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Contents
Section 1: Engineering (General)
2
IES Update
Section 2: Engineering (Civil & Structural Infrastructural

Environmental Focus)
10 Cover Story: The Pinnacle@Duxton
22 Structural Engineering: Burj Khalifa Tower
Published By
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore
30 Interview: Engineering urban transformation
Director, Marketing
Roland Ang
32 Products & Services
Marketing & Publications Executive

Jeremy Chia
38 Section 3: News & Events
Chief Editor
T Bhaskaran
Editorial Board
Er. Dr Adhityan Appan
Mr Lee Siew Wei
Er. Siow Keng Cheng
Mr Wong Chung Wan
Manager, External Relations
Valerie Neo
Cover designed by Jeremy Chia
Cover image by HDB
The Singapore Engineer, The Magazine of the Institution of
The contents within the magazine, unless explicitly stated otherwise, do not reect the opinions of the Institution of Engineers,
Engineers, Singapore (IES) is published on a monthly basis,
Singapore (IES), and therefore have not received any endorsement from IES. The Editor reserves the right to amend, add to,
by the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.
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The title The Singapore Engineer is the property of the
Although all eorts will be made to ensure that information is accurate at the time of going to print, the Publisher and Editor,
Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES).
as well as the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), will not accept any liability for errors within the magazine.
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. The copyright
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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER Jun 2010 1
IES Update
Message from the President
IES COUNCIL MEMBERS

2010/2011
President
Er. Ho Siong Hin
Vice Presidents
Er. Chong Kee Sen
Er. Prof Chou Siaw Kiang
Er. Edwin Khew
Er. Lum Chong Chuen
Er. Ong See Ho
Prof Yeoh Lean Weng
Honorary Secretary
Er. Ng Say Cheong
Honorary Treasurer
Assoc Prof Daniel Lim
Assistant Honorary Secretary
Er. Jee Yi Yng
Assistant Honorary Treasurer
Mr Jerey Chua
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
Dr Boh Jaw Woei
Prof Er Meng Joo
Er. Koh Beng Thong
Mr Lim Shiyi
Er. Low Wong Fook
Mr Neo Kok Beng
Er. Ong Geok Soo
Er. Prof Ong Say Leong
Er. Pak Yew Hock, Lawrence
Prof Seeram Ramakrishna
Mr Tan Kai Hong
Er. Toh Siaw Hui, Joseph
Mr Alfred Wong
2 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
Dear Friends
As the new President of IES, I welcome the opportunity to communicate with the
readers of The Singapore Engineer on a regular basis.
In the last few weeks, we have seen how the blow-out of the oil well on the seabed
in the Gulf of Mexico has played out for BP. The incident caused an explosion on
the oshore oil drilling platform, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 others. It also
resulted in a massive oil spill that continues to threaten the east coast of the US, on an
unprecedented scale. Eorts to cap the oil are ongoing but a lot of damage has already
been done.
This man-made disaster is an example of the consequences to human life, assets, and
the environment (in this instance directly aecting the livelihoods of people), when
production operations go wrong. A myriad of questions strike our minds: Why did the
explosion happen? Were all the safety measures including those relating to materials,
equipment, instrumentation, personnel and procedures etc, in place, that could have
prevented it? Were scenarios for dierent kinds of abnormal situations visualised, and
response measures developed, prioritised, and simulated?
What we can say is that, as far as possible, such a situation should never be allowed
to happen. The subject of safety should be given top priority, so that human beings,
property, and the environment, are protected at all times.
Engineers have a major role to play in the achievement of this objective. Backed by
their technical knowledge and experience, they can take the lead in the development
and implementation of safety measures and post-accident response programmes.
This is why we place paramount importance on workplace safety in IES. The IES
Academy has been organising training courses with an emphasis on safety to inculcate
the safety rst mindset in our engineers. Lessons to be learnt from accidents in
our recent memory, such as the Nicoll Highway collapse and the Marina Bay Sands
fatality, are imparted to our engineers through relevant seminars and courses. Through
education we hope that the safety mindset will be prevalent among our engineers.
E H
Er.
Ho Siong
Si
Hi
Hin
President
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES)
Jun 2010
IES Update
EAB workshop on Developing Sustainable
Program Assessment Processes
The
workshop
on
Developing
Sustainable
Program
Assessment
Processes by Dr Gloria Rogers, Managing
Director, Professional Services, ABET
Inc, was organised by the Engineering
Accreditation Board (EAB) of IES from
10 May to 12 May 2010 at Furama
Riverfront Hotel.
The intention of the workshop was
to prepare all local universities for the
outcome-based accreditation which will
be in place in Year 2012.
The three-day workshop saw a total
of 60 participants hailing from Nanyang
Technological
University
(NTU),
National University of Singapore
(NUS), and SIM University (UniSIM).
All participants were actively involved in
the programme lined up by Dr Rogers.
At the end of the workshop, a
majority of the participants (85%) gave
the feedback that rubrics writing and
designing good surveys are the most
useful and meaningful lessons they have
learnt.
Many also commented that they
enjoyed the activities i.e the table
discussion and silent brainstorming, and
the toys provided by Dr Rogers.
EAB workshop participants.
Prof Fung Tat Ching (NTU) explaining the

written performance indicators to fellow group
members.
Dr Rogers examines the performance indicators

written by A/Prof Chen Zhongs (NTU) group.
Courtesy visit by IFEES

On 17 May 2010, Dr Lueny Morell,
President, International Federation
of Engineering Education Societies
(IFEES), paid a courtesy visit to IES.
Accompanying her was Dr John
Lamancusa, Professor, Department of
Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering,
The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
The IFEES representatives were
received by Er. Ng Say Cheong, IES
Honorary Secretary; Er. Ong Ser Huan,
IES Past President; A/Prof Daniel Lim,
IES Honorary Treasurer; and Er. Dr
Chew Soon Hoe, Past Chairman of the
National Committee of Engineering
Organisations (NCEO).
The parties exchanged updates on
their respective institutions and how IES
can play a role in the upcoming World
Engineering Education Forum (WEEF)

in October 2010. The meeting ended with
a presentation of tokens and a dinner

hosted by IES.
From left to right: Dr Low Eicher, Acting Executive Director, IES; Er. Dr Chew Soon Hoe; Er. Ong
Ser Huan; Dr Lueny Morell; Dr John Lamancusa; Er. Ng Say Cheong; and A/Prof Daniel Lim.
Jun 2010
IES Update
H.K.U. Engineering Alumni Associations
(HKUEAA) Sustainable Development Study
Tour to Singapore
On 2 June 2010, 17 delegates from the
H.K.U. Engineering Alumni Association
(HKUEAA) paid a courtesy visit to
IES. The HKUEAA delegates were in
Singapore for a three-day study tour with
the theme Sustainable City. HKUEAA,
founded to promote friendship amongst
Engineering graduates from the University
of Hong Kong (HKU) and to initiate
and assist the professional furtherance
within and outside the campus, has
been aggressively promoting sustainable
development (SD) by having experiential
projects for HKU engineering alumni and
students to appreciate the examples of SD
outside Hong Kong. The delegation has
identied Singapore as a good example
demonstrating the sustainable city
development concepts.
The HKUEAA delegation was received
by Er. Ho Siong Hin, IES President;
Er. Lawrence Pak, Chairman, Civil and
Structural Technical Committee; Ms Titis
Primita, Vice Chairman, Young Members
Committee; Er. Dr Lim Ewe Chye,
Chairman, IES Clean Energy Interest
Group; and Dr Low Eicher, Acting
Executive Director.
Besides visiting IES, the delegation
also visited the Urban Redevelopment
Authority (URA) Gallery; ARUP
Singapores
oce;
Building
and
Construction Authoritys (BCA) Zero
Energy Building; Solar Technology Centre
at Ngee Ann Polytechnic; Gardens by the

Bay Visitor Centre; NEWater Visitor
Centre; Changi Water Reclamation Plant,
and the Marina Barrage.
Throughout the three-day study tour,
the HKUEAA delegation were committed
to the sharing of information and thoughts
on the subjects / venues they visited. They
were vocal and did not hesitate to make
comments or seek additional information
from the guides in the various places
they visited. There was strong bonding
between the students and alumni, where
Er. Ho Siong Hin (on right) receiving a token of appreciation from Dr Francis Lung, Immediate Past
President of HKUEAA.
Visit to Solar Technology Centre @ Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
mentoring was not limited to sharing of

technical information but to general life
aspects as well.
Dr Lung commented that the trip was
indeed inspirational to the students and
praised the foresight of Singapore and its
Governments commitment on sustainable
development. During the meeting, both
sides exchanged information on the
latest developments in their respective
institutions and countries. The meeting
ended with an exchange of tokens and a
networking dinner.
Jun 2010
Students admiring the barrage simulation at the Marina Barrage Gallery.
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Cover Story
The Pinnacle@Duxton
Over the last 50 years since its
establishment in 1960, the Housing
& Development Board (HDB) has
chalked up an impressive array of
achievements. Extending the trackrecord further is the rst 50-storey
public housing project in Singapore,
which is also, at 168 m, the tallest.
Introduction
The Pinnacle@Duxton comprises 1848
residential units spread over seven
blocks, and one multi-storey carpark. It
is located on a site (Fig 1) on which, in
1963, Blocks 1 and 2 Cantonment Road,
the rst two HDB blocks in the area,
were built.
An
international
architectural
competition was organised by Singapores
Urban Redevelopment Authority to
obtain the best design ideas for high-rise
living in the city, that would also take
into account the historical signicance
of the site. The competition was won
by architect Mr Khoo Peng Beng from
ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism, a
Singapore-based rm.
Important features of the project
include sky bridges and sky gardens
at the 26th and 50th storeys, linking all
the seven blocks, as well as a variety of
faade elements. The circuit board-like
arrangement of bay windows, planters,
and balconies, helps to dierentiate The
Pinnacle@Duxton from other regular
HDB projects (Fig 2).
Project information
Number of blocks 7 blocks, each 50
and storey
storeys high
Total number of
units
1,848
Type of unit S1
1,232 units
(93 m2 - 97 m2)
Type of unit S2
616 units
(105 m2 - 108 m2)
Facilities
Basement
Carpark below
blocks 1A to 1E
1st Storey
1 food court,
4 shops, and 1
convenience store
and carpark
2nd Storey
Carpark at Blk 1A,

