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JURUTERA
Number 2, February 2012 IEM Registered on 1 May 1959
Majlis Bagi s esi 2011/2012 (ie M Coun C il s ession 2011/2012)
Yang Dipertua / p resi D ent:
Ir. Chen Kim Kieong, Vincent
t imbalan Yang Dipertua / Deput Y p resi D ent:
Ir. Choo Kok Beng
n aib Yang Dipertua / Vice p resi D ents:
Ir. Prof. Dr Ruslan bin Hassan, Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Hj. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin, Ir. Lee Weng Onn,
Ir. P.E. Chong, Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Lim Chow Hock, Ir. Prof. Dr Wan Mahmood bin Wan Abdul Majid, Ir. Yim Hon Wa
s etiausaha Kehormat / h onorarY s ecretarY:
Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Teang Shui
b en Dahari Kehormat / h onorarY t reasurer:
Ir. Prof. Dr Chiang Choong Luin, Jeffrey
Wa K il aWa m / ci V il r epresentati V e:
Ir. Gunasagaran a/l Kristnan
Wa K il m e K ani K al / m echanical r epresentati V e: Y.Bhg. Dato' Lt. Gen. (R) Ir. Ismail bin Samion
Wa K il e le K tri K / e lectrical r epresentati V e:
Ir. Mohd. Aman bin Hj. Idris
Wa K il s tru K tur / s tructural r epresentati V e:
Ir. Yam Teong Sian
Wa K il Kimia Dan Disiplin l ain / c hemical a n D others r epresentati V e:
Ir. Razmahwata bin Mohamad Razalli Wakil lain-lain displin / Rep R esentative to othe R disciplines:
Ir. Assoc. Prof. Dr Cheong Kuan Yee
Wa K il m ultime D ia / m ultime D ia r epresentati V e:
Ir. Noor Iziddin Abdullah bin Hj. Ghazali ahli majlis / c ouncil m embers:
Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Sze Wei, Ir. Tuan Hj. Mohd. Ali bin Yusoff, Ir. Yee Yew Weng, Ir. Mah Soo, Ir. Dr Ahmad Anuar bin Othman, Ir. Kok Yen Kwan, Ir. Yau Chau Fong, Ir. Wong Chee Fui, Ir. Mohd. Khir bin Muhammad, Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Hj. Mohd. Isa bin Hj. Sarman, Ir. Assoc. Prof. Dr Marlinda binti Abd. Malek, Ir. Zainuddin bin Mohammad, Ir. Lai Kong Phooi, David, Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. John Chee Shi Tong, Ir. Gopal Narian Kutty, Ir. Tan Yean Chin, Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Ahmad Murad bin Hj. Omar, Ir. Ng Shiu Yuen, David, Ir. Kim Kek Seong, Ir. Chong Chew Fan, Ir. Dr Tan Kuang Leong, Ir. Lau Yuk Ma, June, Ir. Dr Norlida binti Buniyamin, Ir. Ishak bin Abdul Rahman, Ir. Hoo Choon Sean, Y. Bhg. Dato Ir. Samsuddin bin Ismail ahli majlis / council m embe Rs (by a ppointment):
Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Hj. Mohamad bin Hj. Husin, Ir. Abdul Ghani bin Hashim, Ir. Abdullah bin Isnin
b e K as Yang Dipertua t era K hir / i mme D iate past p resi D ent:
Y.Bhg. Academician Dato' Ir. Prof. Dr Chuah Hean Teik
be K as Yang D ipertua / past p resi D ent s:
Y.Bhg. Dato' Ir. Pang Leong Hoon, Y.Bhg. Academician Dato' Ir. (Dr) Hj. Ahmad Zaidee bin Laidin, Ir. Dr Gue
See Sew, Y.Bhg. Datuk Ir. Prof. Dr Ow Chee Sheng, Y.Bhg. Dato' Paduka Ir. Prof. (Dr) Keizrul bin Abdullah pengerusi caWangan / branch chairman:
1. Pulau Pinang – Ir. Ng Sin Chie
2. Selatan – Ir. Mohd. Khir bin Muhammad
3. Perak – Ir. Chan Hoong Mun
4. Kedah-Perlis – Ir. Hor Tek Lip
5. Negeri Sembilan – Ir. Mohammed Noor bin Abu Hassan
6. Kelantan – Ir. Hj. Syed Abdul Rahman bin Syed Abdullah
7. Terengganu – Ir. Mohd. Azmi bin Ali
8. Melaka – Ir. Mohd. Khalid bin Nasir
9. Sarawak – Ir. Tan Khiok Chun, Alan
10. Sabah – Ir. Lo Chong Chiun
11. Miri – Ir. Goh Soon Boon
12. Pahang – Ir. Hj. Roslan bin Abdul Azis
ahli jaWatan Kuasa in F ormasi Dan penerbitan / stan D ing committee on in F ormation an D publications 2011/2012: Pengerusi/Chairman: Y. Bhg. Dato' Ir. Hj. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin Naib Pengerusi/Vice Chairman: Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Sze Wei Setiausaha/Secretary: Ir. Lau Tai Onn Ketua Pengarang/Chief Editor: Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Sze Wei Pengarang Buletin/Bulletin Editor: Ir. Ong Guan Hock Pengarang Prinsipal Jurnal/Principal Journal Editor: Ir. Assoc. Prof. Dr Marlinda binti Abdul Malek Pengerusi Perpustakaan/Library Chairman: Ir. CMM Aboobucker Ahli-Ahli/Committee Members: Ir. Yee Thien Seng, Ir. Tan Yean Chin, Ir. Chin Mee Poon, Dato’ Ir. Prof. Dr Mohd. Saleh bin Jaafar, Ir. Hj. Look Keman bin Sahari, Ir. Mohd. Khir bin Muhammad, Y. Bhg. Datuk Ir. Prof. Dr Ow Chee Sheng, Ir. Cheong Loong Kwong, Allen, Ir. Tey Choo Yew, Calvin, Engr. Abi Sofian bin Abdul Hamid, Engr. Shuhairy bin Norhisham, Engr. Abul Aswal bin Abdul Latiff
IEM Secretariat: Nor Aziah Budin, Nurul Aida Mustafa
Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture –Its Relevance in Maritime Industry Development
m arine engineering and naval architecture are amongst two age-old engineering disciplines that are truly relevant to this day and will remain so for the foreseeable future. These industries date way back to the early days of seafarers when ships were built from wood and propelled by natural energy resources.
Present day ships are built with a steel hull, aluminium and glass reinforced plastics (GRP) or fibreglass, and are propelled by steam, diesel or gas turbines and electric propulsion technology. The latest development in the market is the “environship”, which are ships designed with highly efficient environmentally friendly concepts. These ships are constructed as cargo ships designed to pierce the waves, and have an integrated propulsion system that fulfils innovative environmental conservation regulations such as the elimination of SOx while reducing CO2 emissions by more than 40% compared to conventional designs.
These designs meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in terms of safety, environmental concerns, legal provisions, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.
Marine engineering and naval architecture have always been associated with the maritime sector. In the international arena, Malaysia is indeed a maritime nation with a 4,675km coastline (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068km, East Malaysia 2,607km). Among the key major contributors to the Gross National Product (GNP) are petroleum and natural gas resources.
Malaysia’s economy is dependent on the seas, thus the need to have viable sea transportation is essential. The recent upturn in the shipbuilding industry may be contributed by IMO’s ruling on ships with single hulls, indicating a replacement with double hulled tankers; the expansion of world trade, higher demands for shipping services such as container ships, bulk carriers and tankers; rise in freight rates; and high investment in the oil industry which increases demand for offshore supply vessels.
As reported in a popular English daily on 8 December 2011, the Prime Minister has launched the “Malaysian Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Strategic Plan 2020” at the 11th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2011 (LIMA). This is certainly seen as a “positive step” for the country’s maritime industry.
Tun Mahathir Mohamed, the former Prime Minister, was quoted to have said that, for the country’s maritime trade to achieve success similar to the aerospace industry, shipbuilding companies must get more contracts from the government. With the blueprint in place, the industry can be better coordinated and growth will be achieve d.
Marine engineers and naval architects should now join hands and fall into the ranks of the vanguard that will realise the nation’s aspiration of a booming maritime industry that contributes to the GNP and economy of Malaysia.
by First Admiral Adjunct Prof. Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad Omar (Rtd) Chairman, Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Technical Division
Charting the Future of Malaysia’s Maritime Industry
by Ms. Suvarna
MAlAysIA, as a maritime nation, has always lagged behind leading shipbuilding nations such as China, South Korea and Japan. However, the industry will soon be rejuvenated when the newly launched guidelines on the sector come into play.
JURUTERA met up with Ir. Nordin bin Mat Yusoff, Vice President of Group Technical Services, MISC Bhd, to get his views on the guidelines and more. He is the Chairman of the Malaysia Shipowner’s Association, a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA).
