Download - Institution of Engineers Singapore

Contents 

10/2011 

Features 

Chief Editor 

T Bhaskaran 

t_b_n8@yahoo.com 

Director, Marketing 

Roland Ang roland@iesnet.org.sg 

Marketing & Publications Executive 

Jeremy Chia jeremy@iesnet.org.sg 

CEO 

Angie Ng 

angie@iesnet.org.sg 

Publications Manager 

Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg 

Published by 

The Institution of Engineers, Singapore 

70 Bukit Tinggi Road 

Singapore 289758 

Tel: 6469 5000 Fax: 6467 1108 

Cover designed by Jeremy Chia 

Cover image by YWL Engineering Pte Ltd 

16 Cover Story: The Sentosa Boardwalk 

Design and engineering safety excellence was achieved in spite of the challenges 

in the project. 

24 Project Application: Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi 

Mapei’s products have been used for installing floor and wall finishes, as well as 

for waterproofing and sealing of surfaces, in this iconic project. 

28 Project Application: Digital prototyping software helps in 

facade engineering projects 

Information Technology is helping to create sophisticated architectural and 

engineering designs, and build the structures. 

29 Project Application: Potain cranes dominate another huge 

Saudi Arabian development 

The tight time-lines for this major project have resulted in large numbers of lifting 

machines being deployed. 

30 Project Application: Raise boring adopted for dropshafts in 

Hong Kong drainage scheme 

The technology selected is appropriate, considering the constraints of the work 

sites. 

32 Project Application: Water pipeline in Abu Dhabi gets 

underway 

Machines for ground compaction achieve the specified results. 

33 Project Application: Five Liebherr cranes work in tight 

configuration on university campus project 

Correct selection of equipment prevents conflicting movements and ensures 

desired outcomes. 

36 Chemical Engineering: Wireless technology: minimising risks 

at process plants 

A new approach to Health, Safety and Environment challenges is presented. 

38 Chemical Engineering: Optimising engineering processes 

Software solutions can help in the design and operation of more efficient plants. 

NATIONAL ENGINEERS DAY 2011 SUPPLEMENT 

(between pages 22 and 23) 

A series of programmes and activities held over several months will culminate in a Grand 

Finale on 11 and 12 November. 

Regular Sections 

The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The 

Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publication is 

distributed free-of-charge to IES members and its affiliates. 

Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect 

those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved. No part of 

this magazine shall be reproduced, whether mechanical or 

electronic, without the prior written consent of IES. Whilst 

every care is taken to ensure accuracy and honesty in both 

editorial and advertising content at press time, IES will not 

be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contributions are 

welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. 

Printed by Print & Print Pte Ltd. 

16 

2 IES Update 

22 IESA Update 

34 Products & Solutions 

40 Events 

41 News 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · 1

IES Update 

Message from the President 

Dear Friends 

Besides natural disasters, the world has seen, in recent 

months and days, a series of major accidents including the 

crashing of airplanes at airshows and the collisions of trains. 

IES COUNCIL MEMBERS 

2011/2012 

President 

Er. Ho Siong Hin 

Deputy President 

Er. Prof Chou Siaw Kiang 

Vice Presidents 

Er. Chong Kee Sen 

Er. Edwin Khew 

Mr Neo Kok Beng 

Er. Ong Geok Soo 

Er. Ong See Ho 

Honorary Secretary 

Er. Ng Say Cheong 

Honorary Treasurer 

Dr Boh Jaw Woei 

Assistant Honorary Secretary 

Mr Oh Boon Chye, Jason 

Assistant Honorary Treasurer 

Mr Kang Choon Seng 

Immediate Past President 

Er. Lee Bee Wah 

Past Presidents 

Er. Tan Seng Chuan 

Er. A/Prof Foo Say Wei 

Er. Ong Ser Huan 

Council Members 

Er. Dr Chew Soon Hoe 

Prof Er Meng Joo 

Er. Dr Ho Kwong Meng 

Dr Ho Teck Tuak 

Er. Jee Yi Yng 

Er. Koh Beng Thong 

Dr Kwok Wai Onn, Richard 

Mr Lee Kwok Weng 

Mr Lim Horng Leong 

Er. Low Wong Fook 

Er. Prof Ong Say Leong 

Mr Tan Boon Leng, Mark 

Er. Toh Siaw Hui, Joseph 

2 · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 

Er. Ho Siong Hin 

President 

The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) 

October 2011 

These have resulted in injuries to people and even fatalities. 

After the necessary investigations have been conducted, 

follow-up actions will be taken, which will include further 

increasing the standards of engineering safety. 

At all stages of an engineering project, from design to 

construction and completion of the infrastructure and facilities, and from start-up to 

continued operation, maintenance, and beyond, the human element should have the 

greatest importance, followed by the respect for property and capital investments 

made. 

The increasing focus on the need to reduce the carbon footprint of all industrial activities 

is also a recognition that the human condition and the consequences to mankind should 

be at the centre of all engineering decisions. 

All this puts a lot more emphasis on the need for continuing education and training of 

employees at all levels, associates, contractors, suppliers, as well as communication with 

other stakeholders such as customers, the relevant authorities, and the general public. 

With technological advances and new commercial ideas being introduced at tremendous 

speeds, it is indeed a challenge to keep abreast of developments, in order to ensure the 

necessary levels of education, training, and communication. 

However, the engineering profession is up to the task and efforts are being made 

continuously, to raise the levels of competence in a systematic and efficient manner. 

In the face of setbacks, the engineering profession is known to be resilient and to have 

the capacity to overcome adversity and make progress. 

And going into the future, it is important that we continue to have good engineers. That 

is why IES is focusing on engineering education and accreditation. An example of efforts 

in this direction is the Inaugural Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the 

Pacific (FEIAP) Convention 2011 which IES hosted recently. The event included a oneand-a-half-day 

FEIAP International Conference and a 3-day Engineering Accreditation 

Workshop. 

IES also wishes to see more brilliant students enroll for an engineering education. This 

is one of the objectives of the National Engineers Day (NED) which it organised for the 

first time, last year. 

This year’s event (NED 2011) was launched in late March and has included several 

programmes of interest to practising engineers as well as to secondary school students 

and their teachers. 

The Grand Finale of NED 2011 will be held on 11 and 12 November. Among the highlights 

are a collection of inspirational interviews with prominent engineers, which has been 

posted on the NED website, as well as an exhibition that will address three themes - 

energy, aviation, and defence. The activities at the exhibition include quizzes for students 

and other opportunites to win attractive prizes.

IES Update 

S 

IES celebrates ‘Sapphire’ Anniversary with a ‘bash’ 

ome 1,100 members and guests 

gathered on 9 September 2011 

at the Compass West Ballroom, Resorts 

World Sentosa, to celebrate IES' 45 th 

Anniversary Annual Dinner, aptly 

themed the ‘Sapphire’ Anniversary. 

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua was the Guest-of- 

Honour for the occasion. 

The evening's programme 

commenced with Er. Ho Siong Hin, 

IES President, delivering a welcome 

speech. In his speech, he outlined the 

highlights and achievements of IES in 

the past year. He also mentioned IES’ 

building redevelopment project which 

aims to realise a clean and green, and 

a ‘zero-energy’ building. 

Er. Ho thanked partners, including 

allied professional bodies, educational 

institutions, and multinational firms 

for providing resources and support 

to IES. 

The evening also saw the Guestof-Honour, 

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, being 

conferred the title ‘IES Honorary 

Fellow’. 

In her acceptance speech, Mrs 

Lim highlighted the importance of 

engineering to Singapore’s economy 

and the benefits it brings. She also 

mentioned how she has witnessed the 

ideas and concepts of engineers being 

adapted and implemented, to improve 

the lives of Singaporeans and also to 

serve the public at large, in areas such 

as transportation which includes the 

aerospace and maritime sectors. 

At the Sapphire Anniversary 

Dinner, for the first time, Past President 

Medals were awarded to all the Past 

Presidents, for their leadership, 

contributions, and sacrifices made 

during their tenure as President. 

A total of 10 Past Presidents were 

present to receive their medals. 

This was followed by the 

presentation of certificates to IES 

Fellows who are champions with 

prominent achievements in their 

fields of engineering, in Singapore, on 

the basis of the work done by them 

and the positions they have attained. 

A total of five people were selected to 

receive the certificates. 

Also at the Annual Dinner, IES 

Gold Medals were presented to 

NTU/NUS engineering graduates. In 

Er. Ho Siong Hin delivering his Opening Speech. 

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua accepting her conferment as IES Honorary Fellow, from Er. Ho. 

The dinner was held at the Compass West Ballroom, Resorts World Sentosa. 

Mrs Lim speaking after the conferment. 

4 · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011

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IES Update 

addition, two Malay/Muslim students 

were given the IES Yayasan Mendaki 

scholarships. 

The night also saw the signing 

of an MoU between IES and the 

Academy of Engineering Singapore 

(SAEng), represented, respectively, by 

Er. Ho Siong Hin, IES President, and 

Prof Cham Tao Soon, President of 

SAEngg; as well as the launch of the 

SAEng logo. 

Certificates of appreciation were 

also presented to the following for 

their ‘pro bono’ services towards the 

IES Building redevelopment project - 

RSP Architects Planners & Engineers 

Pte Ltd, Squire Mech Pte Ltd, and 

Expand Construction Pte Ltd. TSE 

Group photo of IES Past Presidents. 

Er. Ho presented IES Gold Medals to NTU/NUS engineering graduates and IES Yayasan Mendaki Scholarships to Malay/Muslim students. 

After the signing of the MoU between IES and the Academy of Engineering 

Singapore. 

Er. Ho presenting the certificate of appreciation to Er. Chang Meng Teng of 

Squire Mech Pte Ltd. 


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This professional certificate series comprise regular 

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latest developments in urban transport 

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Integrated Transport Policy (11 - 14 Jan 2012) 

Delivered by Professor Anthony May (University of 

Leeds, U.K.) & Mr. Lew Yii Der (Director of LTA 

Academy). 

Transport Economics (16 - 19 Jan 2012) 

Delivered by Professor Anthony Chin (National 

University of Singapore) 

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Website: www.unisim.edu.sg/ogs

IES Update 

Er. Ong See Ho – 

Engineer with Education 

Affairs at Heart 

A 

s one of the Vice Presidents of the 

Institution of Engineers, Singapore 

(IES), Er. Ong See Ho oversees one of the 

important areas – the IES Professional Group 

which is responsible for the professional 

registries for the ASEAN Engineer, APEC 

Engineer, Certified Systems Engineering 

Professional (CSEP), Singapore Certified 

Energy Manager, and Project Management, 

as well as the Engineers Mobility Forum Er. Ong See Ho. 

and ACES-IES Joint Registries. The ACES-IES Joint Registries is a 

collaboration between the Association of Consulting Engineers 

Singapore and IES to develop and maintain several registries, 

namely those for Resident Engineers & Resident Technical 

Officers, Qualified Electrical Contractors (QEC) and Qualified 

Erosion Control Professionals (QECP). The main functions of the 

various committees looking after these registries are to develop 

and maintain an assessment system for registration, to develop 

programmes for continuing professional development, to audit 

compliance by registrants with the conditions of registration, and 

to administer complaints against registrants. 

Er. Ong’s latest assignment in IES was chairing the Organising 

Committee for the just concluded Inaugural Federation 

of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) 

Convention 2011. The FEIAP Convention, a week-long series of 

events in Singapore, from 2 to 7 October 2011, comprised the 

FEIAP International Conference on Engineering Education and 

Accreditation, the Engineering Accreditation Workshop on 

Developing Sustainable Program Assessment Processes, the 

FEIAP 33 rd Anniversary Dinner & Awards Presentation, and the 

FEIAP General Assembly. 

Er. Ong was instrumental in the formation of the Engineering 

Accreditation Board (EAB) in 2002, and getting it admitted 

as a full signatory of the Washington Accord in 2006. The EAB, 

which he currently chairs, represents IES as the body to accredit 

undergraduate engineering degree programmes that are 

delivered and awarded in Singapore. The Washington Accord 

is an international agreement among bodies responsible for 

accrediting engineering degree programmes, and it recognises 

the substantial equivalence of programmes accredited by 

those bodies and recommends that graduates of programmes 

accredited by any of the signatory bodies be recognised by the 

other bodies as having met the academic requirements for entry 

to the practice of engineering. 

Er. Ong has been an IES member since 1978 and became an 

IES Fellow in 2003. He has been a Council Member since 2007. He 

is currently the Deputy CEO (Building Control) of the Building 

and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Commissioner of 

Building Control. He is also a Board Member of the Professional 

Engineers Board (PEB) Singapore and the Board of Architects 

(BOA) Singapore. TSE 

Er. Ong Ser Huan – Giving 

Back as a Way Forward 

Er. Ong Ser Huan. 

W 

When it comes to volunteerism, you could count on Er. 

Ong Ser Huan. For the past 20-plus years, he has been 

relentless in contributing towards public service voluntarily, as 

well as the development of engineering profession. 

His passion towards engineering profession saw him chairing 

the IES Community Service Committee for seven years prior to 

his election as IES President in 1998, which he served till 2000. He 

now serves as Past President in the IES Council and Adviser to IES 

Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Technical Committee, Clean 

Energy Interest Group, IES Overseas Chapter and IES Social and 

Community Service Committee. 

He is also the Chairman of IES/ACES Qualified Electrical 

Contractor Registry since its inauguration in 2004 

Er. Ong believes that having benefitted from the engineering 

profession, it makes sense for him to contribute back to the 

profession and the community voluntarily so that others could 

benefit as well. 

Apart from his voluntary roles in engineering profession, 

he also manages to find time to be on the board and advisory 

committees of various charitable organisations. TSE 

ICE President pays visit to IES 

Mr Peter Hansford, President, Institution of Civil Engineers (second from 

right), visits the IES office. 


IES Update 

I 

The Inaugural FEIAP Convention 2011 

ES hosted the Inaugural Federation 

of Engineering Institutions of Asia 

and the Pacific (FEIAP) Convention 2011, 

from 3 to 7 October 2011, at the Furama 

RiverFront Hotel in Singapore. 

The event included a Welcome 

Reception (on 2 October) at The Jewel Box 

at Mount Faber; the FEIAP International 

Conference (on 3 October), the FEIAP 

Convention Dinner (on 4 October), the 

FEIAP Standing Committee & Workgroup 

Meetings (on 5 October), the 19 th FEIAP 

General Assembly (on 5 October), and 

the Engineering Accreditation Workshop 

(from 5 to 7 October), all at the Furama 

RiverFront Hotel; as well as a Technical 

Visit to Jurong Island. 

The convention attracted close to 250 

delegates. About 90 of them were from 18 

countries outside Singapore. 

FEIAP INTERNATIONAL 

CONFERENCE 

The Guest-of-Honour at the FEIAP 

International Conference was Mr Gan Kim 

Yong, Minister for Health, Singapore. 

The conference, which addressed 

the theme ‘Engineering Education & 

Accreditation’ commenced with a 

Welcome Address by Er. Ho Siong Hin, 

President, IES. 

Er. Ho said that, over the long-term, 

Singapore aims to develop a vibrant 

community of educational institutions, 

transforming the city-state into a global 

talent hub, and that as a major engineering 

educational institution in Singapore, IES is 

working towards fulfilling its role in this 

grand master plan. 

‘We hope this convention will serve as a 

good platform for educators and practising 

professionals to share information on issues 

concerning training of future engineers and 

accreditation of engineering programmes, 

continuing professional development, and 

qualifications of engineers’, he said. 

Er. Ho highlighted IES’ involvement in 

Engineering Accreditation. He said that in 

order to ensure local engineering degree 

programmes are robust and on par with 

international standards, the Engineering 

Accreditation Board (EAB) of the IES 

has been evaluating and accrediting the 

programmes offered by local universities. 

‘We check that our local programmes 

12 · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011 

are substantially equivalent, in terms of 

training and learning outcomes, to the 

internationally recognised Washington 

Accord community. This will guarantee 

the professional competence of our 

graduates and allow mutual recognition 

of their qualifications’, said Er. Ho. 

He pointed out that as of July 2011, 

the EAB has accredited 26 engineering 

programmes offered by local institutions 

of higher learning, some in partnership 

with renowned foreign universities. 

Er. Ho also touched on the importance 

of Continuous Professional Development 

for engineers and mentioned the 

contribution of IES Academy in this area. 

‘We have to keep up with technological 

changes and embrace new work methods. 

In IES, we place strong emphasis on 

continuing education and training’, he 

said. 

‘In the last financial year, more than 

The Guest-of-Honour, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister 

for Health, Singapore. 

Delegates at the FEIAP International Conference. 

6,000 engineers have participated in the 

Academy’s courses. This is a record. But 

we are on course to setting a new record. 

In the first four months of this financial 

year, we have already conducted courses 

for more than 2,000 engineers. We are 

heartened by the strong demand for our 

courses. It is an indication of the courses’ 

quality and relevance. It also demonstrates 

our members’ commitment to training 

and skills upgrading’, Er. Ho added. 

Er. Ho Siong Hin, President, IES. 

Er. Tan Seng Chuan, President, FEIAP.

We Achieve Complexity 

with Simplicity...

IES Update 

In another Welcome Address, Er. Tan 

Seng Chuan, President, FEIAP, spoke on 

the mobility of engineers in the global 

market, due to the increasing demand for 

expertise and innovation. 

‘In order to facilitate mobility of 

engineers in the member economies, 

an agreement that covers competence 

standards for practising engineers must be 

reached to remove any artificial barriers 

impeding the free movement and practice 

of professional engineers’, he said. 

According to Er. Tan, this can be 

systematically achieved through a 

framework where substantial equivalence 

in ensuring the competence of 

experienced professional engineers could 

be determined. 

He said that in this respect, FEIAP is 

moving in the correct direction - to assist 

the developing economies in raising their 

academic levels and strengthening their 

accreditation standards. 

‘With the internationally-recognised 

accreditation system properly in place, 

engineering associations, governments, 

and firms worldwide will have confidence 

in the abilities, standards, and experience 

of engineers working across international 

boundaries’, Er. Tan said. 

The convention also marked the end 

of Er. Tan’s four-year tenure as FEIAP 

President. He is succeeded by Prof. Ir 

Chuah Hean Teik from the Institution of 

Engineers, Malaysia (IEM). 

In his Opening Address, the Guest-of- 

Honour, Mr Gan Kim Yong elaborated on 

how engineering can assist in the area of 

healthcare. 

‘Healthcare is a huge and growing 

sector in all industrialised economies. 

Many of these economies have something 

in common - they are all facing the issue of 

ageing. Singapore is not spared either - we 

expect to see a doubling of the number of 

Singapore residents aged 65 and above by 

the year 2030’, he said. 

‘I head a committee to address this, the 

Ministerial Committee for Ageing. One of 

our top priorities is to think through how 

we can help prepare Singapore to meet 

the challenges associated with an ageing 

population. Even as the Ministry of Health 

continues to grow and ramp up the longterm-care 

sector to better support ageing, 

we are also looking for new and innovative 

solutions from beyond the medical 

community’, Mr Gan added. 

He said that engineering can make 

a positive contribution in this aspect, 

citing the example of bioengineering 

which has already produced meaningful 

results through the creation of important 

medical devices, tools and implants that 

help doctors treat their patients better 

and improve their quality of living. 

‘Cross-fertilisation and application of 

knowledge from the disciplines of science, 

engineering and medicine will open new 

and exciting opportunities’, Mr Gan said. 

He also pointed out that many 

universities around the world have started 

to look into the area of ‘Healthcare 

Engineering’, a relatively young branch 

of engineering, which seeks to address 

challenges experienced in healthcare 

delivery systems. 