1B and 1D
1 childcare centre,
3rd Storey
(Environmental 1 education centre,
deck)
playground, event
plaza, basketball
court, and pavilion
26th Storey
(Active Zone)
50th Storey
Viewing decks and
(Contemplative themed garden
Zone)
Fig1: Site layout plan.
jogging track, 840

m long
Fig 2: Overall view of the completed The Pinnacle@Duxton.
Jun 2010
Cover Story
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER
Jun 2010 11
Cover Story
Design of super-structure and substructure
As The Pinnacle@Duxton was HDBs
rst super high-rise development,
rigorous design analyses were conducted
to ensure structural stability. The
structural system adopted is reinforced
concrete construction coupled with a
beam-column-slab rigid frame for the
building. All column loads are transferred
directly, oor to oor, down to the
foundation. No transfer beams have been
used. The design also responded to the
need for robustness, with the provision
of peripheral ties and internal ties, to
ensure that the building is not vulnerable
to progressive collapse.
HDB collaborated with the National
University of Singapore in the study
of lightning protection and for wind
tunnel analysis, during the design stage
of the project. Numerous wind tunnel
simulations were also conducted in the
laboratory to analyse the eect of wind
currents on the seven tall buildings and
also their environmental impact on the
neighbourhood. In addition, trac
impact modelling and analysis were also
performed to ensure optimal travelling
times along the two abutting major
roads.
HDBs own in-house design and
detailing software, SE CAD, was used
to model and design the tower blocks.
SE CAD has been developed for highrise building analysis and design. Key
performance parameters required for
high-rise, reinforced concrete buildings,
were computed automatically by the
software.
Powered by a robust, nite element
engine with a built-in precast components
database, and incorporating a userfriendly interface, SE CAD provided
solutions for tasks ranging from 3D
structural analysis, computation, design,
and detailing, to the production of
drawings (Fig 3).
As the modelling and analysis process
was fully integrated, feasibility studies
were carried out on various possible
structural congurations, to identify the
most suitable design proposal.
Once the shapes and layouts for the
tall structures were established, their
structural behaviour was simulated
eortlessly. The design and analysis results
(eg for bending moments and shear

forces), structural drawings, and material
quantities, were obtained instantly, once a
buildings super-structure was modelled.
Additional contributions from the SE
CAD software included auto-generation
of the loading plan, 3D model rendering,
and production of shop drawings for
precast components and prefabricated
reinforcements.
For the sub-structure design,
thorough investigations were conducted
around the site, to ascertain the
Fig 3: Typical workow using SE CAD.
Jun 2010
properties of the soil. The Duxton site

consists primarily of hard silty sandstone,
and concrete bored piles have been used
to support the foundation. A total of
1330 bored piles was designed with an
average pile penetration length of 19 m.
Each tower block was designed to sit on
a 2.7 m thick raft foundation supported
by 140 equally spaced bored piles of 1.5
m diameter. The raft foundation system
provides structural stability and rigidity
for the high-rise tower block and prevents
dierential settlement.
Cover Story
Precast technology
For The Pinnacle@Duxton, conscientious
eorts were made by the architects and
engineers to make the project buildable,
through the adoption of modularisation
and standardisation concepts. The
various options for the standard layouts
(S1 and S2) of the units in the residential
blocks, were obtained by conguring
units as mirror images of one another
and by rotation of these unit plans.
The modularisation of the units was
replicated to obtain the block design.
The oor plans for a typical storey
were also repeated for better eciency
in precast construction. The adoption
of modularisation and standardisation
also enabled prefabrication to be costeective due to the high repetition of the
precast components and prefabricated
reinforcement.
As a result, it was possible to
incorporate a high proportion (about
85% of the total volume of concrete) of
precast technology in the construction
of the tower blocks. Precast components
were utilised for various elements
including prestressed plank, column,
lift wall, household shelter wall, gable
end wall, faade wall with bay window,
faade wall with planters, faade wall
with balcony, screen wall, refuse chute,
staircase, and parapet.
The use of large volumes of precast
concrete in the project increased
productivity by about 15%. In addition,
it facilitated construction works in a
tight, built-up, working environment,
and reduced environmental impact on
the existing area. In addition, precast
concrete elements are of better quality as
they are produced in a factory-controlled
environment.
To expedite construction works, a
typical oor was divided into two segments
(part A and part B) by a construction
joint (Fig 4). The construction work
was staggered, that is, a team of workers
from a construction trade would work
on part A and then move on to part B
without having to stop for workers from
the other trades to complete their tasks.
With this, it was possible to achieve the
anticipated 6-day construction cycle for
each segment of a typical oor.
The project team adopted the use of
large precast facade panels, measuring
about 7 m in length (Fig 5) compared

to the usual length of 3 m to 4 m. This
enhanced tower crane utilisation and
improved site productivity. The faades
of planter boxes, sun-shaded louvred
windows, and balconies, are arranged in
dierent combinations, creating a series
of vertical, zigzag lines that resemble
owing water. In addition, the window

frames were xed to the facades before
delivery to site. This will eliminate water
seepage through the windows. The wall
panels were designed to be hollow-cored
(Fig 6) so as to reduce the weight of the
components and minimise risk during
hoisting and erection.
Fig 4: Typical oor layout showing the construction joint which divides the oor into two segments.
Fig 5: Large precast faade panels.
Fig 6: Precast, volumetric hollow-cored wall.
Jun 2010 13
Cover Story
Design and installation of sky bridges
The 12 sky bridges, connecting the seven
blocks, at the 26th and 50th storeys, form
part of outdoor sky gardens which are
equipped with amenities for recreational
purposes. The bridges are made of steel
with concrete slabs on top. The lengths
of the bridges vary, with the longest
spanning 48 m and weighing 327 t. The
widths and heights of the bridges are 20
m and 3.9 m, respectively.
The design of the sky bridges was
carried out by T.Y.Lin International
Pte Ltd, HDBs consultant. The design
adopted a 3-dimensional triangular
truss layout which is stable without
lateral support and could be erected
independently. The bridges are designed
to withstand wind forces in all directions.
The side faces are tapered to reduce
the obstruction to wind ow, thus
minimising the wind pressure on the face.
One end of each bridge was designed
to be xed to the building, to improve
the natural frequency of the bridge and
reduce vibrations from walking and
jogging, thus enhancing comfort levels
for people.
Owing to the tight site conditions,
there were many challenges in the
erection of the bridges, relating to the
installation method and procedures,
availability of space at site, and duration
of the installation. Owing to the sizes,
the bridges were fabricated in segments
o-site, at a factory (Fig 7), transported
to the site, and assembled onto the
complete structure. To overcome the
space constraints, the 50th and 26th storey
bridges were stacked on top of each
other (Fig 8). This also facilitated the
subsequent lifting operation.
In the factory, as well as during the onsite assembly of the sky bridge members,
the tting up, welding, testing, and trial
assembly of the sky bridge trusses were
supervised by an independent checker.
The progress of the work was closely
supervised by the Resident Engineers and
Resident Technical Ocers who were
stationed on-site and at the fabrication
yard.
After fabrication, the sky bridges
were lifted to their respective heights
using the strand jack system which was
used instead of cranes, due to the height
of the buildings. In addition, this system
Fig. 7: Welding, testing, and trial assembly, of sky bridge steel trusses at the factory.
Fig 8: Assembly of the sky bridge steel trusses on site. The 50th and 26th sky bridges are stacked on top
of each other.
allowed the bridges to be assembled at

a lower level before hoisting the whole
assembly, thus enhancing safety on site.
Four strand jacks were required for
each lifting. The jacks were installed
and positioned at four corners between
the two buildings at the 50th storey roof
top position (Fig 9). Prior to the lifting,
a trial jacking was done, that raised the
skybridge 300 mm o the ground, to
ensure that the jacks were functioning
properly.
The bridges are xed to the core
Jun 2010
walls of the residential buildings. To x

the bridges safely and securely to the core
walls, base plates and sleeves for tension
bars were cast together with the core
walls. Great care was taken to ensure that
the cast-in items aligned accurately with
the tower blocks. When the bridges were
lifted to their nal positions at the 50th
and 26th storeys, and adjusted, the main
trusses were connected to the building by
high strength bars and locked in-place by
casting the concrete slab which forms the
oor of the bridge.
Cover Story
The sky bridge structural system
Main
structure
Three-dimensional steel
truss.
Diaphragm
Concrete topping 125 mm

thick.
Connecting Full penetration butt weld.

member to
member
Connection Using Macalloy postto building tensioned bars.
core wall
Main truss
Consists of 1 top chord

and 2 bottom chords. The
top chord has a 125 mm
thick concrete topping.
The combination acts as a
composite.
The concrete topping at the top deck

level and mezzanine level ties with the
building oor slab and, together with
the tie beam between two core walls, acts
as a diaphragm to resist the lateral and
vertical loads.
PROJECT CREDITS
Client
Housing & Development Board
Project Management
SIPM Consultants
Design Architect
ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism
Project Architect
RSP Architects Planners & Engineers
C&S Consultant
Surbana International
Sky Bridge Consultant
T.Y.Lin International
M & E Consultant
Cost Management
Main Contractor
Chip Eng Seng Contractors (1988) Pte
Ltd.
All images by HDB.
Fig 9: Lifting of sky bridges to the 50th storey using the strand jack system.
Jun 2010 15
Cover Story
Panoramic view of the skyline from the viewing deck.
The Pinnacle@Duxton is the tallest public housing development in Singapore.
Jun 2010
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Making energy together
Refreshing the GeoFEAs Users Interface

By S.H. Hong, GeoSoft Pte Ltd
In this article, we are offering a glimpse at the

user interface in the next version of GeoFEA. We
had consolidated some feedbacks from users and
prioritised the wish-list for our prototype.
Introduction
It had been two years since we started this column
in 2008. A sneak into our new graphical users
interface will conclude our series of articles in The
Singapore Engineer. Much effort was put in to
raise awareness of some key issues in geotechnical
finite element modelling. It is also time for us to
take a break and concentrate our effort on raising
the bar in terms of users experience. We had made
revamping the Graphical User Interface (GUI) our
priority.
Windows application that was written with

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Figure
1(a) instead of Windows Forms, Figure 1(b). WPF
is a graphical subsystem for rendering user
interfaces in Windows-based applications. The core
of pre- and post- processor will have to be build
from the ground up, allowing easier development.
GUI things that were previously not possible are
now a possibility.
Figure 2: Buttons for various stages of modelling.

The user will be guided by the visible buttons
(Figure 2) on what options are made available at
each stage of modelling.
Workspace and tool panels
(a)
Frequently used tool panels are opened by default.

The users will have the freedom to move these
panels from their default positions to a location that
the users are comfortable with (Figure 3).
Alternative placeholders are highlighted as shown
in Figure 3 as arrow in a box (
).
(b)
Figure 1: GeoFEAs user interface. (a) Prototype
new look. (b) Old look.
We're considering revamping the GUI to a
Figure 3: Placeholders for docking panels.
Another obvious change is the axes orientation

indicator which is now coloured differently for each
axis and resides on the workspace itself.
GUI buttons
The buttons are made larger with superfluous
buttons removed for a clearer line of operation
(Figure 4). For example, in a two-dimensional (2D) project, buttons relating to 2-D work space are
shown. The 3-D options are left out to give a
cleaner look. This is a marked improvement from
the previous GUI where the 3-D buttons are simply
deactivated.
You talk, we listen and respond. This change arises
from feedbacks by our current user that the current
interface has too many buttons to start with.
Without proper hints and guidance, the old
interface workflow is perplexing for beginners.
Figure 5: Modified trackball control.
(a)
(b)
Figure 4: Work space buttons. (a) 2D project.
(b) 3D project.
View controls
We had also included easy 3D view change and
intuitive 3 Button Mouse support. The trackball
was modified to give user a better control over the
view angles. Mouse over the view controls will
bring them into focus and dimmed when not in use.
This allows a larger screen estate to be tenanted by
other essential controls.
Figure 6: Inner circular control for out-of-plane

rotation.
View rotation using the centre mouse button is still
available other than a minor tweak to the sensitivity
level.
A new zoom control was added for users without a
scroll wheel mouse control.
The panning operation, which was well tested by
other computer aided design software, was left
largely unchanged by dragging the mouse keeping
its right button depressed.
Attributes of a model
Maintaining an in-plane view rotation was quite a

task in the old pre- and post-processors. The inplane rotation is decoupled from the out-of-plane
rotation by the implementation of a circumferential
ring control (Figure 5). The out-of-plane rotation
can be realised by holding down the left mouse
button in the preferred direction within the inner
circular control (Figure 6).
We had placed the attributes to a model as the

default dock panel on screen to allow users access
to various parameters defining geometry, analysis
data and construction sequence as shown in (Figure
7). The properties for each parameter will be
reflected in another dock panel below the model
attributes docking panel in the default layout.
Figure 9: Dimensions during basic shape creation.

The coordinates of the cursor is also shown if the
user is more comfortable with the old versions way
of input.
Figure 7: Dock panel for model attributes.

Stepping through the construction stages
We have also made it easier to cycle through
various construction stages by setting the stage
view control as one of the default panels docked at
the bottom right screen estate (Figure 8).
Figure 10: Dimensions during extrusion operation.

