The Singapore Engineer January 2024 by The Singapore Engineer

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024 | MCI (P) 002/03/2024

Twenty-six projects receive recognition at HDB Awards 2023

PLUS

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023: Celebrating structural engineering achievements CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: Design economics of semi-submersible offshore floating solar farms TUNNEL ENGINEERING: A novel method based on proven technologies

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CONTENTS FEATURES

COVER STORY

08 Twenty-six projects receive recognition at HDB Awards 2023 They were honoured for their excellence in design, engineering and construction.

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

14 Celebrating structural engineering achievements The winning projects reflect the increasing societal and environmental role of structural engineers.

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

22 Design economics of semi-submersible offshore floating solar farms A cost-effective solution, that overcomes the many technical challenges, is proposed.

TUNNEL ENGINEERING

27 A novel method based on proven technologies The basic features of the innovation and the range of possible applications as well as the benefits offered are presented.

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

30 Preparing for Singapore’s new safety requirements Digitalisation is the way forward.

President Mr Dalson Chung Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com

Publications Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Publications Executive Nuraini Ahmad nuraini@iesnet.org.sg

Editorial Panel Dr Chandra Segaran Dr Ang Keng Been Dr Aaron Sham A/Prof Yuzhu Pearl Li Mr Jaime Vega Bautista Jr Dr Victor Sim Mr Soon Ren Jun Dr Alexander Wiegand Media Representative Multi Nine Corporation Pte Ltd sales@multi9.com.sg

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Cover designed by Irin Kuah Cover image by KTP Consultants Pte Ltd Published by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758 Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108 Printed in Singapore

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PROJECT APPLICATION

32 World RX racetrack in Hong Kong built with sustainable solutions These include the deployment of electric machines and digitalisation. 33 Bridging Sarawak’s supply chains A cable-stayed bridge in northern Borneo will provide valuable access for farmers and traders. 34 Renovation of the athletics track in Rome’s Olympic Stadium A high performance, cold milling machine was used.

35 Stage design realised with 200 tonnes of scaffolding The task presented a number of challenges in terms of logistics, calculations and manpower. 36 Construction of Germany’s tallest timber high-rise underway Tower cranes with fibre rope were chosen for the lifting operations.

COASTAL PROTECTION & FLOOD MANAGEMENT

38 Singapore’s first Centre of Excellence to build long-term capability and pipeline of professionals launched Initiative to address rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

REGULAR SECTIONS 04 IES UPDATE 05 NEWS & EVENTS 40 PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

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

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

IES UPDATE

A CHARTERED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST’S ‘TRAINING JOURNEY’ AT LTA by Grace Chia, SkillsFuture Singapore, Public Engagement Division Diploma-holder Azhar Yeo has progressed from starting as an Engineering Officer at LTA to becoming an Engineer, through his passion for his field, hard work and demonstrable skills. Despite not having a degree, former technician Azhar Yeo has become a Chartered Engineering Technologist accredited by IES, after years of hard work and having demonstrated exceptional engineering skills and competency. With a Diploma in Automation in Mechatronic Systems from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Azhar started his career at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2014, as an Engineering Officer. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a Senior Assistant Engineer in 2016 and a Principal Assistant Engineer in 2017. In 2021, Azhar’s bosses nominated him for IES’ Engineering Chartership Certification Scheme which recognises skills, in place of traditional paper qualifications. Things started happening rapidly soon after. Not only did Azhar become accredited as a Chartered Engineering Technologist by IES, he was entrusted with more work projects at LTA and was offered a full scholarship to pursue a degree at SIT. Last year, Azhar was promoted to the role of Engineer. Today, he helps IES create assessments for the Chartership and volunteers as an assessor for the nominees. It is a way for him to pay it forward, so he can help build the confidence of his peers just as the Chartership has built his. “The IES Engineering Chartership Certification Scheme recognises technical skills of those with vocational qualifications. I was in the pioneer batch sent by LTA for this initiative which provides me with an edge over my colleagues,” said Azhar. While Azhar’s life journey seems smooth sailing, it did not begin that way. In fact, he had dropped out of his first-year diploma studies before joining National Service. Something 04

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

Azhar is currently an engineer at LTA’s Rail Asset, Operation and Maintenance Group.

shifted inside him, and upon the completion of his NS, his resolve to do better was cemented, and he has been focusing on his career progression since then. Azhar’s favourite motto? Change is the only constant. He shares, “Don’t be afraid to learn new skills, even if you think the skills are not relevant to you. Any skills that you learn today and tomorrow is a step towards progress.” Marrying science and innovation It was a desire to innovate that sparked Azhar’s early interest in his current field. “The science behind innovation fascinates me,” he says. As an example of innovative thinking and successful outcomes, Azhar mentions that, in train design, conventionally, the evaporator of the air-con system is located on the roof of the train while the condenser is located under the carriage. Due to wear and tear, over time, the insulation degrades, causing condensation inside the train. Furthermore, MRT stations are built with an ‘under platform ventilation system’ whose purpose is to remove hot air emitting from the

condenser unit. Having this ventilation system adds to the construction and maintenance cost. “In designing the newer trains for the Jurong Regional Line, we combined both the condenser and evaporator on the roof, allowing maintenance to be done easier, saving maintenance costs and the construction cost of the under-platform ventilation system,” said Azhar. When passion meets the personal Azhar’s passion for his job is palpable. “When I was at my previous department, my work involved project commissioning and testing for upcoming MRT lines. During project commissioning and testing, I would only sleep a few hours every night. Adding to the lack of sleep and stress, sometimes, the systems won’t behave the way you want them to,” he explains. “When a new MRT line is opened, it warms my heart. Not only because I am someone who takes the train daily, but also because I know I have played a part in helping Singapore commuters get from point A to point B quickly,” Azhar continued. For more information, log on to https://cebsg.org/

NEWS & EVENTS

Completion of connecting span in the RTS Link project On 11 January 2024, the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia, His Excellency Mr Lee Hsien Loong and YAB Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim, met at the Straits of Johor, to commemorate the completion of the connecting span in the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) project. The 17.1 m long connecting span is a reinforced concrete structure that spans Malaysia’s Pier 47 and Singapore’s Pier 48, and connects the RTS Link marine viaduct from both sides. Weighing about 340 tonnes, the connecting span was constructed using steel support structures at more than 26 m above sea level. In March 2023, Singapore commemorated the completion of the final concrete casting of the pile cap for Pier 48 which is the pier on the Singapore side located closest to Malaysia. This milestone marked the completion of the second of 12 pile caps, to provide the foundation for the piers that will be constructed to support the rail viaduct structure crossing the Straits of Johor. All 12 pile caps, which form the foundation for the piers supporting the 730 m RTS Link marine and land viaduct on the Singapore side, have been completed. Construction of the piers as well as the launch of viaduct segments are ongoing. The viaduct will connect through underground tunnels to the RTS Link Woodlands North station, which is being constructed at a maximum depth of 28 m. Construction works for the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) building, tunnels and viaduct for the RTS Link started in 2021. Works in Singapore are progressing well, with about two-thirds of the overall civil infrastructure works completed to-date. The CIQ building will have three storeys, with two basement levels. An underground Basement 3 linkway will connect the CIQ building to the station. Construction of the linkway has been completed and the remain-

ing works are progressing well. The total gross floor area of the RTS Link Woodlands North station and CIQ building is approximately 10 times the size of a typical MRT station. These will be seamlessly connected to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Woodlands North MRT station via an underground concourse. The CIQ building is designed to BCA’s Green Mark Platinum Certification, with energy-saving products incorporated into its design and operations. These include features such as LED lighting, solar panels and a hybrid cooling system. The CIQ facilities of Singapore and Malaysia will be co-located at the Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations. Hence, passengers only need to clear immigration authorities at their point of departure. When the RTS Link commences passenger service at the end of 2026, it will significantly improve connec-

tivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru, and help to ease congestion along the Causeway. After civil infrastructure works are completed, they will be handed over to RTS Operations Pte Ltd to carry out the installation works for the RTS Link rail systems. RTS Operations Pte Ltd is a joint-venture company formed between Prasarana Malaysia Berhad and SMRT Corporation Ltd to operate the RTS Link service. The RTS Link is a 4 km rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru, with a peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Passengers will enjoy a fast and seamless travel experience between Singapore and Johor Bahru on the RTS Link, with a train journey time of about five minutes between the two stations.

PortxGroup to distribute Hyster products in key Asian countries Hyster-Yale Group, a leading integrated full-line lift truck manufacturer, has announced a strategic partnership with PortxGroup, a prominent player in logistics solutions, to exclusively distribute Hyster products in key Asian countries. The agreement positions PortxGroup as the sole Hyster dealer for sea ports and terminals in Thailand,

Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea, adding to PortxGroup’s earlier appointment as a Hyster dealer for the Pacific region. Leveraging its extensive experience and robust networks in the sea ports and container terminals across Asia, PortxGroup will focus on expanding the presence of Hyster’s container handling equipment in the region.

Hyster container handling equipment.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

NEWS & EVENTS

Steady demand for the construction sector projected for 2024 The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) projects the total construction demand, i.e. the value of construction contracts to be awarded, to range between SGD 32 billion and SGD 38 billion in nominal terms in 2024. The public sector is expected to drive total construction demand in 2024, reaching between SGD 18 billion and SGD 21 billion, mainly from public housing and infrastructure projects. Some of the major upcoming public sector projects scheduled to be awarded in 2024 include the Housing & Development Board’s (HDB) new Built-To-Order (BTO) developments, additional Cross Island MRT Line contracts (Phase 2), infrastructure works for the future Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5) and Tuas Port developments, and other major road enhancement and drainage improvement works. Private sector construction demand is projected to be between SGD 14 billion and SGD 17 billion in 2024. BCA anticipates that private sector construction demand in 2024 will come mainly from residential developments under the Government Land Sales, expansion of the two Integrated Resorts, redevelopment of commercial premises, as well as development of mixed-used properties and industrial facilities. PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION DEMAND IN 2023 The preliminary construction demand for 2023 reached SGD 33.8 billion, due to an uptrend in tender prices, expediting of construction awards for several private residential projects and ramping up of HDB’s public housing projects. This exceeded BCA’s forecast of SGD 27 billion to SGD 32 billion in January 2023. Public sector construction demand reached SGD 19.5 billion in 2023, driven by major projects including Cross Island MRT Line (Phases 1 & 2), institutional building 06

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

developments and HDB’s BTO developments. Private sector construction demand also improved from SGD 12.5 billion in 2022 to SGD 14.3 billion in 2023, due to residential developments under the Government Land Sales and on past en-bloc sales sites, integrated developments and major hotel refurbishment projects. FORECAST FOR 2025 TO 2028 BCA expects a steady improvement in construction demand over the medium term. It is projected to reach between SGD 31 billion and SGD 38 billion per year, from 2025 to 2028. The public sector will continue to lead the demand and is expected to contribute SGD 19 billion to SGD 23 billion per year, from 2025 to 2028, with building projects and civil engineering works constituting about 70% and 30%, respectively. Besides public housing developments, public sector construction demand over the medium term will be supported by various major developments, such as MRT projects including Cross Island Line (Phase 3) and Downtown Line Extension to Sungei Kadut, Alexandra Hospital redevelopment, a new integrated hospital at Bedok, Toa Payoh Integrated Development, Siglap South Integrated Development and redevelopment of various Junior Colleges. BCA also expects private sector construction demand to remain stable in the medium term at between Year

SGD 12 billion and SGD 15 billion per year, from 2025 to 2028. CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT Based on the contracts awarded in the past few years and considering the construction demand forecast for 2024, the total nominal construction output (i.e. the value of certified progress payments) in 2024 is projected to increase to between SGD 34 billion and SGD 37 billion, from the estimated SGD 34.8 billion in 2023. The continued uptrend is expected to be supported by a consistent level of construction demand in the last few years and the expected increase in 2024 demand. ACCELERATING INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION While there is steady demand in the sector, there are geopolitical and economic uncertainties, which the sector needs to manage. BCA will continue with efforts under the Built Environment Industry Transformation Map to build the sector’s resilience amidst a more challenging environment. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT FRAMEWORK Enhancing the Standard Consultancy Agreement One such effort is the review of the Standard Consultancy Agreement which is a common contract form

Construction Demand (Value of contracts awarded, S$billion)

Construction Output (Value of certified progress payments, S$billion)

Public

Private

Total

2023 p

19.5

14.3

33.8

34.8

2024 f

18 – 21

14 – 17

32 - 38

34 - 37

2025 – 28 f

19 - 23 per year

12 - 15 per year

31 - 38 per year

p: preliminary, f: forecast Construction Demand and Construction Output.

