUBLIC SAFETY
Controlled access for construc on vehicles
The development is located in Singapore’s central busi-
ness district, along major roads with dense traffic and in
close proximity to surrounding buildings. Access to the Catwalks have been provided above the ceilings of all sky terraces for
construc on site was therefore restricted. To mi gate future inspec on and maintenance.

Steel frame bar chairs used for ra construc on

20 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

these constraints and to minimise the impact to the
neighbourhood, all construc on vehicles were required
to enter the construc on site via the back of lane, ser-
vice road, throughout the en re construc on period.
Safety nets
Heavy duty full height safety nets were deployed to
prevent debris from falling down within the construc-
on site and also, onto public spaces. Safety nets were
erected on all constructed levels, as well, to prevent
falling object and falling from height hazards, during
erec on/ dismantling of formwork. Flip boards were in-
stalled between the safety screens and the building pe-
rimeter, to seal all gaps, thereby crea ng a full barrier.
Covered walkway for pedestrians
In addi on to the safety screens, covered walkways
were provided for pedestrians, throughout the en re
construc on period, along an external footpath adjoin-
ing the construc on site footprint, to prevent debris
from falling onto the public area. This passive measure
effec vely augmented the debris management strategy
aimed at enhancing public safety.
Sound and vibra on monitoring devices
Sound and vibra on monitoring devices were posi-
oned on neighbouring structures, to monitor and
ensure that the impact of construc on ac vi es were
within the allowable limits. In the event of these limits
being breached, the site would have had to be no fied
and all site ac vi es stopped with immediate effect.
Noise barriers
In addi on to the provision of sound and vibra on
monitoring devices, preven ve measures were also tak-
en on site, to minimise disturbance to the neighbour-
hood. Noise barriers were provided to reduce the noise
from all site ac vi es that would generate noise, such
as the hacking of bored pile heads to expose starter
bars. Also, temporary electrical generator rooms were
constructed, to ensure that the noise produced by the
generators is significantly reduced.
CONCLUSION
Spacious podium floors, with limited number of
columns, are obligatory, due to the requirements for
the func oning of the medical suites. To achieve this
objec ve, a transfer floor was introduced at the inter-
sec on between the office and podium floors. As the
office block is considered a slender structure, with a
slenderness ra o of 9.1, it was essen al to establish a
robust transfer system integrated with the main lateral
loads resis ng system. Hence, the tower li core and
gable end walls were designed as the main lateral load
resistance system of the structure.
COVER STORY
A wind tunnel test was carried out and the output
of the test was incorporated in the 3D finite element
design analysis of the en re building, to ensure that the
design intent and the intended level of design safety in
the actual built structure, are achieved.
A top-down construc on with secant bored pile walls
method was adopted as the ERSS system for the con-
struc on of basements which are in close proximity to
the East-West Line MRT tunnel (First Reserved Line).
Secant bored pile walls are water- ght while the con-
structed RC slab possess great s ffness as a strut. Real
me Automated Monitoring System devices (ATMS)
were installed within the MRT tunnel for monitoring
during excava on, and the readings obtained were
compared against the theore cal outputs from ERSS
analysis.
Many measures were implemented, that helped to
achieve an accident-free record, throughout the con-
struc on, even though there was work at great heights.
These measures included the use of a prefabricated
retaining wall for excava on of the deep ra founda-
on; the use of prefabricated perimeter roof beams and
columns; the provision of access for heavy construc on
vehicles via the back lane; the provision of heavy duty,
full height safety nets; and the provision of an external,
covered walkway for pedestrians, throughout the en re
construc on period.
In addi on, the design and provision of the telescopic
BMU system and catwalks at the high volume sky ter-
races will contribute to the safety of building mainte-
nance personnel during the opera onal life of
the building.
PROJECT CREDITS
Qualified Person
Er. Allan Teo Kok Jin
Civil & Structural Consultant
KTP Consultants Pte Ltd
Contractor
Woh Hup (Private) Limited
Developer
Far East Organiza on
Architect
DP Architects Pte Ltd
All images by KTP Consultants Pte Ltd
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 21
April 2018
HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING
PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
AGAINST TERRORIST ATTACKS
by Ang Choon-Keat, Lin Yadong and Justus Goh, Prostruct Consul ng Pte Ltd, Singapore
With the real possibility of terrorist a acks, Singapore passed the Infrastructure Protec on Act (IPA)
in October 2017, to provide a clear regulatory framework for protec on against such threats. Selected
buildings will have to undergo a security-by-design (SBD) process, before they are built or renovated.
This ar cle gives a brief introduc on of the IPA, the SBD process, as well as some common mi ga on
strategies to enhance building protec on.
INTRODUCTION
Mi ga ng the threat of terrorist a acks has always been
a challenging task. It is difficult to predict how, why and
when such an a ack will take place. A terrorist a ack
is an extremely disrup ve act which can destabilise the
normalcy and unity of a society. Historically, bombings
have been among the favourite tac cs used by terrorists,
due to the rela ve ease of access to chemicals needed
to make explosives. A acks can be carried out by suicide
bombers or by the detona on of vehicle borne explo-
sives. Vehicles can also be driven at speed into groups of
unsuspec ng people.
Past terrorist incidents show that critical infrastruc-
ture are preferred targets for terrorists. On 22 March
2016, three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in
Belgium - two at Brussels Airport and one at Maal-
beek Metro Station in central Brussels. The incident
resulted in more than 30 fatalities and more than 300
injuries. On 19 May 2017, a man drove his car onto a
pavement in New York’s Times Square, killing one per-
son and injuring more than 20 others. On 10 Decem-
ber 2016, a car bomb and a bomb carried by a suicide
bomber exploded in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 48 people
and injuring several others.
Closer to home, a group of six militants were arrested
after a plan to fire a rocket at Singapore’s Marina Bay
Sands from Batam Island was foiled by the authorities
(on 5 August 2016). If the attack was not uncovered
and prevented, the consequences could have been
disastrous.
The Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report,
released by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in June 2017,
states that the terrorism threat remains the highest in
Singapore, in recent years. The poten al terror threat
has underscored the need for a more systema c way
to protect key infrastructure. In response, the IPA was
passed on 2 October 2017, as part of Singapore’s count-
er-terrorism efforts.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION ACT
The Infrastructure Protec on Act (IPA) is intended to
form a clear regulatory framework and comprehensive
22 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
strategy to fight terror. Under the new law, MHA could
designate new buildings as ‘special developments’, and
exis ng buildings as ‘special infrastructures’. The des-
ignated buildings include those that provide essen al
services, have heavy human traffic or have iconic or
symbolic significance.
These iden fied buildings will be required to go through
a security-by-design (SBD) process, to integrate security
measures such as video surveillance, vehicle barriers and
protec on against blasts, in their design, before they are
built, and for selected exis ng buildings to incorporate
such measures in their renova on plans.
Security-by-design
Incorpora ng physical security concepts in the ini al
design of a new building is o en the most efficient and
cost-effec ve way to achieve the required security level,
at minimal cost. In doing so, security can be effec vely
incorporated without compromising other factors such
as the func onality and aesthe cs of the building.
The main stages in SBD are the Preliminary Facility
Design Development (PFDD), the Risk Assessment (RA)
and the development of a Final Security Protec on Plan
(FSSP).
For new buildings, the Security & Blast (S&B) Consultants
will embark on the PFDD and the RA. At this stage, the
S&B Consultants will do a site apprecia on, in order to
develop a Preliminary Security Protec on Plan (PSPP)
and to share applicable good security design prac ces.
The S&B Consultants will then work on the Threat,
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA), to determine
the specified protec on requirement. This process
involves iden fying threats and cri cal assets and how
they may affect or impact the opera ons of the cri cal
infrastructure, and determining how best to mi gate
those threats, based on current capabili es and resource
requirements. A Blast Effect Analysis (BEA) study will be
conducted to determine the effects of a blast event and
highlight any vulnerabili es.
Finally, a Structural Resilience Study (SRS) will be con-
ducted to recommend any mi ga on measures required
 HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING

before pu ng up an FSSP, to achieve the necessary

safeguards against iden fied threats.

MITIGATION MEASURES FOR BUILDING

PROTECTION
To fully protect a building from an explosion that occurs
outside the building, a combina on of security mea-
sures is necessary. Some of the common considera ons
include se ng up an -ram vehicle barriers or bollards
to increase standoff distances, hardening of structural
components to withstand blast loadings, loca ng cri cal Figure 1: Bollards to create addi onal standoff.
assets away from public areas to reduce their vulnerabili-
ty and hardened protec on at openings that are exposed
to blast threats.

Providing standoff distances

Providing a standoff between the building and poten al
loca ons for detona on of bombs is perhaps the most
effec ve means of mi ga ng damage to the building.
Where possible, this can be achieved via strategies such
as bollards (Figure 1), barriers, landscaping etc.