The graduate of the University of Glasgow in naval architecture and ocean engineering explained that marine engineering is a specialisation of the engineering aspect of the different systems including the propulsion system, housed within a ship, while naval architecture is related to structural engineering specialising in design of ships and floating objects.
Historically, Malaysia has always been actively involved in shipbuilding and ship repair which is important for both its commercial and defence activities. However, the country’s capacity is outmatched in many ways compared to the advanced state of the shipbuilding industry in several other maritime nations.
Ir. Nordin believes that one of major limitations lies in the shortage of locally trained marine engineers and naval architects who are needed to support the development and growth of the industry. The naval architects, for instance, are in demand not only for ships but also for floaters and production facilities especially in the oil and gas industry.
Floaters, which are generally categorised into fixed topsider production facilities and floating structures, are essential for oil and gas production facilities, an example of which are the Floating Storage Offloading (FSO), Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FDSO) and Floating LNG plant (FLNG). The latter is currently under development, and the first one will be launched in the next three to four years.
MARInE EngInEERIng And nAvAl ARChITECTURE EdUCATIon
According to Ir. Nordin, before local universities added marine engineering and naval architecture courses to their syllabus, students were often sent to the United Kingdom to study as such courses were simply not available in the country. In fact, many of the engineers in the industry at that time were actually “converted” from other disciplines of engineering. However, all that began to change in early 2000.
He said, “At that time, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) appointed me to its industry advisory board of its engineering department as they wanted to review the course on marine technology. However, I had to point out to them that such a course was not suitable in fulfilling the industry’s need for marine engineers or naval architects.”
What followed was a collaboration between MISC and UTM in 2005 where, with a sponsorship of RM5 million over five years, MISC invited visiting professors from credible learning institutions abroad to Malaysia. The first professor was the esteemed Ernst Frankel, Emeritus Professor from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This was followed by several other professors from universities in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan and Russia to review the syllabus offered by UTM. This collaboration eventually led to UTM offering an engineering degree which specialises in naval architecture and offshore engineering.
Although more local universities are beginning to offer similar courses, Ir. Nordin observed that there is little promotion of the marine engineering and naval architecture discipline among aspiring engineers, which is a surprise considering that 90% of Malaysia’s export is by sea.
(Continued on page 8)
Ir. Nordin believed that the country needed to develop more marine engineers and naval architects who specialise in offshore engineering
Ooi
He said, “Not many people are aware of what the course is about and what are its prospects. The fact is, Malaysian graduates in this sector are highly sought after in Singapore and the Middle East.”
He pointed out that the country needed to develop more marine engineers and naval architects who specialise in offshore engineering to maintain the rapid growth of its oil and gas industry. According to him, whereas in the past many foreign talents were brought in to work on the numerous production platforms in Malaysia, local engineers have now taken over most of the senior positions.
If a comparison were to be made, local marine engineers within the oil and gas industry are on par with their peers from other countries. Ir. Nordin said, “However, we need more engineers who can think creatively and be innovative. Most of these engineers are well equipped with the knowhow, but they are not articulate and have issues with communication.”
He added, “We also need to inject leadership qualities into the young graduates. In general, Malaysian engineers seem to lack that. We want engineers to be leaders and take any challenges to greater heights, and be positive and proactive.”
shIpbUIldIng/shIp REpAIR IndUsTRy
sTRATEgIC plAn 2020 (sbsR 2020)
Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the SBSR 2020 aims to generate RM6.35 billion in gross national income and create 55,500 jobs in Malaysia by 2020.
The plan also targets to capture 80% of the local new build market and 2% of the global new build market.
Although he supports the plan wholeheartedly, Ir. Nordin questioned if the target is realistic and achievable. He asked, “What is the appetite of the industry? Can we afford to invest in technology automation? Do we have the necessary supporting industry to be a shipbuilding nation?”
He added, “We need to determine the things that we are good at and how we can go further from there. We must have a target of where we want to be and be specific. For example, by 2020, we must set a target so that we will be able to build or repair ships rank top 3 in the world of a certain size and capacity.”
Ir. Nordin stated that the SBSR 2020 is merely a guideline, and that the most important part of the plan is for the government to play its role and assist the industry in ensuring that the numerous players, with the help of fiscal incentives, implement and execute the plan. He pointed out that in the United States, with the Jones Act, not only do ships which operate within US waters need to be built and registered locally, but also are required to have a local crew.
He stressed that the industry is capital intensive, and that tax exemptions should not only be offered on the company revenue, but also be extended to its supporting industries as well as on materials, most of which have to be imported. Additional funds should also be provided for the industry to grow, albeit at attractive interest rates.
Installation of the propeller
Photo courtesy of MISC Bhd
On the other hand, Ir. Nordin believed that the industry itself also has to be positive and proactive in supporting the government’s aspiration. He said, “One of the biggest obstacles the industry is facing is that some players become short-sighted and try to monopolise the industry through unethical business practices. Instead of working hand in hand with the industry, they try to take advantage of it.”
He explained, “When I handle international contractors, I have tried promoting local suppliers who are known for their competitive prices. However, usually after the first deal, international contractors complain of suppliers hiking up their prices for subsequent projects. This has occurred many times and they do not realise they are tarnishing the country’s reputation.”
Although the petroleum chemical sector is currently affected by the global economy and commercial shipping is facing an overcapacity of supply, the local oil and gas sector is still going strong good and demand for offshore supply vessels continues to grow. However, he pointed out that it was important not only for the local demand, but also regionally.
Ir. Nordin shared that when Singapore decided to become a maritime nation perhaps about 40 years ago, it came out with a masterplan which led to the development of its marine technology park.The island nation was able to achieve its ambition to be a leader in ship repair, oil and gas fabrications as well as a thriving international port as it had a comprehensive support chain; from the agency to drive its success, to the government support and the industry’s proactive stance.
He believed that Malaysia’s focus on carving a niche in the category of small to medium-sized vessels which includes coastal tankers and container ships and offshore supply vessel (OSV) for the oil and gas industry, is the right way to go.
However, he felt that it is crucial that the key agency responsible for the guideline’s implementation, in this case the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), must maintain its focus at all times monitoring the implementation of the plan and ensure that there is healthy growth for every player in the industry.
In addition, Ir. Nordin also believed the country should produce more engineers who specialise in ship design and construction. By doing so, this will enable the country to become a hub for offshore support vessels and the building of smaller capacity vessels.
In terms of ship repair, he stated that Malaysia should capitalise on ship repair as it has the capability to repair vessels both small and big, including LNG ships. The reason he gave was that the country’s location was not only very strategic, but also because there would be plenty of spillover opportunities from neighbouring Singapore.
Ir. Nordin said that there was also economic potential in ship recycling which, unlike the current practice of turning old ships into scrap metal, involve the beaching of these ships in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. With tighter regulations and environmental control being implemented, he believed that ship recycling could be a big thing in the near future.
Construction of bow
Photo courtesy of MISC Bhd
Development of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for Underwater Inspection
by
1.0 InTRODUcTIOn
There has been an increase of interest in underwater vehicles development since the 1990s. Commercial manufacturers have taken aggressive action each year to produce various underwater vehicles to support marine industries such as oil and gas, and underwater construction. From the academic perspective, either in universities or research institutes, academicians and researchers are just as keen to utilise underwater vehicles, such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), to explore the underwater environment.
The cost to purchase a commercial underwater vehicle is quite expensive. One solution is for researchers to specifically design and develop their own underwater vehicle and system according to their research requirements and applications. The developed system must be able to perform the tasks required in a reliable manner. A basic unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) system should be capable of undersea observation and carry out simple operations such as tele-operated sample collection.
In general, UUVs can be divided into either ROV or autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). An ROV is a tethered underwater vehicle with an umbilical and is remotely tele-operated by a human operator. Meanwhile, an AUV is an automatic platform that has an onboard controller and is able to perform self-operated missions. The commands for an AUV system are usually pre-programmed before the mission or downloaded from the surface control station during the mission.
There are few limitations in using an ROV compared to an AUV; for example, operator fatigue, operational cost and safety issues. However, because an ROV’s manoeuvrability is much more convenient, it can be deployed almost everywhere; sea, lake, river, well, pool, drainage or sewage system. Nowadays, ROV manufacturers are able to produce a wide range of ROVs that meet a customer’s varied requirements.
In general, ROVs can be classified into several classes, namely, micro, mini, general, light work class and heavy work class. The last three classes, general, light work and heavy work may be required to operate down to a depth of 7000m. These kinds of ROVs are often used in ocean mining, offshore-oil industry and underwater constructions. There are several potential applications of underwater vehicles. The latter can be used for seafloor and geological sampling.