‘I see this as a natural evolution in the 

development of engineering. Engineers 

traditionally have been strong in 

optimising efficiency and processes with a 

systems engineering approach. Healthcare 

engineering takes this forward, applying 

well honed and familiar approaches 

in systems engineering to bring about 

the optimisation of various factors in 

healthcare systems such as accessibility, 

safety, cost and effectiveness of care. 

Healthcare engineering might be a niche 

field today but there is great potential in 

such a discipline’, Mr Gan added. 

‘FEIAP Engineer of the Year 2011’ 

Awards 

Mr Gan later presented the ‘FEIAP Engineer 

of the Year 2011’ Awards to Er. Prof Su 

Guaning, currently President Emeritus 

and Professor of Electrical and Electronic 

Engineering at Nanyang Technological 

University (NTU), Singapore, and to Lt Gen 

(Retd) BS Dhaliwal, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, a 

decorated soldier, with a distinguished 

and chequered career in the Corps of 

Engineers of the Indian Army, spanning 41 

years,. 

The citation for Er. Prof Su referred to 

his service as President of NTU from 2003 

to 2011, in raising the university’s profile 

as a research-intensive global university, 

and prior to that, his 30 years of dedicated 

service to advancing defence science and 

technology in Singapore. 

A Singapore President’s Scholar and 

Colombo Plan Scholar, Er Prof Su obtained 

PhD, MS and BSc degrees in Electrical 

Engineering, from Stanford University, 

California Institute of Technology and 

University of Alberta. 

He served as President of IES from 

1994 to 1996. 

‘Er Prof Su Guaning is awarded the 

FEIAP Engineer of the Year for lifetime 

contributions to the engineering 

profession and engineering education 

in Singapore, ASEAN and beyond’, the 

citation stated. 

The citation for Lt Gen (Retd) 

Dhaliwal, referred to his ‘eminent selfmotivation’ 

that enabled the General 

Officer to make a difference, wherever 

he served, with a remarkable aptitude for 

pragmatic, intuitive and logical deduction. 

His deeds and ‘out of the box’ ideas have 

left an indelible mark in all appointments 

he has served in. Throughout his service, 

he has utilised his engineering knowledge 

and skills, with a capability and capacity to 

endure, and to accomplish tasks, in a timebound 

manner, during peace and war, and 

Er. Prof Su Guaning. 

Lt Gen (Retd) BS Dhaliwal. 


in all terrains. 

Summing up, the citation stated, 

‘The FEIAP Engineer of the Year 2011 is a 

Soldier and a Gentleman, and above all, an 

Engineer par excellence’. 

THE FEIAP CONVENTION DINNER 

The highlights of the FEIAP Convention 

Dinner included a Welcome Speech by 

Er. Tan Seng Chuan, FEIAP President; 

presentation of membership certificates 

to members and tokens of appreciation to 

the chairmen of the conference sessions, 

as well as the presentation of the FEIAP 

Special Award to Mr Peter Taylor; and 

the signing of an MOU between BCA 

Academy and IES Academy. 

FEIAP CONVENTION 2013 

The FEIAP Convention will be held 

once every two years. The Institution of 

Engineers, India (IEI) will be hosting the 

2 nd FEIAP Convention in Hyderabad, India, 

in 2013. 

FEIAP 

The Federation of Engineering Institutions 

of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (FEISEAP), 

an international non-profit professional 

organisation, was founded on 6 July 1978. 

Its establishment followed an exploratory 

meeting, convened and organised by The 

Engineering Institute of Thailand, under 

The King’s Patronage, with the support of 

the United Nations Educational Scientific 

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on 

3 July 1978 in Chiang Mai. 

The objectives of FEISEAP, being 

an independent umbrella organisation 

for the engineering institutions in the 

Southeast Asian and the Pacific regions, 

were to encourage the application of 

technical progress to economic and social 

advancement throughout the world, to 

advance engineering as a profession in the 

interest of all people, and to foster peace 

throughout the world. The federation 

was, itself, an international member of 

the World Federation of Engineering 

Organizations (WFEO) which pursues, on 

a global scale, objectives similar to those 

of FEISEAP. 

The constitution of the federation has 

been amended several times at its biennial 

General Assemblies. At the 14 th General 

Assembly of FEISEAP held in Cebu, 

Philippines, on 26 November, 2007, the 

question of the continuation of FEISEAP 

was discussed. It was unanimously 

agreed at that General Assembly, that 

the federation should continue, provided 

that its constitution was reviewed to 

more clearly define its objectives and to 

broaden the scope of economies eligible 

for membership. 

The latest version of the constitution is 

the result of that review and consultation 

with all members. It was unanimously 

adopted by the Special General Assembly 

of the federation held in Hanoi, Vietnam, 

on 2 June 2008, and incorporates the 

change of name to the Federation of 

Engineering Institutions of Asia and the 

Pacific (FEIAP). TSE 

IES Update 

FEIAP Member Economies 

• KPEA (Korea Professional Engineers 

Association) 

• IEM (The Institution of Engineers, 

Malaysia) 

• IPEJ (Institution of Professional 

Engineers, Japan) 

• EA (Engineers Australia) 

• EIT (The Engineering Institute of 

Thailand) 

• PII (The Institution of Engineers 

Indonesia) 

• PTC (Philippines Technological 

Council) 

• IES (The Institution of Engineers, 

Singapore) 

• CAST (China Association of Science 

of Technology) 

• HKIE (Hong Kong Institution of 

Engineers) 

• FIE (Institution of Engineers, Fiji) 

• VUSTA (Vietnam Union of Science 

and Technology Association) 

• IEPNG (The Institution of Engineers, 

Papua New Guinea) 

• IEM (The Institution of Engineers, 

Mauritius) 

• ASME (The American Society of 

Mechanical, Engineers) 

• CIE (Chinese Institute of Engineers, 

Chinese Taipei) 

• MES (Myanmar Engineering 

Society) 

• IEI (The Institution of Engineers, 

India) 

• IEB (The Institution of Engineers, 

Bangladesh) 

• LUSEA (Lao Union of Science and 

Engineering Associations) 

• BEC (The Board of Engineers, 

Cambodia) 

An MOU is signed between BCA Academy and IES Academy. From left: Mr Wong Wai Ching, Deputy 

Managing Director (Training & Professional Development) and Mr Benedict Tan, Managing Director, 

BCA Academy; Er. Ho Siong Hin, President, and Prof Chou Siaw Kiang, Deputy President, IES. The 

agreement aims to advance the training and continuous education of engineering professionals in the 

built environment. The MOU is expected to lead to the joint identification, creation and organisation of 

seminars, discussion fora, training programmes, publications, and a repository of resources. A relevant 

committee will also be formed jointly to set industry standards for the certification of competencies 

and skill sets. IES members who are involved in the built environment are expected to benefit from 

this agreement. 

Mr Peter Taylor receives the FEIAP Special 

Award from Er. Tan. On left is Ir. Tan Yean Chiu, 

Secretary General, FIEAP. 

October 2011 


Cover Story 

T 

he BCA Design and Engineering 

Safety Excellence Awards were 

instituted as part of the efforts by BCA 

(Building and Construction Authority) to 

ensure high safety standards in the built 

environment and inculcate a strong safety 

culture in the building industry. 

The Award gives recognition to the 

efforts taken by the Qualified Person for 

Structural Works [QP (ST)], his or her firm 

and the project team, for ingenious design 

processes and solutions for overcoming 

project challenges and ensuring safety in 

the design, construction, and maintenance, 

of building and civil engineering projects, 

in Singapore and overseas. 

The Sentosa Boardwalk 

The project was an Award Winner, under the Civil Engineering Category, 

at the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Awards 2011. 

Through this Award, BCA hopes to 

encourage industry professionals to make 

a more concerted effort to create a safe 

built environment for all. 

The assessment criteria covers two key 

aspects - safety in design, and safety in 

construction. 

The Sentosa Boardwalk is a 620 m long 

marine structure connecting VivoCity 

to Sentosa Island. Built at a cost of S$ 70 

million, and located near the busy Cruise 

Bay, it cuts through the Selat Sengkir sea 

channel (which is characterised by high 

tidal currents), between Pulau Brani and 

Sentosa Island. 

With a total deck area of approximately 

16460 m 2 , the boardwalk accommodates 

extensively landscaped gardens, retail and 

food & beverage outlets, as well as five 

pairs of covered travellators ‘to make the 

journey a breeze’. 

THE CHALLENGES 

Construction of The Sentosa Boardwalk 

was a challenge because of several 

constraints. 

LOCATION 

The boardwalk is located within a highly 

constrained site, with several stakeholders 

including pedestrians commuting to 

Vivo City and Sentosa Island, motorists 


travelling along Sentosa Gateway Avenue, 

Sentosa Monorail commuters, and vessel 

operators within the busy Cruise Bay. 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 

The design had to take into account the 

need to minimise the environmental 

impact on the Cruise Bay basin. 

CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS 

All construction except the above-deck 

works had to be executed over water in the 

busy Cruise Bay basin and be subjected to 

the rapid currents in the Selat Sengkir sea 

channel. The capacity of the lifting crane 

was limited by barge access, headroom 

constraints, and proximity of the Sentosa 

Monorail track. 

SHORT CONTRACT PERIOD 

In order to complete the project within 

15.5 months, a 24/7 fast-track operations 

mode was required. 

BOARDWALK GEOMETRY 

The undulating boardwalk coastline 

necessitated the use of non-typical edge 

slab panels and cantilever beam spans. 

VESSEL IMPACT BARRIER SYSTEM 

It was necessary to build a vessel impact 

barrier that would be able to resist the 

exceptionally high, accidental impact from, 

for example, a 19,000 gross ton cruise ship 

travelling at 3 knots. The impact barrier 

system could be sited only in a small 

corridor, due to the restriction imposed 

by the vessel turning circle nearby. 

CREATIVE ENGINEERING 

SOLUTIONS 

Methods had to be developed to overcome 

the constraints and, at the same time, 

ensure safety and cost-effectiveness. 

Cover Story 

SAFETY IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN 

The boardwalk development is mainly 

a marine construction. Considerations 

during the concept development stage 

were focused particularly on minimising 

on-site activities. Design details and 

construction methods were formulated 

to facilitate mechanised operations 

and constructability, so as to enhance 

work efficiency and safety at site. The 

boardwalk superstructure, supported on 

marine steel and bored piles, consists of 

10 m - 15 m structural grids with primarily 

precast prestressed concrete elements. 

Special / innovative features 

‘Twin’ L-shape prestressed precast beams 

The boardwalk supports heavy 

superimposed loads due to the 

extensive landscaping requirements. This 

demanded high capacity primary beams 

The Sentosa Boardwalk is a 620 m long marine structure connecting VivoCity to Sentosa Island. 

October 2011 


Cover Story 

with 10 m - 15 m spans. The maximum 

precast cross-sectional area of the primary 

beam was limited by the lifting capacity 

of the crane, due to inaccessibility of the 

barge point between the foundations, 

headroom constraints, and proximity of 

the Sentosa Monorail track. 

With the constraint of segment 

weight, a prestressed precast primary 

beam was designed, whose peripheral 

shell was made up of two pieces of L-shape 

beams. The segment weight was limited 

to 15 t. This twin L-shape shell also acted 

as formwork to receive the concrete infill 

for the final integrated section. It was 

detailed and designed with adequate 

capacity for all well-defined construction 

stages and sequences, to eliminate the 

use of any temporary formwork during 

Infill to L-shape prestressed precast primary 

beam supports the T-panels. 

L-shape prestressed precast beam installed above piles. 

the erection stage. 

Due to the asymmetrical shape of 

the beam, careful consideration was 

given to the quantity and position of the 

prestressed strands, in the design, in order 

to minimise warping of the beams. 

One of the architectural features of 

the boardwalk is the peripheral profile 

of an ‘undulating wave’ along the deck 

coastline. Piles are positioned such that 

they are set back from the boardwalk 

coastline, resulting in cantilevers of 

variable lengths at the end spans of 

the primary beams. Even though the 

cantilever lengths vary significantly, the 

precast solution was adopted instead 

of the cast in-situ option, in order to 

eliminate the need for temporary works 

and formworks. The main challenge in 

the engineering was that long cantilevers 

had to be supported by relatively small 

recessed sections at the beam-pile head 

interface. 

The nib of the L-shape beams and the 

recessed size at the pile head were carefully 

detailed so as to cater for pile eccentricity 

with a construction tolerance limit of 

200 mm. The twin L-shape concept also 

provided flexibility to deal with abnormal 

pile eccentricity by opening up the two 

precast sections. Pile eccentricity of 250 

mm was observed in this project due to 

the difficulty of marine piling in high tidal 

currents and the geological complexity. 

Erection of the precast elements could 

have been problematic due to the pile 

alignment offsets, if adequate tolerances 

had not been provided. 

Vessel impact barrier 

A ship impact defence system that can 

resist the impact of a 19,000 gross tonnage 

cruise ship at an exceptionally high speed 

of 3 knots was designed to protect the 

Sentosa Boardwalk. The available site area 

was limited by the adjacent vessel turning 

circle. Due to the high impact energy, 

a conventional fender system was not 

feasible. 

With the independent protection 

system, which is separated from the 

Sentosa Boardwalk, the impact energy 

will be absorbed by plastic hinges in steel 

pipe piles with in-filled concrete. Nonlinear, 

large deformation plastic analysis 

was adopted in the design. The system 

demanded no new materials or plant 

requirements for the foundation work 

for the boardwalk. This yielded a costefficient 

solution for the builder and the 

impact system required minimal site 

area and buffer zone separating it from 

the boardwalk deck, when compared to 

conventional solutions. 

Precast U-beam shell for vessel impact barrier 

beam construction. 

Advanced structural system for 

buildability 

Prestressed precast elements 

The advantages of precast technology 

were fully exploited in this project. The 

precast solution minimised site activities 

in the marine environment and enhanced 

safety. The prestressed concrete shell 

of the primary beam was designed to 

function both as the temporary works 

and permanent structure, as part of 

the optimisation process. The main 

components of the structural deck are the 

following: 

• Main prestressed precast concrete 

(twin L-shape) primary beam with 

concrete infill, to provide the required 

design section capacity. 

• Prestressed precast U-secondary 

beam with concrete infill, to provide the 

required design section capacity. 


• Prestressed precast T-panels / Double 

T-panels for the deck, with a cast-in-situ 

topping. 

• Precast reinforced edge panels for the 

irregular deck at the coastline. 

• Cast-in-situ structural concrete 

topping. 

About 97% of the structural deck 

is erected with precast elements. All 

the precast connections were carefully 

detailed for monolithic connection and 

provided a robust structural system in the 

deck. 

All elements were designed for efficient 

and safe operations with global and local 

stability checks during the manufacturing 

stage in the precast yard, handling, and 

erection at site. They were also designed 

for durability in their performance under 

the service conditions. 

The precast elements were 

standardised so that only four types of 

moulds (for L-primary beam, U-secondary 

beam, T panel , and double T panel) 

were employed in the casting yard. The 

extensive use of precasting also provided 

the economies of scale in this project. 

The creative structural system with 

a high level of standardisation not only 

contributed to cost-effectiveness in this 

‘design and build’ project, it was also one 

of the key factors contributing to the high 

productivity and the speedy completion 

of the works. 

Cover Story 

Collaboration with builder 

The builder was actively engaged 

throughout the design development. 

Constructability details and tolerance 

limits were established in the early stages 

of the project, prior to detailed design. For 

example, the use of a permanent reinforced 

concrete biscuit, as temporary support to 

the primary and secondary beams, was an 

end product of a brainstorming exercise 

between the builder and the designer. 

The biscuit also served as a safe working 

platform at the pile-beam interface zone. 

The pile head reinforcement was restricted 

so that there would be sufficient space to 

mount the reinforced concrete biscuit. 

Another example was the integration 

L-shape prestressed precast primary beam. 

U-shape prestressed precast secondary beam. 

Prestressed precast T-panels for the deck with 

gaps sealed off to receive concrete toppings. 

The completed vessel impact barrier system. 

Structural toppings at deck for subsequent 

superstructure construction. 

October 2011 


Cover Story 

of the access platform with the precast 

elements. The builder’s operational 

requirements were identified during 

the concept design. The reinforcement 

details necessary for mounting the access 

platform and temporary railing onto the 

primary and secondary precast beams 

were incorporated in the yard. 

Competent site supervision and 

verification 

The site supervision team consisted of 

qualified and experienced personnel. 

They were deployed both at the overseas 

precast casting yards and at the project 

site, to oversee the quality and safety of 

the construction works. 

Concrete cube strength tests were 

carried out on a regular basis throughout 

the project, in accordance with the 

specifications, both in the overseas 

precast casting yards and at an approved 

laboratory in Singapore, in order to ensure 

that the required concrete cube strength 

had been achieved before the next stage 

of activity could proceed. 

QUALITY APPROACH IN DESIGN 

Comprehensive design analyses and 

checks 

Comprehensive design analyses and 

checks were carried out to ensure safe 

erection works and proper performance 

of the permanent structure in service. 

The main design checks covered beam 

stresses on the prestressed casting bed and 

beam stresses during lifting and handling, 

as well as stage-by-stage construction 

analyses to include all lock-in forces, 

global and local stability checks during 

the entire erection and installation phases, 

and durability analysis of the structure in 

service. 

DESIGN FOR SAFE OPERATION 

AND MAINTENANCE 

Safe inspection and maintenance of 

building elements 

The durability performance of the deck, 

under the marine environment, was an 

important design consideration. The 

foundations for the reinforced concrete 

bored piles were protected with sacrificial 

outer steel casing, while cathodic 

protection was incorporated to protect 

the foundations for the steel pipe piles. 

All the top sections of the piles, which 

have the greatest exposure to corrosion, 

were coated with corrosion inhibitors and 

finished off with anti-corrosion paint on 

the steel casing. 

The deck structures were cast with 

Permanent RC precast biscuit at pile. 

Completion of RC precast biscuit installation. 

Completion of precast beams erection. 

Launching of L-shape prestressed precast 

primary beam with safety railing. 

Concrete in-fill to secondary beam with working 

access platform. 

silica fume and corrosion inhibitors and 

protected with adequate concrete cover. 

Silane coatings were applied to the deck 

structures. 

With careful consideration given in 

the design to durability, it is expected that 

the required maintenance work for the 

operators will be minimised. 

For periodic inspection, the marine 

structures can be accessed by boats, at 

low tide. The structural level of the deck 

was designed to allow for maintenance 

access from the soffit of the structures. 

The timber boardwalk is supported 

off the structural deck, so that the timber 

panels can be easily removed for deck 

inspections. 

Special designs for occupant safety and 

comfort 

As discussed above, an independent ship 

impact defence system separated from 

the boardwalk was designed to protect 

the boardwalk. 

Spacing of the piles for both the 

boardwalk and vessel impact barrier was 

determined, following an Environmental 

Impact Assessment Report. The piles 

were aligned to match the boardwalk’s 10 

m - 15 m grid with a minimum required 

clearance from the deck, so as to mitigate 

the encroachment into the Cruise Bay 

navigational channel. It was determined 

that there will not be any major impact 

on the mean current speed within the 

Cruise Bay, after completion of boardwalk 

structure. 

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY AND 

SAFETY 

Design of construction methods and 

sequence 

The builder was required to submit the 

method statement for critical activity 

at site, for the approval of the QP (ST). 

Launching of U-shape prestressed precast 

secondary beam. 