Structural hardening
In some cases, increasing standoff distances is insuffi-
cient or such areas are not available to mi gate the blast Figure 2: Strengthening of structures with FRP composites.
effects. It may be necessary to adopt designs to prevent
progressive collapse of the en re building, as well as
harden cri cal structural elements. Progressive collapse
is defined as the spread of an ini al local failure, from
element to element, eventually resul ng in the collapse
of an en re building. The Oklahoma City bombing (April
1995) is a classic example that illustrates the importance
of building designs to prevent progressive collapse.
In that incident, most of the deaths resulted from the
collapse of the building, rather than from the bomb blast
itself.
Besides preven ng progressive collapse, structural
hardening is also crucial in protec ng the interior cri cal
assets, to minimise disrup on to the opera on of essen-
al services.
Structural hardening measures could come in various
forms. The straigh orward way is simply to increase the
physical size of the structural components and/or the
reinforcement details un l they are sufficiently thick
and can therefore resist the blast loads. The strength of
structural components can also be increased by other
means such as by using fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)
composites (Figure 2).
Figure 3: Blast door, commonly installed to protect building
openings.
Protec on of openings
Openings refer to locations in a building, that provide Conven onal mi ga on solu ons involve installing
access for equipment and personnel, and which are blast-resistant doors (Figure 3). Blast-resistant doors are
covered by doors, roller shutters or windows. When specialty doors, built of very thick and heavy steel plates
an explosion occurs outside the building, these open- and sec ons, that cover such openings, in order to pro-
ings become vulnerable points through which flying tect equipment and personnel within the building. The
fragments can enter and cause injuries to occupants door and frame system is typically engineered to resist
and damage to assets. specified blast loadings.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 23

April 2018
HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING

SUMMARY [2] Ministry of Home Affairs (11 September 2017): ‘Infra-

In summary, the IPA was passed in October 2017, as part
of the na on’s counter-terrorism strategy to keep Singa-
pore safe and secure. It means selected buildings would
have to go through a vigorous SBD process to incorporate
security measures, upfront.
This ar cle gives a flavour of some common mi ga on
measures to protect buildings from explosions. It in-
cludes crea ng standoff distances, hardening of structur-
al components and protec on of vulnerable openings.
However, one should note that these common measures
may not be applicable for all scenarios, as threats and
protec on criteria are unique to each building.
In many cases, it is o en necessary to combine several
solu ons, to achieve full protec on. At mes, it would
require the industry to innovate and offer new protec ve
technologies that are more effec ve and economical.
REFERENCES
[1] Ministry of Home Affairs (1 June 2017): ‘Singapore Terrorism
Threat Assessment Report 2017’, Press Release. Retrieved from:
h ps://www.mha.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/Sin-
gapore-Terrorism-Threat-Assessment-Report-2017.aspx
structure Protec on Bill 2017’, Press Release. Retrieved from:
h ps://www.mha.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/
Infrastructure-Protec on-Bill-2017.aspx
[3] Zaihan Mohamed Yusof (5 October 2017): ‘Industry wel-
comes new law to protect buildings against a acks’, The Straits
Times. Retrieved from: h p://www.straits mes.com/singa-
pore/courts-crime/industry-welcomes-new-law-to-protect-
buildings-against-a acks
[4] Ministry of Home Affairs (2010): ‘Guidelines for Enhancing
Building Security in Singapore’.
[5] Paul Forman et al (2009): ‘Vehicle-borne threats and the
principles of hos le vehicle mi ga on’, Blast effects on build-
ings, 2nd Edi on.
[6] Security Council Report (February 2017): ‘Counter-Terror-
ism: Protec on of Cri cal Infrastructure’. Retrieved from:h p://
www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2017-02/
counter- terrorism_protec on_of_cri cal_infrastructure.php
[7] C K Ang et al (2016): ‘Design and tes ng of a crash bollard
system’, ‘The Singapore Engineer’, December 2016.
(This is the first of a series of three ar cles on the protec on of
cri cal infrastructure, authored by Prostruct, for publica on in
‘The Singapore Engineer’).

Preliminary programme for CIPRA 2018 announced

The preliminary programme for the conference on Cri cal Infrastructure Protec on and Resilience Asia 2018
(CIPRA 2018), including Cri cal Informa on Infrastructure Protec on, has been announced.
The event will be held at the Waterfront Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia from 17 to 19 July 2018.
CIPRA 2018 is organised with Na onal Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA) as Strategic Partner and in
partnership with CyberSecurity Malaysia.
A highlight of the conference is a one-day specialised training workshop on ‘Cyber Defense Strategies: Tools,
Techniques, Response and Procedures’, hosted by CyberSecurity Malaysia.
Confirmed speakers include Ir. Md Shah Nuri Md Zain, Chief Execu ve, Na onal Cyber Security Agency (NACSA),
Malaysia; Oliver Carlos G Odulio, VP, Head of Asset Protec on & Risk Management, PLDT Inc, Philippines; Dato
Dr Chai Khin Chung, Director, State Security Unit, Sarawak, Malaysia; Dato’ Dr Haji Amirudin Bin Abdul Wahab,
Chief Execu ve Officer, CyberSecurity Malaysia; Franz-Josef Schneiders, Head of Division, Federal Ministry of
Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany; Tim Norton, Global Market Director, Ports & Borders, Smiths
Detec on, UK; Ian Yip, Chief Technology Officer, Asia Pacific, McAfee, Australia; J P Dunning, Principal Security
Consultant, APAC Lead for Foundstone Services, McAfee, Australia; Nur Iylia Roslan, Researcher, Cybersecu-
rity Malaysia; Ir. VR Harindran, Sr Custodian, I&C, Mechanical & Process Sec on, Group Technical Solu ons,
PETRONAS; Kenneth Chen, Managing Director, ASEAN, Symantec Asia Pacific, Singapore; Elli Pagourtzi, Project
Manager, Center for Security Studies (KEMEA), Hellenic Ministry of Interior, Greece; Henry Ee, Chairman for
Asia Chapter, Business Con nuity Ins tute; Dato’ Dr Haji Amirudin Bin Abdul Wahab, Chief Execu ve Officer,
CyberSecurity Malaysia; Katja Kiukas, Product Manager, Environics Oy, Finland; Norhamadi bin Ja’affar, Senior
Execu ve, CyberSecurity Malaysia; Nur Iylia Roslan, Researcher, Cybersecurity Malaysia, as well as a Senior Rep-
resenta ve from Sarawak Energy, and a Senior Representa ve from Malaysia Cyber Security Centre, Universi
Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.
More informa on on CIPRA 2018 can be obtained from h p://www.cip-asia.com.

24 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
ADVERTORIAL

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 25

April 2018
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARKING
OF SINGAPORE’S CONSTRUCTION
WORKMANSHIP QUALITY STANDARDS
by Prof Low Sui Pheng, Department of Building, School of Design & Environment,
Na onal University of Singapore

An extensive interna onal workmanship quality benchmarking exercise

was ini ated by the Building and Construc on Authority (BCA) in 2000,
involving Sydney and Hong Kong. Based on BCA’s Construc on Quality
Assessment System (CONQUAS), its aim is to compare Singapore’s
workmanship quality vis-à-vis that of other major ci es. Since then, the
study has covered London, Melbourne, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. The
fi h exercise, which took place in Melbourne and London, concluded in
2017, with the author as an independent validator. The ar cle provides a
descrip on of the study as well as an analysis of the results.
Prof Low Sui Pheng

Introduc on • Compare architectural workmanship quality in residen-

Following its introduc on in 1989, the Building and
Construc on Authority’s (BCA) Construc on Quality
Assessment System (CONQUAS) has evolved to become
the de facto na onal yards ck for evalua ng workman-
ship quality in buildings (Low and Ong, 2014). CONQUAS
was introduced at a me when the Singapore economy
was being transformed from that of a developing na on
to that of a developed na on, with growing aspira ons
for a be er quality built environment. Issues rela ng to
construc on workmanship quality standards have also
become increasingly relevant, in recent years, as more
Singaporeans invest in overseas proper es, in countries
such as Australia, Japan and the UK. Hence, it is useful
to benchmark Singapore’s construc on quality with
that in other countries, to learn about best prac ces for
con nuous improvement in the local industry (Low and
Seet, 2011) as well as to provide some helpful guidance
to Singaporean property investors.
It is with this background that several interna onal
benchmarking exercises were conducted, to compare
Singapore’s workmanship quality vis-à-vis that of other
major ci es, primarily in developed countries. The ci es
include Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Paris, Shanghai,
Sydney and Tokyo. The interna onal benchmarking exer-
cise first started in 2000, with Sydney and Hong Kong.
The recently concluded fi h interna onal quality bench-
marking exercise was conducted by BCA, in London and
Melbourne, between 2013 and 2017, with the author
present as an independent validator. The objec ves of
the interna onal benchmarking study are to:
al buildings.
• Examine architectural workmanship standards and
prac ces adopted.
• Iden fy areas (work methods, materials and processes)
for improvement.
The study focused on high-end and mid-range residen al
markets, overseas, which have global appeal, and ex-
cluded projects in the mass market. Projects in the mass
market were excluded because it is inherently difficult
to compare workmanship expecta ons of popula ons in
different countries, in such projects. In selec ng high-end
and mid-range projects for study, the respec ve contrac-
tors had to have similar standing and reputa ons, within
their respec ve ci es, insofar as workmanship quality
was concerned. The choice of projects was also depen-
dent on their being completed at the me of the study
visit, as well as on the developers’ willingness to allow
BCA to assess their projects.
High-end projects are generally located in prime residen-
al loca ons and come with full condominium facili es
and luxurious high-end finishes. The construc on cost
of high-end projects is typically more than SGD 300 psf.
On the other hand, mid-range projects, with full condo-
minium facili es, are located typically in the suburban
areas. The construc on cost of such mid-range projects is
between SGD 150 psf and SGD 300 psf.
Benchmarking methodology
The interna onal benchmarking study used the Sixth Edi-
on of CONQUAS for measurement, in order to compute