NEWS & EVENTS

used for public sector construction-related consultancy tenders across the various disciplines, i.e. architectural, engineering, quantity surveying and project management. This review is part of the regular efforts to ensure that the procurement approach remains fair and progressive. BCA has worked with the relevant Trade Association and Chambers as well as various consultancy firms to identify common pain points and develop a suite of proposed enhancements to tackle these issues. The intended outcomes of these enhancements are as follows: • A clearer definition of the scope of services for consultants upfront so that agencies and consultants are aligned in their understanding of the consultants’ roles and responsibilities, and consultants can accurately size the expected effort and price their tender bids accordingly. • Maintain fair and timely remuneration for consultants, commensurate with the scope of work

provided e.g. by making clear that consultants may request for fee adjustments for additional services required by agencies during a project, by updating the man-hour rates used to compute the fee adjustments. • A more balanced allocation of risk, e.g. providing cost-sharing in the event of significant construction delays, where the delays are due to issues beyond the consultant’s control. BCA plans to implement these enhancements later this year. Enhancements to the Quality Fee Method Framework BCA has also refined the Quality Fee Method (QFM) Framework which provides government agencies with guidelines on the evaluation of construction-related consultancy tenders. To place greater emphasis on quality, BCA will make the following enhancements to the QFM Framework, among others: • Enhance the framework for tem-

porary suspension of consultancy firms which are found to have poor performance so that it prevents them from taking on additional public sector projects, and to encourage firms to uphold high standards in their existing projects. Sufficient lead time will be given for firms to improve their performance. The enhanced suspension framework will only be implemented a year from now. • Require more projects to be shortlisted for tender via evaluation of quality scores instead of through balloting. • Enhance differentiation in quality scores by revising the quality scoring formula and creating wider spread in tenderer’s quality scores. BCA will also explore how to further encourage sustainable bidding behaviour by piloting a revised feescore formula. This will disqualify unsustainably low fee bids and reduce the score for bids that are substantially lower than other tenderers in public sector projects.

Barry Sum appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Asia Infrastructure Solutions Underscoring its unwavering commitment to Asian market leadership, Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc (GISI) has announced the appointment of Mr Barry Sum as the Chief Executive Officer of Asia Infrastructure Solutions (AIS), a GISI company. He will lead and expand AIS’ business operations across Asia, bringing extensive operation experience and strategic insight to the position. Mr Sum brings nearly three decades of robust leadership experience to the role, specialising in civil and social infrastructure projects across Asia. Before joining AIS, he had a successful tenure at Hong Kong MTR Corporation Limited from 2019 to November 2023 as General Manager – New Territories (Proj-

ects), overseeing the full project life cycle of the delivery of new railway extension projects in the New Territories. Prior to this, Mr Sum was with AECOM (and its legacy company, Maunsell) from 1995 to 2019, serving as Senior Vice President and leading the strategic development of the transportation business in Asia. Tony Shum, GISI Co-Founder, Board Director, and Chairman Asia said, “I welcome Barry to the GISI family. I am confident that under Barry’s capable leadership, AIS will prosper. Together with J Roger Preston (JRP) and Hill International, the GISI Asia group of companies can provide holistic, sustainable solutions to our clients as trusted partners.” Alex Kwan, GISI CEO Asia, wel-

comed Barry to the GISI family, expressing great confidence in his capabilities, especially in the areas of Mr Barry Sum innovation and technology. Mr Sum shared his enthusiasm about the new role, stating, “I believe in the immense potential of AIS and its talented workforce. As CEO, my focus will be on fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence, driving us to new heights. We will capitalise on the significant Asian growth potential by tailoring our strategies, expanding our footprint, and deepening our relationships with clients and partners.”

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COVER STORY

Twenty-six projects receive recognition at HDB Awards 2023 They were honoured for their excellence in design, engineering and construction. Twenty-six HDB Design, Engineering and Construction Awards were presented last year to architectural and engineering consultants, as well as building contractors, for public housing projects that have demonstrated excellent design, engineering and construction. Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee presented the awards to the winners at the HDB Awards ceremony held on 16 October 2023. “Amidst challenging times for the construction industry, our building partners have worked hard to deliver quality projects, while demonstrating excellence in design and engineering. We congratulate them on their

achievements and thank them for putting their best foot forward. The slate of winning projects exemplifies our commitment to provide attractive public housing developments that meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans,” said Mr Tan Meng Dui, Chief Executive Officer, Housing & Development Board (HDB). “It is also encouraging to see many of our industry partners adopting greater use of technology to increase productivity while maintaining high construction standards and safety. With the steady recovery of the construction industry, we will continue to work in close partnership with our industry partners, as we catch up on construction delays

and deliver more homes to Singaporeans,” he added. PUSHING THE FRONTIERS OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE Twelve projects clinched the Design Award. SkyResidence @ Dawson Among the winning projects, SkyResidence @ Dawson by Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd stands out for its distinctive architectural design. Bounded by Margaret Drive and Commonwealth Avenue, the project sits on the site of the old Queenstown Town Centre and the Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market.

SkyResidence @ Dawson comprises two 27-storey blocks and six 47-storey blocks. The curvilinear design creates an interesting skyline. Image: Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd. 08

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COVER STORY

In conceptualising the design of this project, Surbana Jurong Consultants sought to integrate the new high-rise blocks with the surrounding developments and greenery, and retain the site’s heritage as a landmark area. To create an interesting skyline, the eight residential blocks are designed in curvilinear form, with staggered heights ranging from 27 storeys to 47 storeys. The curved blocks encircle a central plaza where six mature Angsana trees have been conserved. Within the plaza, the former Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market at Blk 38 has also been conserved and converted for commercial use. Heritage elements have been incorporated into the design of the project, in tribute to the iconic, historical buildings in the area. For instance, walls that are reminiscent of the old market building have been recreated. On the ground floor and at lookout points, heritage markers showcasing old photos of cherished landmarks such as the former Venus and Golden City Theatres, and the former Queenstown swimming pool, have been installed as a reminder of where they used to stand. A key feature of SkyResidence @ Dawson is the provision of abundant greenery, which brings to life, the ‘Housing-in-a-Park’ vision for Dawson estate. The project features a generous 1.7 ha of green space, equivalent to more than half of the entire project’s land area. The residential blocks have been designed with landscaping at various levels. A ‘green ribbon’, comprising a 500 m long landscaped deck, connects all eight residential blocks from the ground floor to the eighth floor, while two sky terraces adorn the 27th storey, providing good views of the surrounding area. Fitted out with seating nooks, multi-generational play areas and fitness corners, these spaces not only bring greenery closer to residents’ doorsteps, but also provide opportunities for residents to interact and bond over activities.

Blocks circle around the existing Angsana trees and the conserved Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market at Blk 38. Image: Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd.

The 500 m long meandering Green Ribbon, a unique feature of the project, runs from the ground to the 8th storey of the blocks, thus intensifying the green density of the development. Images: Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COVER STORY

CELEBRATING ENGINEERING INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE On the engineering front, six consultant teams were conferred the Engineering Award, in recognition of their innovative engineering solutions in the development of their building projects. Woodleigh Village Among the winning teams is KTP Consultants Pte Ltd who clinched the Engineering Award (Design) for its innovative engineering solutions to address the tight site conditions at Woodleigh Village. Designed as an integrated transport, residential and commercial hub, Woodleigh Village provides direct connectivity to a mall, hawker centre as well as the Woodleigh MRT station and a basement bus interchange. With each structural component having its unique design requirements, the project presented significant engineering design challenges. As the bus interchange had to be constructed at the basement, KTP devised an engineering solution that would allow for its ceiling to be laid out in a safe and contiguous manner. The aim was to reduce the number of supporting columns as

well as to provide greater flexibility for the interior layout of the bus interchange and driving lanes. This was achieved through the use of a flat plate system, a reinforced concrete frame supported on minimal columns and load-bearing walls, as well as post-tensioned slabs which are thin yet strong. With an active MRT line located near the development site, an Automated Tunnel Monitoring System (ATMS) had to be installed to monitor any movements caused by construction activities and prevent damage to the rail infrastructure. The consultants procured and installed the system early in the development and this enabled construction within the protected rail zones to commence as quickly as possible. KTP implemented a hybrid construction approach to ensure minimal construction impact to the MRT structures and services. This innovative construction concept combines top-down and bottom-up techniques for the integrated structure, which includes the basement bus interchange, Pneumatic Waste Conveyance System (PWCS) terminal at the first storey, an environmental deck at the third storey and residential blocks.

While the traditional bottom-up construction method, involving sequential construction from the foundation upwards, was carefully applied to the PWCS terminal area, the top-down method adopted in other areas involved constructing the first-storey permanent structures first, while simultaneously excavating to the lower basement level for concurrent construction. This holistic engineering approach ensured the timely completion of the PWCS terminal while safeguarding the MRT structures and services. RAISING THE BAR FOR CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE Eight projects bagged the HDB Construction Award for their innovative construction solutions to overcome site-specific challenges while upholding the quality of the project and safety of the workers. Of these, five projects are from the Housing Category, while the remaining three are from the Upgrading Category. For the second year in a row, all four winning projects under the Housing Category attained the CONQUAS Star, the highest CONQUAS rating conferred upon projects for

Located in Bidadari estate, Woodleigh Village, an integrated development, comprises residential units, a hawker centre and bus interchange. The project is equipped with a Pneumatic Waste Conveyance System (PWCS) which makes waste disposal more hygienic and less labour-intensive. Image: KTP Consultants Pte Ltd. 10

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COVER STORY

quality workmanship, with scores above 95. This is testament to the high benchmark set by public housing projects for construction excellence. Clementi Peaks Among the award-winning projects is Clementi Peaks, undertaken by construction firm Welltech Construction Pte Ltd. Located in a densely built-up area in Clementi town and next to an existing MRT Line, the project comprises 1,104 dwelling units in four residential blocks ranging in height from 15 storeys to 40 storeys. Despite major site constraints, it received a high CONQUAS Star score of 97.8. From the outset, Welltech identified key project challenges and implemented innovative solutions to manage them. To raise construction productivity, the project team leveraged collaborative technological platforms such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), an advanced 3D modelling tool, and Virtual

Design & Construction (VDC), a 3D building visualisation tool, to virtually simulate the construction activities, allowing refinements to be made, before construction started. For instance, to construct the three 40-storey high blocks in time for delivery, plans were made in advance, to deploy additional tower cranes and material hoists, so that the transportation of building materials could be optimised. Working in a site surrounded by existing live services also posed challenges. For example, Welltech had to construct a detention tank in between an existing PUB water pipe and power cables. Also, a sheltered bus stop linking to the development along Clementi Avenue 1 had to be shifted and reconstructed. With round-the-clock supervision of the excavation works and careful diversion of the water pipe, the team was able to complete the works on schedule, without disrupting live services.