In Figure 10, the extrusion dimension from the
basic shape is displayed so that the user can easily
determine the third dimension in a 3-D view.
Reporting functions
Figure 8: Construction stage controls

Dimensions indication feature
One new feature that has successfully made its way
into our prototype is the on-screen dimensioning
function. The length and width of the rectangle is
displayed on the screen to help user determine its
size for the example shown in Figure 9.
We hear you! In the pipeline, we are adding a

report generation feature (Figures 11). The report
wizard allows the user to quickly create a new text
report. It includes features for filtering parameters
to output, and also allows the user to easily create
title box containing various information such as the
date, time and page number (Figure 12). We aim to
turn the tedious chore of drafting technical reports
into something close to playing a video game.
Figure 11: Tree view of report generation user

interface.
Figure 13: Login page prototype for online

engineering portal.
Conclusion
The graphical user interfaces revealed in this article
is a prototype. This prototype will be used as part of
the software design process to allow our engineers
and designers the ability to explore design
alternatives, test theories and confirm performance
prior to our up-coming alpha test version release.
Figure 12: Sample layout of image with title block.
Software should routinely be designed to make it

easy for people to do what works and difficult to do
what doesnt. One important and powerful way that
software products can do this is through welldesigned defaults. Given the power of defaults, our
designers could use them to nudge people in a
direction that will enhance their work efficiency.
Going online
Looking forward, GeoSoft is poised to take a giant
leap forward with an exciting project - a dream of
an internet-based engineering platform on which a
collaborative culture can be developed (Figure 13).
The power of the Internet in the Blue Ocean is
there for all to tap. This platform will be designed
to facilitate communication, collaboration and
content sharing across networks of contacts.
According to Porter 2001, the greatest impact of the

Internet is to enable the reconfiguration of existing
industries that had been constrained by high cost
for communicating, gathering information and
accomplishing transactions. By integrating the
internet into our overall strategy, GeoFEA will
realise its potential as a powerful engineering tool.
Reference
The evolution of personal computer technologies
will no doubt opens up exciting possibilities in the
way engineers conduct finite element analyses.
With the Internet no longer constrained by slow
connections and computer processors and high
costs for storage, it is time to rethink and revamp
the way construction industry embraces these new
technologies in terms of engineering services.
Michael E. Porter. "Strategy and the Internet,

Harvard Business Review, Vol. 79, No. 3, March
2001.
About GeoSoft Pte Ltd
GeoSoft Pte Ltd is registered in Singapore. GeoSoft
focuses singularly on geotechnical products with
unparalleled developments. We are the leader in the
FEM mesh generation and solver technologies
implemented on desktop PC platform.
Structural Engineering
The design of Burj Khalifa Tower the worlds
tallest structure
The objective in creating this building,
besides setting a record, is to embody
the highest aspirations of mankind.
Such a project goal, by necessity,
requires pushing current analysis, as
well as materials and construction
technologies, to literally new heights.
However, as building to such a height
had never been attempted before, it
was also necessary to ensure that all
technologies and methods utilised are
of sound development and practice.
Mr William F Baker, Partner,
Mr James J Pawlikowski, Associate
Director, and Mr Bradley S Young,
Associate, from Skidmore, Owings &
Merrill LLP (SOM), Chicago, Ilinois,
USA, explain how the designers sought
to use conventional systems, materials,
and construction methods, modied
and utilised in new capacities, to achieve
this lofty goal.
Introduction
The tower (Fig 1) opened to much fanfare
on 4 January 2010 and was re-christened
Burj Khalifa (it was previously known as
Burj Dubai). Rising to a height of 828 m
and with over 160 storeys, it is the worlds
tallest building and the tallest man-made
structure ever built.
The Burj Khalifa Tower is the
centrepiece of a US$ 20 billion
development located just outside of
downtown Dubai. The project consists
of the tower itself, as well as an adjacent
podium structure, a separate 12-storey
oce annexe, a two-storey pool annexe,
and four levels of sub-grade parking
under the site. The 280,000 m2 reinforced
concrete multi-use tower comprises
predominantly residential and oce units,
and it also houses retail establishments
and a Giorgio Armani Hotel. Together,
the tower and podium structures have a
combined area of 465,000 m2.
From the outset, the intention was
to make Burj Khalifa the worlds tallest
building (Fig 2 presents the worlds 10
tallest buildings). The ocial arbiter on
heights is the Council on Tall Buildings and
Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The CTBUH
Fig 1: The Burj Khalifa Tower.
Jun 2010
Fig 2: Lineup of the worlds 10 tallest buildings.
measures the heights of buildings using

three criteria. Table 1 compares the values
for Burj Khalifa with the corresponding
values for the previous record holders.
Architectural design
The primary design concept for the tower
took the form of an indigenous desert
ower. The organic form, with tri-axial
geometry and spiralling growth, can be
easily seen in the nal design.
Additionally, traditional Islamic forms
were utilised to enrich the towers design,
and to incorporate visual references to the
culture and history of the surrounding
region. The oor plan has a tri-axial,
Y-shaped conguration, formed by three
separate wings connected to a central core
(Fig 3). As the tower rises, one wing at
each tier sets back in a spiralling pattern,
further emphasising its height (Fig 4). The
Y-shaped plan is ideal for residential and
hotel usage, in that it allows the maximum
views outward, without overlooking a
neighbouring unit. The wings contain the
residential units and hotel guest rooms,
with the central core housing all of the
elevatoring and mechanical closets.
Additionally, the tower is serviced by
ve separate mechanical zones, located
approximately 30 oors apart, over the
height of the building. Located above the
occupied reinforced concrete portion of
the building is the structural steel spire,
housing communication and mechanical

oors, completing the architectural form
of the tower. The architects and engineers
worked closely together from the
beginning of the project to determine the
shape of the tower, in order to provide an
ecient building in terms of its structural
system and in its response to wind, while
still maintaining the integrity of the initial
design concept.
Structural system description
In addition to its aesthetic and functional
advantages, the spiralling Y-shaped plan
was also utilised to shape the building,
to reduce the wind forces on the tower,
as well as to keep the structure simple,
and foster constructability. The structural
system can be described as a buttressed
core, and consists of high-performance
concrete wall construction.
Each of the wings buttresses the others
via a 6-sided central core or hexagonal hub.
This central core provides the torsional
resistance of the structure, similar to that
Fig 3: Typical oor plan.
for a closed pipe or axle. Corridor walls

extend from the central core to near the
end of each wing, terminating in thickened
hammer-head walls. These corridor walls
and hammer-head walls are similar to the
webs and anges of a beam in the way they
resist wind shears and moments. Perimeter
columns and at plate oor construction
complete the system. At mechanical
Height to Architectural Top 828 m
(Burj Khalifa) 508 m
Highest Occupied Floor
535 m
(Burj Khalifa) 474 m (Shanghai

World Financial Center)
(Taipei 101)
Height to Tip
830 m
(Burj Khalifa) 527 m
(Sears Tower)
Table 1: Comparison of height values for Burj Khalifa and those for previous record holders.
Jun 2010 23
oors, outrigger walls are provided to link
the perimeter columns to the interior wall
system, allowing the perimeter columns
to participate in the lateral load resistance
of the structure. Hence, all of the vertical
concrete is utilised to support both gravity
and lateral loads. The result is a tower that
is extremely sti laterally and torsionally.
It is also a very ecient structure in that
the gravity load resisting system has
been utilised so as to maximise its use in
resisting lateral loads.
As the building spirals in height, the
wings set back to provide many dierent
oor plates. The setbacks are organised
with the towers grid, such that the
building stepping is accomplished by
aligning columns above with walls below,
to provide a smooth load path. As such,
the tower does not contain any structural
transfers. These setbacks also have the
advantage of providing a dierent width
to the tower for each diering oor plate.
This stepping and shaping of the tower
has the eect of confusing the wind
- wind vortices never get organised over
the height of the building because at each
new tier, the wind encounters a dierent
building shape.
Structural analysis and superstructure
design
The reinforced concrete structure
was designed in accordance with the
requirements of ACI 318-02 Building
Code Requirements for Structural
Concrete. Wall and column concrete
strengths range from C80 to C60 cube
strength, and utilise Portland cement,
y ash, and local aggregates. The C80
concrete has a maximum specied
Youngs Elastic Modulus of 43,800 N/
mm2 at 90 days. Wall and column sizes
were optimised using virtual work /
LaGrange multiplier methods, resulting
in a very ecient structure. Wall thickness
and column sizes were also ne-tuned to
reduce the eects of creep and shrinkage
on the structure. To reduce the eects
of dierential column shortening due to
creep between the perimeter columns and
interior walls, the perimeter columns were
sized such that the self-weight gravity
stress on the perimeter columns was equal
to the stress on the interior corridor walls.
The outriggers at the ve mechanical oors
tie all the vertical load carrying elements
Fig 4: Tower perspective.
Jun 2010
together, further ensuring uniform
gravity stress by essentially allowing the
structure to redistribute gravity loads
at ve locations along the buildings
height, thereby reducing dierential creep
movements. Additionally, the perimeter
columns and corridor walls were given
matching thicknesses, providing them
with similar volume to surface ratios, to
minimise dierential shortening due to
concrete shrinkage.
The majority of the tower is a
reinforced concrete structure. However,
the top of the tower consists of a structural
steel spire utilising a diagonally braced
lateral system. The spire, which houses
several mechanical and communication
oors, and open void space, culminates
in a pinnacle element. The structural
steel spire was designed for gravity, wind,
seismic loads, and fatigue, in accordance
with the requirements of AISC Load and
Resistance Factor Design Specication for
Structural Steel Buildings (1999).
The entire building structure was
analysed for gravity (this included the
performance of P-Delta analysis), wind,
and seismic loadings, utilising ETABS
version 8.4 (Fig 5). The three-dimensional
analysis model consisted of the reinforced
concrete walls, link beams, slabs, raft,
piles, and the spires structural steel
system. The full analysis model consisted
of over 73,500 shells and 75,000 nodes.
Under lateral wind loading, the building
deections were well below commonly
used criteria. The dynamic analysis
indicated that the rst mode is lateral
side-sway with a period of 11.3 seconds.
The second mode is a perpendicular lateral
side-sway with a period of 10.2 seconds.
Torsion is the fth mode with a period of
4.3 seconds.
The Dubai Municipality species
Dubai as a UBC97 Zone 2a seismic region
(with a seismic zone factor Z = 0.15 and
soil prole Sc). The seismic analysis
consisted of a site-specic response spectra
analysis. Seismic loading typically did
not govern the design of the reinforced
concrete tower structure. However,
seismic loading did govern the design of
the reinforced concrete podium buildings
and the towers structural steel spire. Sitespecic seismic reports were developed
for the project, including a seismic hazard
analysis. The potential for liquefaction
was investigated, based on several

accepted methods. It was determined that
liquefaction is not considered to have any
structural implications for the deep-seated
tower foundations.
A
comprehensive
construction
sequence analysis incorporating the eects
of creep and shrinkage was performed to
study the time-dependent behaviour of
the structure (Fig 6).
Since the vertical concrete elements
tend to have similar compression stress,
the building performs well under the
eects of creep and shrinkage. The results
of this analysis were utilised to determine
the horizontal and vertical compensation
programmes. For horizontal compensation,
the building is re-centred with each
successive centre core jump, correcting for
gravity-induced side-sway eects which
occur up to the casting of each storey.
For vertical compensation, additional
height was added by increasing oorto-oor height, osetting the predicted

vertical shortening of the column and wall
elements.
Wind engineering approach
An extensive programme of wind tunnel
tests and other studies was undertaken
in RWDIs 2.4 m x 1.9 m, and 4.9 m x
2.4 m boundary layer wind tunnels in
Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The wind
tunnel testing programme included rigidmodel force balance tests, a full aeroelastic
model study, cladding pressure studies,
and pedestrian wind environment studies
(Figs 7 and 8). These studies used models
mostly at 1:500 scale. However, the
pedestrian wind studies utilised a larger
scale of 1:250 for the development of
aerodynamic solutions aimed at reducing
wind speeds. Wind statistics played an
important role in relating the predicted
Fig 5: Three-dimensional analysis model dynamic mode shapes.
Fig 6: Construction sequence analysis.
Jun 2010 25
levels of response to return period.
Extensive use was made of groundbased wind data, balloon data, and
computer simulations employing regional
atmospheric modelling techniques, in
order to establish the wind regime at the
upper levels.
To determine the wind loading on the
main structure, wind tunnel tests were
undertaken early in the design, using the
high-frequency-force-balance technique.
The wind tunnel data were then combined
with the dynamic properties of the tower,
in order to compute the towers dynamic
response and the overall eective wind
force distributions at full scale. For Burj
Khalifa, the results of the force balance
tests were used as early input for the
structural design and allowed parametric
studies to be undertaken on the eects
of varying the towers stiness and mass
distribution.
The building has essentially six
important wind directions (Fig 9). Three
of the directions are dened by the wind
blowing directly into a wing. The wind
blows into the nose of each wing (Nose
A, Nose B, and Nose C), creating the cutwater eect. The other three directions are
dened by the wind blowing in between
two wings, in the tail directions (Tail A,
Tail B, and Tail C). It was noticed that the
force spectra for dierent wind directions
showed less excitation in the important
frequency range for winds impacting the