26 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

the scores, based on the same defect level weightage.
Whenever possible, samples, represen ng about 15% to
25% of the total units, were selected for measurement.
The Melbourne benchmarking exercise took place in
February 2016, where a high-rise residen al building
(Project M-B) was assessed by two BCA assessors, with
the author present as an independent validator. Another
high-rise residen al building (Project M-A) was assessed
earlier by the same two BCA assessors, in late-2015, with
the author, however, absent because of other commit-
ments. Nevertheless, during the February 2016 exercise,
the author took the opportunity to inspect Project M-A,
to verify its status as a high-end residen al development
project as well as to view the workmanship quality of
its architectural finishes. The main exercise in February
2016 was to assess Project M-B, that was s ll under con-
struc on, when the CONQUAS assessment team made
the visit. Project M-B is a mid-range residen al project.
The London benchmarking exercise took place in Febru-
ary 2017. Project L-A, developed by a Singapore-based
company, was assessed for this purpose. Project L-A is a
mid-range project. The residen al units assessed were
nestled among ac ve, massive on-going construc on
works, making safety concerns a priority for the CON-
QUAS assessment team. For consistency, the two BCA as-
sessors for the Melbourne leg of the study also assessed
the London project.
In March 2017, BCA made arrangements for the au-
thor to visit four residen al projects in Singapore to
inspect their workmanship quality standards, in order
to compare them with those for projects that had been
assessed earlier in both Melbourne and London. The four
projects that were assessed in Singapore are: Project S-A
(high-end project), Project S-B (high-end project), Project
S-C (mid-range project) and Project S-D (mid-range
project).
Brief details of these projects are summarised in Table 1.
A complete CONQUAS assessment covers the three areas
of architectural works, mechanical and electrical (M&E)
works, and structural works. The benchmarking exercises
in Melbourne and London were concentrated primarily
on architectural finishes. This approach was adopted,
given the immense logis cal hurdles faced in securing
comparable residen al projects outside of Singapore for
assessment over a short me period. Assessing structural
works and/or M&E works would not only require a lon-
ger me-frame for comple on but would also raise safe-
ty and regulatory issues for the CONQUAS assessment

Date of assessment
City Project Descrip on Type
and/or visit

Large scale residen al development adjoining River

London Project L-A Mid-range February 2017*
Thames for 3,385 homes when fully completed

One 30-storey block consis ng of 238 residen al

Project M-A High-end December 2015+
units and 13 retail lots
Melbourne
One 47-storey block consis ng of 479 residen al
Project M-B Mid-range February 2016*
units

Project S-A 381 units within 11 blocks of 12-storey condominium High-end March 2017+

Project S-B 75 units within 2 blocks of 5-storey condominium High-end March 2017+

Singapore
702 units within 8 blocks of 14 to 18-storey condo-
Project S-C Mid-range March 2017+
minium

748 units within 6 blocks of 3-storey townhouses and

Project S-D Mid-range March 2017+
23 blocks of 5-storey condominium

(*On-Going Construc on + Completed Projects)

Table 1: Details Of Residen al Projects For Interna onal Quality Benchmarking.

28 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

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 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

team from Singapore, in another country. In addi on, a
shorter visit just to assess architectural works would also
encourage overseas developers and other stakehold-
ers to approve the site visits more readily, considering
the inconvenience caused if the site visits were longer.
Given the greater exposure of architectural works to
the end-user, vis-à-vis structural works and M&E works,
the focus on architectural works is also merited for this
reason. This is also in line with the current Ninth Edi on
of CONQUAS (2017), where a higher weightage, of up to
85%, is given to architectural works for private housing.
In all the benchmarking exercises, the CONQUAS assess-
ment for architectural works was distributed over all the
different loca ons within an apartment unit, including
the kitchen (open concept), bedrooms, living room,
dining room, and toilets. The completed M&E fi ngs
component was also given a score. Apart from physical
inspec ons conducted, both within the apartment (Fig-
ure 1) and outside the building (Figure 2), mee ngs were
also conducted with the site staff and consultants (Figure
3), to be er understand local quality and cost issues
related to the project.
Benchmarking results
The CONQUAS scores from the selected Singapore
projects and average scores of projects completed in the
same segment in Singapore for 2016 were analysed and
compared against those assessed for Melbourne and
London. A comparison of the common defects found in
Melbourne and London is shown in Table 2. In Singapore,
presence of these common defects nega vely affects the
workmanship quality assessment and thus the overall
CONQUAS score for the project.
The common defects found in Melbourne and London
must, however, be viewed from the local workmanship
quality standards specified in these ci es, which might
be more or less stringent than those in Singapore. A
comparison of the workmanship quality standards in

Defect
Melbourne London
category
Misalignment of Gaps on wood
les flooring
Uneven wall Patchiness on wall
Squareness of Squareness of wall
Wall wall not achieved not achieved
Uneven led Poor join ng on
Figure 1: Assessment inside the apartment. flooring skir ng
Chipped floor le Crack on wall le
Chip on door Damaged wardrobe
Poor join ng:
between different
Poor join ng and
components, at
gap at kitchen
windows, and
cabinet
between kitchen
Component cabinet and wall
Damaged ward- Damaged kitchen
robe cabinet door
Damaged kitchen Scratch marks on
Figure 2: Assessment of external walls.
cabinet window frame
Misalignment of
Missing screws
electrical fi ngs
Table 2: Common defects observed.

Singapore, Melbourne and London is shown in Table 3.

Figure 3: On-site discussions on quality management.
To facilitate comparison of the standards adopted in the
three ci es, only quan fiable tolerances were compared
in Table 3. It appears that while certain specifica ons
called for more stringent tolerances in Melbourne and
London, the end results in Singapore were actually bet-
ter. This might be due to the more conscien ous efforts
put in by Singapore’s builders, because they know that

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 29

April 2018
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

their works are subjected to CONQUAS

assessment and the opinions of more
demanding as well as outspoken home
buyers in Singapore.
The aggregated comparison across
Singapore, Melbourne and London is
shown in Figure 4. In the high-end seg-
ment, Singapore’s workmanship quality
standard was ranked the highest. Under-
lining its consistency, Singapore also at-
tained the same top ranking, when using
the average scores of five other high-
end private housing projects completed
in 2016. The results showed that for
projects in the high-end segment, Sin-
gapore’s CONQUAS score was 13 points
higher than that for a similar high-end Figure 4: Comparisons between Singapore, Melbourne and London.
project in Melbourne. In the mid-range
segment, the workmanship quality
standard of Singapore also a ained top
ranking. Again, underlining its consis-
tency, Singapore a ained the same top
ranking, when using the average score
of five other mid-range private housing
projects completed in 2016. The results
showed that for projects in the mid-
range segment, Singapore’s CONQUAS
scores were 11.8 points and 14.4 points
higher than those for similar mid-range
projects in Melbourne and London, re-
spec vely. The higher CONQUAS scores
observed in Singapore were generally
a ributed to the lower non-compliances
observed in rela on to floors, internal
walls, ceilings, doors, windows, compo-
nents, and M&E fi ngs, most notably, in Figure 5: Internal finishes and M&E fi ngs in high-end projects for Singapore and Melbourne.
high-end projects.

London Melbourne Melbourne

Item Singapore
(Mid-range) (Mid-range) (High-end)

Ver cality of wall < 6mm in 2m +/- 5mm < 4mm in 1.8m < 5mm in 1.8m

Evenness of floor &

+/-3mm on 2m straight
wall surface (Tile & < 3mm in 1.2m < 4mm in 2m < 4mm in 2m
edge
Stone installa on)

External angle -
4mm in 300mm
Squareness of wall < 4mm in 300mm < 4mm in 1.8m < 5mm in 1.8m
Internal angle -
5mm in 300mm
Max. 5mm gap all
round Consistent gaps Gap > 2mm or
Door Installa on Gap < 8mm
Max. plumb (visual inspec on) < 5mm
< 3mm
Note: More stringent requirements in bold/italic

Table 3: Comparison of workmanship quality standards.