For this project, Welltech also collaborated with HDB and the National University of Singapore (NUS) in a joint research project to pilot the use of computer vision to monitor the progress of construction on site. Together with video footage from closed-circuit television cameras mounted on tower cranes, this enabled the project team to detect potential safety hazards and take prompt corrective action. For example, safety personnel would receive a notification on their mobile devices when workers moved too close to an open edge or stood under a lifted load. With the alert, site supervisors would then quickly check and correct any potentially unsafe situations. The project team also made use of mobile applications to tag and track defective items during construction. By analysing the data generated and continuously improving processes, the team was able to deliver quality workmanship.

Centrally located in Clementi town, Clementi Peaks offers high-rise living with a lush roof garden and ample facilities. Images: Welltech Construction Pte Ltd. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COVER STORY

Alkaff Oasis Also receiving the HDB Construction Award was CES Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd, the appointed contractor for Alkaff Oasis. Comprising 16 residential blocks with 1,594 dwelling units, it is one of the largest BTO projects to-date. The project is sited on six hectares of land located on higher ground, with a steep slope facing the surrounding landed houses and schools. Right from the start, CES put in place, earth control measures, such as the construction of an integrated temporary retaining wall cum holding tank to prevent any potential flooding from the site to the adjacent low-lying areas. A key feature of Alkaff Oasis is

the massive crescent-shaped bridge measuring 18 m high and spanning up to 36 m. The bridge connects two residential blocks to a large roof garden that straddles two multi-storey carparks. CES skilfully constructed the massive and heavy falsework (temporary framework structures used to support a building during construction) which allowed vehicular flow to support the transportation of materials during construction. Hoisting racks were used to overcome the difficulties of installing curved railings on the bridge. The racks helped to improve safety, as workers did not have to stand too close to the edge, to install the railings. Fewer workers were also needed to carry out the installation, thus

increasing productivity. STAYING THE COURSE WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS The COVID-induced disruptions to the construction industry over the last three years underscore the importance of innovation, collaboration and resilience in overcoming unprecedented challenges. The winning contractors and consultants have persevered and adapted to the challenges and constraints by innovating and pushing boundaries, to deliver quality homes safely. With the steady recovery of the construction industry, HDB will continue to work closely with and support industry partners to deliver homes to Singaporeans.

Alkaff Oasis: Tight site conditions did not hamper CES Engineering & Construction’s ability to construct a massive crescent-shaped bridge providing direct access from residential blocks to the roof garden. Images: CES Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd. 12

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COVER STORY WINNERS OF HDB AWARDS 2023 HDB DESIGN AWARD Design Award Category (Completed) Housing

Consultant

Project

Building & Research Institute (HDB) P & T Consultants Pte Ltd Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

Woodleigh Glen Sky Vista @ Bukit Batok SkyResidence @ Dawson SkyOasis @ Dawson

Innovative Design Award Category (To Be Built) Housing (To Be Built) Rejuvenation

Consultant

Project

SAA Architects Pte Ltd SAA Architects Pte Ltd

Alexandra Vale Ulu Pandan C1 - C3

Tan + Tsakonas Architects

Rejuvenation of Toa Payoh Town Centre under Remaking Our Heartland programme

Certificate of Merit (Design) Category (To Be Built) Housing

(To Be Built) Mixed Development (To Be Built) Rejuvenation

Consultant

Project

Building & Research Institute (HDB) JGP Architecture (S) Pte Ltd Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

Queensway Canopy Havelock Hillside Bukit Merah Ridge

MKPL Architects Pte Ltd

Kallang Horizon

Tan + Tsakonas Architects

Rejuvenation of Toa Payoh N5 Neighbourhood Centre under Remaking Our Heartland programme

HDB ENGINEERING AWARD Engineering Award (Design) Category (Completed) Building

Consultant

Project

KTP Consultants Pte Ltd LSW Consulting Engineers Pte Ltd

Woodleigh Village (Bidadari C5) Northshore Cove (Punggol North C4)

Innovative Engineering Award (Design) Category (To Be Built) Building

Consultant

Project

Obayashi Singapore Pte Ltd, P&T Consultants Pte Ltd and Building & Research Institute (HDB) Building & Research Institute (HDB)

Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah (Tengah Garden C3, C7 & CG) Central Weave @ AMK (Ang Mo Kio N7 C30)

Certificate of Merit – Engineering (Design) Category (To Be Built) Building (Completed) Rejuvenation

Consultant

Project

Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

Heart of Yew Tee (Choa Chu Kang N6 C5A)

LSW Consulting Engineers Pte Ltd

Addition and Alteration Works to Admiralty Place at Woodlands Avenue 6

HDB CONSTRUCTION AWARD Construction Award Category Housing

Upgrading

Contractor CES Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd Kay Lim Construction & Trading Pte Ltd Teambuild Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd Welltech Construction Pte Ltd Kay Lim Construction & Trading Pte Ltd SCT Construction Pte Ltd Welltech Construction Pte Ltd

Project Alkaff Oasis Forest Spring @ Yishun Northshore Edge Clementi Peaks Design and Build of Upgrading Projects for 28A Design and Build of Upgrading Projects for 27C Design and Build of Upgrading Projects for 27B

Contractor Sim Lian Construction Co (Pte) Ltd

Project Senja Valley

Certificate of Merit Category Housing

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

Celebrating structural engineering achievements The winning projects reflect the increasing societal and environmental role of structural engineers. At an awards ceremony held in London on 10 November 2023, the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) announced the winners of the Structural Awards 2023. The coveted ‘2023 Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence’ was awarded to Canadian-based structural engineering and timber construction firm, StructureCraft, for its work on The Nancy Pauw Bridge in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The 80 m bridge spans the Bow River, connecting the town’s Central Park to its Recreation Grounds, and pays tribute to Nancy Pauw, a well-known Banff resident and keen cyclist. Judged according to the four core attributes of Planet, People, Process and Profession, the overall winner encapsulated IStructE’s increasing focus on the societal and environmental role of structural engineers. The prestigious award not only recognises a commitment to sustain-

Nancy Pauw Bridge. 14

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able construction but also showcases StructureCraft’s impressive skills and ingenuity. The firm’s talented team designed the bridge such that it will have no impact on the river’s varied yet delicate ecosystem. This was achieved with a clear and low-profile span which blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings. Going further, StructureCraft directly answered the project’s sustainability brief – using natural and engineered timber for the entirety of the bridge. The firm employed a clever combination of a shallow arch, using Glulam which is an alternative to steel, for the girders, and weathering steel haunches to ensure structural stability. StructureCraft also ensured optimal vibration performance with a central-tuned mass damper. This unique feature tunes the bridge to walking and jogging frequencies, reducing vibrations and resulting in an impressive, slender, long-span timber structure.

The judges hailed the project as an inspiring example of structural engineering, which ‘truly embodied all four judging attributes’. A total of 11 projects received the Structural Awards 2023. They were chosen for their positive social impact, innovation, ingenuity and contribution to the structural engineering profession. Each project was praised for its implementation of environmentally-friendly structural solutions, with a special emphasis on reducing embodied carbon. Commenting on this year’s winners, Chair of the Judging Panel and Chartered Member of IStructE, Professor John Orr said, “A massive congratulations to the StructureCraft team. Its work on the Nancy Pauw Bridge not only demonstrates the vital and important work structural engineers perform, it also showcases their unique problem-solving skills and ability to deliver structures which impact positively on social and environmental issues.”

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

“They were joined by a host of other impressive winners, recognised for their intelligent use of materials, circular approaches to design and low-carbon construction. Now in its second year, the new attribute-based judging framework is helping to paint a better picture of how structural engineers are supporting a safer and more sustainable built environment,” he added. WINNERS OF STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023 The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence Award for engineering artistry in the creation of a light touch, low profile timber bridge Winner: Nancy Pauw Bridge Location: Alberta, Canada Structural Designer: StructureCraft Client: Town of Banff Key Attributes: Planet, Process

Project description An exceptionally low profile, clear span timber bridge over the Bow River, in Banff, one of the most popular tourist destinations in North America. The creation of the Nancy Pauw Bridge provides a pedestrian crossing at the site, realising a dream that planners had first envisioned in 1914. The result is a graceful, unobtrusive structure that fits in with the beautiful surroundings and causes minimal interference with local wildlife. Judge’s comments This spectacular timber arch bridge has an 80 m clear span. The technical challenges of the incredibly shallow arch were expertly overcome by the engineers. Vibration damping was well considered, and an innovative tuned mass damper installed. The project team has responded to the considerable structural, environmental, and ecological challenges to deliver a bridge that celebrates the natural environment of Banff

through the use of natural materials. A fantastic example of technically adept ‘light touch’ engineering. Award for advancing industry knowledge of steel reuse in buildings Winner: Holbein Gardens Location: London, UK Structural Designer: Heyne Tillett Steel Client: Grosvenor Key Attributes: Planet, Profession Project description The refurbishment and two-storey extension to a 1980s concrete-framed commercial building, in Sloane Square, London, to create a modern net-zero sustainable workplace. The pioneering project champions circularity and sustainable design and is one of the first commercial developments to use reclaimed steel in the UK. Judge’s comments The project was designed with circular economy and sustainability

Holbein Gardens. Image: Sophia Edwards / Barr Gazetas. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

thinking from the start, prioritising retention over demolition, reuse, recycling and trialling innovations such as material passports, and methods of procurement and waste management. A pioneer and exemplar for the direct reuse of structural steel in London. Over 25 tonnes of steel were reused in the construction, which has led to further research into reusing pre-1970 steel and has inspired others in the industry to go further. Award for innovation in the design and testing of cable-dome structures Winner: Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Football Stadium Location: Chengdu, China Structural Designer: China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co Ltd Client: Chengdu Urban Construction Investment Group Co Ltd Key Attributes: Process Project description Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Sports Center consists of a professional football stadium that is able to accommodate 60,000 spectators. It also includes a sports arena with a capacity of 18,000 spectators and a club connecting the sports arena with the football stadium. The

football stadium has a one-storey basement and six floors, with a roof height of approximately 64 m. Judge’s comments This project demonstrates development in design and construction methods for large cable supported domes with central openings. The design team carefully considered the flow of forces around the asymmetric roof, using an inner ring steel truss and prestressed sunflower configuration cable layout to create an efficient structural form. This is innovative engineering design making fantastic use of scale model testing and Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) testing to verify

9 Millbank. Image: Berkeley Homes.

Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Football Stadium. Image: Tian Qiu. 16

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findings and ensure successful completion of the project. Award for diligence and rigour in maximising reuse Winner: 9 Millbank Location: London, UK Structural Designer: Walsh Client: St Edward Homes Key Attributes: Planet Project Description A complex development in the heart of a conservation area in Westminster, London and consisting of three buildings – the refurbishment of an existing grade II listed building, a smaller building

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

Project description The seismic retrofit of an eight-storey building in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand’s commercial district. The engineers used a revolutionary low carbon, high performance design that greatly increased the building's seismic rating while also adding five storeys to increase its commercial potential.

8 Willis Street. Image: Matthew Plummer.

to be retained and refurbished, and Millbank Quarter, a 10-storey building to replace an existing office building. The engineering team was able to reuse existing foundations on both buildings, making significant carbon savings. Judge’s comments The team fully embraced the circular economy approach by reusing and repurposing all of the existing 9 Millbank building instead of just retaining the façade. They respected, retained and reused ground structures of historical engineering significance including the superstructure and power station sub-

structure, documenting these for generations to come. Thorough research yielded impactful outcomes. The project team has demonstrated excellence in research and site investigation which minimised risks, reduced costs, reduced programme, and delivered a more sustainable approach. Award for innovation in seismic retrofit for improved resilience Winner: 8 Willis Street Location: Wellington, New Zealand Structural Designer: Beca Client: Argosy Property Key Attributes: Planet, Process

Judge’s comments A well-considered project highlighting the value that the structural engineer brought to the project. Fluid viscous dampers have been used in a technical and elegant way to significantly improve earthquake resistance of the building. The thoughtful placement of the dampers has maintained open spaces, uninhibited by the structure, unlike other highly resilient seismic retrofits and new builds, where primary structural components tend to dominate the interior. Award for using sustainable local materials and enabling positive social impact Winner: Collège Hampaté Bâ Location: Niamey, Niger Structural Designer: MHA Structural Design Client: Article 25 on behalf of Collège Amadou Hampaté Bâ Key Attributes: Planet, People

Collège Hampaté Bâ. Image: Michael Hadi / Souleymane Ag Anara. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

Youshui Bridge.