ROVs are often used for the inspection of underwater constructions such as pipelines and dams where a constraint in workspace is crucial. Heavy underwater constructions require heavy work class ROVs as, nowadays, there are quite a number of underwater cables for power grid and communication installed on ocean seabeds all over the world. Other applications that use ROVs include ship hull inspection, ship tank internal inspection, nuclear power plant inspection and underwater exploration.
2.0 DEVElOpmEnT Of USm’S ROV
USM’s ROV is an unmanned underwater vehicle developed by researchers from the Underwater Robotics Research Group (URRG) in USM’s laboratory (See Figure 1). Several team members were heavily involved in catering to the various technical requirements in the ROV’s design and development. This small class ROV was developed as a generic UUV platform to enable further researches in marine control system and modelling. The development of this ROV is funded under a research grant by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation through its agency, the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD).
As a research platform, USM’s ROV is equipped with standard equipment and payloads such as depth transducer, gyro compass, echo sounder, an optical camera and sonar. The propulsion system is provided by six brushed DC thrusters propeller with dedicated controller.
En. Mohd. Akmal Mohd. Yusoff and Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd. Rizal Arshad
Figure 1: USM’s remotely operated vehicle
Table 1 shows the ROV’s specifications. The ROV runs on 240v AC, 50Hz, supplied from a surface generator. A 100m umbilical supplies the electrical power and communication (i.e. for data and control signals transfer). AC voltage is used instead of DC voltage to reduce power loss from the 100m cable transmission. About 90% of the supplied power is consumed by the thrusters, while another 10% is consumed by other modules.
Table 1: USM ROV specifications
Dimension 665mm (L) x 550mm (W) x 500mm (H)
Gross weight 30kg
Rated depth 100 meter
Material Aluminum alloy, PVC
Propulsion Brushed DC motor propeller thruster
Controller PC based controller, PIC micro controller
Four thrusters are mounted on the horizontal plane while another two thrusters are for vertical motion. The horizontal thrusters are fixed at an azimuth angle in X-shape configuration (Figure 1) to provide the surge, sway and yaw motions. The vertical thrusters are mounted in parallel to provide heave and pitch motions. The development of USM’s ROV was done in two stages. The first stage was to develop a prototype system that is capable
Controller
• Onboard PC based controller
• Thruster controller
Controller
• PC based controller
• Joystick
• Display Software
• Controller code
• GUI
• 3D virtual simulation
Power
• Generator
• DC power supply
SURFACE MODULES
Power
• PMU
• PCM
Sensors
• Gyro compass
• Depth transducer
• Echo sounder
• Obstacle avoidance sonar
• Water ingress sensor
• Optical camera
Propulsion
• Thruster 1
• Thruster 2
• Thruster 3
• Thruster 4
• Thruster 5
• Thruster 6 Lighting
• HID
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of performing the standard manoeuvring of an ROV and simple tasks such as underwater monitoring. The system assemblies and parts were based on modular integration. Each subsystem was either purchased or fabricated. Each module was tested individually before being assembled and integrated as a complete ROV system (See Figure 2). A series of laboratory tests were conducted before the system was completed.
USM’s ROV system was tested in a fresh water testing pool before being tested in open seawater condition. The subsequent stage was to improve the control system with an intelligent system that enhances the overall system. This ROV system was also equipped with an echo sounder and collision avoidance sonar. With such equipment, the ROV can perform more efficiently in practical applications. The most current research on the ROV is on the development of the fault tolerance control of the propulsion system.
3.0 fIElD TEST
USM’s ROV has been tested in both fresh water and seawater. During the fresh water experiments, two aspects were tested, namely, its manoeuvrability and the vision system. The X-shape configuration of the horizontal thrusters provides agility and smooth navigation. Figure 3 shows the freshwater testing in a swimming pool.
USM’s ROV has also undergone its first seawater test (See Figure 4) in a coastal area near Bidan Island, Kedah. This island, located in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, is part of the coastal area of the Straits of Malacca. Again, two aspects were tested, namely, the navigation and vision system.
Figure 3: Freshwater test
Figure 4: Seawater test
4.0 cURREnT DEVElOpmEnT
USM’s ROV is currently being upgraded in terms of its specifications and capabilities. A forward looking sonar is being added to provide collision avoidance ability and undersea scanning abilities. Several units of echo sounders are also being added to provide attitude measurement and ranging. The most current research being carried out on the ROV is the development of a fault tolerant control for the propulsion system. This research is motivated by difficulties in tolerating the malfunction of the propulsion system. The fault tolerant technique was originally used in safety-critical systems such as an aircraft or nuclear power plant. The approach is being specifically designed and modelled to suit the ROV’s system.
5.0 cOnclUSIOn
USM’s ROV is a prototype ROV developed as a research platform. Although it is designed as such, it still serves the basic functions of a standard ROV system such as for monitoring and inspection purposes. The advantage of developing its own ROV system is that the researchers are able to access the system freely without any restrictions that are usually imposed by a commercial ROV manufacturer. By developing its own Malaysian-made ROV, the cost can be reduced and researchers can have a tailored ROV system that suits their needs and applications. This is a starting point for a fully submersible research vessel
Note: The authors are currently based in Underwater Robotics Research Group (URRG), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus and may be contacted at rizal@eng.usm.my
REfEREncES
[1] Mohd. Akmal Mohd. Yusoff and Mohd. Rizal Arshad, “Development of Small Class Remotely Operated Vehicle for Underwater Monitoring and Inspection, the 2nd International Conference of Underwater System Technology (USYS’8), Bali, 2008
[2] Mohd. Akmal Mohd. Yusoff and Mohd. Rizal Arshad, “Preliminary Analysis of Thruster Fault Detection and Isolation”, The 3rd International Conference on Underwater System Technology (USYS’10), Cyberjaya, 2010
[3] J.Amat, A.Monferrer; J.Batlle and X.Cufi. GARBI: A Low Cost Underwater Vehicle. Microprocessor and Microsystems 23 (1999), Elsevier Science B.V
[4] J.N. Lygouras and K.A.Lalakos; Ph.G.Tsalides. THETIS: An Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle for Water Pollution Measurement. Microprocessor and Microsystems 22 (1998), Elsevier Science B.V
[5] A.R.Frost, A.P.Mcmaster, K.G.Saunders and S.R.Lee. The Development of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for Aquaculture. Aquaculture Engineering, Vol. 15 (1996), Elsevier B.V
[6] J.Yuh. Underwater Robotics. Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, San Franscisco, 2000
JURUTERA In IEm WEB pORTAl
Current and past issues of JURUTERA, the monthly Bulletin of IEM, may now be viewed from the IEM Web portal at www.myiem.org.my
The Role of a Classification Society in the Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industries
1.0 InTRoduCTIon
Malaysia is a growing maritime nation. Its Shipbuilding and Ship Repair (SBSR) industries are expanding at a rate that has caught the attention of the Malaysian government, which has now acknowledged its importance in the nation’s industrial growth. Under MIGHT, the government has launched the “Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industry Strategic Plan 2020” at the recently concluded LIMA 2011 in Langkawi.
The expansion of the SBSR industries in the past few decades has been the result of the collaboration, cooperation and involvement of various parties in the industries such as shipowners, shipyards, charterers, insurers, bankers and financiers, institutions of higher learning, government agencies, etc.
Classification societies have gotten involved as early as the 1950s, in then Malaya, with the classing of the Penang ferries. This involvement has been continuous, and continues to grow with the progress of the industries.
2.0 WHAT IS A CLASSIFICATIon SoCIETY?
Classification societies are organisations that establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction and survey of marine related facilities including ships and offshore structures.
From their creation to the present day, the role of classification societies is to inform all interested parties, through register books and classification certificates, on the condition of each ship classed so that insurers or stakeholders can assess the risk and set the premium or decisions accordingly.
To summarise, the role of classification societies is to classify ships according to the degree of confidence that the ship deserves, and convey this information to anyone with an interest through the Classification Societies’ Register Books. The register books may have largely been replaced by websites, but the primary mission remains the same.
Classification societies conduct surveys during the construction of all ships that are to be classed by them to establish that the rules and regulations that they have published are being followed. A ship that is found in compliance at the time of the survey will be issued with a classification certificate.
by
3.0 A BRIEF HISToRY oF CLASSIFICATIon SoCIETIES
In the second half of the 18th Century, marine insurers, based at Edwards Lloyd’s coffee house in London, developed a system for the independent inspection of the hull and equipment of ships presented to them for insurance cover.
At that time, an attempt was made to ‘classify’ the condition of each ship on an annual basis. The condition of the hull was classified A, E, I, O or U, according to the excellence of its construction and its adjudged continuing soundness (or otherwise). Equipment was G (good), M (middling) or B (bad). In time, G, M and B were replaced by 1, 2 and 3, which is the origin of the well-known expression ‘A1’, which means ‘first or highest class’.