The critical list of method statements 

included those for marine bored piling 

works, marine pipe piling works, marine 

preliminary test pile, test pile installation, 

pile dynamic analyser test, launching of 

precast concrete beams, launching of 

precast concrete biscuit, construction of 

concrete deck, construction of building 

superstructures, construction of the 

vessel impact barrier, installation of steel 

structure for gangway, installation of steel 

structure for metal roof / glass canopies, 

and installation of steel structures for roof 

dome of ticketing area. 

Any deviation from the design/ 

construction intention agreed on, would 

instigate an investigation. The site work 

would be put on hold until the revised 

method was approved by the QP (ST). 

The QP (ST) would then conduct a joint 

inspection with the temporary works PE 

and the site team, prior to resumption of 

the works. 

Supervision and inspection 

A 24-hour supervision cycle, with two 

work shifts, was needed in this project. 

When night works were carried out, the 

QP (ST)’s supervision team would always 

be in top condition (ie the members 

would have had adequate rest) in order to 

discharge the duties safely. 

The builder implemented a good 

QA/QC plan. Joint inspections were 

usually carried out by the QP (ST)’s site 

supervision team together with the 

builder’s supervision team. 

The QP (ST) witnessed all critical tests. 

The list of critical tests included the tremie 

trial mix test, concrete trial mix test, 

concrete cube strength test, bidirectional 

static load test, pile dynamic analyser 

test, magnetic particle test, ultrasonic 

test, sonic coring test, reinforcement test, 

reinforcement coupler test, shear stud 

test, and rapid chloride penetration test. 

PUBLIC SAFETY 

Ensuring safety and a clean 

environment 

The project is sited in the Cruise Bay, along 

Sentosa Gateway Avenue. Public safety 

is crucial for the many stakeholders such 

as public road users, pedestrians, marine 

operators, and Sentosa monorail train 

commuters. Careful planning was done 

and adequate attention was paid, to 

ensure that all lifting operations, especially 

for moving the precast elements, were 

safely executed. 

A total of 159 L-shape primary beams, 

104 U-shape secondary beams, and 720 T 

panels were lifted. 

Delivery and launching of the precast 

segments were done between 2230 

and 0600 hours. During this period, the 

monorail is shut down, and the road traffic 

and number of commuters between 

VivoCity and Sentosa are lower. The 

precast beams were transferred from the 

trailer to the barge deck via a 280 t crane 

barge. The lifting operation was properly 

executed through a carefully planned 

lifting plan with the crane boom kept 

within 6 m of the Sentosa monorail track 

protection zone. 

A silt control system was provided 

to prevent contamination of the Cruise 

Bay basin (an area that is a tourist 

attraction) by silt, due to the drilling for 

pile installation. The Environment Impact 

Assessment Report concluded that there 

was no adverse impact on the recreational 

areas in the vicinity. 

Minimising impact on the 

neighbourhood 

Bored piling foundations with temporary 

outer steel casing were adopted to 

minimise impact on the structures in 

vicinity and to prevent any soft soil strata 

from collapsing during the course of 

drilling. 

Piling rig set up on barge. 

The Sentosa Boardwalk at night. 

Cover Story 

The piles were positioned with an 

offset from the adjacent structures, of 

at least 4.5 m, so as to minimise impact 

from the foundation work. The structural 

elements abutting the adjacent plots were 

designed as cantilever structures without 

imposing loads onto adjacent existing 

structures. Expansion joints were provided 

between the boardwalk development and 

adjacent foreshore structures. 

With the above, the development is 

supported independently on a new piling 

system and the foundations are located 

adequately away from adjacent structures. 

The works did not have any adverse effect 

on the stability and integrity of the existing 

foreshore structures. 

Precast elements were adopted to 

minimise the need of cast in-situ works. 

This meant fewer concrete trucks along 

the busy Sentosa Gateway Avenue. The 

use of precast elements also increased 

productivity and reduced the disturbance 

to the neighbourhood during the 

construction. TSE 

All images by YWL Engineering Pte Ltd. 

Qualified Person 

Er. Chew Boon Fei 

PROJECT CREDITS 

C&S Consultant 

YWL Engineering Pte Ltd 

Builder 

Gammon Pte Limited 

Developer 

Sentosa Development Corporation 

Architectural Consultant 

Aedas Pte Ltd 

October 2011 


IES Academy Update 

IES Academy Planned Events 2011 (Partial List) 

(Pls refer www.ies.org.sg for details & registration) 

Event Description Dates to confirm Accrediation Contact 

Events for Resident Technical Offi cer / Engineers 

RE/RTO - Welding Series (Module 1-10), 3 hours / module Jan-Dec 2011 

(7pm to 10pm) 

3 STU, PDU Karen, 6461 1239 

karen@iesnet.org.sg 

RE/RTO - Good Concrete Series (Module 1-5), 3 hours / 

module 

To be advised later 

(7pm to 10pm) 

3 STU, PDU Vincent, 6461 1240 

vincent@iesnet.org.sg 

RE/RTO - Structural Steel Series (Module 1-3), 3 hours / 

module 

To be advised later 

(7pm to 10pm) 



RE/RTO - Underground (Module 1-4), 3 hours / module To be advised later 

(7pm to 10pm) 



RE/RTO - Paired Natsteel Workshop & Law on Health & 

Safety, Environment, Corruption (Module 1-2), 7 hours 

Jan-Dec 2011 

(1pm to 10pm) 

6 STU, 4 PDU Vincent, 6461 1240 


RE/RTO - Surveying Basic (Module 1-2), 3 hours / module Jan-Dec 2011 

(7pm to 10pm) 

3 STU, PDU Karen, 6461 1239 


RE/RTO - Concrete: Defects, Repair, Testing (Module 1-3), 3 

hours / module 

Apr-Dec 2011 3 STU, PDU Karen, 6461 1239 


Certificate of Competency (CoC) in Earth Control Measures 

(ECM) for Construction Site Personnel 

Jan-Dec 2011 

(8:30am to 6pm) 

8 STU, PDU Rasheedah, 6461 1228 

rasheedah@iesnet.org.sg 

One Day Course on Working at Height Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec 2011 

(9am to 5:30pm) 

6 STU, 7 PDU, 7 SDU Samuel, 6461 1237 

samuel@iesnet.org.sg 

Code of Pracitise on Risk Management Jul, Sep, Nov 2011 

(9am to 5:30pm) 

~7 STU, PDU, SDU Samuel, 6461 1237 


Events for Professional Engineers 

Prestressed Concrete in Buildings Mar, Jul, Nov 2011 

(9am to 5pm) 

Prelimentary Design of High-Rise Buildings Jan, May, Sep 2011 

(9am to 12:15pm) 

Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Structures Jan, May, Sep 2011 

(1pm to 4:30pm) 

Reinforced Concrete Structures to EC2 Feb, June, Oct 2011 

(9am to 4:30pm) 

Structural Engineering Failure Apr, Aug, Dec 2011 

(9:30am to 5:30pm) 

Elements of Laboratory BioSafety Jan 2011 

(9am to 5:30pm) 

Elements of Internal Audit for Medical Device Industry Jan 2011 

(9am to 5:30pm) 

3 Days Course on Design of Maritime Structure March 2011 

(9am to 6pm) 

2 Days Course on Design for Safety Coordinator (DfSC) 15-16 Mar, 8-9 Jul, 21-22 Oct 2011 

(9am to 5pm) 

Introduction to the Petroleum Downstream Industry Jan 2011 

(9am to 5:30pm) 

2 Days Course on Green Pump - Centrifugal Feb 2011 

(8:30am to 5:30pm) 

Technical & Business Writing for Engineering Personnel Mar 2011 

(9pm to 6pm) 

PDU Rasheedah, 6461 1228 














PDU Karen, 6461 1239 


PDU, CPD, SDU, STU Vincent, 6461 1240 


PDU Samuel, 6461 1237 






Funded Course 

Qualified Erosion Professional Control (WDA Fundings), 39 

hours Course 

IES Certified System Engineering Management (WDA 

Fundings), 5 Full Days or 40 hours Course 

Singapore Certified Energy Manager - (Modules 1-6), 24 hrs/ 

module (NEA Fundings) 

Sep-Nov 

(6:30pm to 9:30pm) 

Oct 2011 

(9am to 6pm) 

Jan-Dec 2011 

(9am to 6pm) 

PDU, QECP Registry Samuel, 6461 1237 


PDU, CSEP Registry Samuel, 6461 1237 


PDU, SCEM Registry Nicholas, 6461 1238 

nicholas@iesnet.org.sg 

Preparatory Course for Certifi cation 

Preparatory Course For Fundamentals Of Engineering 

Examinations - Civil Engineering 


Examinations - Mechanical Engineering 


Examinations - Electrical Engineering 

Geotechnical Engineering Appreciation Course (Modules 1-9), 

suitable for Professional and Resident Enginners 

Apr-May 2011 

(6:30pm to 9:30pm) 

Jul-Sep 2011 

(6:30pm to 9:30pm) 

Aug 2011 

(6:30pm to 9:30pm) 

Jul-Aug 2011 

(6:30pm to 9:30pm) 

PEB: FEE Exam Nicholas, 6461 1238 

nicholas@iesnet.org.sg 

PEB: FEE Exam Vincent, 6461 1240 


PEB: FEE Exam Vincent, 6461 1240 


PDU, 3/6STU each, PE Nicholas, 6461 1238 

Specialist Exam nicholas@iesnet.org.sg 

22 · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER September 2011

Naonal Engineers Day 2011 

Organised by 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · i


ii · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


Imaginative programmes underscore the 

profession’s importance 

The National Engineers Day (NED) concept was mooted 

by IES Immediate Past President Er. Dr Lee Bee Wah who 

wanted to respond to industry concerns that there were 

not enough bright students taking up engineering as a 

course of study. 

IES accordingly organised NED 2010, the first event 

in the annual series, together with 19 co-organisers. The 

line-up of activities included a four-day exhibition, 70 

workshops for more than 2,000 students, and industrial 

visits to various engineering firms for 1,000 students. 

NED 2011 is a bigger and more exciting event for the 

engineering community, organised by IES together with 

26 co-organisers from the government, industry, and 

academic sectors. The theme adopted for NED 2011 is 

‘Energy Resilience for Sustainable Growth’ which is in 

line with the National Innovation Challenge announced 

by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

The tagline for the event, ‘One Foundation, Infinite 

Possibilities’, reflects IES’s belief that an engineering 

education, coupled with rigorous training and ‘out of 

the box’ thinking, will help professionals to succeed in 

their chosen careers. This is evident through the strong 

representation of engineering-educated achievers in the 

government, business, and the profession. 

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF NED 2011 

The Offi cial Launch of NED 2011 was held on 24 March 

2011 in the Pod, at the National Library Building. The 

event was attended by about 100 friends of IES and invited 

guests, including IES Past Presidents, Council Members, 

members of NED organising committees, and business 

leaders. 

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, then Minister of State, Ministry of 

Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry, was the 

‘I would like to emphasise that engineering is not dull 

and boring. It is an ever-evolving field which offers a 

myriad of challenges across different domains and 

disciplines. Engineers in the future will be required 

to perform many complex cross-disciplinary tasks. 

It is for this reason that we need to cultivate a pool 

of bright and talented engineers who are willing to 

tackle the challenges in the engineering field so that 

Singapore can continue to progress’ 

- Er. Ho Siong Hin, President, IES. 

Guest-Of-Honour at the event. 

On the occasion, IES also took the opportunity to sign 

an MOU with NLB Singapore. The MOU aims to jointly 

provide information services, codes of practice, and 

Minister Lee Yi Shyan (left), the Guest-of-Honour at 

the offi cial launch of NED 2011, receives a token of 

appreciation from Er. Ho Siong Hin, President, IES. 

CONTENTS 

Imaginative programmes underscore the profession’s importance 

Between its Official Launch on 24 March 2011 and the Grand Finale on 11 and 12 November 2011, 

National Engineers Day 2011 has encompassed a range of programmes and activities. 

Great scope for professional advancement 

Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chief Executive Officer, Keppel Corporation Limited, explains the strategies for the 

career development of engineers within the group and for the growth of its diversified portfolio of activities. 

Singapore Institute of Technology - honing the engineers of tomorrow 

Engineering diploma holders can enrol for some of the best degree programmes from around the world. 

Symbiosis - Engineering and Economic Growth 

An engineering education is of immense benefit, says Mr Manohar Khiatani, CEO of JTC Corporation. 

i 

v 

xiv 

xvi 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · i


reference materials on the Engineering Sciences, relevant 

to the various needs of practising engineers, students, and 

the general public. 

During the offi cial launch of NED 2011, at the 

National Library Building, Prof Dava Newman, Professor 

of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, and inventor 

of the Biosuit, among other achievements, delivered a 

keynote address on ‘A New Age of Exploration: Human 

Spacefl ight Research and Future Directions’, to an 

audience of business leaders and associates of IES. 

ENGINEERING EDUCATION: A PROMISING 

CAREER PATH 

NED has two key objectives. The fi rst objective is to 

promote engineering education as a path towards a 

promising career for students. The message sent out is that 

an engineering education opens many doors to a wide 

variety of career choices, as summarised by the tagline 

‘One Foundation, Infi nite Possibilities’. 

Engineering graduates are highly sought after due 

to their ability to analyse complex issues and generate 

multi-faceted solutions. It is not a mere coincidence 

that many companies, ranging from home-grown names 

such as CapitaLand, Keppel Corporation and Venture 

Corporation, to multinationals such as ExxonMobil and 

General Motors, are headed by prominent individuals 

who are engineering-trained. An engineering background 

provides one with the benefi ts of a rigorous training and 

a broad-based foundation which help one to succeed in 

life. 

Industrial visits for students 

As in the case of NED 2010, industrial visits were also 

part of the NED 2011 programmes. These visits provided 

an opportunity for students to gain insights and fi rsthand 

experience on what really goes on in the daily life 

of an engineer. The way engineers work has changed 

dramatically and it is important to get students on the 

ground to see for themselves how an engineering career 

can be exciting and challenging for them. 

Prof Dava Newman delivered a keynote address on ‘A 

New Age of Exploration: Human Spacefl ight Research and 

Future Directions’. 

Compared to NED 2010, the number of students 

participating in the industry visits doubled - from 1,000 

to 2,000. Visits were also organised for educators and 

teachers. Further, a school cluster visited an engineering 

company to understand the roles of engineers and to bring 

the message back to the students. 

• Pasir Ris Secondary School and Chung Cheng High 

School visited PSA, on 24 May. 

• Pei Hwa Secondary School visited Marina Barrage, on 

25 May. 

• Assumption Pathway School visited both EMA 

(Operation Division) and Zero Energy Building, on 26 

May. 

• Pei Hwa Secondary School & DeYi Secondary School 

visited Keppel Group Training Centre, on 26 May. 

• Singapore Chinese Girl’s School visited Tuas South 

Incineration Plant, on 26 May. 

• Singapore Chinese Girl’s School & East View Secondary 

School visited Jurong Island, on 27 May. 

• Orchid Park Secondary School & Victoria Junior 

College attended the DSTA Open House, on 28 May. 

• Sixty students and teachers from Bukit Batok Secondary 

School visited Gardens by the Bay, on 10 and 17 June. 

Students of Saint Andrew's Junior College (SAJC) visited 

Micron Semiconductor on 20 May 2011. 

Students of Gan Eng Seng School visited LTA Gallery on 

24 May 2011. 

ii · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


ADVANCING THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION 

The second objective of NED is to affi rm the commitment 

to the advancement of the engineering profession. 

It is important for engineers to keep themselves relevant 

and up-to-date on the latest technologies and knowledge. 

As part of NED 2011, monthly professional talks and 

seminars were organised, covering a variety of topics 

and interests pertaining to both traditional engineering 

disciplines such as civil, electrical, and mechanical 

engineering; and emerging fields such as nanotechnology, 

clean technology and bioengineering. 

healcon2011 

The HUMANITARIAN ENGINEERING ALLIANCE 

CONFERENCE2011 (healcon2011) was held on 28 July 

2011 in the Possibility Room at the National Library 

Building. 

The Guest Keynote Speaker was Mr Merv Lindsay, 

National President, Engineers Australia. 

The objective of Humanitarian Engineering is to design 

solutions in order to directly improve the well-being of 

under-served populations. Humanitarian engineering 

places strong emphasis on the cultural context governing 

the engagement in engineering activities which impact the 

poor, the marginalised, the disenfranchised, and those that 

lack the means to address pressing problems. 

The content of the conference was designed around 

three core clusters: 

• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): Improving 

the health of communities with better water quality and 

sanitation practices. 

• Shelter and Infrastructure: Rebuilding settlements by 

‘building back better’ and providing safe and reliable 

infrastructure. 

• Sustainable Livelihoods: Strengthening families 

by engineering solutions to help them ensure their 

livelihoods. 

Career Day at Methodist Girls’ School 

About 200 students attended the career fair and talks held 

at Methodist Girls’ School, on 23 August 2011. 

5 th Charles Rudd Distinguished Lecture 

The 5 th Charles Rudd Distinguished Lecture will be 

delivered by Er. Tan Gee Paw, Chairman, PUB, on 28 

October 2011, at the NUS Engineering Auditorium. 

The healcon2011 conference was held on 28 July 2011, at 

the National Library Building. 

Booths were put up by IES, NUS and other educational 

institutions at the Career Day at Methodist Girls’ School. 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · iii


GRAND FINALE 

The Grand Finale for NED 2011 will be held on 11 and 

12 November 2011, and will include several programmes 

and activities. 

Programme for Closing, 11Nov 2011 – 

Possibility Room, NLB Building, Level 5 

- Opening Address by IES President 

- Opening Speech by Guest-of-Honour 

- Presentation of tokens of appreciation to 

sponsors by Guest-of-Honour 

- Presentation of tokens of appreciation to Coorganisers 

by IES President 

- Citation of Award Winners 

- Presentation of IES Prestigious Engineering 

Achievement Awards by Guest-of-Honour 

Exhibition on 11-12 Nov 2011 

Theme National Innovation Challenge – 

Energy Resilience for Sustainable 

Growth 

Venue 

Setup 

Booths 

The Plaza, Level 1, National 

Library Building 

10 November after 8 pm by Event 

Organiser 

IES Prestigious Engineering 

Achievement Awards 

Energy, Aviation & Defence 

Door Gifts Specially designed T-shirts to be 

given at registration desk 

Prizes 

Quizzes for visitors (mainly for 

students) 

4 lucky draws (1 notepad for each 

draw) - 2 draws on 11 Nov & 2 

draws on 12 Nov 

5 Thumb drives given out after each 

talk through lucky draws 

Talks Half hour talks on each day - 

booked by Co-organisers 

Games 

11 Nov – 12 pm to 5 pm (10 slots) 

12 Nov – 12 pm to 5 pm (10 slots) 

Polytechnics to organise 

competitions on energy 

Tentative Schedule 

Time Scheduled Talks on 11 

Nov 

12:00 Professional 

Engineering 

12:30 New Technological 

Trends & Opportunities 

in Nanotech & 

Materials Science by A/ 

Prof Alfred Tok 

14:00 Electronics & 

Communication 

JTC CORPORATION 

KEPPEL CORPORATION 

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX 

SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF 

TECHNOLOGY 

Inside back cover 

Page viii, ix 

Organisation 

IES 

NTU 

IES 

15:00 Air Pollution and NTU 

Global Warming by Asst 

Prof Victor Chang 

16:00 Biomedical Engineering IES 

16:30 An Interactive Surface NTU 

for Everyday Objects 

by Asst Prof Andy W H 

Khong 

Time Scheduled Talks on 12 Organisation 

Nov 

12:00 Technopreneur: How IES 

Engineering Gives You 

an Advantage 

12:30 Reaching Space by A/ NTU 

Prof Low Kay Soon 

14:00 Green & Environment IES 

14:30 Engineering a NTU 

Biomimetic Flying Eagle 

Bird Robot by A/Prof 

Dr Francis Nickols 

16:00 Industrial & Systems IES 

Engineering 

16:30 The Cloud is All Around NTU 

Us: Applications, 

Systems, and 

Perspectives by Asst 

Prof He Bingsheng 

Inside front cover 

iv · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


Great scope for professional advancement 

Engineering is a tough course 

requiring a lot more work 

than many other fields of 

study. But an engineer can 

look forward to a rewarding 

career, says Mr Choo Chiau 

Beng, Chief Executive Officer, 

Keppel Corporation Limited, 

in this conversation with 

‘The Singapore Engineer’. 