pointed or nose end of a wing than from
the opposite direction (tail). This was kept
in mind when selecting the orientation of
the tower relative to the most frequent,
strong wind directions for Dubai
northwest, south, and east.
Several rounds of force balance tests
were undertaken as the geometry of
the tower evolved, and as the tower was
rened architecturally. The three wings
are set back in a clockwise sequence with
the A wing setting back rst. After each
Fig 9: Plan view of tower.
Fig 7: Aeroelastic wind tunnel model.
Fig 8: Cladding wind tunnel model.
Fig 10: Tower wind behaviour.
Jun 2010
round of wind tunnel testing, the data was

analysed and the building was reshaped to
minimise wind eects and accommodate
unrelated changes in the clients
programme. In general, the number and
spacing of the setbacks changed as did
the shape of wings. This process resulted
in a substantial reduction in wind forces
on the tower by confusing the wind, by
encouraging disorganised vortex shedding
over the height of the tower (Fig 10).
Towards the end of design, more
accurate aeroelastic model tests were
initiated. An aeroelastic model is exible
in the same manner as the real building,
with properly scaled stiness, mass, and
damping. The aeroelastic tests were able to
model several of the higher translational
modes of vibration. These higher modes
dominated the structural response and
design of the tower except at the very base
where the fundamental modes controlled.
Based on these results, the predicted
building motions are within the ISO
standard recommended values there is
no need for auxiliary damping.
Tower foundations
The tower is founded on a pile-supported
raft foundation (Fig 11). The solid
reinforced concrete raft is 3.7 m thick and
was poured utilising 12,500 m3 of C50
(cube strength) self-consolidating concrete
(SCC). The raft was constructed in four
separate pours (for the three wings and the
centre core). Each raft pour occurred over
at least a 24-hour period. Reinforcement
Fig 11: Tower raft under construction.
Fig 12: Tower pile load test.
was typically spaced at 300 mm in the

raft, and arranged such that every 10th bar
in each direction was omitted, resulting
in a series of pour enhancement strips
throughout the raft. The intersections of
these strips created 600 mm x 600 mm
openings at regular intervals, facilitating
access and concrete placement.
Owing to the thickness of the tower
raft, limiting the peak and dierential
temperatures due to the heat of hydration
was an important consideration in
determining the raft concrete mix design
and placement methods. The 50 MPa raft
mix incorporated 40% y ash and a watercement ratio of 0.34. The concrete mix
was poured into large-scale test cubes with
3.7 m side dimensions, prior to the raft
construction, so as to verify the concrete
placement procedures and monitor the
concrete temperature performance.
The tower raft is supported by 194
bored, cast-in-place piles. The piles are
1.5 m in diameter and approximately 43
m long, with a capacity of 3,000 t each

(the pile load is tested to 6000 tonnes).
The diameter and length of the piles
represent the largest and longest piles
conventionally available in the region.
Additionally, the 6000 tonne pile load
test represented the largest magnitude pile
load test performed to date within the
region (Fig 12). The C60 (cube strength)
SCC concrete was placed by the tremie
method utilising polymer slurry. When the
rebar cage was placed in the piles, special
attention was paid to orient the rebar cage
such that the raft bottom rebar could be
threaded through the numerous pile rebar
cages without interruption, which greatly
simplied the raft construction.
Another design challenge in the
project arose from the existing site
conditions. The ground water, which is
quite high at approximately 2 m below
the surface, is extremely corrosive,
containing approximately three times
the sulphates and chlorides present in sea
water. As such, a rigorous programme of
anti-corrosion measures was followed
to ensure the long-term integrity of the
towers foundation system. Measures
instituted included the implementation
of specialised waterproong systems
and increased concrete cover for the
reinforcement, addition of corrosion
inhibitors to the concrete mix, applying
stringent crack control raft design
criteria, and the implementation of an
impressed current cathodic protection
system utilising titanium mesh (Fig13).
Additionally, a controlled permeability
formwork liner was utilised for the tower
raft, which resulted in a higher strength /
lower permeability concrete cover for the
rebar. The concrete mix for the piles was
also enhanced. It was designed as a fully
self-consolidating concrete to limit the
possibility of defects during construction.
Fig 13: Cathodic protection below raft.
Jun 2010 27
Tower construction methods
The Burj Khalifa Tower utilised the latest
advancements in construction techniques
and materials technology. The walls were
formed using Dokas SKE 100 automatic
self-climbing formwork system.
The circular nose columns were
formed with circular steel forms, and
the oor slabs were poured on MevaDec
panel formwork.
Wall reinforcement was prefabricated
on the ground in 8 m sections to allow
for fast placement. Three primary tower
cranes were located adjacent to the central
core, with each continuing to various
heights as required. High-speed, highcapacity construction hoists were utilised
to transport workers and materials to
the required heights. A specialised GPS
monitoring system was developed to
monitor the verticality of the structure,
due to the limitations of conventional
surveying techniques.
The construction sequence for the
structure had the central core and slabs
being cast rst, in three sections. The
wing walls and slabs followed behind,
and the wing nose columns and slabs
followed behind these (Fig 14). Concrete
was distributed to each wing utilising
concrete booms which were attached to
the jump form system.
One of the most challenging
construction issues was ensuring the
pumpability of the tower concrete to
reach the world record heights of the
tower, which necessitated that concrete be
pumped well over 600 m in a single stage.
High performance concrete is utilised for
the tower, with high modullus concrete
specied for the columns and walls. The
concrete mix was designed to provide low
permeability / high durability concrete.
A horizontal pumping trial was
conducted prior to the start of the
superstructure construction in order to
ensure the pumpability of the concrete
mixes (Fig 15). This trial involved the use
of a long pipe with several 1800 bends to
simulate the pressure loss in pumping to
heights over 600 m in a single stage.
The nal pumping system utilised
on-site Putzmeister pumps, including
two of the largest in the world, capable
of reaching concrete pumping pressures
up to 350 bars through a high pressure
150 mm pipeline.
Fig 14: Tower construction sequence.
Jun 2010
Conclusion
The Burj Khalifa Tower has claimed the
title of the worlds tallest structure. It is
an example of a successful collaboration
between the requirements of structural
systems,
wind
engineering,
and
architectural aesthetics and function. The
tower represents a signicant achievement
in terms of utilising the latest design,
materials and construction technology,
and methods, in order to provide an
ecient, rational structure, that rises to
heights never seen before.
REFERENCES
Baker W F, Pawlikowski J J, & Young B S:
The Challenges in Designing the Worlds
Tallest Structure: The Burj Dubai Tower.
Proceedings of the SEI/ASCE Structures
Congress, 2009.
All images by SOM.
PROJECT CREDITS
Owner
Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai
Project Manager
Turner Construction International
Architect / Structural Engineers
Engineers
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
MEP
Adopting Architect
Supervision
Hyder Consulting Ltd
Field
&
Engineer
General Contractor
Samsung / BeSix / Arabtec
Foundation Contractor
NASA Multiplex
Fig 15: Concrete pumping system test.
Jun 2010 29
Interview
Engineering urban transformation
Arup
brings
t o g e t h e r
individuals from
a wide range of
disciplines and
encourages them
to look beyond
the constraints
of their own
Mr Andr Lovatt.
specialisations,
so
that
the
engineering consultancy can inuence
the future of the built environment in a
distinctive manner.
Mr Andr Lovatt, Principal and
Oce Leader, Singapore, Arup
Singapore Pte Ltd, highlights the
factors underpinning the rms
impressive track record in the republic,
in this interview with The Singapore
Engineer.
Q: What makes Arup dierent from
other rms?
A: One of the things that makes us
dierent is how Arup is owned. The
rm is owned in trust on behalf of its
sta. The result is an independence of

spirit that enables us to take long-term
decisions and chart unconventional
routes. This is reected in the rms work,
and in its dedicated pursuit of technical
excellence.
One good way to think of Arup is as
an idea factory. Our ability to generate
great ideas is entirely vested within our
people. As a result, we take a great deal of
care to select the best possible people and
to give them the freedom to do the sort
of work they like and are good at.
Q: How is Arup responding to
developments in the construction
industry in Singapore?
A: In terms of growth, Asia will continue
to have huge prospects and opportunities
and Arup has oces in key Asian cities
such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing,
Tokyo and Singapore to meet these
demands.
In Singapore, with over 200 local sta,
Arup is well-placed within the booming
professional services sector and we work
on a wide range of commercial and
residential building, and infrastructure

projects.
Q: What are some of the landmark
projects in Singapore that Arup has
been involved in recently?
A: Arup has made signicant contributions
to three major developments that have
shaped Marina Bay, Singapores premier
waterfront destination. They are the
Singapore Flyer which, at a height of
165 m, is the worlds largest Giant
Observation Wheel; Marina Bay Sands
Integrated Resort which oers a 2560room luxury hotel, advanced convention
and exhibition facilities, shopping mall,
restaurants, and theatres; and The Helix,
a 280 m bridge, inspired by the shape of
a DNA molecule.
Arup provided consultancy for the
Downtown Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
line that connects Marina Bay with the
city centre and we are also a member
of the team that will be responsible for
delivering a second footbridge that will
complete the pedestrian route around
the bay.
Arup Singapore: overview of skills
Acoustics, Audiovisual and

Theatre Consulting
Building Services / M&E
Building Structures
Environmentally Sustainable
Design (ESD)
Facade
Fire
Geotechnics
Green Mark / LEED Consulting
Infrastructure
IT and Communications
Maritime
Programme and Project
Management
Risk and Security
Specialist Lighting
Trac and Transport Planning
Tunnelling
Urban Design
Vertical Transportation
The iconic Singapore Flyer. Image by Singapore Flyer Pte Ltd.
Jun 2010
Interview
Arups rail engineering capability
is allowing us to assist Singapore in
meeting its vision of developing a worldclass transportation system, particularly
the Downtown MRT Line project where
we have provided a range of services from
alignment and routing studies to detailed
engineering design.
Q: How is Arup approaching the issue
of sustainability?
A: In the early 1970s, Sir Ove Arup, our
founder, was one of the rst people to
talk of sustainability. So, sustainability
is not new to Arup.
Our design teams are working
together to investigate ways to reduce
energy demands.
Through careful
design of the facades for projects like
the National Library, One George Street
and 20 Anson, solar thermal loads on
the building are minimised by reducing
the cooling needed from airconditioning
systems. Carefully positioned sunshades
project natural daylight into the spaces
within the building, thus saving electricity
to run articial lights.
However, the greatest energy
savings would come from avoiding
airconditioning altogether. This is cleverly
achieved by permitting the passage of

natural breezes for the integrated civic,
cultural, retail and entertainment hub
(CCRC) and by providing assisted
ventilation and heat-reecting canopies
for Clarke Quays streetscape.
As the Singapore and other Asian
property markets become more mature
and sophisticated, increasingly the life of
commercial buildings is being extended
by retrotting and refurbishment. The

Green Building agenda, along with
a tighter nancial environment will
increase this trend.
Arup has studied the factors that
inuence client decisions, and have
recently worked with the BCA to prepare
a guide book targetted at owners existing
buildings as part of their Green Building
Guide Platinum Series.
Arup Singapore Pte Ltd