30 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

The CONQUAS scores obtained from the assessments in Singapore was also ranked at the top, in the benchmark-
Melbourne and London were ‘par al CONQUAS scores’ ing study. Singapore’s overall score of 90.6 was notably
because these were derived from the architectural works 11.8 points and 14.4 points above that for Melbourne
and M&E fi ngs component scores. It is postulated that and London, respec vely.
these par al scores would be lower than the full CON-
The breakdown of non-compliances observed in Singa-
QUAS scores because the structural component scores,
pore and Melbourne for high-end projects, categorised
which are usually higher, had been excluded. Generally,
by building element, is shown in Figure 5. This shows
based on past experiences, a par al CONQUAS score of
Singapore topping in the quality of architectural work-
76 points would approximately translate to a full score of
manship compared to Melbourne. Singapore also has the
80 points.
lowest percentages of non-compliance in all the seven
In the high-end segment, Singapore was ranked higher, in building elements considered.
par al CONQUAS scores, than Melbourne. The differ-
The breakdown of non-compliances observed in Singa-
ence in scores between Singapore and Melbourne is a
pore, Melbourne and London for mid-range projects,
significant 13 points, with Singapore obtaining an overall
categorised by building element, is shown in Figure 6.
score of 91.1.
In the mid-range segment, Singapore has the lowest
Singapore a ained the same top ranking, using the percentages of non-compliance in five building elements
average par al CONQUAS scores of five other high-end considered, except those for ceilings and M&E fi ngs,
private housing projects completed in 2016. Singapore’s which are marginally higher than those for Melbourne
average par al CONQUAS score of 87.6 was 9.5 points and London.
above that for Melbourne.
Comparing the non-compliances for ceilings, in Singa-
In the mid-range segment, the workmanship quality of pore, Melbourne and London, the percentage difference
is only marginal - at between 2%
and 7%.
In terms of design and detailing, it
was observed that the area cov-
ered by wall les, in wet areas in
Melbourne, does not extend to just
below the ceiling. This serves to avoid
problems in connec ng two different
materials and this helped to reduce
non-compliances by 10%. In London,
the joints between the ceiling and
wall les were covered by silicone
instead of grout. Hence, this not only
yielded a smoother finish but also
served to cover up imperfec ons
like inconsistent gap widths. There
were also more finishing defects like
Figure 6: Internal finishes and M&E fi ngs in mid-range projects for Singapore, Melbourne and
London.
patchiness, lumps, brush strokes, etc,
locally, compared to the finishing in
Melbourne and London. The higher
incidence of such defects in Singa-
pore could be due to the lower skills
of workers employed in the local
construc on industry.
The percentage difference in the
non-compliance of M&E fi ngs,
comparing Singapore, Melbourne
and London, is a mere 0.1% to
3%. Defects rela ng to gaps/joints
and misalignment of M&E fi ngs
observed in Melbourne and London
were similar to those observed in Sin-
gapore, except that there was a lower
incidence of such defects overseas.
One plausible reason for this is the
a rac ve remunera on for electri-
Figure 7: Interna onal benchmarking results from 2000 to 2017 for high-end projects. cians and plumbers who are among

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 31

April 2018
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
the highest paid tradesmen in Melbourne and London.
The a rac ve remunera on served to ensure be er fin-
ishes compared to the output of their peers in Singapore,
who operated within a low-wage environment. It appears
that firms overseas, offering such services are more qual-
ity conscious and are supported by higher skilled workers
delivering be er finishes.
Conclusion
The results of the interna onal benchmarking exer-
cise, conducted between 2000 and 2017, for high-end
projects, are shown in Figure 7. The results suggest that
Singapore’s workmanship quality, based on equivalent
average baselines and selected projects, has always been
be er than those achieved by overseas ci es, except for
Tokyo, in 2010.
The key findings from the more recent benchmarking ex-
ercises in Melbourne and London include the following:
• Singapore’s workmanship quality for both high-end
and mid-range residen al buildings is be er than that
for Melbourne and London. The results show that for
projects in the high-end segment, Singapore’s CON-
QUAS score was 13 points higher than that for the sim-
ilar high-end project in Melbourne. The results also
showed that for projects in the mid-range segment,
Singapore’s CONQUAS scores were 11.8 points and
14.4 points higher than those for similar mid-range
projects in Melbourne and London, respec vely.
• Some of the materials used in the overseas projects
such as, for example, drywall and engineered wood
flooring, are also similarly used in Singapore. However,
there appears to be more conscien ous efforts taken
by Singapore developers in reducing defects, in order
to avoid complaints from demanding home owners.
• There is also the likelihood that different na onali es
of home buyers have different percep ons of work-
manship quality defects.
• Although the CONQUAS score for the project in London
is lower than that for the corresponding project in Sin-
gapore, there are also good prac ces adopted in Lon-
don, that can be considered for adop on in Singapore.
These include the use of precast concrete facade walls
with sandwiched elements and the use of high-gloss
lacquered kitchen cabinet doors.
To ensure that the benchmarking assessments were
properly conducted, as the independent validator, the
author had also, on separate and random occasions,
tested and sa sfactorily audited the veracity of the
recordings, by asking both the BCA assessors to confirm
where the specific defects were found within the resi-
den al units. The author was able to verify that both BCA
assessors were able to detect defects which a layman
with untrained eyes would normally not no ce. As an
independent validator, the author was sa sfied that the
interna onal CONQUAS benchmarking exercises in Mel-
bourne and London were conducted in a very profession-
al, thorough, consistent, careful and rigorous manner.
32 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
The interna onal benchmarking exercises also revealed
some interes ng observa ons rela ng to cultural
responses to workmanship quality in other ci es. For
example, non-uniformity in the colour tone of natural
stone les, as laid, does not seem to be a concern in
Melbourne. On the other hand, the UK has tradi onally
preferred using bricks for external walls, even though
this may not be produc ve. On a posi ve note, the stake-
holders in both Melbourne and London were also keen
to learn more about CONQUAS, with a view to enhancing
their own workmanship quality standards.
To reiterate, there are also lessons that can be learned
from the interna onal benchmarking exercise, where
good prac ces are concerned. In London, for example,
the builder used precast concrete façade walls with
sandwiched elements including bricks, metal framework,
glass and ven la on fi ngs. This appears to result in
faster assembly on site and higher quality, as claimed by
the builder. The project in London also used high-gloss
lacquer kitchen cabinet doors. This yielded more round-
ed edges without sharp corners and no visible joints.
With more game-changing technologies being used for
buildings, such as the use of precast concrete façade
walls in London and Melbourne, the assessment criteria
for workmanship quality would also need to evolve, to
keep in tandem with these developments. This is espe-
cially so with the greater use of Prefabricated Bathroom
Units (PBUs), Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Con-
struc on (PPVC) and Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) etc,
an cipated in the near future.
In conclusion, CONQUAS has certainly come a long way,
following its introduc on in 1989. Since then, numerous
countries have looked to CONQUAS as the basis for de-
veloping their own assessment systems. Some of these
assessment systems include the Performance Assess-
ment Scoring System (PASS) in Hong Kong, the Quality
Assessment System in Construc on (Qlassic) in Malaysia,
and the Construc on Quality Management Assessment
System (CQMAS) in South Korea. The interna onal
benchmarking findings presented in this ar cle should be
of interest to these countries, so that they can similarly
posi on their own systems vis-à-vis interna onal best
prac ces for workmanship quality assessment standards,
an area in which BCA is uniquely leading the way.
Acknowledgements
The assistance provided by Mr Tan Boon Kee, Mr Goh
Thiam Lai and Mr Wong Chee Hong, from BCA, for the
interna onal benchmarking study, is gratefully acknowl-
edged.
References
Low S P and Ong J (2014): ‘Project Quality Management.
Cri cal success factors for buildings’, Springer.
Low S P and K Seet (2011): ‘Enhancing construc on qual-
ity through TQM’, The Singapore Engineer, The Ins tu on
of Engineers Singapore, April 2011, pp 16-22.
ENVIRONMENT & WATER ENGINEERING
CLEARING THE AIR
by Charissa Tang and Tan Shengyang, Na onal Environment Agency
To improve ambient air quality, ac on is underway to reduce diesel emissions and other
vehicular pollu on
The use of diesel in transport has come under increasing
scru ny in recent years, as concerns about its impact on air
quality and health have grown, following several studies
and news reports on the harmful effects of diesel emissions
and the high-profile Volkswagen scandal of 2015.
As a result, changes are needed to support air quality
improvements and to reduce emissions.
Fuel for concern
While governments around the world had previously
touted the green benefits of diesel vehicles due to their
higher fuel efficiency, and consequen ally, the lower lev-
els of carbon dioxide (CO2) they produce, governments
have since U-turned following a report by the Inter-
na onal Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which an-
nounced that diesel exhaust emissions are carcinogenic
to humans.
Addi onally, diesel vehicles were found to be the key
contributor to poor air quality in many ci es, such as
London and Paris, due to the high emission of par culate
ma er (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Inhaled PM and
NOx can cause severe health effects. In the short term,
PM can cause decreased lung func on, respiratory symp-
toms and heart a acks, while in the long term, PM can
cause chronic bronchi s, stroke and premature death.
NOx can cause increased risk of respiratory infec on and
impair lung func ons in asthma cs.
According to the European Environment Agency, NOx
pollu on is responsible for tens of thousands of early
deaths across Europe. In addi on, NOx also combines
with hydrocarbons (HCs) to form ground-level ozone—
a chief component of smog, which severely reduces air
quality.
Interna onal ac on
Other recent studies by interna onal bodies and gov-
ernments have discovered that, even before the recent
Volkswagen emissions scandal, on-road emissions of
diesel vehicles—NOx from light vehicles in par cular—
were significantly higher than reported test results even
at higher Euro VI standards. Reports also indicate that
diesel vehicles are less suited for urban driving condi-
ons, as the start-stop condi ons of urban driving can
clog the diesel par culate filter, leading to higher main-
tenance requirements. This is exacerbated by poor driver
behaviour, which raises the emissions of diesel vehicles.
34 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
These can lead to unfortunate health effects in an urban
environment.
Governments around the world have iden fied diesel
vehicles as a key source of poor urban air quality, and are
taking steps to curb its use as part of measures to tackle
urban air pollu on. For example, the mayors of ci es
like Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens have recently
announced that their ci es will ban the use of all diesel
vehicles by 2025. Other ci es, such as London, have im-
posed Ultra- Low Emission Zones to limit diesel vehicles
in its city centre.
The local fleet
In Singapore, there is concern about the impacts of
diesel vehicles on air quality. The Ministry of the Envi-
ronment and Water Resources (MEWR), together with
the Na onal Environment Agency (NEA) embarked on a
study on pollu on from diesel vehicles in Singapore. The
study found that while diesel vehicles make up only 20
per cent of Singapore’s vehicle popula on, they account
for 99 per cent of PM and 84 per cent of ozone stemming
from vehicular pollu on.
The study iden fied two vehicle groups of concern: com-
mercial vehicles and buses, and diesel cars. Commercial
vehicles and buses comprise the majority of the diesel
vehicle popula on in Singapore. More than half of the
commercial vehicle and bus popula on are of the older
Pre-Euro/Euro I/II/III emissions standards, and are the
largest contributors to pollu on. It was also found that
diesel cars were the fastest growing group of diesel vehi-
cles, increasing by three mes between 2013 and 2015.
A cleaner slate
To reduce pollu on from diesel commercial vehicles and
buses, and encourage the takeup of cleaner cars, NEA
and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have imple-
mented the Early Turnover Scheme (ETS) and Vehicular
Emissions Scheme (VES) respec vely. These schemes
encourage individuals and companies to choose greener
vehicle technologies, or cleaner diesel models where
alterna ves are not available.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) also announced in Febru-
ary 2017 the implementa on of a volumetric diesel duty.
This will hopefully shi the basis of taxa on on diesel
vehicles towards usage and be er encourage users to
reduce diesel emissions.
 ENVIRONMENT & WATER ENGINEERING