Mr Choo also outlines 

some of the opportunities 

for Keppel, thrown up by a Mr Choo Chiau Beng. 

rapidly changing world, and the group’s responses and 

achievements based on its inherent capabilities. 

The Singapore Engineer: For a young engineer, what 

makes Keppel a great place to work in? 

Mr Choo Chiau Beng: We offer young engineers, 

irrespective of what they studied, the opportunity to use 

their training and discipline to develop new skills which 

include skills for leading a team, managing a team, leading 

a project, and managing a project. 

We are a solutions provider to the marine and offshore 

With engineering centres in Singapore, Bulgaria, Mumbai, 

Shenzhen and Houston, Keppel offers its customers 24/7 

engineering services. 

oil & gas environments and we are also in the sustainable 

urbanisation area. All our businesses require teamwork 

and it is very interesting to be a team member. 

We can therefore give engineers an interesting, exciting, 

and rewarding career for many, many years. 

I joined Keppel as a Ship Repair Management Trainee. 

At that time, we had Keppel Wharves and a ship repair 

yard. As we grew, we diversifi ed into rig building, into 

engineering, to property and infrastructure. 

Keppel FELS yard: Keppel undertakes leading-edge projects, especially in the offshore oil and gas business. 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · v


So, the opportunities grew, and I was never bored. There 

are always interesting things to do and the company has 

always treated our people well and is loyal to the people, 

and the people have been loyal to the company. This is my 

40 th year with the company! 

Q: What are the strategies adopted by Keppel, to attract 

engineering students to join the group, retain them, and 

ensure they have an exciting career? 

A: Firstly, we try to identify students before they graduate, 

and some of them even before they enter university, 

by giving them scholarships. Sometimes, we also give 

scholarships to students who are, for example, in the 1 st 

year, 2 nd year, or 3 rd year, if they need it, and generally 

speaking, we fi nd that students from less affl uent families 

have a more ‘can do’ spirit which is what we want. 

Secondly, while they are at university, during their 

vacation periods, we provide them with internships in 

our facilities, whether in the shipyards, in offshore yards, 

or in the property projects, or in the waste-to-energy 

plants, to give them exposure, so that they have a better 

understanding of what we do. So they would come into 

the company without any illusions and without wrong 

ideas. If they like it, they will join us. If not, of course, they 

have other choices. 

We want to encourage them, and to convince them 

that our environment will give them interesting career 

challenges and career rewards. Once they are with us, we 

would be giving them increasing responsibilities and if they 

prove themselves, they can rise quite fast, and apart from 

a good basic salary we pay, we also give them bonuses. At 

the more senior levels, they would be given shares. 

The most important thing is that their work is 

challenging. We are engaged in, what I would describe 

as world class projects. Some of them are considered as 

leading-edge projects, especially in the offshore oil and 

gas business. The engineers would have to deal with 

international customers, and they will have opportunities 

to work overseas in our overseas yards, and overseas 

projects, and overseas offi ces. They will gain experience 

and knowledge based on new challenges, so they will 

grow in their careers. They will fi nd that it is not boring 

and that they will have a lot of growth, going forward. 

So the idea is really that we want to engage them early 

and if they are already interested in engineering, they 

have a good career to pursue with us. Not only is it a 

challenging career, I think that at the end of the day, it is 

also a rewarding career, so people who have been with the 

company for a long time, as managers and so on, would 

be relatively better off compared to their peers who opt to 

do other things. 

Because we are one of the leaders in the industry, we 

have always been able to work with the best companies. 

We also have an R&D group, and if engineers are interested 

to do postgraduate degrees and R&D, we do sponsor them 

to do their masters and PhD. 

We also sponsor good managers to do postgraduate 

Keppel Shipyard is the trusted industry name for repair, conversion and upgrading of a diverse range of vessels. 

vi · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


business courses and programmes, so they would be better 

equipped to be future leaders of the company. 

We also target graduates who wish to pursue a generalist 

path, a management path, instead of a specialist path in 

engineering. So it is really a two-track approach - one is 

the generalist track and the other is the specialist track. 

Under the generalist track, they are managers in the 

company, so they are sent on rotation to other parts of the 

group to manage things - manage projects and manage 

people. 

Engineering provides a good grounding. Once you 

are trained as an engineer, you can pick up anything else. 

Many CEOs of leading companies in Singapore were 

trained as engineers. 

Q: How do you see the prospects for Keppel Corporation 

in a turbulent world? 

A: The world is turbulent but the long-term strength 

is there. Hundreds of millions of people aspire to have 

a better life. They are also moving from the countryside 

to the city. But because of climate change and concern 

about the environment, the urban solutions have to be 

sustainable. So, we are in that space, to develop sustainable 

urban projects like eco-cities. When we are designing 

and constructing a building, whether it is an offi ce or a 

condominium, we must look at it as a sustainable project, 

and determine the carbon footprint, the usage of water 

and energy, and the options for waste disposal. 

We also need to understand that with urbanisation and 

the aspiration to have a better life, the energy demand is 

growing, especially in the developing world, and hence 

energy sourced from fossil fuels, which today makes up 

most of the supply, will continue in importance, in the 

foreseeable future. We are involved in the exploration, 

production, and maintenance of offshore oil and gas fi elds 

in all locations – from shallow waters to deep waters, from 

mild environments to harsh environments, and from the 

equator to the arctic. 

Of course, there is also a need for alternative energy. 

We think that there is a role for us to play in the area of 

offshore wind power generation. 

We have the know-how, the technology, the execution 

skills, to do the above projects. So we see Keppel is in a 

space where there is increasing demand for our services. 

I think we are always looking at developing new products 

and services that are ‘world-beaters’ - that would give us 

an edge over our competitors. We have the resources and 

the ability to undertake the entire range of work relating 

to, especially, offshore drilling rigs and production rigs, 

from conceptual design and detailed design, to detailed 

engineering, and construction engineering, and then to 

build, complete, and commission them. 

Keppel’s performance in these projects is very good, 

enhancing its reputation as a reliable contractor and a 

reliable solution provider, resulting in customers coming 

back with more orders. 

TALENT ACQUISITION STRATEGY 

Keppel’s talent acquisition strategy includes the 

award of scholarships to outstanding youths to study 

engineering at the undergraduate level, the Keppel 

Offshore & Marine Management Trainee Scheme 

(MTS), and the Group Management Associate 

Programme for young engineering graduates who 

wish to pursue a generalist track. 

Keppel Offshore & Marine Management Traineeship 

Scheme 

Introduced in 1986, MTS is a two-year programme 

targeted at fresh graduates to provide them a head 

start in developing their capabilities and careers. To 

date, over 650 employees have undergone MTS. 

MTS has evolved into one of Keppel Offshore 

& Marine’s most rigorous talent management 

programmes. It is accredited by the Institute of Marine 

Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), 

an international professional membership body of 

marine engineers, scientists, and technologists. 

Upon completing the MTS, participants with 

the relevant academic qualifications and working 

experience can register as an Incorporated Engineer 

or Chartered Engineer with IMarEST. 

Outstanding performers will be given further 

leadership and management development 

opportunities, as well as international assignments 

and special projects. 

Experiences gained through MTS have also 

provided the basis for other trainee programmes 

to take shape at several of Keppel’s operating units 

overseas. 

For example, overseas subsidiary Keppel FELS 

Brasil’s BrasFELS yard has set up a Trainee Engineers 

Scheme to provide young engineers with a wellrounded 

understanding of shipyard operations, and 

expose them to the work of different departments 

through job rotations. About 50 engineers are 

currently undergoing this two-year programme in 

Brazil. 

Keppel Group Management Associate Programme 

The Keppel Group Management Associate Programme 

is targeted at young engineering graduates who wish 

to pursue a generalist path instead of an engineering 

career. 

The two-year fast track development programme 

covers rotations to the corporate headquarters as 

well as the non-engineering functions of strategic 

business units, such as business development, 

commercial activities, and logistics. 

Outstanding performers will also have 

opportunities to undertake overseas postings, as well 

as receive scholarships for further studies. 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · vii


viii · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · ix


KEPPEL CORPORATION 

With a global footprint in over 30 countries, Keppel 

Corporation leverages its international network, resources 

and talents to grow its key businesses. It aims to be the 

provider of choice for solutions to the offshore & marine 

industries, sustainable environments, and urban living, 

guided by its key business thrusts of sustaining growth, 

empowering lives, and nurturing communities. 

Offshore & Marine 

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) is a global 

leader in offshore rig design, construction and repair; ship 

repair and conversion; and specialised shipbuilding. It 

integrates and harnesses the experience and expertise of 

20 yards and offi ces in the Asia Pacifi c, Gulf of Mexico, 

Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East, and the North Sea 

region, as part of its near market, near customer strategy. 

Driven by innovation and capable people, Keppel O&M 

strives to become a builder of distinction in every aspect 

of its business. 

The Offshore division, helmed by Keppel FELS, is a 

GROWTH AT A GLANCE... 

Against a complex external environment, Keppel’s key 

businesses in the Offshore & Marine, Property, and 

Infrastructure sectors have continued to capture value 

and ensure sustainable growth of the group. 

Offshore & Marine 

The Offshore & Marine business secured S$ 7.8 billion 

worth of new orders so far for 2011, which is more than 

the previous record of S$ 7.4 billion in new orders for the 

full year of 2007. 

To date, Keppel Offshore & Marine is said to be the 

only global shipyard group to possess its own suite of 

proprietary designs for semisubmersible rigs. 

Sustained efforts in research & development and 

product innovation have borne fruit, as the bulk of the 

orders in 2011 are for high-specification jackups in 

A number of orders have been received for the KFELS B 

Class jackup rigs. 

Maersk Deliverer is a semisubmersible rig built by Keppel 

FELS. 

Keppel’s proprietary designs. These include a total of 13 

orders for the KFELS B Class jackup rigs. 

Keppel’s proprietary designs for multi-purpose selfelevating 

platforms, North Sea-compliant accommodation 

semisubmersibles and semisubmersible drilling tenders, 

which are innovations from its jackup and semisubmersible 

designs, are also gaining market acceptance. 

Infrastructure 

Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE), the environmental 

arm, has continued to leverage its core competencies in 

offering cost-effective waste and water treatment solutions 

to customers in Singapore, China, UK, and Qatar. 

KIE is said to be the only private operator of Waste-to- 

Energy (WTE) plants in Singapore and handles almost half 

the incinerable solid waste here. 

It also enjoys a strong market position for imported 

WTE solutions in China, and is providing technology for 

the country’s largest WTE plant located in Shenzhen. 

For Keppel Energy, the expansion of its co-generation 

power plant on Jurong Island by another 800 MW is targeted 

for completion in 2013. When fully operational, the plant 

is expected to contribute well to Keppel’s earnings. 

Keppel T&T is focusing on its two core businesses of 

logistics and data centres, and is actively seeking growth 

opportunities in the region. 

Property 

Keppel Land’s strategic positioning in the market segments 

of integrated lifestyle townships and homes as well as 

investment-grade commercial developments presents 

growth opportunities in a fast urbanising Asia. 

The company has seized opportunities presented in 

the volatile conditions. It has acquired new sites and 

x · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


leading designer and builder of high-performance mobile 

offshore rigs. The division’s portfolio of proprietary designs 

and floating production solutions meets a broad spectrum 

of requirements including operation in deep waters and 

harsh environments. 

The Marine division is represented by Keppel Shipyard, 

the trusted industry name for the repair, conversion and 

upgrading of a diverse range of vessels. Keppel Shipyard is 

a leader in the conversion of Floating Production Storage 

and Offl oading, Floating Storage and Offloading, and 

Floating Storage and Re-gasifi cation units. 

The Specialised Shipbuilding division led by Keppel 

Singmarine has a track record of some 400 newbuildings 

of diverse types and degrees of sophistication. Its portfolio 

of customised vessels spans anchor handling tug/supply 

vessels, multi-purpose offshore support vessels and 

tugboats, to highly advanced solutions such as ice-capable 

vessels for a worldwide clientele. 

Infrastructure 

The Infrastructure division is poised to grow further with 

launched homes in Singapore and China and also broke 

ground for a mixed-use development in the Sino-Singapore 

Tianjin Eco-City. Seasons Park, Keppel’s eco-homes also in 

the Eco-City, has continued to receive positive response 

despite cautious market sentiments. Keppel Land China 

its robust portfolio of environmental engineering, power 

generation, logistics, and data centres businesses, positively 

impacting lives and businesses into the future. 

In Environmental Engineering, Keppel Integrated 

Engineering (KIE) is a leading provider of comprehensive 

environmental solutions and services ranging from 

consultancy, design and engineering, technology and 

construction, to operations and maintenance of facilities, 

and including a complete range of water and thermal 

technologies for municipal and industrial clients, as well 

as investments in such projects. 

Through its subsidiary, Keppel Seghers, its advanced 

technology solutions address a wide spectrum of 

environmental issues such as solid waste, wastewater, 

drinking and process water, biosolids, and sludge. Keppel 

Seghers’ in-house research & development capabilities, as 

well as strategic alliances with global research institutes 

enable it to continuously improve its technology. 

Keppel DHCS, a KIE subsidiary, is a leading district 

cooling service provider in Singapore. It develops and 

operates cooling systems at major business parks. Keppel 

was established to sharpen focus and further build up the 

group’s pipeline of more than 40,000 homes in China. In 

Vietnam, Keppel Land’s waterfront development in Ho 

Chi Minh City, Riviera Point, was also launched to good 

response. 

The development of the Keppel Group’s 36.6 ha site in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, in China, is expected to 

yield about 5,000 homes as well as commercial developments including offi ce and retail space. 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · xi


DHCS currently services three plants in Singapore, 

namely Changi Business Park, Biopolis@one-north, and 

Woodlands Wafer Fab Park, with a capacity exceeding 

48,000 RT. In 2010, it signed a joint venture agreement 

with Tianjin Eco-City Energy Investment and Construction 

Co Ltd, to provide district heating and cooling systems in 

the upcoming Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. 

K-Green Trust (KGT) is a business trust focused on 

‘green’ infrastructure assets in Singapore, as well as in the 

rest of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. KGT currently 

owns Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant, Keppel Seghers Tuas 

Waste-to-Energy Plant and Keppel Seghers Ulu Pandan 

Keppel Merlimau Cogen is a 500 MW co-generation 

plant in Singapore. It is currently undergoing a 800 MW 

expansion that will boost its eventual generation capacity 

to 1,300 MW. 

The Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Plant and 

Senoko WTE Plant have the capacities to treat close to half 

of Singapore’s incinerable waste. 

Keppel T&T builds on track records, core competencies, 

and strengths in its logistics and data centre businesses, to 

deliver distinctive services and solutions to its customers. 

INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABILITY 

Keppel sees the increasing awareness on sustainability 

as a good business opportunity. The combination of its 

township development expertise and environmental 

engineering capabilities has positioned the group 

well, to ride on this global trend. As part of the group’s 

commitment to achieving this objective, Keppel issued 

its first stand-alone Sustainability Report 2010, this year. 

The group adopted the internationally-accepted 

Global Reporting Initiative framework for the fi rst report. 

Keppel plans to report on and account for its 

sustainability performance, annually, and refine and 

improve on the reporting in the years ahead. 

A cross business unit structure was established in 

December 2009, comprising key management executives 

in the different businesses, to consolidate and guide the 

sustainability initiatives across the group. 

Mr Choo Chiau Beng chairs the Group Sustainability 

Steering Committee which oversees strategic direction to 

develop products and processes that minimise impact to 

the environment and ensure that the group’s operations 

and deliveries meet national or international standards in 

the areas of environmental protection, labour relations, 

safety, and health. 

Keppel recognises that business and sustainability 

goals are best aligned through an active engagement 

process with stakeholders. There is increasing stakeholder 

interest in how the group is managing sustainability 

risks and contributing back to the communities where it 

operates. Through open dialogue and other engagement 

efforts, issues that are significant to stakeholders are 

identifi ed and addressed. 

xii · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


NEWater Plant. The Trustee-Manager of KGT is Keppel 

Infrastructure Fund Management Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned 

subsidiary of KIE. 

Keppel FMO, another KIE subsidiary, offers one-stop 

integrated facilities management services for missioncritical 

facilities and commercial properties in Singapore 

and overseas. 

In power generation, Keppel Energy has a track record of 

developing, owning, and operating power plants in Brazil, 

China, the Philippines, and Nicaragua. In Singapore, 

Keppel Energy operates a 500 MW gas-fi red combined 

cycle power plant on Jurong Island. 

Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation (Keppel 

T&T) is a leading service provider in Southeast Asia and 

Europe, with businesses in logistics and data centres. Its 

data centre facilities provide ‘state of the art’ data centre 

co-location and business contingency services. It is also 

one of the leading third party logistics companies in the 

Asia Pacific region, providing a complete range of supply 

chain solutions including port logistics. 

Property 

Keppel Land contributes to changing cityscapes across 

Asia as a choice developer with a portfolio of awardwinning 

residential developments, integrated townships, 

and investment-grade commercial properties. Reputed for 

its quality and innovation, Keppel Land is committed to 

developing properties that harmonise with the urban and 

natural landscape for desirable live-work-play environments 

and provide enduring value for the community. 

One of Asia’s premier property companies, Keppel 

Land has a strategic focus on two core businesses of 

property development and property fund management. 

The company is geographically diversified in Asia, with 

the current focus on Singapore, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, 

and India. 

Keppel Land is one of two Singapore companies to 

be selected as an index component in the Dow Jones 

Sustainability Asia Pacific Index in 2010. It has also been 

included in The Sustainability Yearbook 2011, which 

features the top 15% of the companies worldwide in 

sustainability leadership. 

A leading prime offi ce landlord in Singapore, Keppel 

Land contributes to defining and refining the city’s skyline 

with landmark developments such as Ocean Financial 

Centre and Marina Bay Financial Centre. Keppel Land 

is also Asia’s premier home developer with world-class 

iconic waterfront homes at Keppel Bay and Marina Bay. 

With a pipeline of over 75,000 homes across Asia 

and the Middle East, Keppel Land is poised to tap on the 

demand for quality housing driven by home ownership 

aspirations. 

An established property fund manager, Keppel Land 

has two property fund management vehicles, K-REIT Asia, 

a pan-Asian commercial real estate investment trust, and 

Alpha Investment Partners. 

Central Park City is a township development in Taihu New 

City, Wuxi, China, and features a total of about 5,000 

residential apartments. 

Comprising 930 apartments spread over 10 high-rise 

blocks, 8 Park Avenue in Shanghai, China, has clubhouse 

facilities that include an indoor heated swimming pool. 

The spectacular dome at the 8 Park Avenue estate in 

Shanghai allows sunlight to fi lter into the basement 

swimming pool and is transformed into a glass lantern 

at night. 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · xiii


Singapore Institute of Technology - 

honing the engineers of tomorrow 

Through the years, the engineering profession has been 

instrumental in improving living standards across the 

globe and has been a key force in driving the human 

race forward. 