Arup opened its Singapore oce in
1968. Over the years, the rm has
made signicant contributions to
landmark projects such as OCBC
Centre, UOB Plaza, Temasek Towers,
Expo MRT station, Singapore Expo,
and the National Library Building.
The companys other projects in
Singapore include the Singapore Flyer,
Fusionopolis, ION Orchard, Marina
Bay Sands Integrated Resort, The Helix
bridge, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Sports Hub, School of the Arts, and
the renovation of Victoria Theatre and
Victoria Concert Hall.
with an initial focus on structural

engineering, Arup has become a
global design, engineering, and
business consultancy, with a sta of
over 10,000 spread over 92 oces in
37 countries.
The rm rst came into prominence
with the structural design for the
Sydney Opera House in Australia,
followed by its work on the Centre
Pompidou in Paris, France. Arup has
since grown into a multidisciplinary
organisation. Most recently, the rms
contributions to the 2008 Olympics
facilities in Beijing, China, particularly
the National Aquatics Center (Water
Cube) and the Beijing National
Stadium (Birds Nest), have served to
rearm its reputation.
Arup
Founded by Sir Ove Arup in 1946,
On the right of the picture, The Helix is set against the backdrop of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. Image by Darren Soh.
Jun 2010 31
Products & Services

Paving ahead for growing population down
under
In 1970, Perth in Western Australia had a
population of just 700,000 and a footprint
of approximately 500 km2. Today the
population has increased to 1.9 million
and the metropolitan area is more than
twice the size.
Developers are lling in the few
remaining plots of land, stretching along a
north to south coastal corridor, to provide
housing for the ever increasing population,
led by todays new immigrants.
Predictions are that the population
will double to 3.8 million over the next
40 years, meaning that the city will stretch
from Lancelin in the north, to a point
between Mandurah and Bunbury in the
south covering more than 10 times the
surface area it covered in 1970.
Western Australia asphalt specialist
BGC Asphalt, is fully utilising a Dynapac
F6-4W paver, laying roads in the last few
remaining sub-divisions of Ridge Wood
in Brighton, the latest northern suburb of
Perth.
BGCs latest contract, sub-contracted
by earthmoving specialist R J Vincent,
features the laying of 6000 m2 of asphalt
over three days. A 40 mm base coarse
with 14 mm aggregate will be topped by a
25 mm wearing coarse both sitting on a
200 mm limestone sub-base.
Backing up the Dynapac paver is
a CP142 pneumatic tyred roller and a
CC142 twin drum compaction roller.
Across the sub-division, roads are generally
5.5 m wide, often with 2.2 m wide parking
bays. Outside the sub-division, the main
roads can be 6 m or 7.4 m.
By tting extensions, the paver can
oer a 3.8 m width, making it versatile
for any road work in the suburbs.
With a Deutz diesel engine, rated at
52 kW at 2300 rpm, the paver oers high
power for a machine of this size and it can
easily push 47 t gross.
The paver is rear-driven and
incorporates a 4-wheel drive and integrated
anti-spin system. It provides a maximum
placement thickness of 270 mm and oers
a capacity of up to 250 t/h.
On the sub-division contract, the
paver is followed by two vibratory passes
by the CC142 and multi-passes with the

CP142 until the surface is rm. The
CC142 then makes two nal vibratory
passes to remove the possibility of any tyre
marks made by the CP unit.
Depending on the paving speed,
pass lengths of around 20 m are made,
although this can be increased to 80 m,

subject to the ambient temperature and
weather conditions.
The slide plates are suitable for laying
up to the ush kerbs and are easy to set.
Although delivered only last year, the
paver has clocked more than 410 hours.
BGC Asphalt is utilising a Dynapac F6-4W paver to lay roads in the northern suburb of Perth.
The paver oers high power for a machine of this size.
Jun 2010
Products & Services

Taking the drudge out of planning repetitive
on-site tasks
Balfour Beatty, a leading construction
and civil engineering company in the
UK, now holds a number of licences of
the award-winning MethoCAD software
package developed by Paris-headquartered
Creative Business Solutions.
According to Balfour Beatty,
it is proving to be an invaluable
organisational tool in the pre-planning
and maintenance of a wide range of the
companys construction sites, currently
including major works in London.
In planning projects, MethoCAD is
helpful in drawing up site plans right
from the excavation stage, which includes
the positioning of tower cranes. Balfour
Beatty has been using MethoCAD
for about a year now and it has been
facilitating quick overviews of the site,
since all the dimensions for the plant
machinery that will be required, are
stored in the system. It cuts out a lot of
the drudgery in drawing up these plans.
For one of the projects, for example,
there is an existing old road running
underneath the site, and Balfour Beatty
is currently working on how long it will
take to excavate it in sections, whilst
keeping the trac owing.
With MethoCAD, the company
has been able to rapidly determine, for
instance, what excavation is required, how
many excavators are needed (visualising
their rotational paths throughout), and
how long the excavation will take before
it can move in to start doing the piling
for the new structure.
By eliminating much of the repetitive
and routine planning elements, it is
estimated that man-hours in the planning
procedures can be reduced by 30%.
MethoCAD is supplied with a library
of hundreds of accurate, dimensional
drawings of virtually all plant equipment
employed in construction projects
worldwide. In addition to excavators,
this includes top and front drawings of
all major machinery, including concrete
batching plants, delivery vehicles, and
cranes.
Turning curves of the delivery and
removal trucks, through to those of cranes,
are essential parameters which can all be

quickly visualised with MethoCAD.
The positioning of tower cranes can
be checked both in plan and elevations,
to ensure safe distances between jibs,
counter jibs, anchor cables, and masts.
This can be particularly useful for
checking the minimum clearance when
not working.
MethoCAD allows Balfour Beatty to
see exactly what is required and ensure
that the site will be both eciently and
safely operated.
Other features such as protective
walkways, fences, and service networks,
can all be quickly put in place. It allows
the company to visualise the entire site,
and prove that it can operate at full
capacity in the time-frame provided.
It is useful not only as a space planning
tool, but also for presenting projections
of the work, and if required, it can be
turned into a dynamic 3D model for
video presentations.
Meanwhile,
Creative
Business
Solutions
introduced
two
new
MethoCAD modules for construction
site management and safety, at bauma
2010.
They are an audio-visual module

that depicts, in 3D format, the safety
aspects of construction sites and
equipment, together with the simulation
of accidents, and the Eco-friendly sites
(ESM) module.
According to Creative Business
Solutions, the new 3D format module is
aimed primarily at site sta training in
construction companies.
By using the latest virtual reality
software in three dimensions, together
with sound, the user will recognise the
environment of the construction site,
and be more conscious of the risks.
The MethoCAD module, available
on a USB key, can be used anywhere, and
is designed to complement the existing
training materials of construction
companies.
The user visualises the various
sequences by means of a menu under
Windows.
The ESM module is intended to
assist contractors meet todays high onsite environmental quality standards, by
incorporating aspects relating to trac
disturbance, waste management, ground
pollution, visual impact, and site safety.
MethoCAD assists in the pre-planning and maintenance of construction sites.
Jun 2010 33
Products & Services

Plastic formwork offers advantages
Plastic forming panels developed by
Vietnamese company FUVI Mechanical
Technology Company, are marketed
under the brand name FUVI Coppha.
The panels were developed a decade ago,
and were rst exported in 2003.
According to the company, there has
been a great deal of interest in the system
during the past two or three years, because
contractors have begun to appreciate just
how wasteful the use of plywood is, in
terms of environmental impact, durability,
cost, and time. Plywood formwork
requires the destruction of trees and it can
be used only a few times.
The original FUVI HDPE panel
system is available in sizes from 100 mm
to 2,000 mm and features a 50 mm thick
prole.
Accessories include push-pull props,
scaolds, U-heads and jack bases, slipform
hydraulic jacks, and slipform surface and
corners.
FUVI is particularly appropriate for
use in mass building projects following
slum clearance programmes, for example.
In India, the FUVI system has
been written into the specications for
building high-rise apartments that are
replacing slums in cities such as Chennai,

Mumbai, and Delhi, and other countries
with similar building programmes are
considering doing likewise.
The company is currently talking to
government housing departments in South
and Central American countries, where
slum clearance has become a priority.
FUVI is becoming the formwork
of choice also for large and prestigious
projects, such as the Saigon M&C Tower
which is currently being built in Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, by French contractor
Bouygues Construction.
The project has two 45-storey towers,
making it one of the tallest buildings in
Vietnam. With its Grade A oce and
residential accommodation, and its
riverside setting, Saigon M&C Tower
is expected to be one of the smartest
addresses in the city.
FUVI has designed and manufactured,
and is operating, two independent FUVI
slipform units on the building cores.
The plastic panels are lighter than
other slipform panelling, weighing 7 kg/
m as opposed to an approximate 10 kg/
m for wood, 20 kg/m for aluminium,
and 31 kg/m for steel. Consequently, a
medium-range tower crane can be used.

According to FUVI, whereas plywood
can be used only ve to 10 times, the
FUVI plastic panels can be used 100 times
without any deterioration in quality.
For high-rise construction, this is
particularly eective. Moving up to the
next oor is fast and easy, because the
assembly is simple. Also, unlike wood, the
plastic does not adhere to the concrete,
releasing itself when the curing is
complete. Chemical release agents or oils
are not required. As the plastic does not
absorb water, a smooth nish is ensured.
And usually, there is no need to wash the
forms before starting on the next oor, as
they are already clean.
With no timber waste to be disposed
of, no hammering and nailing, and no
washing of the formwork, the site is clean
and tidy.
The FUVI system is exible enough
to be used on infrastructural projects
such as bridges and harbours. FUVI
recently supplied a large number of
jumpform units to CC1, one of Vietnams
largest infrastructure contractors, for the
construction of Phu My Bridge in Ho Chi
Minh City.
FUVI Coppha formwork is said to oer advantages such as environment-friendliness, durability, low costs, and shorter construction times.
Jun 2010
Products & Services

First Liebherr LTR 1100 crawler crane
delivered in Hong Kong
Hong Kongs rst Liebherr LTR 1100
crawler crane has been delivered to rental
specialist Chim Kee for its rst application
on a government housing project in Hung
Hom.
In its rst rental, the crane has been
specially down-rated for a 50 t maximum
lift at the boom length of 54 m, in order
to meet the loadings of a steel platform,
erected over the excavated 10 m deep
basement of the project.
The Liebherr crawler crane is being
used to lift and place steel girders and 40
mm dia rebar at the basement levels of the
projects 30-storey twin-towers.
The main contractor for the project,
Shun Tak Yee Fai Joint Venture, started
work on the project in October last year,
under a 30 month contract.
With a 40 m x 90 m frontage, the
project will include a four-storey retail
and recreation podium above the two
basement levels. Two 30-storey towers
will rise from the podium.
With foundations completed by
Gammon in an earlier contract, the joint
venture contractor excavated more than

36,000 m3 to clear the basement area.
By opting to install the steel deck
over approximately 75% of the site,
the contractor has been able to speed
erection of the basements steel girders
and concrete deliveries. It also allows
temporary parking for delivery trucks,
preventing congestion in the busy narrow
roads around the site.
The LTR 1100 is proving to be ideal
for the Hung Hom project because of its
small footprint and mobility.
The telescopic crane provides a high
lift capacity for its 50 m boom and oers
a maximum lifting capacity of 100 t at
2.5 m.
In ordering the new crane, Chim Kee
also incorporated a 7 m folding jib and
19 m boom extension, to oer a variety
of congurations including a maximum
extended 78 m boom.
Further, the cranes advanced control
system provides smooth motion and
precise lifting.
Chim Kees rental eet features 11
Liebherr crawler cranes. The company

was formed in 1962 as a small crane
rental company and contractor. Growth
continued throughout the 1970s, with
Chim Kee introducing a eet of trucks
for heavy transportation and heavy lift
contracting.
By the early 1990s, the company
ceased operating its contracting business,
concentrating on rentals, particularly
throughout construction of Chek Lap
Kok International Airport, in which
area it enjoyed signicant growth with
piling rigs, drives, jacking cranes, and
transportation.
Today, as a heavy lift contractor,
Chim Kee has successfully participated
in several projects such as Container Port
Number 9 and Stonecutters Bridge, with
heavy lifts up to 400 t.
The new LTR 1100 is suitable for
Hong Kongs congested sites and oers
fast erection. It combines the advantages
of crawler and telescopic mobile cranes.
The LTR 1100s ability to pick and carry
loads, eliminates the need for outriggers.
The Liebherr LTR 1100 crawler crane has been specially down-rated for a 50 t maximum lift at the boom length of 54 m, in order to meet the loadings of
a steel platform, erected over the excavated 10 m deep basement of the project.
Jun 2010 35
Products & Services