Project description This school in Niamey is an exemplar of sustainable and environmentally responsible construction that enhances the quality of life for the community and students that it serves. The building incorporates natural ventilation, passive cooling systems and shaded outdoor spaces. The structure is integral to these strategies. The college is a testament to the role of structural engineering to positively impact communities and create safe and stimulating learning environments – in an area where education is often inaccessible. Judge’s comments The design team overcame challenges of the extreme Sahelian climate and limited construction skills and materials to create a functional yet inspiring space for learning with the exposed structure celebrated as a learning tool. The structure utilises locally sourced materials to reduce the building's carbon footprint and promote the use of sustainable building practices. The project had a major impact on the local community and the stu18

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

dents that it serves. An important target was to keep female students in the education system. During construction, female students attended courses on construction skills and were exposed to postulates of architecture, engineering and construction. The students were encouraged to consider continued education and careers in the construction industry. Award for pushing the boundaries of asymmetric long-span bridge design Winner: Youshui Bridge Location: Hunan Province, China Structural Designer: China Railway SIYUAN Survey and Design Group Co Ltd Client: China Railway SIYUAN Survey and Design Group Co Ltd Key Attributes: Profession Project description Spanning 292 m across the Youshui river valley, this high-speed railway bridge is the world’s longest-span asymmetric arch bridge. It features a deck-type concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) arch structure. As a landmark for the 2200-year-old ancient town

in the Xiangxi region, it is designed, based on imagination and innovation, and exists in harmony with the beautiful natural environment. Judge’s comments With the topography, geology, and existing road conditions fully considered, this bridge is designed with an innovative large-span concrete-filled steel tube trussed arch, providing safety and comfort for high-speed train rides. Representing an important milestone in the history of bridge engineering in China, it exemplifies the construction of high-speed railway arch bridges in mountainous areas. The arch feet were carefully placed to avoid unnecessary construction infrastructure and to also protect the natural environment, while the erection process involved an impressive catenary hoist system. Award for the bold design of a transformative structure Winner: Cody Dock Rolling Bridge Location: London, UK Structural Designer: Price & Myers Client: Gasworks Dock Partnership Key Attributes: People, Process

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

Cody Dock Rolling Bridge. Image: Claire Russell / Jim Stephenson.

Project description A new steel bridge spanning a previously derelict dock. It allows the passage of vessels into the dock by rolling along a track such that the deck turns upside down. The bridge is carefully counterweighted so that the centre of gravity is at one level, allowing the 13-ton bridge to roll using only a hand cranked winch. Despite the simplicity of this movement, the design process and fabrication revealed complex and unique engineering challenges. Judge’s comments This technically innovative and intriguing bridge showcases the application of advanced mathematics to develop an elegant and stable geometric design that is understated when stationary but playful in its movement, creating a spectacle when operated. The engineers have implemented a clever mechanical engineering solution by adding a counterweight to raise the centre of gravity to the midpoint of the frame, to facilitate its hand-operated movement. The unique design necessitated a passionately collaborative team.

Each role extended past typical scope boundaries, with everyone having to adopt a holistic understanding of the structure, mechanics, geometry, architecture and fabrication. The project signifies collaboration between, not only the design team, but the local community, as a contemporary piece of industrial architecture / functional sculpture that will endure for generations to come. Award for raising the standard for retrofit and façade retention at scale Winner: Battersea Power Station Location: London, UK Structural Designer: Buro Happold Client: Battersea Power Station Development Company Key Attributes: Process, Profession Project description A landmark restoration project that has transformed an iconic London industrial building into a vibrant 21st century destination. The team implemented elegant, buildable engineering solutions to carry out extensive repairs and remedial works to the existing façade. A new struc-

ture has been created within the existing building, serving as contemporary accommodation, shops and hospitality outlets. Judge’s comments The retrofit of such a complex derelict structure required careful planning, inspection and testing of the existing foundation and structural frame. The existing foundations and structure have been strengthened and retained where possible, while featuring excellent construction detailing to satisfy current building codes and to meet the new building requirements. Award for celebrating modular, demountable timber at scale Winner: ABBA Arena Location: London, UK Structural Designer: Atelier One Client: Pre-stage 4: Stufish, Stage 4 onwards: ES Global Key Attributes: Process, Profession Project description This new structure provides a home to the virtual avatar show, ‘ABBA Voyage’ with a 70 m column-free span arena, a four-storey high timber seating structure and THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

Battersea Power Station.

front-of-house canopies and pods. All the structures are fully demountable and designed for relocation. The project showcases a circular economy approach in building design and promotes these principles across the entertainment industry. It also celebrates the use of timber and illustrates the potential of engineered timber for use in modular, demountable and fast construction. Judge’s comments ABBA Arena is a new type of building responding to the need to address the issue of sustainability within the entertainment industry. The idea of re-deployable structures at this scale is new and offers huge potential in terms of the future reuse of buildings. Every aspect of low carbon was considered and optimised for the structure and timber is used extensively in the development for a lower embodied carbon when compared with similar projects. The access deck and show grid was utilised as a tie resisting the horizontal thrust of a light steel dome which was chosen 20

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

for the roof with the added benefits of robustness for repeated assembly and disassembly. The perimeter structure was designed to keep the number of elements required to a minimum, utilising the rainscreen support structure for stiffness under out-of-plane loads. An exemplar for reusable design and whole life low carbon considerations. It is rare to see a project that marries so many good ideas together. Award for the development of a novel timber-concrete-composite solution in high-rise residential design Winner: HAUT Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Structural Designer: Arup Client: Lingotto Key Attributes: Planet, Process Project description Standing 21 floors tall, HAUT is one of the tallest timber-hybrid buildings in the world. It was the first residential project in the Netherlands

to be certified BREEAM Outstanding. To engineer this bio-based highrise residential building, a team of specialists delivered sustainable, structural and technical design as well as incorporating acoustics and fire engineering, in the building. Judge’s comments Utilising timber as a main structural material in this 73 m high-rise residential building was a strong driver in the reduction of embodied carbon. The use of bespoke precast timber hybrid floorplates is a potentially important step in the normalisation of these techniques and has the potential to benefit timber projects globally. HAUT was certified BREEAM Outstanding – an acknowledgement awarded to only a handful of highrise residential buildings globally, and the first residential project in the Netherlands to achieve this sustainability certification. The successful construction of this project has demonstrated the feasibility of a timber hybrid high-rise, benefitting timber structure industries globally.

STRUCTURAL AWARDS 2023

ABBA Arena.

HAUT: Image: Mathew Vola / Jannes Linders. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Design economics of semi-submersible offshore floating solar farms by Bob L Y Cheung, Bob Cheung Offshore Consultants A cost-effective solution, that overcomes the many technical challenges, is proposed. INTRODUCTION We can divide floating solar farms into two categories – inland and offshore. The inland category covers farms on rivers, lakes, dams and reservoirs, and sheltered seafood farms in bay areas. The prominent feature of this category is the mild weather that the farms have to deal with, with small winds due to limited wind-fetch, inhibiting the full development of storm waves. The offshore category covers solar farms in the open sea, with unpredictable, severe weather. An Inland Floating Solar Farm (IFSF) is more cost-effective than an Offshore Floating Solar Farm (OFSF). Without severe weather conditions, the design of an IFSF is relatively simple. We can simply place solar panels on top of small floats or pancake-type buoyancy tanks and connect them together to form a solar farm. In the implementation of both IFSFs and OFSFs, more costly activities will follow. The project Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies may reveal the possible contamination of fresh or sea water, within the design life, due to materials used in the project, the need to install the solar farm on a piecemeal basis using small vessels, the need to regularly remove marine growth and the high cost and difficulties of replacing damaged connection details and solar panels. However, the most pressing issue facing many smaller countries is the lack of suitable water-bodies for IFSF development. A feasible alternative is to go offshore, if possible. Unfortunately, the development approach for IFSF is not suitable for OFSF development. OFSFs will encounter much bigger forces. We 22

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have to look for alternative solutions. Recently, a few developers and researchers in Europe have suggested ways to reduce wave motions on conventional surface-hugging floating solar farms in the ocean. This is one way to tackle the high cost and high risk issues. We think a different approach may be more effective. First of all, we believe that for economic reasons, offshore wind farms, fixed or floating, and conventional OFSFs should not co-exist at the same location, unless the solar farm is part of the wind farm structure [1], [2], [3]. A wind farm needs strong winds to increase energy output, but a floating solar farm requires good sunshine, lots of space to run anchor lines and calm seas. The purpose of this article is to examine the problems in the design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and commissioning of conventional OFSFs. We will then propose a simple structure, based on experience in the offshore oil & gas industry. PROBLEMS IN CONVENTIONAL OFFSHORE FLOATING SOLAR FARMS To come up with an alternative solution, we must understand the difficulties in conventional surface-hugging OFSFs. Let us consider the example of an OFSF with 150,000 solar panels, each of which is 36 ft2 in size and weighs 60 lbs. The design environmental forces To design an offshore platform with a usual design life of 20 to 30 years, the standard offshore design code, API-RP2A [4], specifies that the structure must be able to withstand the wind and wave forces, based

on a 100-year return period. This is based on a certain acceptable risk level in the oil & gas industry. In the North Sea, the 100-year wave is about 100 ft at many oil field locations. In Southeast Asia, it is about 50 ft or more in areas offshore Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand. In East Asia, the wave height can be 80 ft or more. In South Asia, a monsoon season can last for 3 to 4 months every year and wave heights can reach more than 10 ft on a regular basis. This kind of wave loading can cause fatigue damage in subsea connections, in places with high stress concentration factors. For an offshore wind farm, the design life is about 20 to 30 years. Its turbine towers and the supporting foundations have been designed for the 100-year wind and wave forces as well as the appropriate fatigue life. In this article, for simplicity, we will consider only a 100-year return period. However, wind-induced fatigue damage is an unlikely design factor because the wind spectrum is different from the wave spectrum. This standard offshore design procedure is a part requirement for securing insurance cover. Various governments will require the structures to be certified. An OFSF also has a number of moving parts. The design life is assumed to be about 20 to 30 years, similar to that for an offshore wind farm. This is to simplify our discussion. The design environmental criteria should be the same for all offshore structures. We admit that an oil & gas platform may carry a higher risk factor than a solar farm structure, however, our conclusion remains the same. If both the offshore wind farm