That remains true today. Engineering continues to be 

exciting, inspiring, and a rapidly-evolving sector, with 

whole new specialty areas emerging in the span of just 

a few years. These include fi elds such as aerospace, 

materials science, and mechatronics. 

It is little wonder then, that skilled engineers who 

can plan, design, and manage projects that combine 

these various disciplines are highly sought after. 

This is where the Singapore Institute of Technology 

(SIT) comes in. 

A LOCAL INSTITUTE WITH A GLOBAL REACH 

Established by the Ministry of Education in 2009, SIT 

is committed to providing upgrading opportunities for 

diploma holders, with the larger goal of producing 

university graduates for key growth sectors of the 

economy. 

With its unique education model, SIT brings to 

Singapore some of the best degree programmes from 

around the world, in partnership with reputable overseas 

universities. 

In addition, all overseas university programmes 

offered by SIT are ‘campus-blind’, meaning that 

graduates will receive exactly the same degrees as their 

counterparts in the home campuses, with no difference 

in quality. Students will also get to visit the campuses 

of their universities overseas, as part of the Overseas 

Immersion Programme. 

Another advantage that polytechnic graduates 

enjoy at SIT is ‘Advanced Standing’. In recognition of 

their rigorous polytechnic education, most students 

are allowed to transfer some credits to their respective 

degree programmes and graduate within two years. 

The result is that polytechnic graduates now have 

the opportunity to obtain a recognised overseas degree, 

right here in Singapore, in a relatively short time. 

In its fi rst year, SIT enrolled 500 students and offered 

10 degree programmes in partnership with fi ve overseas 

universities. This year, SIT has doubled its intake to 

1,000 students who will have a choice of 17 degree 

programmes from seven overseas university partners. 

INDUSTRY-READY ENGINEERING EXPERTISE 

In consultation with a host of government agencies, the 

engineering sector was earmarked as a key area in need 

of highly-skilled personnel. 

To prepare graduates for real-world engineering 

challenges, SIT takes a hands-on, industry-focused 

approach to education. Students in all engineering 

programmes will have every opportunity to interact 

with, and learn from, seasoned professionals, through 

the course of their studies. 

To that end, the institute has formed strong partnerships 

with well-known industry players such as MINDEF, 

Keppel Corporation, and Sembcorp Industries. 

Apart from an enhanced learning experience, 

outstanding students also stand to receive scholarships 

from these industry partners. 

GLOBALLY RECOGNISED ENGINEERING 

PROGRAMMES 

To deliver engineering programmes that are recognised 

worldwide, SIT partners top overseas universities that 

are known for their research and academic excellence. 

Technische Universität München (Technical University 

of Munich) 

With an illustrious history dating back to 1868, the 

Technische Universität München (TUM) remains one 

The Technical University of Munich is a leading academic 

institution with an illustrious history dating back to 1868. 

A giant slide in the student lobby at TUM. 

xiv · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011


of the foremost academic institutions in the world. 

It is known for combining scientifi c intellect with a 

keen entrepreneurial mindset - a philosophy which 

has resulted in the university winning a number of 

prestigious accolades, including 15 Nobel Prizes. 

TUM’s partnership with SIT represents the fi rst-ever 

German academic venture abroad. 

University of Newcastle upon Tyne 

Newcastle University (NU) is one of the United Kingdom’s 

most reputable Higher Education Institutions and is a 

member of the elite Russell Group of 20 internationally 

recognised universities. 

The institution is particularly well-known for its 

School of Marine Science and Technology which has 

over a century of history and is the largest of its kind in 

Europe. 

University of Glasgow 

Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow (UOG) is the 

fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world. 

It is also part of the United Kingdom’s distinguished 

Russell Group and a leading earner of research income. 

It is associated with six Nobel Laureates and boasts 

alumni like Adam Smith, Lord Kelvin, and James Watt. 

UOG’s School of Engineering sustains a broad 

portfolio of leading-edge research funded by industry, 

research councils, and governmental agencies around 

the world. 

For more information on SIT’s engineering 

programmes and overseas university partners, please 

visit www.SingaporeTech.edu.sg 

Newcastle University, UK, is a reputable institution of 

higher education. 

Students from the School of Marine Science and Technology, 

Newcastle University, UK, testing marine craft models in a 

towing tank. 

ENGINEERING PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY SIT IN PARTNERSHIP 

WITH OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES 

University of Glasgow 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Design Engineering 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechatronics 

University of Newcastle upon Tyne 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Chemical Engineering 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Marine Engineering 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Naval Architecture 

• Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Offshore Engineering 

Technische Universität München 

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering 

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering & Information Technology 

October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · xv


Symbiosis - Engineering and Economic Growth 

by Hanson Jie, student, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) 

Mr Manohar Khiatani, CEO of 

JTC Corporation (JTC), shares 

the highlights of his career and 

the advantages of an engineering 

education. 

JTC Corporation is the leading 

industrial infrastructure innovator 

that has pioneered many cuttingedge 

industrial real-estate projects 

and solutions. 

Mr Manohar Khiatani. 

Image by JTC. 

Background 

Mr Manohar Khiatani, a Singapore Government Scholar, 

graduated with a Masters Degree in Naval Architecture 

from the University of Hamburg, Germany. He also 

attended the Advanced Management Program at the 

Harvard Business School in the US. 

Mr Khiatani graduated in 1985 - a significant year, 

during which Singapore experienced her fi rst recession. 

This inadvertently shaped his career path. 

First Steps into Reality 

While Mr Khiatani expected to work in the shipyards, in 

his first job as an engineer, it was not meant to be. Due to 

the recession, the shipyards were not hiring. Attesting to 

the fl exibility of an engineering degree, he instead took 

up a job offer by the Singapore Economic Development 

Board (EDB) which was looking for engineering graduates 

profi cient in foreign languages. This was the start of a 

blistering career that contributed emphatically to the 

economy of Singapore. 

Start of a Career 

Although Mr Khiatani was never an engineer by 

profession, he found his engineering education especially 

advantageous. He was able to understand the needs of the 

industry and appreciate industry trends, and the technical 

understanding he possessed provided a platform for 

deeper conversations with executives and people on the 

ground. As a result, Mr Khiatani played an instrumental 

role at EDB, in the promotion and development of industry 

clusters such as those for transport engineering, logistics, 

electronics, clean energy etc. 

His engineering training has helped shape his approach 

to issues, by imparting the ability to listen and identify the 

root cause of the problem amidst the commotion. He then 

adopts a problem-solving approach, to understand the 

issue and think of a practical and optimal solution. Finally, 

he is able to identify the team he needs and gets it to work 

and solve the problem. 

These skills continued to be useful when Mr Khiatani 

moved to the private sector, working on various projects 

including pipeline systems, fi re protection systems, and 

xvi · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011 

‘To me, engineering is about making things happen 

and building a better tomorrow’ 

- Mr Manohar Khiatani. 

water treatment plants, and in his present appointment. 

Making his Mark 

The aerospace industry has been one of the fastest growing 

industries in Singapore for many years. To ensure that 

this growth continued, space was needed. In response, 

JTC and EDB proposed to develop Seletar airport into 

an aerospace hub, by addressing the concerns and 

convincing the relevant stakeholders to make the project 

a reality. As a result, a unique aerospace hub - the Seletar 

Aerospace Park - was born. There is no other place in the 

world that accommodates both runway- and non-runwaydependent 

activities on such a scale. The commitment 

to the aerospace industry has proven itself, with some 

of the world’s leading brands, such as Rolls Royce, ST 

Aerospace, and Eurocopter, deciding to become a part of 

this hub. Such a transformation of the industry’s landscape 

is undoubtedly exhilarating. 

The advent of the Seletar Aerospace Park is just one of 

Mr Khiatani’s many projects in his accomplished career. 

He believes, however, that his greatest achievement 

professionally is to have been able to play a part in the 

development and transformation of Singapore’s key 

industrial sectors, such as transportation engineering, 

precision engineering, logistics, infocomms, and media. 

This has created good jobs and helped to secure the 

economic future of Singapore. Mr Khiatani is delighted 

to have been part of something that has had such a great 

impact on the future of Singapore. 

Passing the Baton 

In addition, Mr Khiatani derives great satisfaction from 

seeing the people he has worked with, develop and 

become successful managers and leaders. He is comforted 

by the fact that he has made a positive difference to them, 

no matter how small. 

Future Prospects 

The high-end manufacturing sector will remain a key 

component of Singapore’s economy. The projects that 

Singapore is attracting currently are knowledge- and 

innovation- intensive, which require strong engineering 

capabilities. Moreover, addressing the challenges that 

Singapore faces requires engineering ingenuity and 

innovation. Many international companies choose 

Singapore as a base, not for small savings in cost but to 

achieve a quantum leap in competitiveness, to transform 

supply chains, and to redesign products and business 

processes. Mr Khiatani therefore believes it is crucial to 

have a strong base of technically qualified people.


October 2011 

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER · xvii


National Engineers Day 2011 

Co-organisers 

Breaking New Ground 

xviii · THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2011

ADMIXTURES FOR CONCRETE 

PRECAST 

INDUSTRY 

READY MIX 

INDUSTRY 

LARGE ENGINEERING 

PROJECTS 

DYNAMON 

SYSTEM 

Nanostructural 

admixtures 

READY MIX 

INDUSTRY 

CHRONOS 

Chemically Reactive 

Nanostructural 

Superplasticizers 

VIBRO COMPRESSED 

CONCRETE INDUSTRY 

VIBROMIX 

Admixtures for 

vibro-compressed 

concrete 

CONTINUOUS 

FLOORING 

MAPECRETE 

SYSTEM 

Mapei technology 

for shrinkage-free 

concrete 

Hubei Edong Yangtze River Expressway Bridge - China 

REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS 

Mapei Far East Pte Ltd 

28 Tuas West Road, Singapore 638383 

Tel: +65 68623488 Fax: +65 68621012/13 

Email: mapei@mapei.com.sg 

Website: www.mapei.com.sg 

www.mapei.com 

ADHESIVES SEALANTS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS FOR BUILDING

Project Application 

Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi 

Mapei products had an important role in the construction of the biggest 

indoor theme park in the world. 

A bird's eye view of Ferrari World, the famous car manufacturer's only theme park in the world. 

Some of the areas in the complex are dedicated 

to displays of various models of cars. 

L 

ast November, H H Sheikh 

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 

Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme 

Commander of the United Arab Emirates 

army inaugurated the first-ever Ferrari 

theme park. 

The complex, which is also the 

biggest indoor theme park in the world, 

is located on the island of Yas, just off 

the north-eastern coast of Abu Dhabi. It 

is just 10 minutes by car from Abu Dhabi 

International airport and 30 minutes from 

the city centre. 

Enjoyment for all 

Ferrari World is owned by Aldar Properties 

PJSC, one of the biggest real-estate and 

investment companies in the Emirate of 

Abu Dhabi. 

Its most striking feature is a red 

roof, characterised by clean lines and a 

curvaceous form reminiscent of a Ferrari 

GT, and the biggest logo ever created 

in the world of the famous Italian car 

manufacturer. The indoor area, which is 

open for public use, spreads over an area 

of 86,000 m 2 - the equivalent of 10 full-size 



soccer pitches. The complex offers the 

chance of a memorable multi-sensorial 

experience for visitors from all categories 

- adults, children, families etc. There are 

more than 20 attractions including areas 

dedicated to the history of the Italian car 

manufacturer, numerous video games and 

displays of various Ferrari cars, six Italian 

restaurants where Michelin chefs offer 

refined dishes, and a large array of shops. 

Mapei solutions 

Since the intention of the owners is to 

present an entertainment complex that 

is ‘unique’, not only in the Middle East 

but also in the whole world, Ferrari World 

has been constructed to the highest 

standards. 

The construction materials also have 

to meet the highest standards required 

for such an ambitious project, and 

solutions offered by Mapei were chosen. 

These had already been used in UAE in 

other important construction projects 

such as the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan 

Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the 

exclusive Armani Hotel located in the Burj 

Khalifa Tower in Dubai, and the Dubai 

International Airport. 

Mapei products had also been used in 

the island of Yas, to build the Yas Marina 

Hotel, the Rotana Hotel, the Centro Hotel 

etc. 

Thus Mapei had already proved to be 

a reliable supply partner and hence had 

the ability to make a quality contribution 

in the construction of Ferrari World. 

Through local subsidiary IBS-Mapei, 

which is headquartered in Dubai, Mapei 

supplied the materials for waterproofing 

the surfaces of various tanks, fountains, 

and water features; laying ceramic, stone, 

mosaic, and resilient coverings; and 

treating substrates in various areas; as well 

as for a number of other interventions 

during construction. 

Waterproofing and sealing joints 

More than 25,000 m 2 of surfaces of the 

fountains, tanks, water features and 

planters, and a host of other damp surfaces, 

were waterproofed with MAPELASTIC 

SMART two-component, high-flexibility 

cementitious mortar reinforced with 

alkali-resistant FIBREGLASS MESH (which 

has now been replaced on several markets 

by MAPENET 150) and with MAPETEX SEL 

A bird's eye view of Yas island, home of the Ferrari World centre. 

MAPELASTIC SMART, FIBREGLASS MESH and MAPETEX SEL were used to waterproof the surfaces in 

the fountains, tanks and water features. 

pre-punched, non-woven polypropylene 

fabric. 

The waterproofing was then 

completed by applying ELASTOCOLOR 

WATERPROOF acrylic paint on treated 

surfaces. Black was chosen as the colour, in 

this case. It took five months of laboratory 

analysis and quality control to create the 

most suitable version of ELASTOCOLOR 

WATERPROOF. 

MAPEBAND rubber tape was used to 

seal and waterproof the corners and edges 

between adjacent walls, and the joints 

between the walls and floors. MAPEBAND 

TPE tape, bonded with ADESILEX PG4 two 

component, thixotropic epoxy adhesive 

with modified rheology and covered with 

a layer of quartz sand, was used to seal 

and waterproof the expansion joints. 

MAPEFLEX PU50 SL one-component, 

castable polyurethane sealant with a 

low modulus of elasticity, suitable for 

joints with movements up to 25%, was 

chosen to seal the expansion joints in 

the surfaces, below the MAPEBAND TPE, 

including some of the surfaces in the 

water features. 

MAPEGROUT ME 06 shrinkagecompensated, 

super-fluid mortar, on the 

other hand, was used to seal around the 

openings provided in the floor of the 

water features, to allow for the installation 

of water pipes and floor drains. 

Inside the tanks, artificial rocks made 

from fibre-reinforced concrete were 

used to dress a metal frame which had 

been anchored to the base and sides of 

the tanks with bolts. MAPETEX SEL was 

applied around the anchorage points to 

guarantee continuity in the waterproofing 

layer. 

Before applying the waterproofing 

treatment, the metal bases of the frame 

were first coated with ADESILEX PG4 

covered with a layer of quartz sand, to 

create a rough surface and improve the 

bonding of MAPELASTIC SMART which 

was applied afterwards. 

October 2011 



Laying resilient floor and wall 

coverings 

Products from the Mapei line for laying 

resilient materials have also been employed 

in Ferrari World. MONOFINISH onecomponent, 

normal-setting, cementitious 

mortar was used to even out irregularities 

and uneven areas on various walls 

throughout the complex before laying 

wallpaper with ADESILEX MT32 adhesive 

in a water dispersion. ADESILEX MT32 is a 

product suitable for bonding all types of 

wall coverings (vinyl paper, flocked wall 

coverings, textiles, glass fibre textiles etc). 

PVC tiles are used for the floor of the 

entrance to the games area, where visitors 

often have to queue before going in. In 

this instance, the substrates were initially 

treated with PRIMER G, a synthetic resinbased 

primer in a water dispersion with 

very low emission of volatile organic 

compounds (VOC), and then smoothed 

over and levelled off with ULTRAPLAN 

MAXI self-levelling, ultra quick hardening, 

smoothing compound. 

Laying ceramics and natural stone 

Mapei also contributed to the construction 

of Ferrari World by supplying various 

products for laying porcelain, marble, 

and glass mosaic on numerous surfaces, 

including in the corridors and toilets, 

as well as on the surfaces of the water 

features. 

These products include a series of 

innovative adhesives, such as KERAPOXY 

ADHESIVE (a two-component epoxy 

adhesive with no vertical slip) to lay marble 

slabs on the stairs; KERAFLEX MAXI 

high-performance, flexible cementitious 

adhesive (replaced on several markets 

by KERAFLEX MAXI S1) to bond white 

marble on the walls where the Ferrari logo 

was created and to bond glass mosaics 

on the surfaces of the water features; and 

KERABOND T cementitious adhesive with 

no vertical slip, to lay ceramic tiles on the 

walls in the toilets and corridors. 

Various grouts were also used for the 

joints, such as ULTRACOLOR PLUS (highperformance, 

polymer-modified, antiefflorescence, 

quick-setting and drying 

mortar with water-repellent DropEffect 

and anti-mould BioBlock technology) to 

grout joints in the white marble walls and 

for the ceramic and mosaic tiles in various 

areas, and KERAPOXY (two-component 

After applying the first layer of MAPELASTIC SMART, FIBREGLASS MESH (replaced on several 

markets by MAPENET 150) was inserted before applying the second layer of MAPELASTIC SMART. 

To waterproof the bases of the metal frame of 

the artificial rock formations in some water 

features, MAPELASTIC SMART was reinforced 

with MAPETEX SEL after applying ADESILEX 

PG4. 

Sealing of the cross-piping elements and 

waterproofing of the edges was carried out with 

alkali-resistant MAPEBAND rubber tape. 

Various Mapei products were used in a number of tanks and water features for waterproofing and 

laying coverings. 



Numerous Mapei adhesives and grouts were used to lay porcelain tiles, marble and glass mosaics in a number of areas. 

high-performance, anti-acid epoxy mortar 

with no vertical slip) to grout joints in the 

ceramic coverings in the water features. 

The colours yellow and black were chosen 

for the latter product (which is available in 

26 different colours), to blend in with the 

colours of the Ferrari logo. 

KERAPOXY DESIGN two-component, 

decorative, anti-acid, translucent epoxy 

mortar was used to grout the joints, 

where a red colour was required. This 

product is available in 15 different colours. 

KERACOLOR FF pre-blended, polymer- 

modified cementitious mortar with waterrepellent 

DropEffect technology, was used 

to grout the joints in the ceramic coverings 

on the walls and floors in the toilets and 

corridors. 

Summary 

Once again, a prestigious project on an 

international scale has shown that Mapei 

has the ability to supply solutions at the 

highest level, without compromising the 

construction schedule, while guaranteeing 

extremely high quality of work. TSE 

This editorial feature is sponsored 

by Mapei. Article from Realta Mapei 

International no. 35. 

Enquiry No: 10/101 

INTERVENTION BY MAPEI 

Supplying of products for preparing, 

waterproofing, and levelling the 

substrates; laying ceramic and stone 

materials on walls and floors; bonding 

wallpaper and PVC floorings; and for 

sealing the anchoring points within 

steel structures. 

PROJECT CREDITS 

Project 

Ferrari World Park, Abu Dhabi (UAE) 

Client 

Aldar Properties PJSC 

Project Architects 

John Robertson Architects (USA) 

Benoy Architects (UK) 

Ramboll (Denmark) 

Contractor 

Aldar Besix (UAE) 

Works Direction 

Fara Abaspour (DEPA) 

The artificial rock formations in some of the water features were made from fibre-reinforced concrete 

and used to cover a metal frame anchored in place with bolts. Before applying the waterproofing 

treatment, the metal bases were treated with ADESILEX PG4 covered with a layer of quartz sand 

to create a rough surface and improve bonding of MAPELASTIC SMART, which was applied 

afterwards. 