Cost and CO2 savings from in-situ road
recycling
Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES)
Council, in the UK, has saved nearly
220,000 on the cost of repairing a 400
m long section of the B3110 Midford
Road at Odd Down, on the southern
outskirts of Bath. This vast saving has
been achieved by the councils Design
Group, in partnership with the councils
term maintenance contractor Atkins,
by choosing to recycle and strengthen
in-situ, existing tar-bound hazardous
carriageway materials, instead of using
conventional full depth pavement
reconstruction techniques with new
bituminous materials. The existing
layers throughout the depth of the
road pavement were disintegrating and
required strengthening.
In addition to the estimated
220,000 construction cost savings, the
Design Groups rst-time use of in-situ
recycling has also provided substantial
environmental benets.
The bulk of the construction cost
saving was achieved by not having to
extract and dispose of the roads existing
hazardous tar bound material o-site at

a special licensed waste tip. Instead, the
existing road materials were used as a kind
of linear quarry for aggregates which
were recycled and strengthened in-situ.
Cold in-situ recycling considerably
reduces CO2 emissions, as the technique
vastly reduces the need for extraction
and transportation of existing in-situ
materials to landll sites, as well as the
production and transportation to site of
virgin materials extracted from natural
sources. An estimated 12 t of savings in
CO2 emissions, has been achieved for the
site.
This stretch of Midford Road was
in urgent need of strengthening and
we found from site investigations and
subsequent material testing that the road
pavement contained a high proportion
of tar material. In conjunction with the
councils term maintenance contractor
Atkins, we considered the road repair
options available and concluded that
in-situ recycling oered the most costeective and environmentally benecial
solution, said Mr Konrad Lansdown,

B&NES Project Manager and Scheme
Designer.
There was approximately 1,800 t
of hazardous tar material in the road
pavement, which would otherwise
have been extracted and disposed osite at a special waste licensed tip at
Cheltenham, about 50 miles away. Tar
material disposal costs alone would have
been approximately 180,000 and some
of this material was classed as special
hazardous waste, which meant that it
probably needed incineration, costing
around 1,000/t, he added.
The Atkins project engineer had
previous experience of in-situ recycling
and with the added complication of the
tar, the process proved to be the best
option to reconstruct this particular
section of Midford Road. In-situ recycling
has shown to be less disruptive to local
trac than conventional reconstruction
as about 180 to 200 movements of 20 t
wagons have been saved.
The construction work would have
The WR 2500 S is granulating the existing pavement while mixing in pre-spread cement and PFA at the same time. Water is directly injected into the
recycler's mixing chamber from tanker trucks.
Jun 2010
Products & Services

cost around 550,000 using conventional
pavement reconstruction methods and
would have taken longer and been
more disruptive to road users and local
residents, said Mr Lansdown.
The in-situ repair has proved to be
operationally quicker on-site and can
be tracked almost straight away as
a temporary running surface prior to
applying the surface course. This has been
my rst experience of using the in-situ
repair technique and would anticipate
using it on similar road strengthening
schemes in future, he added.
The in-situ recycling process, as
practised by the specialist road recycling
and stabilisation contractor, Stabilised
Pavements, involves rotovating and
pulverising damaged road pavements
to depths of up to 320 mm. This is
performed with a special purpose-built
500 kW machine, while simultaneously
mixing in specific predetermined
quantities of either lime, cement,
pulverised fuel ash (PFA), bitumen
emulsion, or foamed bitumen, and
water, or combinations of these
ingredients.
The revitalised mixture is then rolled,
reproled, re-rolled, and overlaid with
an appropriate nal surfacing for a fast
return to trac. The process is performed
in accordance with the Transport Research
Laboratory TRL Report 386: Design
guide and specication for structural
maintenance of highway pavements by
cold in-situ recycling.
For Midford Road, Stabilised
Pavements used a blend of 70% cement
and 30% PFA, applied in a powder
blanket across the surface of the rotovated
material, to the extent of 8% by volume of
the dry in-situ material. The quantity of the
strengthening agent was determined from
pre-contract materials testing and mixed,
in a one-pass operation, in Stabilised
Pavements German Wirtgen WR 2500
Recycler, at the designated depth of 180
mm. Water was added into the mix at
the same time to achieve the required
optimum moisture content. The cement
and PFA complement each other as the
cement provides an initial gain in strength
of the recycled road materials, while the
PFA slows hydration and contributes to
increasing the strength over time.
Stabilised Pavements had to recycle
Cold recycling with the WR 2500 S is an economically ecient and environment-friendly method for
producing base layers of superior quality.
When cold recycling in-situ, the WR 2500 S granulates the existing pavement material while
homogeneously mixing in binding agents and water at the same time. This method produces a new
construction material mix in just one machine pass.
and strengthen in-situ, 3,868 m2 of

Midford Road, to a 180 mm depth
of tar-bound hazardous material, and
provide a 20-year design life for 2.5
million standard axles. The approximate
10 m wide carriageway was treated in
two separate halves. Whilst one half of
the carriageway was being recycled and
strengthened, the other half remained
open for one-way trac along a short
diversion route. Once the required
levels and compaction were achieved,
the surface of the in-situ repaired
carriageway was sprayed with a sealing
tack coat and gritted as a temporary
running surface for trac. The process
was then repeated for the other side of the
carriageway using the adjacent recycled
carriageway for one-way trac.
I believe in-situ recycling has to be

the way forward for treating tar-bound
roads in the UK, which also provides
the additional bonus of a saving on CO2
emissions, said Mr Gerry Howe, Director,
Stabilised Pavements.
Although the in-situ recycled and
stabilised base course bulked-up during
processing, the Design Group adjusted
the centre-line crown levels for the new
road surface. The crown was raised by
80 mm, and 10 mm along the channels,
increasing the cross falls to between 6%
and 7%. Atkinss surfacing contractor
Bardon Contracting followed on and
overlaid Stabilised Pavements rejuvenated
full width road base with a 50 mm thick
hot rolled asphalt surface course for a fast
return to full trac.
Jun 2010 37
News & Events

bauma 2010 emphasises positive outlook for
construction industry
The 29th bauma, the International
Trade Fair for Construction Machinery,
Building Material Machines, Mining
Machines, Construction Vehicles and
Construction Equipment, was held from
19 to 25 April 2010, at the New Munich
Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany.
Organised by Messe Muenchen,
bauma 2010 marked a turnaround in
the international construction machinery
industry, ushering in the hoped-for
change in sentiment. This was despite
the ban on air travel resulting from the
volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, which
aected the rst few days of the fair.
The mood in the industry shows
that in Europe the bottom of the cycle
is now behind us. Condence has
returned. Of course, at the start of the
fair, the exhibitors felt the lack of many
customers from Asia and America, but in
the second half of bauma, this improved
considerably. Messe Muenchens crisis

management in the days impacted by
volcanic ash was outstanding, said
Mr Ralf Wezel, Secretary-General of
CECE, the Committee for European
Construction Equipment.
Although the ban on air travel in
Europe, prevented visitors and, in the
end, around 50 overseas exhibitors, from
coming to the fair, the sentiment at the
venue, among the approximately 3,150
registered exhibitors from 53 countries,
was good by the close of the fair. Midway through the fair, several exhibitors
reported more sales than expected.
The good old times are coming back.
The gures for sales taken at the fair far
exceed our expectations. We reckon we
will be able to match the volume we
took at the record bauma in 2007. This
is a clear signal that at Zeppelin-Cat,
too, business is moving forward again
after the dicult year of 2009, said

Mr Michael Heidemann, Managing
Director, Zeppelin and CEO, Zeppelin
Baumaschinen GmbH, Germany.
We had a lot of new business
opportunities, some of which already
resulted in unexpected conclusions of
sale, said Mr Michikazu Okada, VicePresident, Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy
Industries Construction Crane Co Ltd,
Japan.
The representative survey of exhibitors
conducted by TNS Infratest showed that
bauma 2010, as the leading world fair,
marked a change in mood, following
a year of crisis in 2009, and that this
change is being felt in many international
markets, with few exceptions. Almost
half the exhibitors expect the economic
situation to improve.
Even before the fair started, it was
evident that, worldwide, the construction
Over 415,000 visitors from more than 200 countries attended bauma 2010, to view the displays of 3,150 registered exhibitors from 53 countries. Images by Messe Mue
Jun 2010
News & Events

sector had high hopes for the leading
world fair in Munich. With 555,000 sq m
of space, all fully booked, and 60% of the
exhibitors coming from outside Germany,
the fair registered all-time highs for the
number of exhibitors, international
participation, and space booked.
From China, India and Turkey in
particular, exhibitor numbers registered a
strong increase, compared to the previous
event.
bauma is the Mecca for construction
equipment. Though the volcano shaded
Europe, it is fascinating to see so many
visitors from all over the world here, said
Mr Cuneyt Divris, President, Imder, the
Construction Equipment Distributors &
Manufacturers Association of Turkey.
Nevertheless, the general economic
situation before bauma and the
unexpected ban on air travel at the start
of the fair, did impact on the nal gures
for visitor numbers.
Over 415,000 visitors from more than
200 countries attended bauma 2010.
In comparison to bauma 2007, this was
17% fewer. About 65% of the visitors
came from Germany, while 35% travelled

from countries outside Germany.
Despite the many emergency measures
implemented by Messe Muenchen, in
cooperation with its employees in Munich
and the international sales and association
partners, in the second half of the
running time, which sees more visitors,
not all of the expected visitors from Asia,
India, and America, were able to get to
bauma in Munich. However, because of
the turnaround which bauma 2010 has
ushered in for the sector worldwide, we
are looking forward optimistically to
the already fully booked bauma China
2010 in Shanghai. Interest in the new
event bC India 2011 in Mumbai, too,
has led to a considerable expansion in
the space originally earmarked for the
event. For many of the key players who
were represented at bauma, these events
will oer international platforms in the
two growth markets of China and India,
and thus appeal also to the trade visitors
who this time were not able to come
to Munich, said Mr Klaus Dittrich,
Chairman & CEO of Messe Muenchen.
bauma 2010 once again lived up to

its reputation as the worlds leading trade
fair for the sector, by presenting a wealth
of innovations.
Never before have there been so
many innovations on display in terms
of sustainability and environmental and
human protection. Despite the economic
crisis and the ash cloud, bauma remains
the uncontested Number One, said Dr
Reinhold Festge, Managing Partner,
Haver & Boecker, Germany.
Some of the events in the bauma
Forum, which included many special items
relating to India, the partner country,
particularly in the rst two days of bauma
2010, had to be cancelled or re-staed. In
total, 44 lectures and events were held as
scheduled, from the third day onwards.
The country specials in the bauma Forum
were organised in cooperation with the
VDMA eV, Germanys engineering
federation and the conceptual sponsor of
bauma.
The 30th bauma will be held, as
planned, in three years time, from 15 to
21 April 2013, in Munich.
enchen.
Jun 2010 39
News & Events

New ideas for land optimisation
JTC Corporation (JTC) has developed
two innovative concepts for optimising
the use of land for industrial facilities
the Cluster Industrial Complex with
Mega-hoist (CICM) and the Plug-andPlay Factory.
The ideas are applicable to all new and
existing industrial estates and industry
clusters.
CICM can be introduced in any
estate where there is high demand for
logistics and a sizeable plot of land is
available. However, JTC says it will seek
the feedback from industry players to
determine which clusters will benet most
from the concept.
The Plug-and-Play Factory is suitable
for estates with high warehousing demand
and which permit the co-location of
workers dormitories.
Feasibility studies and design
development will be completed in two
years time. The implementation time-line
will depend on market demand.
CICM
The CICM concept envisions the
co-location of factories, warehouses,
supporting industries, showrooms, R&D,
oces, and amenities (ie the entire value
chain in a particular industry).
This achieves greater industrial land
and resource optimisation and greater
synergy among dierent industry players.
The concept is a major enhancement
to the materials handling cycle and serves
the logistical needs of all parties in the
high-rise complex.
The construction of a stepped-up
structure which acts as a central cargohandling spine, and the incorporation
of a mega-hoist mechanism, ensure that
materials and goods are moved eciently.
Land use is intensied as the need for
heavy vehicle ramps, as seen in stack-up
factories, is eliminated.
The system can be shared by the
block of manufacturing units (factories)
located on one side of the spine and the
warehousing/logistics facilities on the other
side, thus optimising the use of resources.
There will be no need for factories to have
their own individual warehouses.
The eciency in the materials/goods
movement cycle is improved as the value
The CICM concept envisions the co-location of factories, warehouses, supporting industries, showrooms,
R&D, oces, and amenities (ie the entire value chain in a particular industry). This achieves greater
industrial land and resource optimisation and greater synergy among dierent industry players.
The Plug-and-Play Factory seeks to optimise land use through the sharing of accessways for services, and
through a structurally strengthened central hub that accommodates warehousing, oces, amenities,
and workers dormitories, to which standard factories can be connected.
chain is integrated in one complex.