In addi on, NEA introduced new regu-

la ons on diesel fuel composi on on 1
January 2017. The stricter Euro VI emis-
sion standards for new diesel vehicles
also kicked in from 1 January 2018. All
these measures, together with NEA’s
enforcement against smokey vehicles and
idling engines, will reduce diesel vehicular
emissions.

Other ac ons against vehicular

emissions
Apart from policies against diesel emis-
sions, NEA con nues to work towards
reducing emissions from petrol vehicles.
Petrol vehicles produce higher levels of
carbon monoxide (CO) and CO2 than
diesel vehicles. While Singapore’s ambient
CO levels are within the WHO Air Quality
Guidelines, further reduc ons in CO emis-
Photo: Fredrik Rubensson
sions would benefit the environment and
human health. Many ci es worldwide suffer from air pollu on from vehicular sources.
NEA introduced new regula ons on the
composi on of petrol fuel on 1 January 2017 and has
mandated, since 1 September 2017, that new petrol
Health effects of some common
vehicles comply to Euro VI emission standards. vehicle-borne pollutants
To reduce pollu on from exis ng vehicles, the CO limits
PM2.5 PM2.5 can cause serious health effects at rela-
have been lowered for newer petrol vehicles and mo-
vely low concentra ons. Long-term exposure
torcycles from 1 April 2018. In addi on, HC limits were to PM2.5 can cause decreased lung func on,
also introduced for all in-use petrol vehicles and most the development of chronic bronchi s, stroke
motorcycles. and premature death while short-term expo-
It is an cipated the revised standards will result in sure can cause a range of effects, including
emissions reduc ons of up to 55 per cent and 51 per decreased lung func on, increased respiratory
cent for CO and HC respec vely for in-use petrol vehi- symptoms and heart a acks.
cles and motorcycles. HC is a precursor to ozone, and PM10 PM10 can cause respiratory impairment and
both CO and ozone are known to cause nausea, impair aggravate exis ng respiratory and cardiovas-
vigilance and respiratory func ons. cular disease. Individuals with heart or lung
disease, as well as the elderly and children,
A new high idle test and lambda measurement will also
are most sensi ve to the effects of PM10.
be introduced for newer in-use petrol vehicles (exclud-
ing motorcycles) to detect defec ve components, such NO2 Nitrogen dioxide increases the risk of respi-
as sensors and catalysts, which could result in higher ratory infec on and impairs lung func ons in
emissions. These test measures are in line with the asthma cs.
latest interna onal standards and prac ces. CO Carbon monoxide deprives body ssues
To help iden fy and raise awareness of cleaner vehicle of oxygen and causes nausea and impairs
op ons, MEWR also commissioned a study on Cleaner vigilance.
Alterna ve Technologies to Diesel for New Vehicles in
Ozone Excessive ozone in the air can impair resp
Singapore by the Singapore University of Technology ratory func ons.
and Design. The study iden fied feasible green tech-
nologies for most vehicle types that consumers and
businesses can choose over diesel technologies. The
adop on of green vehicle technologies and solu ons This ar cle previously appeared in Issue 12 of the Na onal
would require financial and infrastructural investments Environment Agency’s ENVISION Magazine. To read more
which will be reviewed together with other agencies about these and other topics, please visit: h p://www.nea.
and stakeholders in future. gov.sg/training-knowledge/publica ons/envision-magazine

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 35

April 2018
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

SINGAPORE ENTRY WINS FIRST PRIZE

IN FERRY DESIGN COMPETITION
The innova on is in reducing costs whilst conforming to the highest safety standards.

SolarJet, designed by the Singapore Collabora ve Team, The design envisages the use of aluminium steel alloy for
won the First Prize in the Fi h Design Compe on for a the construc on of the hull, in order to achieve maxi-
Safe and Affordable Ferry, organised by the World Ferry mum stability, whilst minimising material assembly cost
Safety Associa on (WFSA). as well as providing a strong and light-weight skeletal
core. This increased stability would allow the ferry to
The 2018 Design Compe on focused on designing operate ballast-free, as well as reduce maintenance fees
a ferry carrying 300 passengers and crew, which can and lifecycle costs.
traverse the highly congested Singapore Strait and access
terminals in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The aerodynamic design of the ferry will reduce wind
drag and resistance, allowing it to travel at faster speeds,
The Singapore Collabora ve Team comprised represen- without consuming too much fuel.
ta ves from three academic ins tu ons in Singapore -
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Man- Also, LED lights will be used inside the ferries, further
agement University (SMU) and Newcastle University in reducing energy consump on.
Singapore. The team included Marcus
Teo Tze Kang, from NTU, as captain;
Jaylen Li, from SMU, and Ong Yong Kit,
from NTU, as team members; and Dr
Ivan Tam and Dr Arun Dev, both from
Newcastle University in Singapore, as
faculty advisors.
The Singapore Mari me and Port
Authority’s Mr Kevin Wong and the
Safety Inspectorate team devised the
specifica ons for the Singapore Strait
ferry compe on.
The Worldwide Ferry Safety Associ-
a on is a not-for-profit organisa on,
dedicated to bringing innova on in
training methods, as well as use of
technology to provide no fica on for SolarJet is a tri-mono hull, modern, yet affordable ferry that u lises cu ng-edge technologies.
sudden hazardous weather, curb over-
loading, and enhance marine rescue
technology.

Cost-compe ve design
SolarJet is a tri-mono hull (mono hull
below the waterline, but trimaran
shaped at the waterline), modern, yet
affordable ferry that u lises cut-
ng-edge technologies.
The hull selec on was made a er a
feasibility study of the environment
along the straits between Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia, where cur-
rents are generally less aggressive.
A hard chine hull form was selected,
with the geometry of the structure sim- The Singapore Collabora ve Team comprised, seated, from le , Ong Yong Kit, NTU (Team Member);
plified, to enable the produc on of the Marcus Teo Tze Kang, NTU (Team Captain); and Jaylen Li, SMU (Team Member). Standing, from le ,
ferry in less sophis cated shipyards. are Faculty Advisors Dr Arun Dev and Dr Ivan Tam, both from Newcastle University in Singapore.