The concept of classification caught on around the world. Bureau Veritas (BV) was founded in Antwerp in 1828, and moved to Paris in 1832. Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping was reconstituted as a self-standing classification society in 1834; rules for construction and survey were published the same year.
Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) dates back to 1861, while the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) traces its origins back to 1862. The adoption of common rules for ship construction by Norwegian insurance societies in the late 1850s led to the establishment of Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in 1864. Germanischer Lloyd (GL) was formed in 1867 and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) in 1899.
The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) was an early offshoot of the River Register of 1913. More recent foundations include the Yugoslav Register of Shipping [now the Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS)] in 1949, China Classification Society (CCS) in 1956, Korean Register (KR) in 1960, and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) in 1975.
As the classification profession evolved, the practice of assigning different classifications has been superseded with several exceptions. Today, a ship either meets the relevant classification society’s rules or it does not. As a consequence, it is either ‘in’ or ‘out’ of ‘class’. However, each classification society has developed a series of notations that may be granted to a vessel to indicate that it is in compliance with some additional criteria that may be either specific to that vessel type or that are in excess of the standard classification requirements.
En. Noor Asha Abdul Rashid and Ir. Hj. Othman Abdul Kadir
4.0 SCoPE oF CLASSIFICATIon
• A technical review of the design plans and related documents for a new vessel to verify compliance with the applicable rules;
• Attendance during the construction of the vessel in the shipyard by the classification society surveyor(s), and at the relevant production facilities that provide key components such as steel, engine, generators and castings, to verify that the vessel is constructed in accordance with the classification rules;
• Upon satisfactory completion of the above, the shipowner’s request for the issuance of a classification certificate will be considered by the relevant classification society and, if deemed satisfactory, the assignment of class will be approved and a certificate of classification issued;
• Once in service, the owner must submit the vessel to a clearly specified program of periodical class surveys, carried out onboard the vessel, to verify that the ship continues to meet the relevant rule conditions for the continuation of class.
5.0 CLASSIFICATIon PRoCESS FoR nEW ConSTRuCTIon (SHIPBuILdInG)
These are the activities that are commonly carried out during the new construction stage of shipbuilding:
1. Request for Classification – Contract between the classification society and the shipyard is signed, which details the scope of work agreed upon and an agreement that the shipyard would construct the ship to the Classification Rules and Regulations, with the intention to class it upon delivery.
2. Plan Review – Drawings and documents submitted by the designer appointed by the shipyard would be reviewed by the classification society’s plan approval engineers.
3. Construction Survey – The NC surveyor will conduct a survey during the whole period of the ship’s construction, to verify that it follows the approved drawings, and also attend tests performed at the shipyard’s facilities or onboard the vessel based on the approved ITP (Inspection and Test Plan). INTRODUCTION
Figure 1: Overview of links between various parties
Heavy Lifting Services
4. Attending Testing and Trial – Various tests are witnessed by the NC surveyor (e.g. HT of pipes, leak tests, structural test of tanks, commissioning tests of equipment and related disciplines). The NC surveyor would also attend the sea trial.
5. Issuing of Certificate – Upon the satisfactory completion of surveys, BV will issue classification certificates and also statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag Administration (When authorised by the Flag Administration, a class surveyor will also conduct statutory surveys such as SOLAS, MARPOL, LOADLINE, TONNAGE AND ISM/ISPS).
6.0 CLASSIFICATIon SuRVEYS FoR SHIP In SERVICE
Classed ships are subject to surveys for the maintenance of class. These are the surveys that are typical for most ships throughout its lifecycle:
a) Class Renewal Survey
b) Annual Survey
c) Intermediate Survey
d) Bottom Survey
e) Tail Shaft Survey
f) Boiler Survey
g) Occasional Survey
h) ESP
For these types of surveys, most owners would request for the activities to be carried out while the ships are at sea. However, following the survey findings made by the surveyor(s), the ship repair activities would then take place either onboard the ship itself or at the shipyard, depending on the type of repair(s) to be carried out on the ship. In its five-year classification cycle, a ship would normally be docked twice at the shipyard for its Bottom Surveys.
Ship repair activities are not restricted to the aforementioned surveys, but are more diversified. Repair works could also be due to accidents or damage to a ship, during sailing or while carrying out its operations at a port or loading terminal, or due to the owners’ or charterers’ requirements, modifications or additional facilities or equipment added to its original design. However, not all repair works would require the involvement of a class surveyor. The class surveyor would be involved when the defects or items being replaced or repaired are either classed items or related to statutory requirements.
7.0 ConCLuSIon
Classification societies would continue its role in implementing the published rules and regulations in the SBSR industries in Malaysia in order to ensure that the standard of the activities and the quality of the final products delivered are to internationally recognised standards, with quality levels that are acceptable worldwide and are at least at par to other industrialised countries
Research and Development in Underwater Robotics Technology in Malaysia
1.0 bAckgRoUnD
The effort in developing new technologies to be applied in an underwater environment is becoming more important as we proceed to explore new frontiers in finding new resources and ensuring its sustainability. As much as we think that marine resources are crucial to the well-being of the human civilisation in the coming decades, more so is the development of the appropriate technology to make this goal realisable. Our marine resources are untapped resources, yet to be exploited to its optimum potential. For this to be done, we must ensure that the proper and appropriate technology be acquired
The utilisation of an ingenious system and technology has become more pervasive due to the advancement of various support technologies which make up a complete operational module. The domains of applications also have become more varied and sophisticated. The advantages of using reliable underwater and technology systems are the minimisation of risk to human life and also the enhancement of functional capabilities. Each domain of applications provides a multitude of challenges and practical problems.
In Malaysia, we have many scientists who conduct basic and applied research related to the marine or underwater environments. We have, for example, groups of biologists, oceanographers and marine scientists conducting active research on our oceans. They are using a number of stateof-the-art sensors and equipment for their research. This is unavoidable in order to ensure that reliable data can be gathered and a justified conclusion can be made of any studies or investigations. Marine sensors and related equipment are, admittedly, very expensive.
The high cost of components puts a significant constraint on the type of R&D efforts that can be conducted. At the same time, we have many engineers and researchers who have the capabilities to develop our own locally-made sensors and systems. It is just a matter of linking these two groups together. With the first class facilities that we currently have in research institutes and universities in the country, there is no valid excuse for us not to venture into this endeavour.
The emergence of new technologies and solutions to address issues and problems encountered in our daily endeavours have often been greeted by caution and ill-informed presumptions. And the fate of these newlyfound solutions may sometimes be grossly affected by the perceptions held by the masses. This is especially true
by Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd. Rizal Arshad
at the initial stages of development. The true measure of technology viability is the first one or two years of its utilisation. Not all novel solutions are viable, and vice versa, not all viable technology is novel in itself.
The Earth is part of our source of problems and potential solutions. Development of newer and better technology for underwater applications are becoming very pertinent at this juncture. More research efforts are required to ensure that the problems of the proper exploitation of our oceans are addressed satisfactorily. Research collaborations across multi-facets of knowledge are important and fundamental. The sustainable themes revolving around the issues of measuring, monitoring and managing of the oceans are crucial to the wellbeing of the world as a whole.
R&D efforts into underwater system technology are becoming attractive because of the potential returns. As the commercial and industrial sectors’ interest in the potential of underwater/oceans grows, so does the effort to produce better and cheaper enabling tools, i.e. underwater technologies. And, this trend is also visible in the defence sectors.
2.0 UnDERwATER RoboTics REsEARch
gRoUp (URRg)
Research and development efforts into developing a fleet of underwater-related robotics platform have been ongoing for the past 10 years at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang. The effort received its vital boost in 2007, after the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD), MOSTI, awarded a special development research fund to develop a locally-based intelligent hybrid underwater vehicle (IHUV), amounting to RM4.29 million. The research fund has enabled a fleet of underwater-related robotics platforms, as opposed to the single proposed IHUV, to be developed. This fleet of underwater robotics platforms consists of:
1. Intelligent Hybrid Underwater Vehicle (IHUV –Autonomous and Remotely-controlled mode
2. Underwater Glider Platform
3. Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV)
4. Robust Vertical Profiler
5. Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV)
6. Drosobots (Micro-ASVs with multi-agent applications)
7. Towed Underwater Intelligent Surveillance System (TUISS)
In the past four years, the research and development efforts for all the underwater robotics platforms were conducted at the URRG lab in USM. A group of up to 20 postgraduate students and five academic staff were involved in the development of all the platforms. These students were doing their MSc. and Ph.D research efforts based on the platforms. The research challenges consisted of hardware, software and integration issues. The tasks of developing these platforms are in line with the government’s effort for national capacity building, self-reliance, knowledge creation and also high potential wealth generation goals.