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

and the OFSF are at the same place, it is highly unlikely that an OFSF, designed using a conventional IFSF design, can survive the 100-year or 50-year wind and wave, or a monsoon season. Hence, an OFSF should be developed only nearshore with smaller winds and waves, to cut cost. If the IFSF design method cannot apply, what is the fail-safe design for an OFSF? The proposed design will provide the answer. Weak links in conventional floating solar farm design There are two areas of major concern. One is the structural strength of the floats or the buoyancy tanks supporting the solar panels and the other is the interconnections between floats or tanks. The floats/ tanks can be made stronger using thicker steel plates. The most critical weak link in a conventional floating solar farm is the connection details between floats or buoyancy tanks. This problem is similar to the connections between ballastable buoyancy tanks in an articulated stinger used in offshore pipeline installation (Figure 1). In fact, conventional, surface-hugging, floating solar farms must exhibit similar behaviour. The weather in the situation illustrated by Figure 1 is considered as a reasonable sea-state for offshore construction activities and waves can come in from all directions. From Figure 1, we can observe that the articulated stinger will not remain straight. This would be the same for a conventional floating solar farm. One can install many anchor lines to reduce the swinging motions, but it is not a practical solution in a big solar farm. Since the supporting floats/tanks must ride with the incident waves, the interconnections between floats must be loose-fit details to enable rotation. Loose-fit connections create larger impact forces. In addition, the usual interconnection designs cannot be considered as multi-direction universal joints and problems will soon surface after installation. When the waters surrounding an IFSF are calm, the relative movements between floats/tanks will not

Figure 1: An articulated stinger used in offshore pipeline installation.

create major problems, until corrosion occurs and prevents rotations. This means that the IFSF interconnections will last a bit longer. For an OFSF, wind and wave forces are much bigger. The induced stresses can cause fatigue cracks in many welded link connections. We must understand that water particles in a wave will exert horizontal and vertical forces on the floats/ tanks. This slamming force can cause high stresses near the water surface. From a past project, we observed a total failure of a one-inch thick steel connection during a yearly monsoon season in South Asia. It is hard to believe that a conventional floating solar farm design with lots of link-connections can survive in stormy weather. If a few critical connections were to break, the whole farm may ‘unzip’ itself, resulting in a complete loss. The new design must avoid this problem. Difficulties in fabrication and installation For the example of the farm with 150,000 solar panels, the total basic area needed would be 5,400,000 ft2. Allowing for service walkways as well as space for lay-down, emergency shelter, equipment and cable platforms, the required area could be 6,500,000 ft2 which is equivalent to 95 football fields. For such a big project, a few fabrication yards will be needed. After fabrication, we need to loadout [5] and tie-down all the smaller subunits on flat-top barges.

We should also note that we cannot wet-tow the whole solar farm to site, as it will most likely break up during towing, unless it has been taken care of in the design. In fact, fabricating a floating solar farm is like fabricating multiple mooring chains simultaneously. Every link is hinged to each other and it is troublesome to move or lift it within a yard for various construction activities. You will need many cranes and more workers to do a simple job. It is a simple, yet expensive construction. Once the solar farm barges reach the site, it will take much longer to install, hook up and commission the solar farm. It can be installed only on a piecemeal basis and needs many work barges and floating hotels to support this operation. One should note that an offshore worker’s hourly wage rate is much higher than that for onshore workers. The total installation cost could therefore be many times more than for onshore fabrication. We need a design to avoid or reduce this cost. Offshore work must be reduced. Problems in maintenance and decommissioning Observing many IFSFs, we found that they are all tightly packed together, without the necessary space required by service platforms for maintenance. In an open sea situation, it will make repairing or changing of connections and solar panels more difficult and dangerous. One may discard a few damaged solar panels, but damaged interconnecTHE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

tions within the design life cannot be ignored. To do the repairs is difficult. Cleaning marine growth for a big solar farm will need costly diving support. In the offshore situation, if we want to maintain a high output, solar panels may need to be replaced, due to environmental degradation. Can all solar panels last for the whole design life? Unfortunately, we cannot make the panels physically stronger and heavier. If a solar panel is too heavy, it may need a small crane to do the lift. This is not an economical and feasible option. It must remain light so that it can be handled by few workers offshore. In summary, we should anticipate lots of repairs and replacement of solar panels within the design life. In offshore jackets, we do underwater inspection every few years to ensure the structure is not damaged. For OFSFs, we should perform similar inspections. Of course, oil & gas platforms carry a much higher risk than OFSFs, with regard to pollution. Also, decommissioning is a massive operation, involving many vessels. The cost can be huge and must be factored in the total project expenditure. We need a design to greatly reduce this cost. THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE Hinged floats or buoyancy tanks will not work well in the open sea. Some hinged connections will fail due to fatigue, within the design-life. Servicing a solar farm that bounces up and down in rough seas, without stable work platforms, is difficult and dangerous. Decommissioning a 6,500,000 ft2 solar farm is not a simple task. The proposed design, with safety as the top consideration, will provide a possible solution. Based on the assumption that the solar panels will be replaced when damaged, the solution seeks to achieve the following objectives: • We need stable platforms for the workers to carry out their jobs safely and in a timely manner. • We need a large, flat surface to accommodate all the solar panels, 24

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without using linked floats or buoyancy tanks similar to those for an onshore solar farm. • We need a structure that can be installed within a few weeks, rather than within months. • We need a design for easy and safe maintenance as well as easy inspection. Hard marine growth is difficult to remove. Subsea inspection cannot be avoided. • We need a design to make decommissioning simple and easy, by disconnecting all the anchor lines and cables and towing the farm back to shore. We have two possible solutions. One is to use old flat-top barges as supporting platforms for a solar farm. A typical flat-top barge has a deck area of about 28,000 ft2 to 30,000 ft2, to be able to house 500 to 600 solar panels. This means that we have to find 300 used barges from the market and the asking prices will be high. The cost for retrofitting and strengthening, to avoid dry-docking for maintenance, could run into billions of dollars. Clearly, this is not an economical solution. The other solution is to use a new semi-submersible jacket structure, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. One should note that not all members are included. The 150,000 solar panels will weigh about 4,500 tons and occupy an area of about 6,500,000 ft2. In terms of the loading on the solar panel area, including the supporting structures, it is between 3 psf to 4 psf – which is insignificant. The problem of designing an OFSF has turned into a problem of designing a large, superlight, offshore structure to support its own weight. A floating jacket is the answer. It can fulfill our objectives. If we were to use the standard semi-submersible rig design concept, the end result will be a massively over-designed structure with excessive unused buoyancy. We have to find a balance between buoyancy, selfweight and the weight of the solar panels plus supporting structures. The thinking behind the proposed design can be summarised, as follows:

• We have to remember that for an offshore jacket structure, with a design life of 20 to 30 years, we usually add a small thickness as corrosion allowance, and we also use lots of anodes. This is not considered in our simple hand-calculation. Large diameter tubulars used in standard semi-submersible rigs will call for lots of internal ring stiffeners and dimension controls. It also has the D/t issue to consider. This design will be expensive to build. We have to look for other solutions. A simple structural system is shown in Figures 2 and 3. We will use available, standard tubulars and avoid super large pipes that need special manufacturing procedures and shipping arrangements at extra cost. We can roll these tubulars in the yards with big rolling machines. In our proposal, we will need 10 of them to provide the needed area of 6,500,000 ft2. • The design code could be APIRP2A. Other codes should be similar. The return period may be smaller, depending on the acceptable risk level, but the conclusion is the same. The IFSF design will not last. The new structure must be strong enough to withstand the loadout, transportation, installation and in-place forces. We will put all the solar panels on the main deck elevation at +80 ft. Deck plating must be reduced to a minimum. We do not have to use steel plates. Other materials are available in the market. • The large diameter vertical tubulars can be used as ballastable buoyancy tanks, using standard reach-rods and gate-valves details in standard offshore jacket structures. Ballast pumps may be needed for ballasting, if necessary. They should not be part of the structure and can be placed on the supply vessels. • We should select a nearshore location for the farm. This will reduce the design environmental forces to cut project cost. We can also build a helideck on the main deck. • The structure is 1200 ft x 400 ft at the bottom elevation. The top

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Figure 2: Truss Row 1 & 2 plan at +80 ft.

deck area is 1600 ft x 400 ft. The solar panel area could be increased to 650,000 ft2 in the design. This platform is bigger than many super-large cruise ships in the world. In terms of offshore jackets, we have built a few jackets over 1000 ft in length. • Since all the solar panels are above water, there are no interconnection issues, but the supporting submerged structures must be strong and stable. We are proposing a light-weight submersible structure to support the solar farm. We have to make sure the centre of gravity (CG) is as low as possible to maintain stability. Our design is bottom heavy. This structure can be certified by a third party. • To loadout this big structure, we can use two heavy transporters. Alternatively, we can wet-tow the whole structure with adequate strengthening. For a 1200 ft long structure, towing is not simple, especially due to mid-span sideways bending because of the tow tug

Figure 3: Plan at -120 ft – Section A-A.

arrangement. This is not a big issue as it is a short tow to the nearshore site. • To service a conventionally designed IFSF is difficult. In our structure, it is easy and safe. All work can

be done on a dry deck using deck cranes. • We can provide temporary living quarters on deck for workers. It can speed up maintenance work. We can also use bigger supply vessels THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

• Removing marine growth is easier with limited numbers of submerged tubulars. • The main steel weight is between 10,000 tons to 20,000 tons per structure. Deck plating must be avoided to cut down the weight. The total steel tonnage for the example is about 100,000 tons to 200,000 tons. CONCLUSION Without question, an IFSF is a much cheaper option than an OFSF, but going offshore may be an unavoidable option in the future, if we wish to meet the 2050 net-zero target. This article does not compare the cost-effectiveness of our structure with that of an offshore wind farm. It should be evaluated by energy developers. The proposed structure is a simple, light-weight, less risky, certifiable offshore jacket structure. REFERENCES [1] Cheung Bob L Y (2021): ‘Design Economics of Multi-Purpose Offshore Wind Farms’, The Singapore Engineer, March 2021, 22-28, IES.

Figure 4: Details 1 and 2.

[2] Cheung Bob L Y (2021): ‘Design Economics of Trimaran Wind Turbine Installation cum Decommissioning Vessels’, The Singapore Engineer, September 2021, 28-33, IES. [3] Cheung Bob L Y (2022): ‘Design Economics of Infield Bridges for Offshore Wind Farms’, The Singapore Engineer, May 2022, 16-22, IES. [4] American Petroleum Institute: ‘Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing and Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms’, API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 2A (RP2A) NINETEENTH EDITION, AUGUST 1, 1991.

Figure 5: Details 3 and 4.

with bigger housing facilities. We can provide a helideck for quick response. • Running anchor lines for the structure should be easier. Fewer lines 26

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would be needed. The anchor chains can be very heavy. In an emergency situation, we can disengage all the anchors and tow the farm to a safe location.