36 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

Propulsion
Diesel is the fuel source, which is supplemented by solar
power generated by a huge malleable screen on top of
the vessel. The giant screen doubles as an augmented
reality screen showing man-made visuals when not
needed for solar power genera on.
Medium-speed diesel engines will be used to reduce
opera ng cost.
The triple waterjet engine arrangement for the propul-
sion system helps to increase efficiency and provide a
wider opera ng power range, while also reducing noise
pollu on.
Naviga on
Naviga on is assisted by azipods, as well as by bow and
stern thrusters. The azipods will help manoeuvrability, as
they are able to rotate 360°, and they also help to reduce
fuel consump om. The bow and stern thrusters, on both
sides of the ferry, will help the ferries dock more easily
and reduce the docking me needed.
Organic Light Emi ng Diode (OLED) screens in the
wheelhouse will assist naviga on through visuals indicat-
ing incoming ships and weather pa erns. This is made
possible by modern sensors communica ng with one
another, as part of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Safety features
Owing to the loca on of key ports in the region, the
straits between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are
busy areas, with a high density of boats, which emphasis-
es the importance of safety in the design of the ferry.
The Singapore Collabora ve Team have designed the
Length (m)
Beam (m)
Max Draught/ Dra (m)
Min Draught/Dra (m)
Total Height (m)
Speed (knots)
Block Coefficient
Displacement (tonnes)
Mass of passengers and crew (tonnes)
Mass of hand carried and checked-in luggage (tonnes)
Mass of wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles (tonnes)
Stores (tonnes)
Specifica ons for the ferry
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING
ferry, such that it can con nue opera ons even under
adverse condi ons.
The design, construc on and ou i ng of the ferry will
comply with the requirements of the Interna onal Con-
ven on for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). These in-
clude the provision of two-way radiotelephone systems,
radar transponders, rocket parachute flares, two-way
emergency communica on systems, emergency alarm
system, public address system, life jackets, life buoys and
portable fire ex nguishers.
Passenger-sea ng will be spread out evenly across the
ferry for increased stability. There will also be foldable
chairs to make way for wheelchairs if there is a need
for addi onal space. Adequate numbers of fire-safety
equipment like hoses and ex nguishers, will be placed
all around the ferry, for easy access. Furthermore, areas
with heavy machinery will be protected with an extra
layer of insula on, as an addi onal safety measure.
The life-jackets will be stored under each seat, while the
life buoys will be located on the side of the hulls. Also,
the staircase follows a ‘two by two’ forma on, to enable
speedy evacua on. There will also be smoke detectors
that will trigger fire alarms, in case of such events.
The ample spaces at both the front and the back of the
ferry can be used for marshalling purposes and to facil-
itate faster evacua on. The installed PA systems can be
used to guide the passengers.
The en re ferry will also have night lights as well as lights
that line the walkways to aid passengers walking back
to their seats at night. The OLED screen at the wheel-
house can also generate an SOS signal, if needed. Further
adjustments can be done on the OLED screen to incorpo-
rate night vision.
36 Mass of Fuel (tonnes) 15
9 Deadweight (tonnes) 56.15
2 Lightweight (tonnes) 323.85
1.79 Passengers 300
8 Crew 20
30 Number of Engines 3
0.57 Power output of each Engine (kW) 720
380 Number of waterjets 3
20
10
1.15
10
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 37
April 2018
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

There will be four doors, two on each side of the ferry, to allow for docking on either side. There will be two gangways to facilitate the embarka on and
disembarka on of all passengers, and for their quick evacua on in emergencies. The malleable screen at the top will double up as a solar panel and as
an augmented reality screen to heighten customer experience.

The ferry will have sliding windows. In the open posi on, they will provide ven la on, while in the closed posi on, they will provide protec on to the vessel,
under stormy weather condi ons. Passengers can go to the bow of the boat to enjoy the views. Doors on both sides of the ferry, will permit easy access.

Specially designed power-saving light orbs will ensure that light is distributed well throughout the cabin. The viewing gallery at the back will also allow
good views. The three, low-noise, waterjet engines will be placed at the back to propel the boat forward.

38 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

CYBER SECURITY
HAS BECOME A HOT TOPIC
by Ms Elisa Cassi, Product Manager - Cyber Security,
Marine & Offshore, Lloyd’s Register
As we have seen over the past year, the marine and energy industries
are far from being immune to cyber-a acks and security breaches,
Ms Elisa Cassi
and the consequences can be far-reaching.

One of the key challenges associated with increased
automation and digitalisation is the vulnerability to
cyber-attack, and as industries continue to invest in
digital systems, the risk will only increase.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
is revolutionising shipping and offshore energy,
bringing with it a new era - the ‘cyber-enabled’ ship.
Today’s leading manufacturers and ship operators
want to innovate, using the latest ICT systems, going
beyond traditional engineering to create ships with
enhanced monitoring, communication and connection
capabilities - ships that can be accessed by remote
onshore services, anytime and anywhere. The rapid
evolution in the use of, and reliance upon, digital and
communication technologies, as well as the advances
in automation and the potential for integration of mul-
tiple electronic systems, increase the importance of
addressing inherent vulnerabilities.
Ships are becoming increasingly complex and depen-
dent on the use of digital and communication tech-
nologies. In line with increased connectivity comes
a new need to implement secure technology and
processes to mitigate threats to operational technolo-
gy (OT). IT and OT used to be separated by numerous
human-centred processes, allowing for an incremental
approach to cyber IT security. As the boundaries of
autonomous systems extend, these ‘fire walls’ are dis-
appearing and cyber security must be considered with
the utmost importance as a fundamental component
in the risk profile of critical assets that are connected.
Compromise of a ship’s systems may lead to various
unwanted and harmful outcomes at an individual
ship or fleet level, for example, physical harm to the
system or shipboard personnel or cargo - the worst
case scenario being risk to life and/or loss of the ship;
disruptions caused by the ship no longer functioning
or sailing as intended; loss of sensitive information,
including commercially sensitive or personal data; and
permitting criminal activity, including kidnap, piracy,
fraud, theft of cargo and imposition of ransomware.
Poor security could also lead to potential financial
loss or penalties, loss of customer and/or industry
confidence, reputational damage, and even litigation.
Cyber security however, is not just about preventing
hackers gaining access to systems and information
that can potentially result in loss of confidentiality
and/or control. It is also about addressing the mainte-
nance of integrity and availability of information and
systems, ensuring business continuity and the continu-
ing utility of digital assets and systems.
Cyber systems transform a ship into a total system
of interlinked systems (a system of systems). While
cyber systems are not exact substitutes for traditional
electro-mechanical systems on board ships and their
operators, they provide opportunities to combine
these traditional components with more complex
behaviour. When designed properly, the use of ICT
can increase efficiency and safety through improved
monitoring and communication, and greater situation-
al awareness on the bridge, in the engine room and
in other operational areas. Specifically, cyber systems
impact ships by interconnecting systems through com-
puter networks; integrating systems; creating layers of
embedded and/or application software that separate
the operator and the ship; changing the role of the op-
erator to a manager of many linked, complex systems;
shifting the operator’s perception of the ship and
its environment, to one defined by human-machine
interfaces; enhancing the ability and efficiency of the
crew, or changing the organisation of work, through
automation; and creating the potential to remotely
monitor and change the operation of the ship using a
wide range of data, from anywhere in the world.
Ship-based cyber systems include navigation systems,
including electronic charts, global positioning sys-
tems (GPS), and dynamic positioning systems (DPS);
radar and automatic identification systems (AIS);
communications systems, including radio communica-
tions (terrestrial and satellite), data communications
[broadband, Voice over IP (VOIP), internet access and
e-mail]; integrated bridge systems; control systems
for the wide range of electro-mechanical systems on