Productivity will be greatly increased
and operational costs reduced.
Plug-and-Play Factory
The Plug-and-Play Factory is an industrial
development that allows for the colocation of land-based factories with
central warehousing/logistics support,
oces, amenities, and primary / secondary
workers dormitories.
Preliminary analyses, based on
comparisons with JTCs E9 series of
standard factories, have shown that land
savings of up to 30% and an increase in
the land use intensity of up to 70%, can
be achieved.
Jun 2010
Land use is optimised through the

sharing of accessways for services, and
through a structurally strengthened
central
hub
that
accommodates
warehousing, oces, amenities, and
workers dormitories, to which standard
factories can be connected.
Companies can save on the costs
required to build internal roads and
separate workers dormitories, and for the
transportation of goods.
Companies will also have exibility
in the conguration of production spaces
and in the designing of their factories.
Images by JTC.
News & Events

Samwoh unveils initiatives for green
construction
In an eort to meet the stringent
demands of todays construction
market, Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd
(Samwoh) has invested in relevant
leading-edge technologies and focused
on the research and development (R&D)
of green products. The company has
also invested in recycling facilities to
process construction and demolition
waste, asphalt pavement waste and other
industrial by-products, for re-utilisation
in the construction industry.
Housing these activities is the Samwoh
Eco-Green Park which was ocially
opened in late March this year, by Ms
Grace Fu, Singapores Senior Minister
of State for National Development and
Education.
Within the Samwoh Eco-Green Park
are the Samwoh Eco-Green Building,
an asphalt recycling plant, and a green
concrete ready-mixed plant.
Samwoh Eco-Green Building
In response to the governments call,
Samwoh embarked on an ambitious and
forward-thinking demonstration project
to construct what is claimed to be the
rst building structure in the region,
using concrete with up to 100% recycled
concrete aggregate (RCA) which is
derived from construction and demolition
(C&D) waste. The result is the Samwoh
Eco-Green Building.
The facility, which houses a Learning
Hub and the Samwoh R&D Centre, won
a Green Mark for Buildings Award, under
the highest Platinum category, at BCA
AWARDS 2010.
C&D waste constitutes a signicant
proportion of solid waste generated in
Singapore. Its disposal creates major
environmental problems due to the
limited land space available. In the past,
when old buildings were demolished,
the rubble was either discarded or used
for low value works such as land lling.
But today, through extensive R&D work
undertaken jointly by Samwoh, Building
and Construction Authority (BCA),
and Nanyang Technological University
(NTU), technologies have been developed
to recycle the waste to produce RCA, to
At the Ocial Opening of Samwoh Eco-Green Park are, from left to right, Mr Eric Soh, Director,
Samwoh; Mr Joseph Hui Kim Sung, Director-General, NEA; Mr Lam Siew Wah, Deputy Chief
Executive Ocer, BCA; Mr Manohar Khiatani, Chief Executive Ocer, JTC Corporation; Mr
Michael Lim Chairman, LTA; Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development
and Education; Mr Elvin Koh Managing Director, Samwoh; Mr Koh Hoon Lye, Director,
Samwoh; Dr Ho Nyok Yong, Technical Director, Samwoh; Mdm Pang Kok Lian, Director,
Samwoh; and Mr Yam Ah Mee, then Chief Executive, LTA.
Participants at the Ocial Opening of Samwoh Eco-Green Park.
The Samwoh Eco-Green Building winner of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award.
replace natural aggregate for structural

concrete. The project received research
funding from Singapores Ministry of
National Development (MND).
The project comprised two stages
rst, extensive laboratory evaluation of

the performance of concrete with RCA,
and second, the construction of the threestorey building using concrete containing
RCA, with advanced instrumentation
Jun 2010 41
News & Events

installed to monitor the performance of
the structure. The data obtained from the
project can be used to update existing
building code requirements, in order to
allow the use of RCA in all buildings in
the future.
Asphalt recycling plant
Every year, a large amount of asphalt
pavement waste is generated during road
maintenance and rehabilitation. The waste
is largely used for temporary access roads
or as a backll material for the road subbase, both of which have low economic
value. The rising costs of primary materials
have triggered a need to use wastes more
eectively. Samwoh has undertaken
research studies together with the Land
Transport Authority (LTA) and National
Environment Agency (NEA) to study the
eective use of asphalt pavement waste
in the production of asphalt mixtures
for road construction. Both laboratory
and eld studies have shown promising
results.
Following the success of the study,
Samwoh has set up a new asphalt recycling
plant with processing facilities using
advanced technology to recycle asphalt
pavement waste into reclaimed asphalt
pavement (RAP) which contains mainly
aggregate and bitumen that can be reused
in asphalt mixtures for road construction.
This oers an important opportunity
to achieve reductions in the use of natural
aggregate and bitumen, conserve energy,
divert materials from landlls, as well as
reduce costs.
The announcement by LTA in March
2010, approving the use of RAP in
asphalt mixtures for road construction,
will accelerate the development of
sustainable built environments for future
generations.
Green concrete plant
The Samwoh green concrete plant is
capable of producing green concrete
certied under the Singapore Green
Labelling Scheme, that contains recycled
materials such as washed copper slag,
recycled concrete aggregate, and green
cements, for the construction industry.
It can also produce high performance
concrete and other concrete mixtures.
In addition, the plant has a recycling
facility to separate sand and stone from
Through R&D work, technologies have been developed for recycling wastes to produce various
green products.
Extensive R&D works have been carried out.
Concrete waste recycling plant.
Jun 2010
News & Events

fresh waste concrete, which can then be
reused for the manufacturing of green
concrete. The concrete containing RCA
used for the construction of the Samwoh
Eco-Green Building, was delivered by this
plant.
Educating the public
As part of the companys Corporate Social
Responsibility programme, Samwoh EcoGreen Park and other Samwoh recycling
facilities at Sarimbun Recycling Park are
open to the public.
Green concrete plant.
Summary
The completion of Samwoh Eco-Green
Park has opened a new chapter in
sustainable development in Singapore.
The Eco-Green Building represents a
breakthrough in construction technology
through its use of concrete with up to
100% RCA which is beyond the existing
design code limits.
The asphalt pavement waste recycling
plant converts the waste into asphalt
mixtures, which alleviates waste disposal
problems and saves on primary materials
needed for road construction.
The green concrete plant not
only produces green concrete for civil
engineering and building construction,
it can also reclaim sand and stone from
waste concrete, thereby facilitating their
reuse in concrete production.
These
three
facilities
have
demonstrated the possibilities for
sustainable design in the future, where
nothing goes to waste.
Samwoh
Samwoh started business in the early
1970s. Over the years, Samwoh has
morphed into a leading integrated
construction company and green
construction materials supplier. Samwoh
was the top winner at the 2009 Enterprise
50 Awards honouring local, privatelyheld companies which have contributed
to economic development in Singapore
and abroad. Samwoh also received the
inaugural 'Outstanding Sustainability
Award 2010' from the Singapore Business
Federation.
Asphalt recycling plant.
Images by Samwoh.
Jun 2010 43
News & Events

Overcoming site challenges and ensuring
public safety
Three projects were declared Award
Winners at this years BCA Design and
Engineering Safety Excellence Awards
which were part of BCA Awards 2010.
They are 78 Shenton Way and 313@
Somerset, in the Commercial Category,
and City Square Residences, in the
Residential Category. The projects were
chosen from 20 entries, by a panel of
experts from the industry.
Besides the three Award Winners,
several projects were given Merit
Awards for their excellence in design
and engineering safety.
They are 71 Robinson Road, Jurong
Point 2/ The Centris, Changi Terminal
3, City Square Mall, Fusionopolis @
One-North, Marina Barrage, SengKang
N2 C36, Singapore Flyer, and BIDV
HQ (Hanoi).
The BCA Design and Engineering
Safety Excellence Awards recognise
Qualified Persons who are the

engineers for the structural works, and
the project team members, for coming
up with excellent design solutions
that overcome site challenges, while
maintaining a high standard of safety
in their projects.
The challenge in the project
78 Shenton Way was in having to
build a seven-storey office above an
existing four-storey carpark which
had to be operational throughout the
construction. Additionally, the site is
within close proximity of buildings in
one of the busiest parts of Singapore the Central Business District.
The building professionals had
to undertake careful and meticulous
planning of the construction work
without compromising public safety.
For 313@Somerset, the construction
of the new shopping centre involved
diverting the 10 m wide Stamford

Canal at Somerset, and reconstructing
the canal to permanently pass through
the basement of the building.
This is a massive undertaking which
requires extensive risk assessment and
engineering expertise to ensure that the
works are carried out safely. Also, the
building professionals for this project
had to deal with tight space constraints
due to the site being situated close to
the underground MRT line in the heart
of Orchard Road.
The City Square Residences
project involved the building of a 126
m wide diaphragm wall which was
devised by the engineers to mitigate
the risks in constructing three levels of
basement car parks under difficult soil
conditions. The wall also protects the
structural safety of old shophouses in
the vicinity.
78 Shenton Way
Qualied Person
Er. Liew Keng How, Kenneth
The project involved the construction

of a new seven-storey oce building on
top of an existing four-storey carpark,
which had to remain operational
throughout the construction.
C&S Consultant
T.Y.LIN International Pte Ltd
Construction Cost
S$ 65 million
Challenges
Constructing the new oce building
over the existing carpark with minimal
disruption to its operations.
Allowing for column-free oce space
(22 m span).
Dealing with dicult site constraints.
Close proximity to other buildings and
major roads, restricted access to the
construction site, and limited headroom
and workspace in the basement
Introduction
78 Shenton Way is located in the western
part of the Central Business District,
bounded by Shenton Way, Anson Road,
and Keppel Road, with the Keppel Road
yover along the sites boundary.
Solutions
Designing the new building to
straddle over the existing carpark, using
steel, post-tensioned transfer trusses to
support the weight of the additional seven
storeys above it. The steel transfer trusses
Builder
Shimizu Corporation
Developer
Singapore Shenton Holdings Pte Ltd
Architectural Consultant
Forum Architects
Jun 2010
were erected in four segments, each

weighing 65 t. A careful study carried
out on the mobile cranes swinging
radius in relation to site constraints, the
design of a temporary erection tower,
and close liaison with the authorities
regarding road closures, ensured safety
during the erection.
Using composite steel construction
for columns located along the perimeter
of the existing carpark and oor beams
spanning 22 m. The use of composite
steel increases the material strength,
reduces the weight of the structure, and
helps to simplify the construction on
site.
Using o-site fabrication for
structural elements, minimised trac
congestion at the site which is within
the busy Central Business District.
Using a micro-piling system to
address the height and space constraints
within the existing basement, with the
weight of the structure reduced.
News & Events