[5] Cheung L Y and Foong K G (2008): ‘Design Considerations of a Loadout Skid Frame for a 14,000 tons Upper Hull Structure’, IES Journal Part A: Civil & Structural Engineering, Vol 1, No 1, 83-95, IES. (More information may be obtained from bob.cheung@rocketmail.com)

TUNNEL ENGINEERING

A novel method based on proven technologies Mr Jeremy Hammond, Co-Founder, hyperTunnel, explains the basic features of the innovation and highlights the range of possible applications and the benefits offered. The Singapore Engineer (TSE): When was hyperTunnel founded? What are the areas of operation and what are the aims of the company? Jeremy Hammond (JH): Our company was launched in 2018. The hyperTunnel concept is the brainchild of entrepreneurs, Steve Jordan and myself, who were working together on designing a tidal energy project, when they encountered the prohibitively expensive incumbent method for constructing tunnels. We set up hyperTunnel to offer a fresh approach to underground construction. Drawing on unencumbered thinking and a willingness to try new ideas and embrace risk, hyperTunnel embodies technological approaches that are already adopted and proven in other sectors such as mining, oil & gas, motorsport, surveying and 3D printing. Indeed, hyperTunnel is proposing a drastic change to the way in which the ground is entered and treated for construction, monitoring and repair. It aims to provide a genuine alternative to well-trodden techniques such as tunnel boring and drill and blast. Ultimately, our mission is to make underground construction fundamentally more cost-effective, faster and safer, and more sustainable. Today, we operate with a team of 50 people and are based in Basingstoke, England. This is home to our indoor lab where most of the fleet testing has taken place to this point. This is complemented by our outdoor test facility where the grid and robots can be trialled in different geologies. During 2024, we will see our ‘robots in the ground’ as we take the hyperTunnel system into real-world operating environments. In terms of how we take the hy-

Jeremy Hammond

hyperTunnel is conducting many swarm construction developments at its indoor laboratory in Basingstoke.

perTunnel method to market, this will be through licensing via exclusive distribution agreements (EDAs). EDAs provide engineering contractors the opportunity to differentiate themselves by offering hyperTunnel technologies exclusively within certain applications, sectors and territories. We signed our first EDA last year with AmcoGiffen, whereby they have exclusive rights to use hyperTunnel technology – including digital twins, robotics, 3D printing and digital underground surveying, supported by AI and in the future, VR – for UK rail sector repair, rehabilitation and monitoring of underground spaces, as well as stabilisation and water management for slopes and track bed infrastructure. TSE: Could you explain hyperTunnel’s new approach to building tunnels and underground schemes, in particular, the concept of ‘swarm robotics’? JH: hyperTunnel uses an innovative approach that combines swarm robotics and in-situ construction to

construct and maintain tunnels and other underground assets. The first step involves installing a simple grid of HDPE pipes in the ground. The grid provides access along the entire length of the structure for the swarm of tens, hundreds or thousands of semiautonomous robots. They inspect the geology by taking core samples and using scanning technologies such as ground penetrating radar and seismic technologies. The result is a near-perfect understanding of the entire tunnel length’s geology and its obstacles. Using this data, we develop a virtual model of the tunnel structure – the digital twin. Leveraging AI and machine learning, we then design the optimum solution to create a sound structure in the geology. The robots move throughout the grid and facilitate an additive manufacturing process to build the structure using the geology to support the build process. This is somewhat akin to 3D printing a part in a tray of powdered raw material. A fleet of multi-tasking semiTHE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

TUNNEL ENGINEERING

autonomous robots is sent into the underground grid where they visit planned locations. Here, they install special fittings in the pipe walls and deploy construction chemicals to form a solid tunnel structure using the existing geology. The swarm of robots work in tandem with one another, to perform tasks much faster and more efficiently than individual robotic units. The same system can be used to monitor the structures in real time and administer repairs as necessary over their lifespan. TSE: What are the advantages of the new infraTech process over the currently adopted methods? JH: There are many advantages that hyperTunnel offers compared to incumbent underground construction processes. Cost and speed Build and whole-life costs are greatly reduced throughout the process, as the swarm works simultaneously throughout the space, with the project cost gain of a shorter project duration. The scale of the construction site is also reduced and less labour and consumables are needed. Construction design is more accurate and therefore less risky. Geological certainty provides full knowledge of the tunnel path. After construction, the infrastructure can be used to carry state-ofthe-art, smart sensors that monitor its condition 24/7. Risk/safety The hyperTunnel process can cope with all geologies and all kinds of specifications relating to, for example, watertightness or durability. The tunnel is structurally sound before a human enters it and there is less traffic or people on site. There is better control of ground movement compared to conventional tunnelling methods, without the need for costly preventative works. The hyperTunnel method offers smaller work sites that can be accessed away from the confined space of a city centre. There is no 28

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Through a grid of pipes, a fleet of thousands of semi-autonomous robots is building structures directly in the ground.

A hyperTunnel robot moves to locations throughout the grid, where it installs special skin fittings (hyperBits) in the HDPE pipe wall, ready for controlled access into the geology for the deployment of construction chemicals.

need for road closures and no disruption to traffic. Environmental benefits hyperTunnel’s technique is more sustainable than current methods because it reduces energy consumption, the amount of concrete used, water consumption, air pollution and waste. It uses raw materials more efficiently and spoil can be reused or removed far away from the city centre.

The method reduces impacts on protected and sensitive environments and protects local communities from disruption. Construction sites are smaller and there is no need for wide-load lorries to pass through, for example. The hyperTunnel system also offers secondary environmental benefits because it enables an affordable construction underground that can reduce journey times. It lengthens the lifecycle and improves the

TUNNEL ENGINEERING

safety of existing infrastructure. It can make sustainable energy solutions such as tidal-range tunnels feasible as well as contribute to critical energy industries such as nuclear. Wider economic impacts hyperTunnel-enabled underground construction projects can help grow economies by speeding up infrastructure development and driving down costs, providing new solutions for big national and local challenges, transforming how cities are designed and developed, and creating jobs and investment in high-value skills training. TSE: Which industrial sectors would especially benefit from hyperTunnel’s new technology? JH: It can be used in a number of different applications beyond new build and repair, including slope stabilisation, dam fixing, hazardous waste containment and underpasses. The most obvious sector that can benefit from hyperTunnel technology, and where we are most active in terms of commercialisation, is transport. Tunnels are a crucial component of road and rail transport networks and we are already working closely with industry stakeholders, especially in the rail and highways sectors. Underground mining also relies heavily on tunnels and other underground structures to access and move around sites, not to mention the opportunities provided by the mining excavation process itself. The same can be said of utilities which operate enormous, highly complex networks of underground tunnels and passageways, to provide their crucial services. Indeed, as well as for building structures, the hyperTunnel method carries management, maintenance and remedial uses. In the area of water management, for example, it has the potential to deal with issues of water ingress in tunnels, bridges, culverts and other structures, by managing the water flow during leakages.

A Support and Service Engineer working on a hyperTunnel swarming robot.

TSE: Could you briefly highlight one or two projects, where this technology has been successfully deployed? JH: We are in the advanced stages of testing and are looking ahead to deployment in real-world environments, in 2024. It has very recently been announced that the company will build a full-scale underpass, thanks to winning UK government funding for standout railway innovations at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE). hyperTunnel’s underpass is one of 16 schemes that will be demonstrated at GCRE’s Dulais Valley site in South Wales in 2024. Having spent thousands of manhours developing our robot fleet in the lab, in Basingstoke, the system is now ripe for being proven on a real site, under accelerated test conditions, and which can be visited. The GCRE facility is going to be a huge opportunity for us to present a feasible technological solution to the longstanding issue of dangerous level-crossings. In parallel to GCRE in Wales and a site each in Scotland and England being planned for, in 2024, there are two commercial sites in India and a pilot site in the UAE that are expected to commence in the year. Confidence in hyperTunnel also continues to be shown in the form of investment. We have the backing of many large construction industry

players and investors, and have received various sources of funding, reaching approximately £20 million to-date, with the latest round of fundraising currently underway. TSE: What are the challenges encountered in the promotion of hyperTunnel’s new technology? JH: We have encountered few challenges, so far, with the reception from the industry being extremely positive. Incumbent methods of tunnelling and underground construction have been unchallenged for over a century, in some cases, and the industry has been eager to meet with us to see how we can provide an enhanced win-win client solution while improving contractor margins. Our indoor and outdoor labs are ideal facilities through which we can demonstrate hyperTunnel technology. While the concept may appear novel on the surface, we are helped by the fact that almost every element of the hyperTunnel approach has been proven in other industries and applications, often for decades – this helps to provide much needed confidence. Yes, there are some who are waiting to see hyperTunnel proven in the form of real, completed commercial projects first. However, with our ‘EDA go to market approach’, they may find they are left out by the time they are ready to get on board! THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

Preparing for Singapore’s new safety requirements by Vitaly Berezka, Head of Sales, Central Asia, MENA and APAC, PlanRadar

Vitaly Berezka

Digitalisation is the way forward. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has launched a new series of measures to reduce workplace deaths and injuries, especially in high-risk sectors. As part of the suite of measures coming into effect in June 2024, companies will have to deploy video surveillance systems at construction sites for projects valued at SGD 5 million or more. These systems will facilitate 24/7 surveillance and identification of workplace safety and health (WSH) risks, support incident investigations and corrective actions, as well as help deter unsafe behaviours. The new regulations underscore the overall need for a more holistic and conscientious approach towards a safer construction environment. Solutions for safer environments To ensure a smooth transition, companies need to have a clear and holistic view of each site, based on detailed mapping of construction processes and operations, and drawing on lessons from past projects. Companies need to switch gears to mitigate risk and prevent unwanted injuries or fatalities, before accidents occur. From the get-go, firms need to identify potential safety hazards and challenges that workers may encounter and they need to have a comprehensive plan for the logistics of equipment, vehicles or materials, and for the overall operations of the site. To do so is no mean feat, but it is crucial to every company’s reputation, to achieve accident-free, ontime and on-budget delivery. Leveraging technology Building Information 30

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Modelling

(BIM) can play a crucial role in identifying and reducing risks to construction safety, by providing a comprehensive and visual representation of the entire construction project. When used for safety analysis and risk assessment, data on safety regulations, guidelines and best practices can be integrated, for compliance. This also helps in identifying highrisk areas and ensuring that safety measures are integrated into the design and construction phases, including where and how to install video surveillance systems. Being able to visualise the entire construction process in a digital environment before actual construction begins helps to identify high-risk areas that might not be immediately apparent in 2D plans. For example, it will help to identify possible clashes between different building components such as structural elements, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems. Resolving clashes in the virtual model helps prevent physical clashes on the construction site. Investing in BIM technology could also achieve greater accuracy, by empowering site management with valuable simulations, in planning site logistics and construction sequencing. By simulating the construction process, including the movement of equipment and materials, potential bottlenecks and safety concerns can be identified and addressed, in advance. The creation of virtual mock-ups and simulations, where different construction scenarios can be tested for safety, ensures that the right measures are integrated into the construction process.

Post-construction, BIM could also provide a detailed digital model for facility management and maintenance. This includes information on the maintenance requirements of different components, ensuring that safety considerations are maintained throughout the lifecycle of the building. As new technology makes building information analysis easier and more powerful, BIM is likely to become even more relevant to construction site safety and will be a valuable component of Singapore’s construction industry in the future. Looking ahead To effectively prepare for the impending changes, construction firms should conduct comprehensive safety audits, assessing current protocols and practices while identifying areas for improvement. As part of this preparation, strategies for engaging and educating the workforce on the forthcoming safety standards are also crucial. Companies that proactively embrace and integrate high safety standards, beyond mere compliance, can position themselves as leaders in the construction sector. By prioritising the well-being of workers and cultivating a safer and more secure working environment, they establish a foundation for long-term sustainability and competitiveness. PlanRadar PlanRadar is an award-winning digital B2B platform that creates timeand cost-savings in construction and real estate projects by digitising task management, documentation and communication for over 120,000+ users in 75+ countries worldwide.

IES UPDATE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

PROJECT APPLICATION

World RX racetrack in Hong Kong built with sustainable solutions These include the deployment of electric machines and digitalisation. Race teams from around the world came to compete in the final races of the FIA all-electric World Rallycross (World RX) Championship which were held on 11 and 12 November 2023, in Hong Kong. It was the first time the series came to Hong Kong. The venue was also the first city centre circuit in World RX history, with the track located on the Victoria Harbour waterfront and set against the city’s skyscrapers and bustling streets. Accelerating the sustainable transformation of both construction and motorsport, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) helped to build the racetrack in Hong Kong, using a mix of sustainable solutions, all in just eight days. As Official Track Building Partner, Volvo CE demonstrated the power of its electric portfolio and digital solutions by shaping the tight corners and breathtaking jumps of the race track. They included the 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator, which was supported by the Dig Assist digital solution and an Engcon tiltrotator capable of excavating to any angle, to form the jumps. Also working to both build and maintain the tracks were two new L120 Electric wheel loaders from China. In addition, one of the zero-emission L120 Electric wheel loaders was fitted with recovery forks to remove crashed race cars from the track, as part of Volvo CE’s pioneering motorsport safety solution. Part of the track is a replica of a design devised by Volvo CE at its test track in Eskilstuna, Sweden – built to encourage more overtaking and a greater spectacle for racegoers. Each track element has been refined over a series of workshops to ensure the action remains electrifyingly close. 32

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The new L120 Electric wheel loader was used for building and maintaining the racetrack in the heart of Hong Kong.