40 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018

board ships, such as main engine, generators, ballast
tanks, life support, fuel and oil pumps, water- ght
doors, fire alarms and controls, cargo hold fans and
environmental controls; as well as equipment used
by charterers, such as survey equipment (sonar and
seismic survey systems, for example), wireless access
points, IP ports and wireless phones.
Because a cyber-enabled ship consists of mul ple, in-
terconnected systems, and because of the rapid pace of
technology development, assuring that a cyber-enabled
ship will be safe cannot be prescrip ve, and cannot rely
on knowledge gained from previous systems. Instead,
it requires a ‘total systems’ approach - one that takes
account of all the different systems on board and on
The marine & offshore industry is moving towards the crea on and deployment of vessels with enhanced monitoring, communica on and connec on
capabili es, and which can be accessed by remote onshore services, any me and anywhere.
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING
shore, how they are designed and installed, how they
connect and how they will be managed. This is the
approach that Lloyd’s Register (LR) takes, applying a
non-prescrip ve, risk-based process from the earliest
concept stage, through on-board integra on, to opera-
on. The approach is based on extensive experience of
system design and installa on on board ships and other
marine pla orms. ICT systems have the poten al to en-
hance safety, reliability and business performance, but
there are numerous risks that need to be iden fied, un-
derstood and mi gated to make sure that technologies
are safely integrated into ship design and opera ons.
In February 2016, LR issued the first guidance on cy-
ber-enabled ships - ‘Deploying Information and Com-
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 41
April 2018
MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING
munications Technology in Shipping - Lloyd’s Register’s
Approach to Assurance’. This identified the elements
that constitute a cyber-enabled ship and the activities
that need to take place to ensure that cyber technol-
ogy does not introduce a safety risk - effectively pro-
viding the industry with a route map to understanding
the implications of digital technology. LR identified
six key areas of risk that need to be considered and
addressed, in order to assure the safety and depend-
ability of cyber systems - the system, the human-sys-
tem, software, network and communications, data
assurance, and cyber security.
Cyber security is a through-life issue that requires con-
sideration, from project inception to asset disposal. In
addition to its impact on system development, special
consideration must be given to the education of all
related staff and associated organisational culture.
Incident response planning and the maintenance of an
asset’s security status through timely, carefully-tested
patching also need to be considered throughout an
asset’s lifecycle. Cultural Risk Factors, specific to the
maritime industry, need to also be considered and
re-visited. These factors include low awareness of
maritime cyber security, complexity of the maritime
ICT environment, fragmented maritime governance
context, inadequate consideration of cyber security
in maritime regulation, lack of a holistic approach to
maritime cyber risks, overall lack of direct economic
incentives to implement good cyber security in the
maritime sector, and slow regulatory change.
By addressing the risks and building a safe and secure
foundation, LR is helping ship operators to identify
and then realise the benefits that are possible through
digitalisation, as well as helping them prepare for
forthcoming regulation. LR’s approach has already
been applied to projects, working with leading indus-
try players to make autonomous shipping a reality. LR
worked with Rolls-Royce and Svitzer on the world’s
first remotely controlled commercial vessel, and with
CSSC on China’s first smart ship, ‘Great Intelligence’.
LR has created cyber security requirements, as part
of its guidance and procedure for cyber-enabled
ships. The recently revised ‘Cyber-enabled ships:
ShipRight procedure - autonomous ships’, which
details LR’s framework for accepting cyber technolo-
gy and was the industry’s first ShipRight procedure,
now includes a Cyber SECURE descriptive note. This
helps to raise the awareness of cyber security and
recognises that cyber security has been assessed, in
the context of design and build, and that an appro-
priate cyber security governance system is in place to
mitigate the risk of introducing vulnerabilities to cy-
ber-attack, or other unauthorised access, during the
design, procurement, construction and installation of
the cyber-enabled systems. This is complemented by
42 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
April 2018
the newly released Type Approval Requirements for
components within ‘Cyber Enabled Systems on board
Ships - Procedure for Network and Network-relat-
ed devices’. Providing all the benefits of traditional
type approval, reassurance on supply chain quality
and robustness within the marine environment, the
new procedure also incorporates consideration of
the functioning of a cyber-enabled system, including
aspects such as cyber security.
In addi on, a Cyber Secure programme has been de-
veloped, that consists of a set of consultancy services
designed to help ship operators understand how cyber
secure they are now and what level of security they
want to achieve in future. Across the industry, there is
s ll huge varia on in levels of awareness of and pre-
paredness for the increasing role of cyber technologies
and exposure to cyber security risks. Understanding
the level of cyber readiness is the essen al first step
to iden fying, mi ga ng and managing the risk. LR
conducts readiness reviews to quan fy exis ng cyber
capabili es and help develop strategies to maximise the
benefits, whilst minimising the risks. Taking a ‘whole
asset’ approach and looking at all the connected equip-
ment, systems and so ware, both individually and in
terms of their interac ons with, and poten al impact
on, each other, LR can undertake a detailed technical
assessment of the en re asset, iden fying theore cal
cyber threats and vulnerabili es, and carry out prac cal
interven ons, such as penetra on tes ng and ethical
hacking, to ascertain the real, prac cal risks. This com-
bined desk-based and prac cal work approach provides
a robust, objec ve and fully quan fiable basis for
developing a cyber security strategy. LR can also review
the levels of cyber security readiness within offices,
and iden fy awareness and technical training needs.
This assessment also allows for the iden fica on of the
residual risks - those that cannot be reduced or avoided
currently, and must therefore be understood, accepted
or insured against.
The cyber security landscape is a constantly changing
one, as new threats and countermeasures emerge, so
even with the best cyber security strategy in place, at
some point you may suffer a breach. It is important to
have in place robust incident response plans that can
be deployed quickly and effectively. And it is vital that
staff know what to do in the early stages of a cyber
security threat. In fact, the greatest security vulner-
abilities come from people. Ninety percent of cyber
security incidents can be traced back to human error
or intent. Good security outcomes are therefore un-
derpinned by positive security behaviours, so training
is vital to increase the overall awareness of cyber risks
and ensure that the appropriate behaviours, aware-
ness, attitudes and technical skills are embedded
within a business.
 MARINE & OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

DANFOSS OPENS APPLICATION

DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN SINGAPORE
The company’s range of technologies will help customers achieve energy efficiency.

Danfoss, a key regional player in the energy

efficiency space, recently unveiled its new
office in Singapore and its latest Marine &
Offshore Applica on Development Center
(ADC).
The new Singapore Office and ADC is an
important milestone for Danfoss, as it
increases its visibility in the Asia Pacific re-
gion where it has been ac ve, since 1983,
and where it currently has 14 offices and
facili es.
“Our Marine Applica on Development
Center will help increase innova on close
to and with customers at system level, for
the marine & offshore industry, to be er Performing the ribbon-cu ng to officially open the new Danfos office and the Singapore
ADC are, from le , Mr Allan Jensen, Head of Asia Pacific Region, Danfoss Global Services;
manage climate challenges in the indus- Her Excellency Mrs Dorte Bech Vizard, Danish Ambassador to Singapore; Mr Soren Kvorning,
try”, said Mr Soren Kvorning, President, President, Danfoss Asia Pacific; and Mr Vikas Anand, Regional Head, Danfoss Asia Pacific.
Danfoss Asia Pacific.
The company has an array of technologies,
including hybrid power solu ons, that will • Integra on & system performance tes ng, on behalf of
help to ensure efficient shipping opera ons. customers who bring their own equipment to the ADC,
With the new ADC, Danfoss is be er posi oned to such as motors, PLCs, sensors, ba ery systems etc.
inves gate, test, and demonstrate applica ons that can The Singapore ADC is equipped to perform tests on var-
help designers as well as decision-makers, to learn and ious customer applica ons as well as func onal tests on
develop new applica ons and digital opportuni es, going new applica ons, redundant solu ons, energy storage,
beyond Singapore and into the region. grid converters and marine applica ons. The ADC is also
specialised in se ng up tests for integrated solu ons.
Singapore ADC
With the opening of the new Applica on Development Danfoss technology and solu ons
Center (ADC) in Singapore, Danfoss has added a fi h ADC Danfoss develops technology and solu ons that help
to its worldwide por olio. The other applica on centres to lower emissions and improve people’s health and
are in Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Nordborg, Denmark; comfort, in both indoor and outdoor environments, by
Oragadam, India; and Haiyan, China. op mising HVAC systems.
The ADC in Singapore will focus more on the marine & Since 1968, variable speed drives have been the focus
offshore sector, for the benefit of the company’s cus- and core business of Danfoss. The merger of Danfoss and
tomers, in the areas of training, product & applica on VACON, in 2014, has created one of the largest compa-
tes ng, and new solu ons development. The centre is nies in the drives industry.
equipped with tes ng units and demo units of VACON
NXP Common DC Bus with an ac ve front-end. There are three en es opera ng independently under
Danfoss. Danfoss Solar develops and produces solar invert-
Key ac vi es at the centre will include: ers for SMA Solar Technology AG. Danfoss Silicon Power de-
• Demonstra ng industry-leading applica on system velops, produces and sells power modules to a wide range
solu ons. of industries. Holip serves the Chinese market.
• Tes ng units under load condi ons. Danfoss is also a pioneer in hydrosta c transmission, as
• Tes ng of drives and power conversion products, com- well as in the produc on of orbital motors and steer-
ponents and applica ons. ing units. The company is also said to have introduced
• Exploring new system approaches with exis ng prod- load-sensing propor onal valves with electronic controls.
uct mixes. Today, seamless integra on of electronics and hydraulics
• Accelera ng learning of new product & system solu ons. is key to the company’s business.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 43