313@Somerset
Qualified Person
Er. Wong Pui Fun, Joanne
C&S Consultant
Meinhardt Infrastructure Pte Ltd
Builder
Bovis Lend Lease Pte Ltd
Developer
Lend Lease Retail Investments 1 Pte
Ltd
Aedas Pte Ltd
Construction Cost
S$ 220 million
Introduction
313@Somerset is a shopping centre
located on Orchard Road. The project
involved the construction of a sevenstorey retail building, including two
levels of carparks and three basement
levels. Located close to the project are
the Somerset MRT station and train
tunnels. Within the site itself are the
entrance to the Somerset MRT station

and the 10 m-wide Stamford Canal,
both of which had to be fully operational
throughout the construction.
Challenges
Integrating and diverting the 10
m-wide Stamford Canal within the
development, while ensuring the canal
remained fully functional during the
temporary diversion.
Minimising ground movement
throughout the construction, due to
the sites close proximity to the MRT
station and tunnel.
Demolishing and re-constructing
the MRT station entrance, while
ensuring the safety of the MRT
commuters (50,000 commuters daily)
and pedestrians.
Overcoming
difficult
ground
conditions, as the site is sitting on a
thick layer of soft soil.
Solutions
Integrating the Stamford Canal
into the basement of the building. The
canal was diverted from its course into
the building via the construction of a

sheet-pile wall.
It was then encased in a new canal
box section which sits on the buildings
basement slab / beam.
Minimising ground movement
using a diaphragm wall (continuous
reinforced concrete wall), T-panels,
and cross diaphragms.
Constructing temporary sheltered
walkways
for
commuters
and
pedestrians, which required numerous
diversions due to the heavy human
traffic and site constraints.
Using
Building
Information
Modelling(BIM), an IT software that
allowed the project team to visualise
building drawings and plans in 3D,
and perform various functions (for
example, engineering analysis), for the
safe demolition of the existing MRT
entrance.
Performing a finite element analysis
to gauge probable tunnel movement
and adjacent building settlement, for
the design of the buildings diaphragm
wall, due to the difficult soil conditions
on site.
City Square Residences

Qualied Person
Er. Yeo Choon Chong
C&S Consultant
Meinhardt (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Builder
Woh Hup Pte Ltd
Developer
City Developments Ltd
Ong & Ong Architects Pte Ltd
Construction Cost
S$188.7 million
Introduction
City Square Residences is located
along Kitchener Road, near the Farrer
Park MRT station. The 910-unit project

involved the development of six towers
of private residential apartments, with
their heights ranging from 28 to 30
storeys. For the residents, the developer
City Developments Limited incorporated
many eco-friendly features in their
homes. These include green roong,
low-emissivity glazing for windows, a
twin-chute pneumatic waste system, and
a system that collects rainwater to water
the landscaping.
Challenges
Managing excavation works safely,
due to the sites dicult sub-soil
conditions (the site sits on a 20 m thick
layer of soft marine clay), three levels of
basement, the presence of an operating
water mains along the sides of the site,
and old shophouses in the vicinity.
Building condominium apartments

with eco-friendly features.
Using
pre-nished
/
tted
prefabricated bathroom units to fulll
the construction-friendly requirements
of the project.
Solutions
Building a strut-free 126 m diameter
circular diaphragm wall retention system
with capping beams, which facilitated
easy, safe, and fast excavation and
construction of the basement structure.
The adoption of high levels of
pre-cast elements reduces wastage of
material and manpower at site, increases
productivity, and promotes a cleaner
and safer working environment for the
workers. About 77% of the bathrooms
are prefabricated using a reinforced
concrete design support system.
Jun 2010 45
News & Events

Green and Gracious Builder Awards 2010
The Green and Gracious Builder
Awards have been conferred on seven
outstanding builders this year, at BCA
Awards 2010. Two builders attained
the Star category, the highest tier in
this Award, four others clinched the
Excellent Award, and another clinched
the Merit Award.
BCA launched the Green and
Gracious Builder Awards in 2009 to
promote sustainable environmental
protection and gracious practices among
builders during the construction phase
of projects. Builders are rated on their
performance in adopting best practices
in construction site management. From
a two-tier (Excellent and Merit) rating
system in 2009, it has been expanded to a
four-tier rating system with the addition
of Star and Certied categories.
The Star category, the highest tier,
recognises builders with exemplary
practices in sustainability, graciousness,
and innovation, in their operations, that
enabled them to obtain a minimum of
90 points. The Certied category which
encourages new entrants to adopt basic
green practices in their construction
projects, requires winners to achieve a
minimum of 50 points.
Some of the best practices of the
Award winners include the use of piling
methods that produce less noise, rapportbuilding activities with residents in
the surrounding neighbourhood, and
improving employees welfare.
Dragages Singapore, one of the Star
category winners, used prefabricated
bathroom units, window facades, planter
boxes, and staircases, extensively in its
projects. These resulted in increased
productivity and cleanliness at the
construction sites.
In one of its projects, The Trevista @
Toa Payoh, Dragages introduced green
concrete for the key structural elements
of the building such as beams, columns,
and slabs, above ground level. The green
concrete is made up of recycled materials
like washed copper slag, which partially
replaces the quantity of sand used.
Sta welfare was also rated highly
by Dragages. Despite the dusty image
and environment of a construction site,
the rm ensured that the cleanliness of
the toilets was not compromised. At

one of the project sites, The Quayside
Condominium, regular cleaning of
the toilets earned the builder the
highest rating of 5-Star in the Happy
Toilet Programme from the Restroom
Association (Singapore). Dragages was
also the rst construction rm to win
the LOO Award from the association, in
2009, for its eorts to educate workers
on toilet etiquette at project sites and
commitment to the maintenance of
clean toilet facilities. Additionally, in
order to improve inter-team bonding and
camaraderie amongst the workers and
sta, the rm also organised recreational
activities.
We are extremely happy and it is an
honour to receive this Star recognition
from BCA. Respect, commitment
and integrity are our rms core values
that apply to any aspect of our work.
We are resolute to be the leader in
sustainable
development
through
providing sustainable solutions in the
design and construction of our projects,
commented Mr Ludwig Reichhold,
Managing Director, Dragages Singapore
Pte Ltd.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction
Co Ltd (Hyundai Engineering &
Construction) was another recipient of
the Star Award for green and gracious
practices. Guided by its corporate
environmental sustainability policy,
the company utilises energy-ecient
airconditioners at its site oces, uses
bio-diesel fuel for its machinery, built
a water recycling plant to re-use water
for washing, and conserves water with
water-ecient ttings in the toilets.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction
looks into the welfare of its employees
though daily morning exercise, and
provision of vending machines and ice
cube dispensers. In addition, the builder
also invests time and discharges its
corporate social responsibility by involving
its employees in community work.
As a potential global leader in
engineering and construction, Hyundai
Engineering & Construction endeavours
to develop new techniques, and green
and gracious practices to create a safe
and sound working environment, said
Mr Im Jin Mo, Managing Director,
Hyundai Engineering & Construction.
The assessment committee also
witnessed several green and gracious
best practices adopted by the Excellent
Award winners such as Ho Lee
Construction, Millenium International
Builders, Teambuild Construction, and
Chang Hua Construction, and Merit
Award winner, Hexagroup.
In Ho Lees upgrading projects, the
builder used diamond cutters to reduce
noise when removing parapet walls.
In one of its projects located adjacent
to Northbrooks Secondary School,
Ho Lee initiated the installation of
airconditioned units in the classrooms
facing the project site, so that the
students could continue their lessons
without inconveniences. Furthermore,
in a joint effort with the school
management to promote a green culture
in the school, it built new bicycle bays
to encourage students to cycle more
often.
Category
Score
Star
Above 90
Excellent
76-90
Merit
61-75
Certied
50-60
Four-tier rating system.
Jun 2010
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Middle East
News & Events

BCA Construction Excellence
Awards 2010
BCA AWARDS
2010 scales new
heights
A total of 12 Awards and nine Certicates

of Merit were given out under BCAs
Construction Excellence Awards this
year, up from six Awards and two
Certicates of Merit in 2009.
Of the 12 award winners, luxury
condominiums under the residential
building category, took up ve places.
Two civil engineering projects also
stood out to win Awards. They are
the underground construction of the
Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE)
and the rst stage of the Circle Line.
This year, local builder Tiong Seng
Contractors (Pte) Ltd clinched three of
the 12 Awards - for the construction of
Parc Emily Condominium, RiverEdge,
and St. Regis Residences (a jointventure with Kajima Overseas Asia Pte
Ltd). All three condominiums achieved
high CONQUAS scores of 94.1, 89.7
and 89.4 respectively, and were certied
under BCAs Quality Mark (QM) for
Good Workmanship scheme. On the
average, the industry CONQUAS score
for private housing in 2009 was 85.4.
Through the QM scheme, builders
are able to ensure that high quality
homes are delivered to homeowners
consistently so that developers are able
to reduce inconvenience to their clients.
Homeowners of QM-certied units are
The Building and Construction

Authority (BCA) handed out 159
awards at the annual BCA Awards.
Firms and projects were accorded
recognition for categories such as design
and engineering safety excellence,
construction excellence, universal
design, Green Mark, as well as green and
gracious builder, and built environment
leadership.
A new category of Green Mark
Awards, the BCA-NParks Green Mark
for New Parks, was created.
Meanwhile, the government has
introduced incentive funding of S$
250 million through the Construction
Productivity and Capability Fund
(CPCF).
The fund consists of seven
specic schemes to tackle areas such
as technology adoption, manpower
development and skills upgrading, as
well as capability building in niche areas.
It is coupled with policy changes such
as introducing a new tiered-levy system,
reducing the man-year entitlement and
enhancing the buildability framework.
Although applications for the
CPCF were scheduled to begin from 1
June 2010, the construction industry
has been responding positively to
the productivity call since a series of
briengs on the schemes in the CPCF
was conducted from mid-April for more
than 2,000 rms.
A group of construction companies
(comprising a builder, a consultant and
a concrete supplier), for example, is
preparing to apply for funding under
the Productivity Improvement Project
scheme (PIP) one of the schemes
under the S$ 250 million fund.
To improve one of the work
processes, the team is proposing to
introduce self-ow concrete which can
reduce the number of workers required
to do concreting work by at least twothirds. It also reduces the need for
concrete vibrators for their construction
projects, thus saving on both time and
cost.
also reportedly more satised with their

purchases and required less rectication
work to be done.
Under the QM scheme, each unit
in a newly completed residential project
will be assessed by a set of prescribed
standards to ensure the high quality
of the internal nishing including the
water-tightness of the bathrooms.
As part of the requirements, any
major defects discovered during the
assessment will have to be rectied
before the residential units are handed
over to the homeowners. About 30,000
residential units have been committed
to the scheme since it was launched in
2002.
Newly launched units that have
committed to the scheme have
signicantly risen over the years.
The general improvement in
construction quality and workmanship
over the years, has led to more projects
qualifying for the Construction
Excellence Awards. As such, the
qualifying scores for some of the
categories will be raised for nominations
in 2011.
Since the Awards were introduced in
1986, BCA has conferred 318 Awards
and Certicates of Merit, to builders for
quality and workmanship.
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IES COUNCIL MEMBERS

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Courtesy visit by IFEES

Engineering Education Forum (WEEF)

a presentation of tokens and a dinner

at Ngee Ann Polytechnic; Gardens by the

Visit to Solar Technology Centre @ Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

6 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

mentoring was not limited to sharing of

Students admiring the barrage simulation at the Marina Barrage Gallery.

Intuitive design that

Maximise productivity with powerful features such as automated

Manage changes easily and reduce your business overheads.

Provide true Value Engineering for your client.

Integrates with leading BIM and steel detailing software including

Discover the benefits of Fastrak for yourself

Dont just take

Are you familiar

Fastrak has saved us time

CSC was confident that

in reliable, fast and flexible steel

Fastrak Building Designer

Er Soo comments, It was essential

We invested in training in-house

Fastrak Building Designer also

Whats more, CSCs technical support

Getting started with Fastrak Building

Fastrak Building Designer

Discover the benefits of Fastrak for yourself

Carpark at Blk 1A,

Fig1: Site layout plan.

10 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

jogging track, 840

Fig 2: Overall view of the completed The Pinnacle@Duxton.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

(eg for bending moments and shear

Fig 3: Typical workow using SE CAD.

properties of the soil. The Duxton site

about 7 m in length (Fig 5) compared