The development of these robotics platforms is crucial because of the strategic importance of the technologies involved. The applications are also varied. These underwater robotics platforms can be utilised in the oil and gas industry, for defence applications, scientific explorations and also for commercial use such as port security and also in-situ shiphull inspection. More information on this research group is available at http://urrg.eng.usm.my
3.0 sysTEM AnD TEchnology DEsign
Over the years, the focus on systems and technology development has changed as new ideas began to surface to address technology-related problems. Some of the problems have been solved while others remain and still await real solutions. Previously unknown problems have now come to the fore. The following list represents many of the technical issues that have been addressed over the past three decades.
• Autonomy (What is the ability for the system to operate without human intervention?)
• Energy (What is the maximum duration of operation permissible?)
• Navigation (What is the ability to navigate a path with/ without obstacle avoidance?)
• Sensors (What kind of sensing parameters are required for particular applications?)
• Communications (What is the data size and transmission distance needed?)
The AUV’s purpose is to carry payload (See Figures 1 and 2). The payload is determined by the mission of the vehicle. Unlike an ROV, an AUV carries its own energy source and is pre-programmed with a set of instructions that enables it to carry out an underwater mission without assistance from an operator on the surface. The interesting aspect of this list is that, although there have been advances in these technical areas, a number of these technologies still remain the technology “long poles” associated with AUV systems.
Figure 1: A sample of the AUV-Glider and ROV platforms developed by USM
The limitation in these technologies affects the capability of AUV systems. Among the technology “long poles” are:
• Autonomy/Cooperation/Intelligent Systems and Technologies
• Energy Systems/Energy management
• Navigation and Tracking
• Sensor Systems and Processing
• 3D Imaging and mapping
• Communications – multi modal
Several important advances remain to be made such as in the area of autonomous manipulation. However, the emphasis of current activities is not along these lines. Other important design issues are:
• Guidance/Low Level Control
• Hydrodynamics and Control Systems
• Autonomous Manipulation/Work Systems
• User Interface/Development Tools/Emulation
• System Modelling
As AUV/UUV systems mature to a point where they are being commercialised, the importance of cost reliability and robustness are becoming increasingly important. Other important areas that must be considered in the future are:
• Software System Architecture/Distributed Control
• Hardware System Architecture/Standardisation
• Vehicle and Platform Design
• Cost/Reliability/Robustness
The key issues that will determine the characteristics of the AUV/UUV platform, and guide the system design are, among others:
• What sensors or other hardware must the AUV/UUV carry as payload?
• At what depth will the AUV/UUV operate?
• At what speed will the AUV/UUV operate?
• For how long will the AUV/UUV operate? With the payload, depth, range and speed requirements defined; then only will there be enough information to produce a general configuration and layout of the vehicle. A second set of questions refines the size, weight and power requirements of the AUV.
4.0
sUMMARy
The use of underwater vehicle platforms (AUV/UUV/ROV) and other underwater robotics technology will be more pervasive as the oceans are given more priority in the future. This is especially true for deeper parts of the ocean.
There are political and economical reasons for these increases. The integration of various underwater vehicle platforms will also be crucial in gaining a more holistic understanding of the measured conditions. Nevertheless, the robotics system used must not introduce unnecessary interference to the underwater environment. Certainly, many more intensive R&D efforts need to be done in the field of battery/power source technology, underwater sensing and communication, and new materials, to name a few.
The key to this enabling technology is the development of the optimum sensing and platform required, which are low cost, highly reliable, robust and environmentally friendly. It is hoped that the stakeholders, such as the marine industry community and relevant government agencies, will give more emphasis on the development of locallybased underwater system and technology. In Malaysia, the available research groups in institutes of higher learning and independent research institutes must welcome the move for more intensive research into this exciting domain of applications. We must work towards knowledge generation, which will lead us to wealth creation
Note: The author is currently based in Underwater Robotics Research Group (URRG), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus and may be contacted at rizal@eng.usm.my
REfEREncEs
[1] Webb, D.C., Simonetti, P.J., and Jones, C.P. (2001), SLOCUM: An Underwater Glider Propelled by Environment Energy, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Volume 26, issue 4, October, pp. 447-452
[2] Sherman, J., Davis, R.E., Owens, W.B., and Valdes, J. (2001), The Autonomous Underwater Glider “Spray”, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Volume 26, Issue 4, October, pp. 437-446
[3] Eriksen, C.C., Osse, T.J., Light, R.D., Wen, T., Lehman, T.W., Sabin, P.L., Ballard, J.W., and Chiodi, A.M. (2001), Seaglider: A Long Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Oceanographic
[4] Research, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Volume 26, Issue 4, October, pp. 424-436
[5] Osse, T.J. and Eriksen, C.C, (2007), The Deepglider: A Full Ocean Depth Glider for Oceanographic Research, IEEE Ocean 2007, Sept. 29-Oct 4, pp. 1-12
[6] Tomoda, Y., Kawaguchi, K., Ura, T., and Kobayashi, H. (1993), Development and Sea Trials of a Shuttle Type AUV “ALBAC”, Proceedings of 8th International Symposium on Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology
[7] Graver, J. G. (2005), Underwater Gliders: Dynamics, Control, and Design, Ph.D. Thesis, Princeton University
[8] J.N. Lygouras; K.A.Lalakos and Ph.G.Tsalides. THETIS: An underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle for Water Pollution Measurement. Microprocessor and Microsystems 22 (1998), Elsevier Science B.V
[9] A.R.Frost; A.P.Mcmaster; K.G.Saunders and S.R.Lee. The Development of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for Aquaculture. Aquaculture Engineering, Vol 15, (1996) Elsevier B.V
[10] J.Yuh. Underwater Robotics. Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, San Franscisco 2000
[11] [5] Wang, Y., Jin, Z., and Zhang, M., Research of Thruster Fault Diagnosis for Open Frame Underwater Vehicle, Proceeding of 2006 IEEE International Conference and Automation, June 25-28, Luoyang, China
[12] Hanai, H, A., Choi, K, S., Marani, G., Rosa, H and Kaikala., Experimental Validation of Model-Based Thruster Fault Detection for Underwater Vehicles, in the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Kobe International Center, Kobe, Japan, May 12-17, 2009
Figure 2: The Intelligent Hybrid Underwater Vehicle (IHUV) by USM
Highlights of the Shipbuilding/Ship Repair Strategic Plan 2020
SynoPSiS of THE SHiPbUilding/SHiP REPAiR (SbSR) STRATEgic PlAn 2020
The Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MiGHT) and the Association of Maritime Industries of Malaysia (AMIM) have jointly developed the Malaysian Shipbuilding/Ship Repair Industry Strategic Plan 2020, which was presented to the stakeholders on 27 July 2011 at Putrajaya
The plan, which will set the national agenda for the industry in the coming decade, targets to capture 80% of the local market and 2% of the global new build market, up from 50% and 1% respectively. For ship repair, the plan has set its sights on capturing 3% of the vessels plying the Straits of Malacca and 80% of the South China Sea offshore repair market.
It is worth noting that the impact by 2020 can be very significant. Based on the current uptrend and gross output, the estimated industry growth rate and employment growth rate for the next 10 years are 10% and 6% respectively. This will contribute to a GNI of RM19.9 billion and the creation of 55,500 jobs.
The recommendations of the plan are expected to boost Malaysia’s industrial competitiveness in the maritime industry, which has come under increased competition from regional players such as Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is targeted that, by 2020, the Malaysian shipbuilding and ship repair industry will be a major player in the small to medium-sized shipbuilding market and become renown for the quality and value of its high technology products and services, thus substantially contributing to the national economy
by First Admiral Adjunct Prof. Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad Omar (Rtd)
mARinE EnginEERing And nAvAl ARcHiTEcTURE
SapuraCrest Eyes Expansion in Key Markets
In the next two years, SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd, whose merger with Kencana Petroleum Bhd is well underway, will spend between RM1.4 billion and RM1.6 billion to expand its business in key markets, which include Brazil, Australia, India, and the Middle East. SapuraCrest would also bid for more risk service contracts (RSCs) from Petronas to develop Malaysia’s marginal oilfields. Datuk Seri Shahril Shamsuddin, its executive Vice-Chairman, said the merged entity, to be called Sapura Kencana Petroleum Bhd, would have a combined order book of RM13 billion, of which half would be from overseas. He added that Sapura Kencana Petroleum would streamline its operations that overlap into single business units and make them run efficiently before cross-selling each other’s services. The merged entity, which will be Malaysia’s largest oilfield services provider by assets and one of the world’s top five, is looking to add some 15% to 20% to its workforce at the management and engineering level. Sapura Kencana Petroleum would have the capabilities to service an oilfield from start to finish and be one of the few EPCIC (engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning) contractors in the world.
(Sourced from The Star)
Cutting the Cost of Biofuel
United Kingdom could transform the biofuels industry by refining the process of converting the jatropha curcas plant, a common shrub, into oil. Farizul Kasim, who is completing his PhD in Chemical Engineering, is working on a new technique to develop a way of getting biodiesel directly from the seed of the plant by creating a chemical reaction with methanol in the seeds. He said that this could potentially make the production of jatropha fuel much cheaper as, thus far, the cost of preparing the seed to undergo the refining process has been prohibitive in the development of the technology.