The EC230 Electric excavator offers zero emissions and precision excavation, due to the incorporation of Dig Assist and the Engcon tiltrotator.

It has been perfected using build data captured in 3D on Volvo CE’s Dig Assist in-cab machine control application. The data is then programmed into Volvo’s machines and recreated in real life. This reduces the build time for the track, but also does so with a minimal carbon footprint. Bill Law, Head of Brand, Marketing and Communications at Volvo CE, said, “This is another great plat-

form to raise awareness about the incredible power of electromobility and digital solutions in real life applications. We are so proud to be part of developing this spectacular rallycross track in the heart of Hong Kong, in partnership with the FIA World Rallycross Championship. It is a testament to what can be achieved when we work together to accelerate a more sustainable transformation.”

PROJECT APPLICATION

Bridging Sarawak’s supply chains A cable-stayed bridge in northern Borneo will provide valuable access for farmers and traders. Located on the northeastern side of Borneo, Malaysia’s largest region of Sarawak is being transformed. As part of the government’s initiatives to improve productivity and strengthen supply chains, the region is actively pursuing the industrialisation of its agricultural sector, thereby supporting farmers and the rural communities. As part of this strategy, the region also requires infrastructure and, with it, the development of bridges and highways to traverse its numerous rivers such as the Batang Lupar which separates Simanggang, the capital of Sri Aman, from the neighbouring agricultural communities of Jalan Utama Kedua and Jalan Pasisir. Working with main contractor, Naim Gamuda (NAGA) JV Sdn Bhd, Doka Malaysia was brought in to provide a flexible formwork solution for the cable-stayed Batang Lupar Bridge No 2, in particular, to cater to the unusual shape of the pylons. Initially awarded in 2019, the bridge was placed on a oneyear hiatus during the pandemic, meaning Doka’s solution also needed to catch up, without sacrificing safety or increasing cost. Doka’s formwork solution will need to deliver four 145.5 m high sloping pylons with two crossbeams at 16.87 m and 94.15 m, respectively, and a two-sided, cast in-situ, deck slab at 20.87 m in height. Using the Automatic Climbing Formwork SKE 100 plus for the casting work, the Load-bearing Tower d3, Load-bearing Tower Staxo 40 and the Ringlock Shoring System were used to cast the crossbeams and deck slab. Ringlock was also used to temporarily access the Automatic Climbing Formwork SKE 100 plus platform at height. Based on the project’s remote location, the combination of Load-bearing Tower d3,

Load-bearing Tower Staxo 40 and Ringlock meant a lower investment and transportation cost for the client, while Ringlock’s multifunctional features enabled its use as both shoring and access scaffolding. Arguably, the most essential feature of the project was the Automatic Climbing Formwork SKE 100 plus system’s flexibility in shaping the pylons, which gently taper until 94.15 m. As a result of using the craneless system, which also enabled the client to temporarily store materials on it to increase site efficiency, the project timeframe was reduced by two months, with the contractor optimistic that more time can be saved with an additional Automatic Climbing Formwork SKE 100 plus system commissioned for the remaining pylons on the other side of the river.

Speaking on behalf of the main contractor, Project Manager Yii Hing commented, “Doka’s reputation for delivering fast and efficient formwork solutions is well known in the region, and its work on the Batang Lupar Bridge No 2 has been no exception. From the physical products and systems to the engineering and safety support on site, the project has progressed ahead of schedule with complete consideration of our assigned budgets.” Having started almost five years ago, Doka’s hands-on training, engineering expertise and efficiency, combined with its high-performing products and systems, will mean the Batang Lupar Bridge No 2 will likely be delivered within a year, to support Sarawak’s agricultural communities.

Pylons on the western banks of the Batang Lupar River to the southeast of Kuching, Sarawak. Image: Doka. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

PROJECT APPLICATION

Renovation of the athletics track in Rome’s Olympic Stadium A high performance, cold milling machine was used. Built in 1927 as Stadio dei Cipressi (Cypress Stadium), the Stadio Olimpico has hosted a wide variety of major events, ranging from the Summer Olympic Games and concerts to the 2020 European Cup. The stadium in the centre of Rome has been subjected to extensive renovation work. Wirtgen supplied a W 200 Fi for the project. The cost-efficient, resource-friendly, cold milling machine is noted for its flexibility, speed and performance. The renovation was commissioned to prepare the sports facility in time for the 26th European Athletics Championships in 2024. The resurfacing of the athletics track followed on from the modernisation of the stadium for Euro 2020 (the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship). The first step involved the removal of the synthetic track surface – also known as ‘tartan track’. The upper asphalt layer immediately below this was then milled off with the Wirtgen W 200 Fi cold milling machine and given the appropriate cross-slope for the new surface layer. The so-called cross-slope, barely perceptible to the human eye, is essential for optimal water drainage from the track surface and is extremely important for runners. The resurfacing process followed in reverse order. A new layer of asphalt was placed on top of the remaining base layer. This was followed by an elastic layer, and then the later visible wear layer, consisting of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) and PUR (polyurethane). Here, high quality paving of the asphalt sub-base is essential for ensuring the evenness and surface quality of the tartan track. Since the whole project was on a 34

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tight schedule, the removal of the asphalt layer had to be completed within the space of two days, during which the quality of the milled surface had to be guaranteed. In view of this, the lead contractor chose to use the high-performance W 200 Fi large milling machine fitted with Mill Assist as a standard feature. “The machine brings us the high speed and reliability we need. The automatic programs make our colleagues’ work easier, improve efficiency, and therefore also helps to reduce environmental impact. It is exactly what we need for our projects,” said the Project Manager from lead contractor Schiavi S.r.l. The milling team on the athletics track milled off the surface, stripby-strip. The big challenge here was getting a sufficient number of transport vehicles onto the site to remove the enormous volumes of milled material this produced. With ideal logistics, a 2 m class cold milling machine can mill off and transfer more than 8,000 m² of

surface layer material to transport vehicles for removal from the site, in a single day. On this project, the logistical situation was extremely challenging, as the limited space inside the stadium made it difficult to drive the transport vehicles in and get them into position. However, the ‘compact’ model among the large milling machines not only delivers a powerful performance, but is also agile, which meant that manoeuvrability was no problem at all. This made it possible to complete the milling work and remove the milled material from the site within only one working day. Site statistics The surface area of the athletics track to be milled amounted to a total of around 4,000 m², 2,500 m² of which were running track and 1,500 m² were infield areas. The W 200 Fi cold milling machine milled off the surface layer to a depth of 1 cm to 2 cm.

The Wirtgen W 200 Fi cold milling machine at work on the renovation of the athletics track in Rome’s Olympic Stadium.

PROJECT APPLICATION

Stage design realised with 200 tonnes of scaffolding The task presented a number of challenges in terms of logistics, calculations and manpower. World Youth Day (WYD) is an international event where young people from all over the world gather every two or three years to meet the Pope. Founded by Pope John Paul II, WYD was first held in Rome in 1986 and has since been held in numerous cities around the world. In 2023, the event was organised in Lisbon, Portugal, during the first week of August, and attracted around 1.5 million participants. In mid-April 2023, the WYD 2023 Foundation turned to PERI for scaffolding and technical support for the temporary stage. This task presented a number of challenges in terms of logistics, calculations and manpower. Thanks to the flexibility of the PERI UP Scaffolding Kit, clear visualisations based on 3D models, and the promise to deliver 200 tonnes of material on time, PERI was able to win the contract. The stage was in the Parque Eduardo VII and consisted of several sections – the stage area, the main tribune area and towering rear structures. A particular challenge was the construction of the impressive rear towers which were 26 m high, 40 m wide and up to 12.5 m deep, and included 115 tonnes of counterweights. In addition, the Monument to the 25th April Revolution was inside the scaffolding. This had to be protected, so the usual bracing could not be used. Another challenge was to design a stage that could withstand the strong winds that were constantly blowing at the site. The main challenge for the engineering team was to design a tall and slender structure. To meet the client’s requirements, the elements of the PERI UP Scaffolding Kit were used and supplemented with 4,000 m of VT 20 Alpha formwork beams and 2,000 m2 of three-layer plywood

The World Youth Day 2023, which took place in Parque Eduardo VII, Lisbon, Portugal, during the first week of August 2023, attracted around 1.5 million people. Image: PERI SE.

The construction of the 26 m high rear towers was a challenge. There was also a historic monument in the centre of the scaffolding, that needed to be protected. Image: PERI SE.

panels which were used to form various platforms. The structure was anchored to the counterweights with SRU steel walers and tie rods. 3D design played an important role in this project. It provided a visual representation of all potential obstacles and helped both the design and installation teams to identify and overcome problems, adjustments, and modifications. In addition, it assisted in the creation of several walkways and access points for the artists and the participants.

With the help of PERI UP, the client’s design ideas could be realised, while providing the necessary safety measures. PERI’s expertise enabled the timely delivery of materials, an efficient assembly process and thus the achievement of the objectives within the defined time frame. Open communication and quick solutions to unplanned challenges also contributed to the timely erection of the stage for the World Youth Day so that the event could take place safely and smoothly. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

PROJECT APPLICATION

Construction of Germany’s tallest timber high-rise underway Tower cranes with fibre rope were chosen for the lifting operations. A building with 19 storeys and a height of 65 m is currently under construction in Hamburg’s HafenCity area. Located on the banks of the Elbe River, the ‘Roots’ project is characterised by an interplay of reinforced concrete and timber frame structures. Besides the highrise tower, the development also includes an adjacent building with seven floors. Around 5,500 m3 of construction timber are being used for the building – a world record. This total does not include the material used for façades, windows and cladding. Many components have been delivered to site, prefabricated. Outlining what was needed to keep the site running in a two-shift operation, Christopher Bäcker, Field Sales Manager at Friedrich Niemann GmbH & Co KG, said “The deciding factor for using two cranes with fibre rope was the high hook height involved – the 370 EC-B Fibre has the fastest lifting speeds compared to its competitors.” The construction machinery dealer, based in Kronshagen near Kiel, delivered two Liebherr 370 EC-B 12 Fibre cranes with hook heights of 87.7 m and 77.4 m to Hamburg. Their radius measured in at 60 m and 47.7 m, respectively. The third crane involved was a Liebherr 250 EC-B 12 with a hook height of 35 m and a radius of 44.15 m. All three machines were new cranes from Niemann’s rental fleet. Fibre rope reduces weight Opting for fibre rope saves a substantial amount of weight for Friedrich Niemann GmbH & Co KG. Steel ropes would weigh a great deal more due to the high hook height of both the 370 EC-B cranes. “Using fibre rope makes perfect sense for us, given this hook height, 36

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as otherwise, we would be hauling several 100 kg of steel rope with us and lose a whole lot of lifting capacity,” said Mr Bäcker. The high-tensile fibre rope enables up to 20% higher jib head load capacity compared to its steel rope counterpart. Service life is four times longer than that of a steel rope with the same amount of use. The 370 EC-B Fibre has a maximum hook height of 91.7 m, a 12-tonne maximum lifting capacity, and a maximum radius of 78 m. With its jib head at full radius, 2.8 tonnes can still be moved. Timber construction from the third floor upwards One of Europe’s largest inner-city urban development projects, Hamburg’s HafenCity area is being built where docks and old warehouses once stood. The Roots is under construction in the Elbbrücken district, and will feature 181 apartments

with views of Hamburg, the harbour, and Elbe waterways. Its waterfront location requires a special flood protection concept. A basement level inspired by the traditional North Sea ‘warft’ model, with a height of 8 m to 9 m above sea level, serves as protection against flooding in Hamburg’s HafenCity. This also doubles up as an underground car park. Two storm surges have already occurred during construction, making the project challenging for everyone involved. Flood protection is also evident in the materials used. The warft basement and lower levels have a reinforced concrete structure, while ceilings and walls are made entirely from timber from the third storey upwards. The cranes were used for lifting both concrete and timber parts, which required close consultation between the companies involved and good coordination in terms of day-to-day work on site.