October 2011 

Laying Company 

DEPA (UAE) 

Period of Construction 

2008-2010 



Digital prototyping software helps in 

facade engineering projects 

P 

MB Facade Technology Sdn Bhd 

(PMB Facade), a Malaysia-based 

company and a subsidiary of public-listed 

PMB Technology, is a specialist fabricator 

in the aluminium curtain wall and 

cladding industry. The company provides 

advanced designs and technologies for 

modern facade systems, from conceptual 

design to complete installation and 

commissioning of its products. 

Over a period of 18 years, since 

its establishment, PMB Facade has 

contributed to many landmark projects 

both internationally and locally, including 

Al-Bidda Tower (also known as the 

Tornado Tower), in Doha, Qatar, and 

Sands SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands, in 

Singapore. 

PMB Facade utilises Autodesk 

Inventor 3D digital prototyping software 

to compete internationally. The tool 

allows the company to easily grasp project 

elements for accurate bidding, thereby 

reducing risk pricing and allowing more 

competitive bids. The time for detailed 

element costing is also reduced. 

The Sands SkyPark 

PMB Facade was commissioned by Marina 

Bay Sands to create a design concept for 

the facade of Sands SkyPark which sits on 

top of the three 200 m tall hotel towers. 

The team was given a non-negotiable fivemonth 

period to complete the exterior 

cladding works. 

PMB Facade used Autodesk Inventor 

to design, visualise and validate the 

complicated ‘floating’ exterior design 

with digital simulation, to optimise the 

design for weight and safety. The team 

also easily converted 2D technical drafts 

on paper into 3D, and integrated all of 

them into a single digital model and then 

presented the design in 3D to decisionmakers, 

to enable accurate visualisation 

of the design ideas. 

Using Autodesk Inventor, PMB Façade 

reduced material wastage by 15%, making 

accurate decisions with digital simulation, 

and completed the project on time. 

It is suggested that without Autodesk 

Inventor, it would have taken the team 

more time to complete the project. 

and construction teams. 

Most importantly, PMB Facade is able 

to keep customers satisfied, as they are 

engaged earlier in the design process and 

decisions, understand design concepts 

better and can digitally ‘see’ how the 

design functions, before anything is 

built. TSE 


The ‘Tornado Tower’ 

It would have been difficult to fabricate 

the twisted facade of the skyscraper, with 

traditional technology. 

The shaft of the tower is clad in an 

unconventional diagonal curtain wall 

that forms an important feature of the 

design. For buildings with a complicated 

external form, it is common to have a 

straightforward structure for the interior. 

However for the Tornado Tower, the 

columns inside have an equally complex 

shape as that of the exterior building - 

making the design very challenging. 

The PMB Facade team used Autodesk 

Inventor to visualise the ‘twist’ design by 

first creating a 3D virtual rotor-shaped 

form of the tower, that underwent a 

rotation at every level, and then digitally 

simulating the real-world performance. 

With this tool, the team was able to specify 

the angle, location, and size of the building 

columns with precision, minimising the 

imperfections and rectifying them early 

in the design process. 

Advantages of digital prototyping 

PMB Facade uses Autodesk Inventor on 

account of its flexible 3D mechanical 

design, simulation, tooling creation, and 

design communication capabilities, to 

increase project win rate, reduce material 

wastage, speed up the fabrication process, 

transform great concepts into reality, and 

facilitate better collaboration with design 

The Sands SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands. 

The Tornado Tower, in Doha, Qatar. 


M 

anitowoc cranes continue to play 

a major role at large construction 

developments in Saudi Arabia, with 

90 Potain cranes concentrated on the 

US$ 10 billion King Abdullah Financial 

District (KAFD) project in Riyadh. 

This giant 1,600 km 2 development will 

reportedly include 40 skyscrapers, and 

aims to redefine Saudi Arabia’s capital as a 

global centre for finance. Last year, over 180 

Manitowoc cranes helped create Princess 

Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University, the 

world’s largest women-only university. 

NFT, the regional Potain dealer for 

Saudi Arabia, placed all the Potain cranes 

on KAFD. The time-line for construction 

of the financial district is very tight, so 

the main contractors are using as many 

cranes as possible. Each skyscraper has 

up to six cranes, and the smaller buildings 

have three to four cranes. The cranes are 

working 20 hours a day, six days a week, 

to ensure the ambitious three-and-ahalf 

year project stays on schedule. With 

deadlines critical to the project’s success, 

making sure the cranes stay operational 

is essential. NFT has a team of engineers 

working at the site, and they are supported 

by the local Manitowoc Crane Care. 


Potain cranes dominate another huge 

Saudi Arabian development 

According to NFT, although highprofile 

jobs come with lots of pressure, its 

reputation and experience help customers 

meet their deadlines. At the same time, 

the company believes that the Potain 

quality is essential to the success of the 

KAFD project, because Potain cranes have 

precise control and excellent productivity, 

so they get more done even when several 

are positioned close together. 

The main contractors on KAFD 

include Saudi Binladin Group, Saudi Oger 

Ltd, SaudiCo, and El Seif Engineering. 

Work began in November 2008 and 

will finish at the end of 2011. The cranes 

arrived in stages with the first 20 arriving 

in February 2009. The second and third 

stages, each comprising 35 cranes, arrived 

in late 2009 and in June 2010. The Saudi 

Binladin Group purchased the majority of 

these cranes. 

The crane models span almost the 

entire top-slewing range from Potain. 

They include cranes from the MD, MDT, 

MR and MC ranges. There are 28 of the 

7 t MR 225 A cranes and 21 of the 10 t 

MD 208 A cranes on the project - the two 

most popular models. Other cranes on 

the project include the Potain MD 345, 

MR 295, MC 175, MC 205 B and MC 310 

K12. Many will eventually reach heights of 

200 m and nearly all are working with their 

maximum jib. 

The cranes are lifting steel, wood, 

concrete blocks, shuttering and other 

materials. Most loads weigh between 

2 t and 3 t although the largest weigh 

up to 6 t. The financial district will host 

a large financial community, including 

the headquarters of the Capital Market 

Authority and the Tadawul Stock 

Exchange. It will also house numerous 

regional offices for banks and financial 

authorities and will create an estimated 

50,000 jobs. 

The King Abdullah Financial Academy 

will also be part of the development. It will 

offer education and training to financial 

professionals. Additionally, there will be 

six mosques, one Grand Mosque, and 

housing for 8,000 people. 

Manitowoc dealer NFT has 550 

employees in four offices throughout the 

Middle East. Its central office is located in 

the UAE, but it also has branches in Saudi 

Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. TSE 


Ninety Potain cranes are working on the US$ 10 billion King Abdullah Financial District project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

October 2011 



Raise boring adopted for dropshafts in 

Hong Kong drainage scheme 

F 

our Sandvik reaming heads are 

being used by Australian raise 

boring specialist Macmahon to bore 23 

dropshafts on one of the world’s most 

complex drainage systems, the Hong Kong 

West Drainage Tunnel (HKWDT) project. 

Raise boring was chosen because of 

the extremely cramped area of most of 

the dropshaft sites which are situated in 

the Mid-Levels residential district on Hong 

Kong Island. 

As at the middle of May, Macmahon 

had reached the halfway point with 12 

shafts bored. The project is scheduled to 

be completed in early 2012. 

The Drainage Services Department 

of Hong Kong is building the HKDWT to 

relieve the flooding problem in Northern 

Hong Kong Island. 

Designed by consulting engineers 

Arup and with the main contract being 

implemented by the Dragages-Nishimatsu 

Joint Venture, the project includes the 

construction of a main tunnel, 32 adits, 

32 dropshafts, 34 intakes and two tunnel 

portals. 

The Dragages-Nishimatsu JV is 

responsible for constructing the tunnel 

in two sections. The first section, 4.5 km 

long and 6.25 m in diameter, runs from Tai 

Hang and under the Aberdeen tunnel. The 

second, 6 km long and 7.25 m in diameter, 

is from the Aberdeen tunnel to Cyberport. 

The contractor is using two tunnel boring 

machines for this project, which arrived 

on the site in March 2009. 

The adits have a total length of about 

8 km and a width of 2.3 to 3.5 m, and will 

direct captured rainwater to the main 

tunnel. The contractor is excavating 

the adits mainly by the drill and blast 

method. 

The 34 intakes will intercept rainwater 

from open channels and underground 

drainage pipes, the water being conveyed 

to the main tunnel via the dropshafts and 

adits. The water discharges via the main 

tunnel by gravity to the sea at Cyberport. 

Raise boring is being used for 23 of the 

dropshafts, the remainder being either in 

shallow ground that can be excavated in 

a conventional manner, or in unstable soil 

that makes this method unsuitable. 

Raise boring was selected due to the 

isolated shaft intakes on the hillsides 

across the Mid-Levels, with difficult access 

and restricted weight loadings on the 

adjacent pathways. It was also considered 

to be the safest shaft option, with no 

people required in the shaft during boring, 

and ensured the least environmental 

disturbance. 

The JV appointed Perth-based 

construction and mining contractor 

Macmahon to undertake the raise boring 

for the 23 dropshafts being constructed 

by this method. 

Once the adit has been excavated to 

the stilling basin, a pilot hole is drilled 

through the ground down to the basin. 

A Sandvik reaming head is then fixed to 

the end of the drill string at the bottom of 

the dropshaft. The drill rig then rotates and 

pulls the reaming head upwards towards 

the drill rig, excavating the ground. The 

excavated material falls to the bottom of 

the dropshaft and is trucked out through 

the adits, main tunnel, and portals. 

This is a logistically challenging job as 

the majority of the raise bore sites are in 

highly urbanised areas with restrictions on 

noise, traffic, and dust emissions, and the 

sites are extremely tight. 

Controlling the raise boring operation at ground 

level. 

One of the raise boring sites. 



Not only is there very little room to 

manoeuvre and operate the equipment, 

in many cases the sites are on very steep 

terrain with little normal road access. 

The project does however illustrate the 

benefits of raise boring within an urban 

environment, because the disturbance to 

the public is minimal. There is virtually no 

dust, and the spoil is carried out of the 

tunnel far away from where the shaft is 

bored. 

Noise is kept to the minimum because 

the rigs are very quiet, and the sound of 

boring is contained underground. 

Macmahon has four raise bore drill 

rigs working on the project - three Atlas 

Copco and one Sandvik Rhino unit - 

allowing the excavation of four dropshafts 

simultaneously during an 18-month 

project period. 

The contractor is starting each shaft 

with a 35 cm pilot hole using Sandvik Pilot 

bits and 28.6 cm drill pipes. Four Sandvik 

CRH8E extendable reaming heads are then 

being used to bore two sizes of shaft, one 

of 2.441 m and the other of 3.154 m. 

The Sandvik reaming heads can be 

adapted to different rock conditions 

by re-arranging the cutters, in effect 

changing the spacing between the rows of 

cemented-carbide buttons that break the 

rock. The CRH8E consists of a base-head 

to which four segments can be bolted 

on, which means the head can be built to 

different diameters. 

The shafts vary in depth between 44 m 

and 172 m across varying degrees of ground 

quality and stability, with hard granites 

and volcanic tuff being encountered, some 

of which have a compressive strength of 

more than 250 MPa. 

There is some exceptionally hard 

ground but overall very good penetration 

rates are being achieved. 

There are also no problems with drift, 

and the client’s preferred guide range of 

1% tolerance is being met. 

The Sandvik reaming heads and cutters 

are supplied by Sandvik’s raise boring team 

in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 

which is working closely with Macmahon, 

advising on the most effective use and 

configuration of the equipment. TSE 


The installation at an isolated site on the steeply sloped hillside with restricted weight loadings. 

Sandvik reaming heads in the Macmahon 

compound. 

The raise boring method was considered to be the safest shaft option since few people are required 

and it ensures the least environmental disturbance. 

October 2011 



A 

Water pipeline in Abu Dhabi gets 

underway 

s the population of the UAE’s 

capital Abu Dhabi approaches 

2 million, a new potable water pipeline 

will be constructed, that will meet peak 

period demand during the summer 

months. 

With a design capacity of 166 litres/ 

day, the new 32 km pipeline will connect 

the water pumping station at Mussafah 

and the Delma Street substation in Abu 

Dhabi. 

The contract for the Mussafah-Abu 

Dhabi potable water pipeline (Lot M) under 

the Mussafah Water Transmission Scheme 

(MWTS) in Abu Dhabi, was awarded to 

Turkish contractor Aydiner Constructions, 

with a 16-month completion schedule. 

The award follows the successful 

completion, by the contractor, of the 

Shuweihat Water Transmission Scheme, 

a major initiative combining one of the 

biggest water pipeline projects undertaken 

using ductile iron pipes with a desalination 

plant in the region. 

The twin pipeline spans 250 km 

between the Shuweihat desalination plant 

and Mussafah, and carries 378,000 m 3 / 

day of water, to join the regional supply 

network serving Sila, Mirfa and Mussafah. 

The new Lot M pipeline contract 

features similar ductile iron pipe with a 1.6 

m diameter. 

On being awarded the Lot M pipeline 

contract, Aydiner placed orders for a 

Dynapac CC 900 compaction roller and 

six LG 160 compaction plates for pipeline 

compaction duties. 

The pipeline’s route traverses saltladen 

areas with a high water table and 

therefore there is a need for extensive 

dewatering. Initially passing through open 

desert-type areas, the route also includes 

densely populated urban areas through 

the city. 

Ground conditions have so far not 

presented any problems for the contractor 

but unrecorded utilities are posing a 

particular problem. 

These include frequently encountered 

underground electrical lines and water 

pipelines. The route also runs parallel with 

a number of oil-related and gas pipelines. 


The Dynapac unit is engaged in pipeline compaction duties. 

The Lot M pipeline will also pass 

below the Maqtaa creek at a depth of 20 

m. Taking into account possible failures 

and on the basis of ‘common practice’, the 

pipeline splits into two 730 m pipelines 

below the creek, re-joining into a single 

pipe. This is achieved through horizontal 

directional drilling techniques. 

Pipeline trench 

Using 45 t and 60 t class excavators for 

trench excavation, Aydiner is excavating 

to depths of up to 5 m but generally 3 m x 

3 m, depending on the surface gradation. 

Two ‘bedding-in’ 30 cm deep base 

courses are initially prepared prior to 

laying the ductile pipes and compacted by 

purpose-ordered Dynapac LG 160 plate 

compactors. 

In total, six plates were delivered by 

Dynapac’s local distributor INMA. 

The pipe is then surrounded with 

hand-tamped sand layers using approved 

backfill with no rock content. Above the 

pipe, the backfill is initially compacted 

in 30 cm layers, to be continued using a 

recently delivered Dynapac CC 900 double 

drum vibratory roller. 

Once again ordered through 

local distributor INMA, the CC 900 is 

undertaking up to four static passes to 

meet the specified degree of compaction. 

With a drum width of just 900 mm, the 

roller is ideal for small scale compaction 

duties. The roller features a maximum 

operating weight of 1665 kg and is 

powered by a Perkins 403D-11 watercooled 

diesel engine. 

Aydiner Constructions started pipelaying 

in October 2010 and completion is 

anticipated by February 2012 with 9 km 

completed by the end of July 2011. 

Dynapac LG 160 

The LG 160 is a compact forward/reverse 

plate with speed and compaction depth 

regulated steplessly via hydraulic servo 

controls. This ensures smooth plate 

motion. It also makes the plate easy to 

operate. 

The LG 160 is proving ideal for backfill 

duties in pipeline trenches. TSE 

Enquiry No: 10/105

A 

total of five Liebherr tower 

cranes are being used by 

contractor Gammon Construction for 

the building of the new Centennial 

Campus at Hong Kong University. 

Main contractor Gammon is using 

a combination of two luffing jib cranes 

and three high-top cranes to erect 

three new campus buildings and for 

other works at the university. 

Work on the project commenced 

in mid-September 2009 and overall 

completion is expected in March 2012. 

The cranes, supplied by Liebherr’s 

distributor in Hong Kong, Shriro 

Machinery Ltd, are two 160 HC-L 

luffing jib units, each fitted with a 355 

IC tower system, and three 200 EC-H 

high-top units, each fitted with a 170 

HC tower system. 

The project mainly includes the 

construction of two nine-storey and 

one 10-storey academic buildings with 

three-level basements and three-level 

podiums, providing a total construction 

floor area of 84,000 m 2 . 

When configuring the crane layout, 

the large amount of site formation 

works, access constraints caused by 

the very steep site, and the fact that 

there would be five cranes working in 

a small area, all had to be taken into 

account. 

Accordingly the solution that was 

developed involves a combination 

of two luffing jib cranes which are 

designed to work within a very small 

footprint without overflying other jibs, 

and three high-tops, which each have 

a 60-m jib and are powerful enough 

for most medium-to-large building 

projects. 

This resulted in a configuration that 

meets the diverse load requirements 

within a remarkably tight area, without 

any possibility of conflicting boom 

movements. 

The two Liebherr 160 HC-L luffing 

jib cranes have a capacity of 16 t 


Five Liebherr cranes work in tight 

configuration on university campus 

project 

Five Liebherr tower cranes are deployed on site for the construction of the Centennial Campus at Hong 

Kong University. 

and are able to raise their jib angles 

between 15º and 70º. 

They have both been sited in the 

lift shafts of the buildings, the 355 IC 

tower system being a format designed 

for rapid climbing as the building 

height progresses. 

The three Liebherr 200 EC-H cranes 

are fixed units with a maximum hook 

height of 68 m and a maximum lift 

capacity of 10 t, reducing to 2.65 t at 

the full stretch of the 60 m jib. TSE 


October 2011 


Products & Solutions 

New hydrodemolition robots from Aquajet Systems 

complete the range 

H 

ydrodemolition equipment 

specialist Aquajet Systems has 

introduced two additional models to 

complement its range of the recently 

launched latest generation of Aqua 

Cutter 710 V Classic and Evolution series 

of robots. The 710 A and 710 H offer 

further options and improved automatic 

and manual features to suit contractors’ 

demands for efficient concrete removal. 

The new models are designed for 

working on bridges, tunnels, roads, 

walls, parking garages, or overhead 

roofs. Working with a typically 1000 

bar pressure and 250 l/min, the robot 

handles removal depths down to 

approximately 1000 mm of concrete if 

required. 

The newly introduced 710 A robot 

features an articulated arm that can be 

positioned through 360º and has two 

telescopic joints to reach a maximum 

height of up to 3 m. 

It is suitable for horizontal, vertical, 

and overhead operations in applications 

such as multi-storey parking garage 

rehabilitation. 

The new 710 H has been designed for 

horizontal deck (floor) operations but 

can be upgraded to the 710 A or 710 V 

if required. It is intended for contractors 

who already have one or more of the 

more versatile 710 V robots or, for new 

contractors who are just entering the 

hydrodemolition sector and principally 

seeking horizontal applications. 

It can optionally offer a 4 m 

operational width. 

The 710 V series of robots, introduced 

earlier this year, is considered the most 

versatile robot from Aquajet and is able 

to reach up to heights of 7 m. 

The unit is also suitable for horizontal 

applications driving along the surface or 

it can ‘nose up’ with the cutting head 

moving vertically on the mast; making it 

ideal for pillars and walls.. 

All three models are delivered with 

diesel engines and can be fitted with 

electric hybrid drive for areas which are 

not suitable for diesel engines. 

The range is also available as 

Evolution models incorporating fully 

computerised facilities or Classic models 

not requiring these features and offering 

manual operation. 

The systems have been designed 

such that they are easy to operate even 

under tough conditions. 

A new improved rubber-lined 

The Aqua cutter 710 A. 