(Sourced from The Star)
MJIT Project to be Partially Financed by Japan
The Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will partially finance the development of the RM793.9 million Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIT) project. According to Ministry of Higher Education Secretary-General Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohamad Noor, JICA will finance the project through a loan provided by the Japanese government. He said that 6,697 million Yen (RM252 million) will be disbursed by JICA to MJIT over a period of seven years beginning 2011 to 2017, while the rest will be borne by the Malaysian government.
MJIT is an academic institution established under Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to introduce Japanese-style engineering education based on an agreement between the heads of state from Japan and Malaysia back in April 2010. Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Shigeru Nakamura said that the loan would be used to provide facilities and equipment for higher level education, and added that MJIT incorporates the Japanese engineering system to enable Malaysian students in the institute to study particular conditions which they will experience in Japanese universities.
(Sourced from BERNAMA)
RM1 Billion Contract in Australia
Won by Muhibbah’s JV
Monadelphous Muhibbah Marine JV, Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd’s 50:50 joint-venture company with Monadelphous Group Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary Monadelphous Engineering Pty Ltd, has been awarded a contract to construct the approach jetty and ship berth in Queensland, Australia. Valued at RM1.05 billion, the contract is associated with the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal Pty Ltd’s (WICET) Project at Gladstone in Australia and entailed the construction of offshore plant and infrastructure, including a 1.8km approach jetty and transfer tower platform, wharf and wharf conveyor including the drive and take-up tower. The JV will also build the berthing and mooring dolphins, ship access platforms and jetty conveyor which includes the section onshore and the transfer tower.
Muhibbah Engineering stated that it would contribute its expertise in the delivery of marine and port construction works while Monadelphous’ role was in the civil construction of the project. Stage One works of the project, which has a contracted annual coal export capacity of 27 million tonnes, will start immediately and this capacity will expand its annual capacity to more than 80 million tonnes when it is fully completed in the first quarter of 2014.
(Sourced from The Star)
Engineering Graduates Urged to Drive Economy
Tun Mohd. Khalil Yaakob, the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka’s (UTeM) Chancellor, has called on engineering graduates to drive the nation’s economy in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. He said the success of research efforts by engineering specialists had helped Malaysia remain as the world’s primary producer of rubber, palm oil, cocoa and pepper. Tun Mohd. Khalil added that continuous efforts in research and development will also boost agricultural resources, food production technology and advancements in the field of health. He wants UTeM to encourage the transfer of technology from developed countries until Malaysia is able to handle cutting-edge technology with the best human capital.
(Sourced from BERNAMA)
ADMISSION AS REGISTERED BUILDING MANAGERS OF BMAM
Individual and Corporate Members may apply for admission as Registered Building Managers (individuals) or as Registered Building Managers (Corporate) at a special discounted rate of RM10.00 and RM20.00, respectively. The special offer is now extended to 31 March 2012. Those admitted before this date will be granted a full waiver of their prescribed annual registration fees for 2012. This special concession being offered to IEM Members augurs well towards strengthening the role and participation of the BMAM as the sole multi-stakeholder entity representing and protecting the overall interests of the building management industry of Malaysia. Please refer to the “Guidelines for Admission as Registered Building Managers” for further information, or contact Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM) at 41491718 or e-mail: svenkat19@yahoo.com.sg
Safe Tea Committee
lAST monTh, I referred to the Safety and Health Committee as a key stakeholder in management reviews. The committee has, in fact, a broader function. This month, we will discuss more about these functions.
The Safety and Health Committee needs to be formed for workplaces with 40 or more people. This is provided under Section 30 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514)
Safety and Health Committees are part of the organisation for safety (refer to the October 2011 issue of JURUTERA). The specific regulations related to Safety and Health Committees is the Occupational Safety and Health (Safety and Health Committee) Regulations 1996. The employer needs to convene the inaugural meeting and set down the expectations on safety and health policies, plans and proposals to establish a safe and healthy working condition at the place of work.
mEmbERShip of ThE CommiTTEE
The Safety and Health Committee should comprise (under Regulation 5 (1)):
1. A chairman (the managing director or the authorised manager)
2. A secretary (the safety and health officer or person-in-charge)
3. Representatives of the employees
4. Representatives of the employer
In cases where there are 100 employees or less, there should be no less than two representatives from (3) and (4). Where there are more than 100 employees, there should be no less than four representatives from (3) and (4). This requirement is stated under Regulation 5 (2).
The members should be nominated by the employees and balloting can be done if the nominees exceed the vacancies. On the other hand, where there is no nomination or insufficient nomination, the employer then appoints the required number to the committee. Regulation 7 to 10 deals with the appointment and removal of committee members.
fUnCTion of ThE CommiTTEE
The functions of the Safety and Health Committee are contained in Part 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health (Safety and Health Committee) Regulations 1996. In summary, they include:
1. Assist in the development of safety and health rules and safe systems of work.
2. Review safety and health programmes.
3. Carry out studies on safety incidents and report unsafe or unhealthy conditions and practices at the workplace with recommendations for corrective actions.
by Ir. Shum Keng Yan
4. Review and make recommendations on Safety and Health Policies at the workplace.
5. Conduct workplace inspections and make recommendations.
6. Conduct incident investigations and make recommendations.
7. Attend to complaints.
8. Assist in the promotional activities of safety and health at the workplace.
9. Sub-committees may be formed to look into specific issues.
It should also be noted that the Safety and Health Committee should be part of the management review. In fact, some companies do designate one of the Safety and Health Committee meetings as a management review meeting.
Another point to note is the various recommendations coming out from the Safety and Health Committee. The employer (as soon as is practicable) needs to make a decision in consultation with the chairman and Safety and Health Officer. All such records of recommendations and decisions need to be kept for at least seven years. These are stated under Regulation 14.
In the discharge of the committee’s duties, the committee needs to refer to various reports such as safety and health audits, Safety and Health Officer reports, Occupational Safety and Health Officer (government) reports and reports from government agencies.
The committee even has the authority to bring a safety and health issue up to the Director General when there is an unresolved disagreement with the employer. This is covered under Regulation 17.
The committee meets as frequently as is necessary and at least once in three months. As with all formal committees, there needs to be a quorum of at least the chairman, secretary and half the members. The minutes of these meetings need to be kept for at least seven years.
In order to discharge their duties, the committee members obviously require time and training on safety and health as well as facilities for the meetings to be held. These are to be provided by the employer. The employer should also make relevant documents available to the committee subject to certain conditions under Regulation 31.
Clearly, the Safety and Health Committee is very influential if it is run properly. It has wide ranging functions and authority to help the employer create a safe and healthy workplace.
To join our Safe Tea Committee, send your request to pub@iem.org.my
Half-Day Forum on “Shipbuilding/Ship Repair Industry Strategic Plan 2020”
InTRoDUcTIon
The objective of the forum, organised by the Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Technical Division (MNATD) at Wisma IEM on 4 November 2011, was to invite views and comments from IEM members and also those representing the engineering fraternity, which would then be incorporated into the final preparation of the Shipbuilding/ Ship Repair (SBSR) Industry Strategic Plan 2020 before it was announced by the country’s Prime Minister at the Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) on 6 December 2011.
FoRUm PAnEllISTS
The panel members presiding over the forum were the presidents of the Association of Maritime Industry of Malaysia (AMIM) Admiral Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Ramli Nor, and the Malaysian Shipowners Association (MASA) Ir. Nordin Mat Yusoff, as well as the Vice President of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST) First Admiral Adjunct Prof. Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad Omar (Rtd).
kEy ISSUES AnD cHAllEngES
Admiral Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Ramli, in his opening remarks at the forum, stated that while Malaysia is indeed a maritime nation and straddles one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, it has yet to tap the full potential of this industry.
First Admiral Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad emphasised the importance of international recognition in professional competency as an element to facilitate global engagement in order to support the local industry. Ir. Nordin then expressed his thoughts relating to the challenges that the industry was facing, the nation’s focus on the SBSR, and why government intervention is crucial in achieving success.
Many issues were raised and questions put forward to the panellists. Responses were offered with full clarity and, in some cases, supported by examples. It is evident that during the question and answer session, the participants had a good understanding of the SBSR and was supportive of the intended goal of the SBSR Strategic Plan.
STRATEgIc PlAn obJEcTIvES
When one speaks of shipbuilding and ship repair, the first impression that comes to mind is that shipbuilding is a manufacturing based industry while ship repair is a service based labour intensive industry. Whether it is the shipbuilding or ship repair industry, the strategic intent of the blueprint is in line with the Third Industrial Master Plan (IMP3), where the two industries were identified under the marine transport sector to be the ones which can transform Malaysia into becoming a developed nation by 2020.