April 2018
IES UPDATE

PLACING TECHNOLOGY AT THE CORE OF

WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH CULTURE IN SINGAPORE

The Technology Enhanced Workplace Safety and Health Seminar speakers included Professor Chen I-Ming, NTU,
(WSH) Management Seminar welcomed about 120 on “Innova ons in Construc on Service Robo cs”; Mr
par cipants to Holiday Inn @ Orchard City Centre on 23 Wilson Cho, FM One Management Pte Ltd, on “Adop ng
March 2018, in view of the emphasis on technology to Technologies for Integrated Workplace Safety Manage-
realise Singapore’s WSH2028 goals. ment in the Built Environment”; Dr Goh Yang Miang,
NUS, on “Developing Safety Leading Indicators for
Organised by the IES Health and Safety Engineering
Construc on Sites: A Machine Learning Approach”; Mr
Technical Commi ee, the seminar featured experts who
Marken Ang, Changi Airport Group, on “Managing Safety
have embraced technologies to eliminate hazards and
in Changi Airport Through the Use of Technology”; Mr
minimise risks across different industries in Singapore.
Rudy Schalk, Rolls-Royce, on “Using Technology to Accel-
It exposed engineers and WSH professionals to the latest erate Our Journey to Zero Harm”; Mr Richard Koh, Mic-
innova ve technologies, best prac ces and success cases roso Singapore, on “Amplifying Human Ingenuity with
to strengthen WSH competency and build collec ve own- Intelligent Technology – to create a safer workplace”; and
ership towards Singapore’s ‘Vision Zero’ movement. lastly, a group presenta on by Mr Jeffrey Wijaja Lowardi,
Ms Abinaya Seenivasan, Ms Khairrunisa Bte Yahya and
The event was organised to encourage pervasive use of
Mr Le Trung Hieu from NUS on “Using Computer Vision
technology, iden fied to be pivotal in achieving Singa-
to Improve Construc on Safety – A Case Study”.
pore’s WSH2028 goal of reducing the na onal workplace
fatality rate from 1.2 per 100,000 employed persons in
2017 to less than one per 100,000 employed workers
before 2028.
President of IES, Er. Edwin Khew, said, “In the next ten
years, technology will con nue to play a prominent role
in reducing human errors that cause workplace acci-
dents. As many new technologies con nue to emerge
to support WSH management, IES has organised this
seminar to drive greater adop on of technological inno-
va ons to promote the health and safety of employees
at all levels in their organisa ons.” The seminar a racted about 120 par cipants.

Mr Richard Koh, Chief Technology Officer, Microso Singapore, fields a ques on from the audience.

44 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
IES UPDATE

LAUNCH OF ENGINEERING FEATS

COFFEE TABLE BOOK

On 7 April 2018, IES launched Engineering a First World – the profession and recognise these engineers’ efforts in
50 Feats that Transformed Singapore, a book recoun ng Singapore’s na on-building,” remarked IES President Er.
first-person stories of engineers behind Singapore’s 50 Khew at the book’s launch.
greatest engineering feats.
IES has begun distribu ng the book to all schools, ins tu-
Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State, Prime Minis- ons of higher learning and public libraries.
ter’s Office and Deputy Secretary-General, Na onal Trades
Engineering Feats @ IES-SG50 was a na onwide com-
Union Congress, graced the event held at the Na onal
pe on organised by IES and launched by Deputy Prime
Library Building.
Minister Teo Chee Hean in celebra on of Singapore’s
The 240-page book offers exclusive behind-the-scene 50th anniversary in 2015. The top 50 winners emerged
looks into the many challenges that had confronted from 113 shortlisted entries to receive awards from PM
engineers behind the winning projects of the Engineering Lee at the IES Golden Jubilee Dinner in July 2016.
Feats @ IES-SG50 compe on.
The book is avail-
It presents inspira onal journeys of these unsung heroes able at S$48 from
whose work were chosen by the public to have made the IES. Payment can
greatest economic, infrastructural or societal impact to also be made via
Singapore from 1965 to 2015. AXS machine, with
the remark “50
These stories are covered under seven main sec ons:
Feats Book Pur-
Building Our Country, Moving Our People, Defending Our
chase” – collec on
Na on, Greening Our Island, Enhancing Our Lives, Trans-
of the book can be
forming Our Industries and Globalising Our Ci es.
made with valid
“We need good engineers to maintain and upgrade our proof of purchase
infrastructure to meet the changing needs of our age- at IES and IES Acad-
ing popula on, and to keep on developing innova ve emy during office
solu ons to our resource constraints. I hope this book will hours.
inspire our next genera on of engineers to meet future
Members who are
challenges, and take the profession to new heights,” said
interested in this
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the book’s foreword.
book may call
“Through the book, IES aims to provide insights into the 6461 1246 or 6460
personal journeys of engineers whose work has trans- 4244 for further Engineering a First World: 50 Feats that
formed Singapore into a first world economy and given enquiries. Transformed Singapore is available from
IES at $48 a copy.
our people a high quality of life. We hope to ins l pride in

Er. Edwin Khew, IES President (first row, 7th from le ) and Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (8th from le ),
together with representa ves from the project owners who also sponsored the book. Mr Mervyn Sirisena, IES Vice President (Educa on Group) (11th
from le ) chaired the book’s editorial commi ee.

46 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018
 IES UPDATE

ADDRESSING CYBER THREATS AND RISKS

WHILE EMBRACING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

The IES Women in Science, Engineering and Research The Cybersecurity Bill, passed in February 2018,
Commi ee (WiSER) organised a cybersecurity talk on 8 mandates the owners of cri cal informa on structure to
February 2018, tled “Addressing Cyber Threats & Risks comply with codes of prac ce and standards of perfor-
While Embracing Emerging Technologies”. mance, among other measures. It also gives the author-
i es powers to inves gate and prevent cybersecurity
As Singapore con nually takes strides towards the ful-
incidents.
fillment of her Smart Na on vision, it is inevitable that
advanced technologies will become more prevalent in This is an important first step towards strengthening
society, changing the way we interact with each other Singapore’s collec ve defences in the digital age, and
and the environment around us. something that we all will have to keep in mind constant-
ly while embracing the benefits that digitalisa on has
For example, ar ficial intelligence-enhanced automa on
brought us.
will play a key role in manufacturing, while cashless pay-
ment technology will reduce the need for
onerous transac ons with physical notes
and coins. These, however, can and will be
exploited by those with malicious intent for
their personal gain
The WiSER Committee felt that it was
an opportune time to engage with and
inform members about the precautions
to take and to address the various threats
and risks that come along with these
emerging technologies.
Two industry veterans were invited to speak
at the talk: Ms Jaclyn Yeo, Senior Research
Analyst, Asia Pacific Risk Center, Marsh &
McLennan Companies; and Mr John Lim,
Lecturer, Diploma in Cyber Security and
Forensics, Nanyang Polytechnic.
They noted that the hospitality industry WiSER Commi ee Chairperson, Ms Jasmine Foo, addresses the par cipants.
was one of the most vulnerable to cyber-at-
tacks, due to the large volume of personal
and financial data that they handle on a
daily basis, and the commonplace use of
third-party so ware and other peripherals,
which are poten al vulnerabili es hackers
can exploit.
Also, the lack of investment in cyber protec-
on in Asia renders the region at greater risk
as compared to America.
With the increasing use of social engi-
neering to fish for informa on and launch
cyber-a acks, the current situa on means
that IT security is no longer the premise of
a select few highly trained professionals.
Rank and file employees also need to be
educated and empowered to cope with the
new playing field, to recognise incoming
a acks and be able to take measures to Ms Yeo examining cyber-a ack risk factors with par cipants during the talk.
protect themselves and their systems.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 47

April 2018
IES UPDATE

IES MOVIE NIGHT:

MARVEL STUDIOS’ BLACK PANTHER
IES held its second Movie Night on 21 February 2018 and
it was a great success! This me, we managed to snag
ckets to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther, the movie which
introduced in greater detail its eponymous hero and put
in place the final bits of informa on before the ensemble
Infinity War two-parter.
It was well-received, with all available ckets snapped up
within two weeks of announcement. Each member was
en tled to purchase 4 ckets at half price.
Through ac vi es such as this, we hope to enable mem-
bers to engage with their family and friends in a holis c
manner. A er the inaugural Move Night, many members
conveyed that they enjoyed themselves very much and
wished for us to arrange more such ac vi es.
Of course, IES is more than a social space for engineers. Ge ng ready for the journey to Wakanda.
During his welcome address, IES President Er. Khew
stressed that the Ins tu on’s core purpose is to develop
our members professionally.
He encouraged eligible members to apply for IES Char-
tered Engineer cer fica on as a valida on of their com-
petence and recogni on of the deep exper se a ained
over the course of their careers.
This Movie Night was made possible by the sponsorship
from Mr Yeo Wee Khin of IPP Financial Advisers. Mr Yeo
is a regular figure around IES, having supported various
other Members’ Nights by sharing his knowledge on the
economy and investment, will wri ng, and home loans.
We definitely hope to to give members opportuni es to
learn and grow with IES, so all feedback is welcome! You
may write, call, or speak to us candidly about your ideas
and concerns.
See you around! Mr Yeo Wee Khin and Er. Edwin Khew

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Goodrich Global Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 15

Asia Power Week 2018 –––––––––––––––––––– Page 33
Building and Construc on Authority ––––––––– Page 27
B P (Systems) Engineering Pte Ltd –––––––––––– Page 11
CAFEO ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Inside Front Cover
Cementaid S.E.A. Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 09
CMCEE 2018 –––––––––––––––––––– Inside Back Cover
Igus Singapore Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––– Page 25
Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd ––––– Outside Back Cover
Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd –––––––––––––– Page 45
Na onal Engineers Day 2018 ––––––––––––––– Page 39
Singapore University of Social Sciences ––––––– Page 01
ST Synthesis Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 13

48 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

April 2018