The Aqua cutter 710 H. 

splashguard on the power head ensures 

better noise reduction. Easy access is 

also assured with ‘gull wing’ hoods and 

‘fold down’ hydraulics for cleaning and 

maintenance. TSE 



October 2011

S 

ingapore-based MTM Metalizing 

is a joint-venture set up with 

International Metalizing & Coating Inc 

(IMC) of the US, a company that has been 

in the thermal spray application business 

since 1995. 

Using IMC-patented technology, MTM 

Metalizing is able to offer ‘metalising’ 

services not only offsite, in blasting and 

spraying chambers, but also onsite. The 

company’s metalising machines are 

compact and mobile, and can perform in 

difficult-to-reach areas. At the same time, 

they have a fast application rate, enabling 

MTM Metalizing to complete jobs over 

large areas, within tight schedules. 

The company provides customised 

solutions for corrosion problems in the 

marine, petrochemical, structural steel, 

rail, and infrastructure industries. Since 

MTM Metalizing is conveniently located 

in Singapore which is a major transit hub 

in Asia, the company can swiftly deploy 

mobile teams to undertake jobs within 

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, 

India, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, China 

and Taiwan. 

The IMC-patented technology has 

been approved and used in a variety of 

corrosion prevention projects for highprofile 

clients including the Panama Canal 

Authority, NASA, United States Navy, 

New Jersey Department of Transportation, 

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and 

major oil companies. 

Technology behind metalising 

Metalising is a process by which a metallic 

Products & Solutions 

Corrosion control through ‘metalising’ 

coating is deposited onto a surface. It is a 

technology that has been in use for the last 

100 years. Although extensive studies have 

shown that metalising is one of the best 

corrosion-fighting systems in the world, 

its usage was limited due to application 

problems. Now, MTM Metalizing’s process 

overcomes these limitations and offers 

a variety of metal coatings, depending 

on the required specifications. Metal 

applied using the thermal spray process 

can provide a protective coating that 

will remain corrosion-resistant for many 

years. 

Before the metalising procedure can 

begin, the surface must be prepared so 

that it has the required surface roughness. 

The prepared surface must be clean and 

grease-free. MTM Metalizing’s spraying 

technology utilises an electric arc between 

two wires to melt their tips. By atomising 

with compressed clean air, the molten 

metal coating is propelled at a very high 

speed onto the substrate. This provides 

a permanent bond between the coating 

material and the surface. At this point, 

several layers of the metal coating can 

be sprayed on to increase the thickness 

depending on the specifications. The 

process design ensures that all the 

metal from multiple passes form one 

homogeneous layer. 

Heat generated from the fusion 

process dissipates almost immediately 

upon hitting the substrate, preventing any 

heat transfer to adjacent areas or scorching 

of areas below the surface. The fused 

metal wraps around angles and stiffeners 

in a manner that is similar to electrostatic 

paint application. Due to instant curing, 

the coating does not shrink and does not 

pull away from sharp edges. This process 

can be completed in a matter of minutes 

depending on the scope of the job. 

Metals for the thermal spray 

Irrespective of the environment, the 

metalising solutions deliver long-lasting 

protection of industrial equipment, with 

a minimum of trouble and expense. 

Metalising has been used in many 

industrial applications and is proven that 

these coatings protect steel for more than 

30 years. The metals that can be used for 

the thermal spray include zinc, aluminium, 

stainless steel, copper, Hasalloy, Inconel, 

brass, carbon steel, titanium, gold, silver, 

nickel and any other metal that can be 

wire-drawn. 

Aluminium and zinc form anodic 

coatings which will protect against 

corrosion for many years. Aluminium 

will give a heat-resistant coating that can 

withstand cyclical heat application up to 

600° C. By using the arc spray instead of 

the flame spray process, the application 

rate is vastly increased, as is the quality 

of the coating. By selecting the metal to 

be sprayed, multiple types of protection 

can be attained. For example, Inconel 

can provide a seawater / erosion resistant 

coating for marine applications, while 

aluminium- or nickel- based coatings offer 

wear-resistance. TSE 


Metalising a substrate. 

Protecting dam gates through metalising. 

October 2011 


Chemical Engineering 

M 

r Ray Rogowski, Director, Global 

Wireless Business, Honeywell 

Process Solutions, describes the latest 

advancements, and explains how these 

can be used to address Health, Safety 

and Environment (HSE) challenges in a 

typical processing operation. 

INTRODUCTION 

Industrial wireless has found acceptance 

in all types of process industry plants. 

Apart from reducing costs associated 

with wiring, installation, commissioning, 

and operations, wireless is an enabling 

technology that can, at a marginal cost 

to end-users, minimise risks and the 

likelihood of harmful incidents. 

TODAY’S SAFETY CHALLENGES 

HSE issues are an increasing concern 

for corporate and plant management. 

A safety incident at an industrial site 

not only incurs heavy financial losses, 

but also may have an adverse impact 

on the operating company’s image and 

branding. Its very existence may even be 

at stake. Plant operators are finding it 

increasingly difficult to strike the balance 

between pushing capacity utilisation 

to the maximum and ensuring that the 

process is always operated in the safest 

possible envelope. 

To add to the complexity, there are 

diverse sets of standards applicable to 

the many layers of the process safety 

ecosystem. Relevant industry standards 

include EN54, NFPA 72, ISA 84, and IEC 

61508 and 61511. 

The key safety challenges for 

industrial plants include: 

• Meeting stricter government 

regulatory requirements. 

• Complying with many overlapping 

industry standards. 

• Balancing business targets with 

health, safety and environmental 

concerns. 

• Protecting employees from varied 

hazardous conditions. 

• Mitigating litigation and penalty risks 

arising from incidents. 

• Overcoming inflexibility of existing 

systems. 

Wireless technology: minimising risks 

at process plants 


• Coping with layers of safety involving 

many different systems and devices. 

• Integrating plant-wide data storage 

capabilities. 

• Capturing ‘on-the-fly data’ from 

safety audits and testing. 

• Reducing total cost of ownership. 

Safety risks can never be reduced to 

zero. However, industrial organisations 

must strive to minimise the potential 

occurrence of harmful incidents to the 

lowest possible level. The biggest hurdle 

for most companies is providing plants 

that are both safe and cost-effective. 

NEW ERA OF PLANT OPERATION 

With the development of industrial 

wireless technology, plants are 

entering into a new era of operations, 

characterised by wireless sensors 

obtaining and transmitting information 

on a multitude of changing dynamics - 

temperature, pressure, transportation, 

tank levels, vibration, corrosion, gas 

concentration levels etc - over a wireless 

grid. These transmitters can be connected 

to a variety of automation platforms, 

including PLCs, SCADA or DCS, as well 

as stand-alone control systems. 

Wireless devices also make it 

easier to locate people in danger and 

communicate evacuation and safety 

instructions. And wireless monitors can 

detect vapours, fire, activation of safety 

showers, and other events, allowing 

personnel to prevent and respond more 

rapidly to incidents. 

The latest generation of industrial 

wireless solutions utilises a highly 

distributed, self-organising and selfhealing 

mesh network infrastructure 

which enables an inclusive wireless 

network cloud for the entire plant. This 

standards-based wireless infrastructure 

(eg ISA100.11a, IEEE 802.15.4, IEEE 

802.11, DSSS, and OFDM) has built-in 

fault tolerance, excellent throughput 

and bandwidth, high security, as well as 

desired latency performance, typically 

required for industrial applications. It is 

also highly scalable and flexible so future 

growth and capacity additions are not 

constrained. 

TYPICAL WIRELESS APPLICATIONS 

Industrial wireless applications 

encompass a host of process safety 

monitoring and equipment health 

optimisation tasks. Wireless sensors 

can monitor situations ranging from 

tank overfill to pipeline corrosion. In 

addition, plants can use wireless to 

track the location of assets and workers 

- ensuring they are not in harm’s way 

and eliminating the need to undertake 

dangerous tasks in the first place. 

Risk reduction 

In a typical process plant environment, 

wireless sensors can be used in risk 

reduction applications involving manual 

alarm call points, break glass units, smoke 

detectors, flame detectors, flammable 

and toxic gas detectors, strobes, beacons, 

and sounders. For example, wireless 

sensors can supplement traditional fire 

and gas sensors to raise alerts based on 

equipment conditions that can trigger a 

leak. 

Wireless technology can also 

augment wired devices in areas where 

wired measurement is not feasible due to 

technical or commercial considerations 

but would have enhanced safety had 

it been installed. For instance, many 

existing level gauges are equipped with 

alarm contacts to signal abnormal fluid 

level in tanks. These contacts can be 

harnessed through a wireless connection, 

to alert control room operators on an 

independent alarm panel. 

Many existing level gauges are equipped with 

alarm contacts to signal abnormal fluid level in 

tanks. These contacts can be harnessed through 

a wireless connection to alert control room 

operators on an independent alarm panel.


Equipment Health Monitoring 

Wireless Equipment Health Monitoring 

(EHM) solutions can be used to monitor 

essential rotating assets such as fire 

water pumps and compressors, to ensure 

healthy and trouble-free operation. 

Failure of such suppression apparatus 

can have disastrous consequences. 

Incident tracking and positioning 

Wireless RSSI/WiFi triangulation and 

RFID technology help locate and enable 

personnel to take immediate actions 

to isolate a safety incident and/or 

dispatch rescue to a specific location. 

GPS-based technology can be used onboard 

fire engines, vehicles used for 

managing hazardous material leaks, and 

ambulances, to navigate to the exact 

location where response is needed. 

Digital video surveillance 

Centralised, wireless-enabled process 

area surveillance enables operations and 

safety teams to enhance plant safety 

and security. Industrial-grade digital 

video monitoring (DVM) systems can 

communicate with wireless networks 

and stream live video images to the safety 

office, fire station, or operation centre 

console. This allows plant personnel 

to keep a vigilant watch, ensuring safe 

operations at all times. 

Video cameras mounted on fire 

engines are used to relay video on a realtime 

basis to the safety command centre 

wirelessly to facilitate faster assessment, 

coordination and decision-making. 

Other medical emergency vehicles can 

be retrofitted with cameras for remote 

monitoring from a command centre, to 

coordinate, direct and control first-aid, 

evacuation, and resuscitation. 

Wireless mobile operator stations are another 

class of safety-enhancing solutions extending the 

reach of control room operators into the field. 

Mobile visualisation 

Wireless mobile operator stations 

are another class of safety-enhancing 

solutions extending the reach of 

control room operators into the field. 

These mobile devices provide access to 

operator displays, alarm management 

tools, and procedural operations, and 

play live or recorded video for scenariobased 

analysis. 

Voice-over-IP systems 

Plants can alleviate challenges with 

walkie-talkie very high frequency (VHF) 

handsets and public address (PA) 

systems, by deploying a wireless local 

area network (WLAN)-based voiceover-IP 

(VoIP) system which can be 

integrated with other subsystems as part 

of a facility’s emergency response system. 

Battery-powered wireless VoIP handsets 

can be carried on-person and configured 

for point-point and point-multipoint 

operation within the same network or 

across PABX to telephone systems to 

ensure the desired reach. 

First responder notification 

With wireless infrastructure, plants can 

set up voice, paging, text, and other 

notification mechanisms, to notify 

first responder agencies (eg the fire 

department, metropolitan or municipal 

Battery-powered wireless VoIP handsets can be 

carried on-person and configured for point-point 

and point-multipoint operation within the same 

network or across PABX to telephone systems to 

ensure the desired reach. 

authorities, emergency staff, and safety 

officers) in the case of an incident. 

Eyewash and safety shower 

stations 

Many plants utilise wireless technology 

to implement a monitoring network 

for safety stations. When one of the 

stations is turned on, the wireless device 

in a wireless field network immediately 

communicates with the operating system, 

to activate an alarm in the facility’s 

control room. This allows operators to 

quickly dispatch assistance to the station 

and investigate for possible injuries. 

BENEFITS FOR END-USERS 

A plant-wide industrial wireless network 

offers a flexible, standards-based 

solution, helping process industry endusers 

improve response time, collect, and 

disseminate robust safety data, improve 

critical decision-making, and reduce 

capital expense (CAPEX) and operating 

expense (OPEX). The specific benefits 

realised from wireless implementation 

include the following: 

• Reduced installation costs, by 

eliminating marshalling, field cables and 

trays, IS barriers, junction boxes and 

other field accessories. 

• Increased reliability, by reducing 

equipment and common-mode failures. 

• Smaller control room footprint. 

• Faster implementation, by eliminating 

loop checks and cable connection / 

termination errors. 

• Less configuration time and effort. 

• Easier implementation and 

acceptance testing. 

• Improved workflow processes due to 

enhanced data capture and analysis. 

• Increased data accessibility and 

manageability. 

• Enhanced diagnostics, thanks to a 

common asset management framework. 

• Lower insurance rates due to 

improved safety compliance. 

CONCLUSION 

Industrial wireless has an increasing role 

in ensuring process safety compliance at 

process plants and refineries worldwide. 

When properly applied, this technology 

will solve difficult measurement 

problems not presently served with wired 

instrumentation or not captured at all. TSE 

October 2011 



A 

s p e n 

Technology 

(AspenTech) is a 

leading provider 

of software and 

services to the 

process industries. 

The company 

has more than Mr B V N Prasad. 

1,500 customers including 19 of the 20 

largest chemical companies, all 20 of 

the largest petroleum companies, 17 

of the 20 engineering and construction 

companies, and 15 of the 20 largest 

pharmaceutical companies. 

By standardising on AspenTech 

solutions, these companies have 

been able to design and run more 

efficient plants, increase operational 

performance, operate more agile supply 

chains, and reduce energy consumption 

and the carbon footprint. 

‘The Singapore Engineer’ finds 

out more about the company and 

its offerings, from Mr B V N Prasad, 

AspenTech’s Senior Director - Services 

Sales, Asia Pacific. 

Question: AspenTech’s origin goes 

back to MIT and the development of a 

third-generation process simulation 

system called the ASPEN project. 

Could you briefly explain the various 

stages of development, leading to the 

successful commercialisation of the 

company’s products? 

Answer: It was a big challenge to 

convert a university research project 

on the simulation of a coal gasification 

process into commercial software for 

the industry. The key drivers for the 

development were: 

• Efficient use of computing resources: 

Given the state of computing in the early 

1980s, significant effort was needed 

into making the software code efficient, 

with low overheads. It was extremely 

important to get the program to run 

quickly and deliver the solution so 

that engineers would have the time to 

analyse different options. 

• Generic simulation capabilities: 

The ability to address a wide variety of 

process simulation requirements in the 

Optimising engineering processes 


industry was critical, in order to expand 

the target market, instead of focusing 

only on the coal gasification problem. 

• Ease of use: From the beginning, 

AspenTech focused on making it easier 

for process industry companies to 

optimise their operations. In the 1980s, 

this focus helped to transform process 

simulation so that even entry level 

engineers could adopt it quickly and 

deliver value. 

While the above aspects were 

important from a software development 

perspective, it was also important to 

develop the adjacent services required 

for clients to derive full value from 

the solution, like Training, Software 

Support, and Modelling Services, while 

building a world-class sales team to take 

the product to market. 

Q: What are some of AspenTech’s 

major software products? 

A: AspenTech has two key product 

families, Engineering, and Manufacturing 

and Supply Chain, both released under 

the aspenONE brand. 

aspenONE Engineering helps 

customers achieve the following best 

practices for engineering excellence: 

• Using one, unified interface. 

• Executing global projects 24x7. 

• Reducing risk, improving plant 

performance. 

• Reducing capital cost through faster 

and better analysis of process design 

options. 

• Speeding up equipment design - 

lowering the time to market. 

• Accelerating green initiatives. 

• Handling any complex modelling 

job. 

• Continuously improving product 

usage. 

aspenONE Manufacturing and 

Supply Chain helps manufacturers 

overcome today’s challenges by enabling 

them to: 

• Convert plant data to meaningful 

information. 

• Optimise plant and supply chain 

operations. 

• Make better and faster decisions. 

• Reduce cost of operations. 

• Provide role-based access. 

• Use software when and where 

needed. 

Q: How does AspenTech optimise 

engineering, manufacturing, and 

supply chain processes for its 

customers in the chemical and 

petroleum industries? 

A: In the chemical industry, aspenONE 

drives collaborative manufacturing by 

providing solutions for each phase of the 

business in an integrated environment, 

providing visibility, collaboration 

through sharing and re-use of data 

and process models. By integrating the 

overall business processes, companies 

achieve significant improvements in 

performance with payback in months 

instead of years. aspenONE for 

Chemicals maximises profitability by: 

• Optimising feedstock selection and 

scheduling. 

• Improving and accelerating process 

innovation. 

• Optimising plant performance. 

• Standardising manufacturing 

workflow. 

• Improving capital efficiency. 

• Reducing environmental risk. 

AspenTech has focused solutions 

for the petroleum industry specifically 

addressing the upstream and 

downstream industry segments. 

aspenONE for Exploration & 

Production addresses the upstream 

petroleum industry segment and helps 

to do the following: 

• Shorten the time and reduce errors 

from the conceptual design stage to 

handover, to operations. 

• Visualise equipment, platforms, and 

enterprise performance. 

• Analyse production system 

performance using consistent models 

and real-time data. 

• Optimise decision-making with 

industry-leading simulation and 

optimisation tools. 

aspenONE for Refining & Marketing 

addresses the downstream petroleum 

industry segment and delivers an 

integrated foundation for reducing 

costs and increasing throughput,

while achieving safety and regulatory 

compliance. 

aspenONE for Refining & 

Marketing enables standardised work 

processes and real-time decisions 

based on common data, models, 

and assumptions. By integrating the 

overall business processes, companies 

achieve significant improvements in 

performance with payback in months 

instead of years. 

aspenONE for Refining & Marketing 

maximises profitability and drives 

operational excellence by: 

• Expanding visibility across the entire 

petroleum supply chain, to reduce 

inventory carrying costs. 

B 


Improving potential profits at refinery 

with real-time optimisation 

razil’s state-run oil company, 

Petrobras, operates the 250,000 

barrel per day REVAP refinery in Sao 

Jose de Campos in southeastern Sao 

Paulo state. It produces approximately 

15% of Brazil’s oil derivatives after 

completing an upgrade as part of a 

refinery modernisation programme. 

Petrobras identified Real Time 

Optimisation (RTO) as a strategic 

and ‘highly sustainable’ technology 

to improve business operations and 

profitability at the REVAP refinery. After 

a thorough and competitive evaluation, 

Petrobras selected AspenTech software 

and services to help implement an RTO 

solution for the refinery’s distillation 

unit. 

To ensure a more manageable 

adoption of this cutting-edge RTO 

technology, Petrobras chose to initially 

commission RTO in an open-loop 

format. An average of nine RTO runs 

were performed daily, including model 

adjustments for feed reconciliation and 

optimisation, which led to a potential 

daily increase in profit of up to US$ 

13,000. Such a significant improvement 

convinced Petrobras to start deploying 

RTO as a closed-loop solution, and use 

this technology at other sites in the 

future. 

Optimisation at REVAP Refinery 

Early on in the modernisation 

• Increasing speed and accuracy of 

response in decision-making, to enable 

higher refinery margins. 

• Optimising selection and scheduling 

of feedstock, applying actual refinery 

constraints. 

• Driving collaboration across 

engineering, refinery operations, and 

the entire petroleum supply chain. 

• Optimising refinery performance, 

given the trade-offs between capacity, 

yield, and energy. 

Q: What are the cost savings that can 

be achieved and what is the payback 

period on the investment in the 

software solutions? 

programme, Petrobras recognised the 

need to optimise the feed selection as 

a way to raise the heavy oil processing 

capacity of the refinery, while improving 

the quality and diversification of 

the product portfolio. The switch to 

heavier crudes allows the use of more 

affordable, nationally produced crudes, 

and reduces the dependency on lighter 

crudes that must be imported at a 

higher cost. 