The strategies that have been laid out in this plan were carved out of a multi-complex industry base that analyses current market trends and the tendencies of economic base drivers. Simply put, the shipbuilding industry is very much driven by supply and demand, while ship repair ensures the upkeep of existing assets.
The government has now declared the need to propel the maritime industry to a greater height, and has invited both the public and private sector to join hands to support the plan. In order to avoid such enthusiasm to remain rhetoric, such calls must be translated into action and such actions must not only be heard but also be executed. Otherwise, an excellent attempt in developing the strategic plan will remain as a file in the drawer.
by First Admiral Adjunct Prof. Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad Omar (Rtd)
The panellists from left First Admiral Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Murad, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Ramli Nor and Ir. Nordin Mat Yusoff
Chairman of MNATD handing over a certificate of appreciation to Lt. Kol. (Rtd) Ir. Kamarulzaman Zainal
The Chairman of MNATD presenting a certificate of appreciation to Ir. Nordin Mat Yusoff
globAl FAcToRS AFFEcTIng THE locAl InDUSTRy
On the global scene, China is leading in the shipbuilding industry compared to Korea and Japan. Between the three nations, they represent 85% of the world’s order book. There is also clear indication of an upturn in demand for ships both in the transportation sector as well as the oil and gas industry. This trend impacts the ship repair industry favourably.
Locally, the shipbuilding/ship repair industry has been in existence from as early as the 1900s. Shipyards are scattered all over the country and this was due to needs at that time that were based on locality. As such, the industry is not wellcoordinated and concerted towards one direction. This is the reason why the industry has not been recognised globally.
As Malaysian ship owners are from both the private and public sectors, it is only sensible for the two sectors to join hands and move in concert to expand the industry. As it stands now, inter-government coordination is already interlaced by differences in policy guidance, budgetary allocations and diversity in key result areas which are customised to suit the relevant departments. Although working in concert may be a challenge, it is not impossible.
InDUSTRy clUSTERS
Today, most shipyards are clustered on both sides of the Peninsula, namely in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Johor, as well as along the coast of East Malaysia. The two clusters vary in the types of shipbuilding and classes of ships being constructed. The east focuses on steel vessels for the offshore industry, barges and river ferries, while the west concentrates of both steel and aluminum vessels for the government as well as oil and gas customers.
mARkET AnAlySIS
Although the outlook for shipbuilding/ship repair is an average 300 vessels per year, local shipbuilders only managed to capture 50% of the domestic market in 2010. This loss of opportunity is equivalent to RM2.04 billion. In relation to the Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) demand which is increasing, out of a total of 72 vessels ordered, 22 were built in foreign yards. This contributed to a loss of market share that is equivalent to RM1.5 billion.
Malaysia’s oil and gas industry is indeed expanding, and the service providers to Petronas Carigali and other petroleum supporting companies are providing various types of OSVs to support the upstream oil and gas activities. To date, service providers are serving more than 350 offshore platforms, which own a total of 450 OSVs, throughout the country. However, only 40% of these vessels are built locally.
In summary, an analysis of the market indicated that the Malaysian shipbuilding and ship repair industry only captured 50% of the domestic market and approximately 1% of the global market. In order to optimise its market demand, Malaysia should focus on the types of smaller and medium sized vessels with very high complexity.
In the ship repair business, the market provided by the government and local ship owners must be fully tapped, and preparations need to be made to capture the highly lucrative double hull carrier conversion market.
STRATEgIc AnAlySIS
Looking ahead, we have no choice but to “transform” to remain relevant in the global market place. The key drivers for change, which present both threats and opportunities for Malaysia, include:
• Pressure on Government Spending – companies dependent on public procurement may experience fewer contracts, thus forcing them to increase their focus on the export market
• Intensifying Global Competition – the growth of marginal oil fields and the uptrend of the OSV sector add pressure to shipping companies to demand a shorter lead time which may result in local yards losing to the likes of China
• National High Income Agenda – companies have to uplift the level of sophistication so that more knowledge based, high value jobs are made available
• High Fuel Price – a low carbon economy creates the need for efficient vessels which require an innovative approach to ship design, building, retrofitting and disposal
• Through Life Support – both the Navy and MMEA are expected to seek a reduction in through life support cost which forces greater efficiencies from contractors
THE PlAn
If Malaysia hopes to capture a bigger market in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry, while at the same time capture the domestic demands of medium sized vessels less than 120m long, serious actions must be put into place. Bold ambitious targets need to be set, and to begin with a vision formulated along these lines:
Vision
By 2020, the Malaysian SBSR industry will be a major player in the small to medium-sized shipbuilding market renowned for its quality and the value of its high technology products and services, which will substantially contribute to the national economy.
Vision Objectives
• to capture 80% of the local new build market
• to capture 2% of the global new build market
• to capture 80% of the South China Sea offshore repair market
• to capture 3% of the Straits of Malacca repair market
• to focus development initiatives on a niche market involving <120m vessels
FORUM
THE STRATEgy
Setting up a vision is a good and clear start. The journey to 2020 is not going to be smooth sailing, nevertheless, it is going to be guided by the following strategies:
• Establish business-friendly policies that support the growth of the industry
• Strengthen the institutional framework
• Reinforce the regulatory framework to assure the integrity of SBSR companies and the quality of their products
• Attract and prepare an adequate and capable workforce
• Apply local designs and adopt new shipbuilding/ship repair technologies
• Improve financial and incentive packages, and promote inward investment
• Upgrade the competency and level of sophistication of the industry
In most instances, strategy alone will not be enough. Therefore, a series of action plans must be derived from the strategy.
AcTIon PlAnS
Many actions have been derived from the aforementioned strategies. These actions range from proposing new policies to implementing specific and detailed initiatives that contribute to the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. Actions suggesting initiatives in manpower skills and competency development that are crucial in supporting the industry have also been laid down.
Technological advancement in design applications that will contribute to innovation and turn Malaysia into a leader in shipbuilding in the region has also not been forgotten. Having skills and competencies in the industry without improved marketing skills will not help achieve the targets of the plan.
Therefore, actions related to improving marketing skills and the level of competitiveness have been identified. These are some of the aspects covered in the actions. The success or failure of its implementation would very much depend on the enthusiasm driven from the leaders topdown and the intensity of the workforce who is responsible for realizing the intentions of the plan.
conclUSIon
The SBSR Strategic Plan 2020 has focused on two key growth levers to transform the industry from its current state to its future in 2020. First, the plan is to capture the market share in both the shipbuilding and ship repair sectors of the industry. Second, to establish “stakeholders’ facilitation” involving the seven strategies that are intended to resolve issues surrounding the aspects of policy, institutional, regulatory, human capital, design and technology, finance and incentives.
With the full cooperation and support from all stakeholders, it is expected that the resulting economic impact would be significant by 2020. The anticipated
contribution to the GNI would be RM6.35 billion and the job opportunities created in excess of 55,000. Private sector investment may reach up to RM9.76 billion, while the public sector investment is required to be up to RM144 million.
The forum garnered some views from the engineers in attendance, and was accepted by the speakers with gratitude and appreciation. Subsequently, during LIMA 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the SBSR Strategic Plan 2020 (as reported in The Star on 7 December 2011). The Prime Minister wants Malaysia’s maritime industry to sail as smoothly as its aerospace enterprise has soared. He also called for the public and private sectors to fully support the SBSR Strategic Plan 2020.
With the will of the nation and a well thought through initiative with strategies and action plans in the right perspective, the only thing left is the execution. The latter will involve engineers from various disciplines and competencies to contribute to nation building and successful growth
REFEREncE
1Sudoku centerpiece "1"
by mr. lim Teck guan
Fill in the remaining 80 squares with single digits 1-9 such that there is no repeat of the digit in every Row, Column and Block. The number at the top left hand corner of the dotted cage indicates the total for the digits that the cage encompasses.
[1] Malaysian Shipbuilding/Ship Repair Strategic Plan 2020 by MIGHT and AMIM, MIGHT 2011
Talk on “catenary Anchor leg mooring (cAlm) buoy”
ThE talk entitled “Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) Buoy” was organised by IEM’s Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Technical Division (MNATD) on 20 October 2011 at Wisma IEM, Petaling Jaya. This was the first talk organised by the MNATD after its formation with the IEM’s council meeting approval on 21 March 2011. The talk was delivered by two experienced personnel from the marine and oil and gas industry.
The first speaker was En. Hud bin Halid, who is a Lead Naval Architect at MTC Engineering Sdn. Bhd., an engineering consultancy firm licensed by the BEM, MOF and PETRONAS to provide solutions for the floating production system and marine design. The second speaker was En. Mohd. Akmal bin Abu Hassan, who is a Structural Engineer at SBM Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a major EPC contractor in the offshore oil and gas industry especially in the FPSO/FSO system. The session was chaired by Ir. Nik Mohd Hasmizie and had a total of 44 participants. The talk covered various aspects of the CALM buoy including the following:
A) hydRodynAmics
En. Hud began his talk by describing the hydrodynamics aspect and particulars of the CALM buoy.