The Roots development consists of two structures – a 19-storey timber tower and a seven-storey, adjacent building.

PROJECT APPLICATION

Large numbers of timber components lifted The PEFC-certified timber from sustainable forestry has been largely sourced from Styria in Austria, one of the most densely forested regions in Europe. Load-bearing walls are primarily made from spruce wood, but smaller quantities of pine, fir, and beech wood have also been incorporated. Construction on the Roots officially began on 27 November 2020 and the foundation stone was laid on 13 September 2021. Timber components, finished with millimetre precision, started arriving on site in May 2022. The first lift for the Roots involved a façade element weighing 2.6 tonnes and measuring 10.3 m by 2.6 m – an easy task for the 370 EC-B 12 Fibre with a radius of 60 m. Most of the subsequent façade elements arrived on site with windows and balconies already installed. The wall panels were frequently complex in shape, as a result of the extensive prefabrication, and had to be attached to the crane hook using a lifting beam. This meant determining the exact attachment points on the beam, in advance, to ensure that the load was balanced during lifting and not pulled upwards at an angle. Around 1,200 prefabricated timber components of varying sizes and weight have been used for the timber tower. The heaviest component weighed around eight tonnes and measured just under 14 m in length. A total of 400 timber components make up the adjacent building. Modular construction with a high degree of prefabrication saved both time and money on site. The resulting reduction in noise pollution was an additional advantage. The three Liebherr flat-top cranes were erected free-standing and mounted on foundation anchors on the Hamburg site, back in June 2021. Both 370 EC-B Fibre cranes were assembled with the help of a Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 mobile crane, with one of the two fibre cranes then being used for the 250 EC B 12. The 250 EC-B was dismantled in the same way as it was as-

sembled, again through one of the two 370 EC-Bs. One 370 EC-B was then dismantled by its brother. The other 370 EC-B was dismantled in October 2023, by means of a Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 mobile crane. This was not the first job for Liebherr tower cranes in Hamburg's harbour area – 25 tower cranes worked simultaneously in the Überseequartier district in 2021. Three Hamburg-based companies are behind the design and devel-

opment of the high-rise building – architectural firm Störmer Murphy and Partners, Garbe Immobilien-Projekte, and the German Wildlife Foundation. On its completion, planned for the first quarter of 2024, the building will offer 15,000 m² of living space and 430 m² of hospitality space for approximately 200 people. The German Wildlife Foundation will move in on the ground floor and use parts of the warft basement. Its offices will be located on the first floor.

Fibre rope was a game changer, enabling greater lifting capacities with a higher hook height.

Façade elements were lifted with the help of a lifting beam. The components were often complex in shape, as windows and balconies were pre-installed. Image: GARBE Immobilien-Projekte. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

COASTAL PROTECTION & FLOOD MANAGEMENT

Singapore’s first Centre of Excellence to build long-term capability and pipeline of professionals launched Initiative to address rising sea levels and extreme weather events. PUB, in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS), recently launched the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore. It is Singapore’s first Centre of Excellence dedicated to strengthening local capabilities and expertise in coastal protection and flood management research and solution-finding. The centre was launched at an event attended by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu, along with over 200 guests comprising researchers, students and industry professionals. CFI Singapore is established as a multi-institutional and inter-disciplinary research centre, bringing together the strengths of Singapore’s various local universities, research institutes as well as the industry. NUS has been appointed as host of CFI Singapore and will be working closely with partner institutes as well as industry partners, to carry out research projects to advance core domain knowledge and innovative solutions for Singapore. The partner institutes are Nanyang Technological University (NTU); Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD); Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT); and the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR). CFI Singapore will be led by Professor Richard Liew, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the NUS College of Design and Engineering. Strengthening Singapore’s resilience Climate change is bringing about more extreme weather with more intense rainfall and sea level rise. Beyond its role in drainage planning and stormwater management, PUB was appointed the national 38

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coastal protection agency, in 2020. PUB has since embarked on master-planning and site-specific studies, strengthened competencies in coastal hydrodynamic modelling, and launched research initiatives to develop effective strategies to safeguard Singapore’s resilience against the impacts of climate change. CFI Singapore is a key pillar under PUB’s SGD 125 million Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme (CFRP) that will galvanise research and technology development in coastal protection and flood management. In addition to CFI Singapore, the CFRP will also facilitate test-bedding of new solutions and accelerate the translation of technologies for application through the Applied Research and Living Lab components. Building on expertise across the various institutions, research centres and the industry, CFI Singapore is responsible for conducting cross-disciplinary research to achieve several key objectives, such as the following: • Generate core knowledge in coastal science. • Develop coastal protection and flood management solutions suited for Singapore’s urban and land-constrained coastlines. • Promote a collaborative research ecosystem encompassing local and international universities, researchers and industry partners. • Train a new generation of researchers and engineers to meet Singapore’s long-term challenge for coastal protection and flood management. CFI Singapore has kick-started its work with nine research projects across four key areas – a) coastal science research, b) monitoring,

prediction and digitalisation of the coastal environment, c) innovative engineering solutions, and d) integrated nature-based solutions. Each project will involve an expert as the principal investigator and be supported by several collaborators drawn from local and foreign universities, and industry partners. For example, a project focusing on the development of modular solutions that could enhance existing coastal protection infrastructure will involve researchers from NUS and SIT, as well as industry collaborators such as engineering consultancy Surbana Jurong. Another project will test the efficacy of hybrid nature-based solutions (e.g. perched beaches with seagrass, mangroves on rock revetments) for coastal protection. It will include a a multi-disciplinary team from three NUS research institutions – Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS), Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS) – as well as applied knowledge institute Deltares and engineering firm Delta Marine Consultants, from the Netherlands. Ms Hazel Khoo, Director of PUB’s Coastal Protection Department, said, “CFI Singapore marks a new chapter in Singapore’s journey in coastal protection and flood management. We are making a significant investment in research to gain the necessary knowledge and insights for coastal and flood resilience, develop innovative solutions tailored to overcome our local constraints and ensure our people and infrastructure are protected well into the future.”

COASTAL PROTECTION & FLOOD MANAGEMENT

Developing local expertise Protecting Singapore against sea level rise is a new challenge which requires a strong pipeline of talent to carry out the work. CFI Singapore and its partner institutes aim to attract R&D talent, create new research jobs and train PhD students. While the goal is to promote a vibrant research ecosystem, it is also

important to produce a pipeline of new research and engineering professionals, which the industry can tap on, as it expands and deepens coastal protection and flood management capabilities. A range of talent and workforce development courses will be offered, which include educational pathways such as PhD and Master

of Science as well as undergraduate programmes, workforce training programmes and seminar series designed to highlight new growth areas and drive collaboration. Newly introduced programmes include NUS’ graduate certificate in coastal protection and flood management and NTU’s undergraduate specialisation in coastal protection.

DETAILS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS Coastal Science Research Focus area

To study the impact of climate change on coastal processes, coastal protection structures

Project title

Summary

Development of probability distributions and extreme value analysis for storm surge levels, currents, wind waves and astronomic tides

Develop models capable of simulating extreme local wind waves and storm surge conditions, to better understand the combined risk of such events taking place concurrently

Hybrid physics guided and data driven attribution and uncertainty quantification of coastal extremes incorporating different sources of information

Provide detailed insights into the factors influencing extreme coastal flooding events. This will help PUB to develop better risk mitigation strategies

Monitoring, Prediction and Digitalisation of the Coastal Environment Focus area To enhance prediction systems for coastal processes, rainfall, and water run-off.

Project title

Summary

Development of physics-informed data-driven storm surge and wave models

Develop advanced modelling tools that integrate data with machine learning to enable more accurate forecasting of storm surges and waves at Singapore's coastal areas.

Enhancements of Singapore’s convective rainfall prediction

Utilise new methods/technology to enhance PUB’s forecasting of heavy rainfall events in Singapore.

Innovative Engineering Solutions Focus area Develop adaptive, multifunctional and integrated solutions suitable for Singapore's coastal environment

Project title

Summary

Flexible seawall and eco-park for coastal reservoir and coastal defence systems in Singapore

Develop innovative flexible seawall systems to replace conventional methods such as bunds and breakwaters.

Modular solutions to retrofit existing coastal protection structures with impervious interlocking features which reduce seawater seepage

Develop modular watertight units that can be easily added to enhance existing coastal protection structures against sea level rise.

Integrated Nature-based Solutions Focus area

Develop novel hybrid solutions, innovative approaches to implementation, as well as planning and engineering guidelines

Project title

Summary

Shore protection with integrated nature-based solutions (Meta)

Study how different combinations of nature-based and engineering solutions work together to protect coastlines and generate a map with potential integration sites for hybrid solutions.

Shore protection with integrated nature-based solutions (Hydro)

Advance knowledge on hybrid coastal protection solutions and test them for effectiveness in coastal protection. Examples include perched beaches with seagrasses and mangroves fronting a seawall.

Shore protection with integrated nature-based solutions (Eco)

Determine suitable conditions for mangroves, seagrasses, corals, and macroalgae to grow in hybrid configurations and their survival under various climate change scenarios. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER January 2024

PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

Singapore-based Tack One launches flood monitoring device Tack One, a Singapore-based global location intelligence company, recently launched the Tack EVO FloodFinder, said to be the world’s first palm-sized, autonomous, flood detection device with integrated high-precision water level sensing and internet connectivity capabilities. The company has also entered into Series A funding for at-scale deployment of its location intelligence systems and technology. Tack One is among the pioneer cohorts of Infineon Technologies’ global Co-Innovation program, that helps startups to make breakthrough innovation a reality, and benefit from networking and mentoring, to accelerate their businesses. The Tack EVO FloodFinder utilises Infineon Technologies’ latest energy-efficient, high-precision and waterproof sensor technology. The Tack EVO FloodFinder is a solar-powered, weather-resilient device that monitors water levels with accuracy. The Singapore-developed innovation is expected to be rolled out in Nonthaburi, Thailand, to assist rural areas prone to widespread flooding which has devastated livelihoods in recent years. The Tack EVO FloodFinder is housed in a cube measuring only 8 cm across. It can be easily installed as a standalone device with no additional equipment or infrastructure required. Once set up, the device autonomously monitors water level changes, and triggers real-time alerts, remotely, when flood conditions are detected. The device runs

Tack One, among the pioneer cohorts of Infineon Technologies’ global Co-Innovation program, recently launched the Tack EVO FloodFinder.

on a self-sufficient solar-powered battery and can last up to three months without sunlight. Its provision of uninterrupted flood detection signals and data makes the Tack EVO FloodFinder highly suitable for the increasingly volatile weather conditions that we face today. Additionally, its independent internet connectivity works with existing mobile networks, making the system a viable option that can be deployed for water-related disaster management even in the developing world. The Tack EVO FloodFinder is Tack One’s first foray into resilient flood monitoring systems. The twoyear-old startup’s innovation pipeline includes several use cases of location intelligence to better serve the vulnerable amongst the

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community and other commercial applications.

at-scale

Tack One Tack One is a Singapore-headquartered global location intelligence company that utilises location data science to develop solutions for protection and for providing safeguards. Founded by technology veterans, the company’s location intelligence platform includes the Tack EVO FloodFinder as well as Tack GPS, an ultra-long battery life location finder. Infineon Infineon Technologies AG is a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Infineon drives decarbonisation and digitalisation with its products and solutions.

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