The optimisation accurately models 

operating conditions, as well as feed 

and product qualities, to support 

adjustments for feed reconciliation. 

The more that is known of the 

feed composition, the better the 

optimisation results. At REVAP, the 

initial feed composition for every RTO 

cycle is determined by understanding 

which tank is feeding the unit, and all 

crudes from the Petrobras Crude Assay 

Databank are integrated into the RTO 

system. 

Modeling solution for 

optimisation 

Petrobras worked closely with 

AspenTech to implement the project, 

using aspenONE and the Aspen Plus 

Optimizer as the primary tool due to its 

power, flexibility, and ability to enable 

Equation Oriented (EO) optimisation 

for complex integrated processes. The 

A: The typical payback period varies 

widely based on the industry and 

solution being implemented, the 

quality and effectiveness of the client’s 

current operations, and the client’s 

current ability to quickly respond to 

market opportunities. The further 

removed the client’s current operations 

are from global best practices, the 

more the opportunity to deliver 

significant benefits. In almost all cases, 

the payback is less than a year and in 

many cases the payback is just a few 

months. TSE 

(More information on AspenTech may 

be obtained from www.aspentech.com) 

RTO model comprises 38 independent 

variables, all of the constraints from 

the Advanced Control system, plus 

other critical constraints. EO-based 

technology delivers the performance 

required for proper feed reconciliation 

and optimisation. More importantly, 

the RTO system is indicating a potential 

increase of profitability by up to US $ 

13,000 per day by adjusting the unit 

to process an adequate crude slate 

and meet all the flow and quality 

requirements for the products. Closing 

the loop in the next phase is expected to 

capture these benefits and also ‘extend’ 

them across the refinery. 

RTO in Petrobras 

This project confirmed the value 

of using EO technology in RTO 

applications, and supports Petrobras’ 

strategy of leveraging RTO to improve 

operations and profitability. In addition 

to the results achieved in open loop 

optimisation, RTO also benefitted other 

areas, including variables and parameter 

monitoring, operational analysis and 

troubleshooting, and evaluation of 

crudes and scenarios. Furthermore, the 

use of models in refining operations 

enhances collaboration among Process 

Engineering, Planning, Automation, 

IT, Instrumentation, Laboratory, and 

Production, thereby improving overall 

efficiency at the REVAP refinery. TSE 

October 2011 


Events 

Event Description Dates to confirm Venue Contact 

SIEW 2011@ Suntec 

National Engineers Day 

Finale 

Calendar of Events supported by IES 

31 Oct – 4 Nov 

2011 

Suntec Singapore 

International Convention 

& Exhibition Centre 

11 – 12 Nov 2011 National Library Board 

- NED Closing 11 Nov 2011 Possibility Room lvl 5 Siew Keow, 6461 1221 

- NED Exhibition 

siewkeow@iesnet.org. 

sg 

Kok Sun, 8230 2446 

koksun@iesnet.org.sg 

CAFEO 29 in Brunei 27 – 30 Nov 2011 Brunei, 

The Rizqun International 

Hotel 

Siew Keow, 6461 1221 

siewkeow@iesnet.org. 

sg 

Karen Ng, 6461 1231 

karen.ng@iesnet.org.sg 

The Singapore Engineer 

PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS ENQUIRY FORM 

PRODUCT INFORMATION 

I wish to receive more information on the following products that 

were featured in this issue of ‘The Singapore Engineer’ magazine. 

Please list the enquiry numbers of the products you are interested in. 

(Information is provided free-of-charge to all readers.) 

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Please photocopy /scan the enquiry form and send by mail/fax/email to: 

The Institution of Engineers, Singapore 

70 Bukit Tinggi Road 

Singapore 289758 

Attn: Jeremy Chia 

Tel: 6469 5000 Fax: 6467 1108 

Email: jeremy@iesnet.org.sg 


D 

eputy Prime Minister, Minister 

for Finance and Minister for 

Manpower, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam 

was the Guest-of-Honour at a ceremony 

held on 7 October 2011, to mark the 

opening of the final stretch of the Circle 

Line. The event was held at the Botanic 

Gardens Station which along with 11 

others along the Circle Line commenced 

operations on the morning of 8 October. 

In a speech made on the occasion, 

Mr Tharman said, ‘A new MRT line brings 

along benefits for everyone - shorter 

travelling time, greater accessibility to 

various locations, and more options to get 

to your destination’. 

‘The Circle Line, with some 33 km 

and 28 stations, is the latest line to be 

completed in our MRT network. It will 

make things much more easily accessible 

for people living or working along the 

line. With the opening of the remaining 

12 stations, the Circle Line will connect 

commuters to a range of places for work, 

relaxation and the arts and sports, learning 

and family activities. They include the 

academic and research hubs of Kent Ridge 

and one-north, as well as Botanic Gardens 

and Holland Village. The rest of the line 

takes commuters from the Esplanade to 

the future Sports Hub in Kallang, and to 

the heartlands of Serangoon and Bishan. 

The daily ridership for the entire Circle 

Line is estimated to reach 400,000 within 

six to nine months after its full opening’, 

he added. 

‘This is of course an orbital line. It links 

up all the existing MRT lines, enabling 

T 

he Land Transport Authority 

(LTA) recently clinched the 

prestigious Excellent (Gold) Award at 

the International Convention on Quality 

Control Circles 2011 (ICQCC 2011), for its 

recyclable bio-ball filtration system. 

The system which uses bio-balls for 

filtration is deployed at LTA’s construction 

sites, instead of the conventional gravel 

or stone aggregates, to convert silty water 

to clearer water before treating it with 

chemicals and discharging it to the public 

drainage system. 

Bio balls are small, pegged plastic balls 

Final stretch of Circle Line opened 

commuters to enjoy shorter journeys as 

well as bypass busy interchanges like City 

Hall and Raffles Place. It should therefore 

also take some demand off the existing 

MRT lines’, Mr Tharman continued. 

He said that with the added capacity 

from the full opening of the five stages of 

the Circle Line, commuters of existing lines 

will also experience less crowding along 

the busiest stretches of the rail network. 

Mr Tharman also spoke on the 

continuing expansion of the rail network. 

‘At the start of next year, the Circle Line 

Extension from Promenade to Marina Bay 

will be completed. The next major line - 

the Downtown Line - will be opened in 

stages from 2013 to 2017. Work has also 

started on the Tuas West Extension, which 

is targeted for completion in 2016’, he 

said. 

‘There is also much more that we will 

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam. 

News 

do, beyond what we do in the next five 

years, to reduce crowding and reduce 

journey times. Within 15 years, we would 

have increased our rail network from 

about 160 km last year to about 280 

km. It will be a vastly more efficient and 

convenient public transport system’, Mr 

Tharman added. TSE 

The Guest-of-Honour and other invited guests take a train ride along the final stretch of the Circle 

Line. 

LTA wins international award 

with large surface area. 

This new filtration system is more 

efficient in silt removal due to the 

increased surface area of the system 

in contact with the silty water. In the 

conventional gravel filtration system, the 

aggregates are too big to filter certain silt 

particles whereas the high silt retention 

capability of the bio-balls results in 

less sediments passing through to the 

chemical treatment system. 

The bio-ball system is also more costeffective, 

given its better performing 

efficiency. With clearer water going into 

the water treatment system, it imposes a 

lighter strain on the system and therefore, 

less costly chemicals are required. 

ICQCC 

ICQCC is an annual event held in a 

different country every year, with the 

purpose of celebrating, sharing, and 

recognising outstanding Quality Control 

Circles from all corners of Asia. This 

year’s ICQCC was held in Yokohama, 

Japan, where about 177 presentations 

were attended by delegates from over 14 

countries. TSE 

October 2011 


News 

L 

eading structural software 

developer, CSC, recently 

announced the release of its groundbreaking 

new BIM (Building Information 

Modelling) integration tool, Revit 

Integrator. This free tool enables structural 

engineers and technicians to synchronise 

models between Autodesk Revit Structure 

and CSC’s steel building design software, 

Fastrak, and concrete building design 

software, Orion. 

‘Revit Integrator is a major step 

forward for all those companies involved 

in Structural BIM, giving enhanced 

control to the technicians and engineers 

who share, amend, and synchronise 

models’, said Mr Kevin Lea, BIM Business 

Development Manager at CSC. 

‘This new functionality will enable 

synchronisation of models to take place 

throughout the entire project, without 

compromising existing or new modelling 

work’, he added. 

Revit Integrator enables engineers to 

filter groups of structural objects; ignore 

geometrical changes; communicate 

information on end forces, openings and 

stiffeners; and intelligently map family 

types between modelling systems. 

This new tool also highlights what has 

been added, changed, or deleted during 

synchronisation, thus enabling engineers 

to react to changes quickly and reduce 

CSC releases Revit Integrator 

Tekla BIMsight now on MyArchiCAD.com 

On Graphisoft’s MyArchiCAD landing page, Tekla BIMsight can be found in the ‘Other downloads’ 

section. 

CSC’s Revit Integrator facilitates seamless integration between CSC’s Fastrak and Orion building design 

software, on the one hand, and Autodesk Revit Structure, on the other. 

the risk of errors. 

‘The seamless integration between 

Fastrak and Orion, and Revit Structure, 

improves project communication and 

increases productivity, as engineers and 

technicians can report and manage 

incremental model changes easily’, said 

Mr Lea. 

CSC is a strategic Autodesk partner, 

and offers technical support, training 

and consultancy services to help users 

maximise the benefits of Structural BIM. 

CSC’s Revit Integrator is compatible 

with Revit Structure 2011 and 2012. 

The free download is available at the 

www.cscworld.com website. 

CSC 

CSC has developed market-leading 

structural engineering software for over 

30 years. The company supplies both 

small and large corporate businesses 

worldwide with engineering calculation 

software, steel and concrete building 

design software, and general analysis 

packages. Globally, CSC’s expert technical 

teams support existing users of its 

software, with training, consultancy, and 

technical support. 

The company employs over 100 staff 

worldwide, and has regional offices in 

Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, 

Singapore, UK, and USA. TSE 

F 

or years, Graphisoft and Tekla 

Corporation have been offering 

software solutions in their respective 

fields of architecture and structural 

engineering. Since 2010, cooperation 

between the companies has developed 

beyond interoperability of technical data 

exchange formats into a commitment to 

promote open BIM (Building Information 

Modelling). 

Graphisoft is now an official distributor 

of the Tekla BIMsight application which 

can be downloaded from its MyArchiCAD. 

com website. 

Tekla BIMsight has proven to be a 

useful tool for all building and construction 

disciplines including architecture, for 

collaboration and sharing of information. 


October 2011

A 

Design capability from anywhere at any time 

utodesk Inc, a world leader in 

3D design, engineering and 

entertainment software, has introduced 

Autodesk Cloud, a collection of more 

than a dozen web-based capabilities, 

products and services that enable 

customers to extend their desktops with 

greater mobility, new viewing and sharing 

capabilities, and more computing power. 

In consequence, it will help them to 

improve their ability to design, visualise 

and simulate their ideas. 

In addition, Autodesk Subscription 

customers will now have exclusive 

access to cloud-based, high-performance 

rendering and design optimisation, and 

enhanced collaboration capabilities. 

Autodesk Subscription now provides 

3 GB of online storage for each seat of 

software on subscription, for greater 

access to design and engineering 

documents, anywhere, anytime. 

Autodesk has been a pioneer in 

cloud-based applications for the design 

industry - starting more than a decade 

ago with Autodesk Buzzsaw - and more 

than a dozen cloud-based offerings 

currently available to customers are now 

encompassed as part of Autodesk Cloud. 

Autodesk Cloud provides a powerful 

foundation to enable all Autodesk 

customers to begin using the cloud 

to access and store their work from 

Built on Tekla’s advanced modelling 

technology and designed to change the 

way companies license and utilise 3D 

modelling solutions for construction, 

the latest version, Tekla BIMsight1.2 

is still offered as a free downloadable 

application. 

Everyone from small to large 

construction companies can download 

Tekla BIMsight for free, and begin to 

utilise their design files for 3D project 

collaboration purposes, for example, to 

detect clashes. Most importantly, with 

the software, its users will be able to easily 

share these coordinated models, necessary 

to collaborate with team members 

effectively. 

Tekla 

With its software, Tekla Corporation drives 

anywhere; to view their work through 

web browsers or mobile devices; and 

to share their work with other users, 

even users without Autodesk software. 

Cloud applications such as Autodesk 

Cloud documents, AutoCAD WS and 

the Autodesk Design Review mobile app 

provide users with the freedom to work 

where they can be most effective, and 

to view, edit and share designs anywhere 

and with almost anyone. AutoCAD WS 

and the Autodesk Design Review mobile 

app are available on the iOS App Store. 

Additional cloud services exclusive 

to Autodesk Subscription customers 

give designers, engineers and digital 

artists, sophisticated new capabilities, 

such as high-performance 3D visual 

communication, simulation and 

collaboration, that were once limited 

to organisations with privileged access 

to expensive, high-end supercomputing 

centres. 

Autodesk Cloud rendering 

Customers with an Autodesk Subscription 

to the Premium or Ultimate editions 

of Autodesk Design Suite or Autodesk 

Building Design Suite will have access to 

powerful rendering capabilities, helping 

them to better visualise designs, increase 

the number of renderings they can create, 

and reduce hardware investments. 

the evolution of digital information 

models and thus provides more and 

more competitive advantage to the 

construction, infrastructure and energy 

industries. The company was established 

in 1966, and today it has customers in 

100 countries, offices in 15 countries, and 

a global partner network. 

Tekla became part of the Trimble 

Group in July 2011. 

Graphisoft 

Graphisoft is a pioneer and leader in 

developing Virtual Building solutions. 

For 25 years, the company has been 

empowering the broadest community 

of architects to deliver model-based 

projects that are better designed, more 

predictable to construct, and less 

expensive to operate. TSE 

News 

Autodesk Inventor optimisation 

Customers with subscription to the 

Premium or Ultimate editions of Autodesk 

Product Design Suites will gain an intuitive 

cloud-based simulation tool, enabling 

them to test multiple design options in 

the cloud, and to create more sustainable 

designs and higher-quality products while 

reducing material, transportation and 

energy costs. 

Autodesk Revit Conceptual Energy 

Analysis 

Customers with Subscription to Autodesk 

Revit Architecture or Autodesk Revit 

MEP software, or select suites containing 

these products, can extend design beyond 

the desktop with powerful cloud-based 

energy analysis capabilities, helping them 

to quickly gain insight into the energy 

consumption and building energy costs 

of early design concepts from within the 

design application. 

Autodesk Green Building Studio 

web-based energy analysis software 

Customers with Subscription to Autodesk 

Building Design Suite and other select 

products have access to this cloud-based 

service that can help designers, architects, 

engineers and building energy analysts 

perform faster, more accurate energy 

analysis of multiple building design 

iterations, optimise energy efficiency and 

work towards carbon neutrality earlier in 

the design process. 

Autodesk Buzzsaw software as a 

service (SaaS) 

Customers with subscription to Autodesk 

Vault Collaboration AEC software now 

have access to cloud-based document, 

data and design management solutions for 

architecture, engineering and construction 

firms and owner-operators, helping 

them centralise and securely exchange 

project information and enhance team 

collaboration. 

Partnership with Amazon and 

Citrix 

Autodesk works with multiple partners, 

including Amazon and Citrix, to provide 

a scalable cloud computing infrastructure 

to meet customer needs. TSE 

October 2011 


News 

LiuGong opens Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore 

L 

iuGong, one of the world’s largest 

wheel loader manufacturers, 

recently opened its Asia Pacific 

headquarters in Singapore. The 45,000 ft 2 

(4,200 m 2 ) facility will support corporate 

functions and serve as LiuGong’s sales, 

technical support and trading hub for 

Asia Pacific, excluding China. The facility 

is also the company’s first spare parts 

distribution centre for Southeast Asia 

and the Pacific islands. 

Present at the Official Opening 

were Mr Leo Yip, Chairman, Singapore 

Economic Development Board and other 

distinguished guests, as well as officials 

from LiuGong. 

‘The launch of our headquarters 

in Singapore is a significant milestone 

for LiuGong. A significant number 

of our customers are based in the 

Asia Pacific region, and we expect a 

substantial percentage of our business 

to flow through this centre in the next 

few years’, said Mr Wang Xiaohua, 

Chairman, Guangxi LiuGong Machinery 

Corporation. 

‘The office in Singapore will strengthen 

our presence in this region, and contribute 

towards our goal of becoming one of the 

world’s top construction equipment 

makers’, he added. 

LiuGong expects its Asia Pacific 

headquarters in Singapore to generate 

more than US$ 50 million in revenues in 

the first year of operations, with expected 

annual growth rates of 30%. 

The office, which will serve Southeast 

Asia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea 

and other islands in the Pacific, will play 

a critical role as LiuGong’s key customer 

touch point in this region, as it allows the 

company to attend to customer needs 

more efficiently. For example, spare parts 

that previously took two weeks to reach 

customers can now be delivered in two 

days, reducing production down time 

significantly. 

The company will also provide training 

opportunities for employees at this 

new centre, particularly those from the 

research & development department. 

‘This will allow our staff to interact 

more closely with our customers in this 

region, and gain a deeper knowledge 

and understanding of the needs of each 

At the Official Opening of the LiuGong Asia Pacific Headquarters in Singapore are, from left to 

right, Mr David Beatenbough, Vice President, Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co Ltd; Mr Yew Sung 

Pei, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, International Enterprise Singapore; Mr Li Minglin, Minister 

Counsellor of Commercial Office of China; Mr Leo Yip, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development 

Board; Mr Wang Xiaohua, Chairman of Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co Ltd; Mr Lim Kok Kiang, 

Executive Director, Transport Engineering, Singapore Economic Development Board; Mr Yu Chuanfen, 

Vice President of Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co Ltd & Chairman of LiuGong Machinery Asia Pacific 

Pte Ltd; and Mr Li Dongchun, President, LiuGong Machinery Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. 

local market. Not only will this allow us 

to react to customers more effectively, it 

will also help us develop products that 

will best meet the needs of the different 

markets’, said Mr Wang. 

According to LiuGong, Singapore was 

chosen as the location for its Asia Pacific 

headquarters because of its pro-business 

infrastructure and strong government 

support. 

The company hopes to contribute 

to the growing construction equipment 

industry in Singapore and the region. 

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX 

BLUESCOPE LYSAGHT PAGE 11 

BRIQ 

ESTEEM INNOVATION PAGE 13 

LOCKTON PAGE 8, 9 

MANCHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL 

WORLDWIDE 

MAPEI FAR EAST PAGE 23 

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS PAGE 3 

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT PAGE 5 

SIM UNIVERSITY PAGE 7 

TEKLA 

LiuGong 

For more than 50 years, LiuGong Machinery 

Corporation has led China’s construction 

equipment industry, offering a wide range 

of heavy machinery through its dealer 

network spanning six continents. 

The company now has 10 global 

offices around the world, including its new 

regional headquarters in Singapore. 

With a full line of construction and 

materials handling equipment, LiuGong is 

deeply committed to serving its customers 

worldwide. TSE 

INSIDE FRONT COVER 

OUTSIDE BACK COVER 

INSIDE BACK COVER 


October 2011

Free BIM software for project collaboration 

Download Tekla BIMsight at www.teklabimsight.com 

We love models. And we believe that once you download the new 

Tekla BIMsight, so will you. Combine models, check for clashes 

and enjoy seamless communication - Tekla BIMsight will change 

the way you manage your construction projects.

Accredited by:

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