1. The hydrodynamic damping of the CALM buoy is mainly induced by viscous flow and vortex shedding around the hull equipped with a horizontal skirt.
2. Heave, roll and pitch damping of the CALM buoy contains linear contributions (wave radiation) and quadratic contributions (drag loads).
3. The linear damping can be determined by diffractionradiation calculations, but for the quadratic contributions model test data is required.
b) mooRing sysTEm
En. Hud then explained about the mooring arrangement. A typical buoy system is fixed with six mooring legs, comprising heavy duty chains with link diameters varying from 3 inches up to 5 inches. The length of the mooring legs is determined by water depth, tanker size and environmental conditions. In deep water, the arrangement will be different with semi taut mooring applied and lines configuration that is a combination of chain and wire.
Other topics that were discussed and presented by him include mooring loads, mooring analysis, Quasi static simulation, Coupled simulation as well as a brief explanation about simulation software.
The talk was subsequently continued by the second presenter, En. Mohd. Akmal. He explained in more details regarding CALM buoy. He started with the history of the first CALM buoy and also SBM Malaysia’s involvement during the SHELL project for the West Lutong oilfield in 1960.
c) bAsic PRinciPlE of cAlm bUoy
In comparison to a fixed heading system such as Jetty or CBM, the CALM system has a single point of mooring and allows the moored tanker to weathervane. With this principle, the tanker has the least amount of resistance to the environment (waves, current and wind), thus the system can operate in much higher conditions than previous systems.
d) dEsign bAsis of cAlm bUoy
• Purpose of the Terminal:
- Offloading Terminal (from shore to tanker)
- Unloading Terminal (from tanker to shore)
• Location of Terminal:
- Coordinates
• Water depth:
- Not only at CALM location; a bathymetric chart should be made available
• Environment:
- As much as possible information on extreme and normal operational site conditions
- Soil, geophysical and geotechnical reports at anchors and CALM locations
• Product:
- Type and characteristics of product to handle, required flow rate, etc
by Ir. Nik Mohd Hasmizie bin Nik Mohd Kamil
CALM design types
mARinE EnginEERing And nAvAl ARchiTEcTURE TEchnicAl division
• Vessel:
- Maximum and minimum expected sizes of tankers to be handled and in which conditions.
The speaker gave detailed explanations about the associate CALM buoy system, namely, on the buoy body compartment, chain stopper, main roller bearing, bogie system, turntable, protection frame, associate platforms, handling facilities and etc. In addition, he also explained the fabrication concept and sequence of the CALM buoy, its installation procedure including load out, and the safety aspect of the overall system.
The talk was then followed by a very active question and answer session. On behalf of the MNATD, First Admiral Adjunct Prof. Dato’ Ir. Hj. Ahmad Murad Hj. Omar (Rtd), its Chairman, presented a token of appreciation to En. Hud and En. Mohd. Akmal and thanked them for a very lively and informative talk
LOW HEAT
Ultra Series™ Low Heat is specially developed to reduce peak temperature in mass concreting as compared to conventional concrete using Ordinary Portland Cement.
Ultra Series™ Low Heat is effective to resist chloride and sulphate attack for marine situations and to improve overall concrete durability
Buoy body cutout
En. Hud giving his talk to the group of engineers
Some of the engineers who attended the talk
En. Akmal delivering his talk
Technical Visit to Muhibbah Marine Engineering Sdn. Bhd.
ThE Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Technical Division organised a technical visit to Muhibbah Marine Engineering Sdn. Bhd. (MMESB) on 1 October 2011. MMESB, a subsidiary of Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd., operates as a shipyard, providing shipbuilding, ship repair, ship conversion, ship supplies, engineering and offshore fabrication services. A total of 40 participants took part in this technical visit.
MMESB is one of the maritime hubs in West Malaysia. The shipyard is strategically located between Pulau Indah (West Port) and South Port, and is sheltered from the Straits of Malacca. The shipyard has a total land area of 74 acres and a water frontage measuring approximately 850m with a depth of up to 18m. It has facilities for the dry-docking of vessels up to 5,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and afloat repair of up to 16,000DWT as well as for the construction of new ships.
MMESB has been classified by Bureau Veritas Certification Malaysia (BVC) into various scopes. This includes:
1. ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System –Design and Construction of Civil, Marine, Building and Infrastructure Projects
2. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System – Construction of Civil, Marine, Building and Infrastructure Project
3. OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series – Construction of Civil, Marine, Building and Infrastructure Project
To date, MMESB has successfully built and delivered more than 70 vessels to clients both locally and overseas. These vessels include offshore supply vessels, anchor handling tug/supply vessels and offshore well support vessels with dynamic positioning 2 (DP2) capabilities.
DP is a computer controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters. Position reference sensors, combined with wind sensors, motion sensors and gyro compasses, provide information to the computer pertaining to the vessel’s position and the magnitude and direction of environmental forces affecting its position.
by Lt. Cdr. Ir. Azman bin Shaari and Ir. Nik Mohd Hasmizie bin Nik Mohd Kamil
MARinE EnginEERing And nAVAl ARchiTEcTURE TEchnicAl diViSion
Delegates at the dry-docking area
One of the vessels under construction in the shipyard
The objective of the visit is to give an opportunity for the engineers to have a better understanding of the operation of a dockyard and new vessel fabrication facility. This is a very difficult operation which demands very high engineering skills in various disciplines such as marine, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering and naval architecture.
During the trip, Mr. Ooi Kien Chuan, Director of MMESB, shared his experiences in project management as well as highlighted the marine and naval architecture expertise that went behind every vessel. The shipyard is dependent on knowledgeable and highly skilled workers to deliver better vessels. There was active participation from the delegates during the presentation and Q&A session.
The presentation was followed by a tour around the dockyard. All participants had the opportunity to see a dry-docking facility and some of the vessels that were still under construction. In addition, MMESB also allowed the participants to go on board the MV Darul Ehsan. She was built by MMESB and is now waiting for her delivery date after completing her sea trials recently
An explanation on the current construction progress by MMESB staff
Q&A session with the Managing Director of MMESB
Delegates boarded the vessel MV Darul Ehsan to take a look at the details of the ship
Some of the delegates who boarded the MV Darul Ehsan
Talk on “Design and Construction of Jalan Bangsar – Travers Viaduct (KL Sentral) Packages 1 and 2”
ThE evening talk, organised by IEM’s Civil and Structural Engineering Technical Division (CSETD), was held on 10 November 2011 at IEM and was attended by 71 participants.
The speaker, Ir. Teh Tzyy Wooi, started off the talk by giving a brief overview of the Jalan Bangsar – Travers Viaduct (KL Sentral) Packages 1 and 2 development project. Package 1 comprises a six span flyover from Jalan Travers to Jalan Bangsar, while Package 2 is the ramp from KL Sentral to Jalan Damansara. The talk covers the superstructure precast segmental box girder and the precast column design.
The speaker’s design utilises the single caisson for the foundation of the column, namely, 2.8m diameter for Package 1 and 1.8m diameter for Package 2. The advantages of the single caisson are high loading capacity, ease of quality assurance, minimal disturbance at site, construction within limited space, reduction of damage risk to existing underground utilities and removal of need for a temporary platform and heavy machinery.
The method and work sequence for the caisson construction was explained and the site problem of water ingress from the sand layer was overcome by sealing with chemical grout. The short line match-casting method for the casting and erection of the precast pier columns (Grade 80/20 concrete) and segmental box girders were subsequently explained. The design of the forced balanced cantilever method for the launching of the box girders due to the unequal span length at the shorter end span of the viaduct of Package 2 was explained.
Details for the installation of rebars, tendon profile, temporary props and supports, together with the use of a
iEM DiARY oF EVEnTS
Kindly note that the scheduled events below are subject to change. Please visit the IEM website at www.myiem.org.my for more information on the upcoming events.
Sub Committee on Engineering Contracts of Standing Committee on Professional Practice, IEM
10 March 2012 (Saturday)
Half-Day Seminar on IEM Conditions of Contracts for Civil Engineering Works
Time : 8.00a.m. – 1.00p.m.
Venue : IEM Penang Branch, Level 5, 5-A, Northam Venture 37, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang
Project Management Technical Division, IEM
23 March 2012 (Friday)
Talk on Project Estimating and Cost Control for Engineers
mobile crane to lift and install the precast column units, were illustrated using photographs. The highlight was the single layer rebars and the use of couplers to join the as-casted pile cap rebars with the bottom rebars of the precast columns within a 5mm tolerance.
The speaker informed that the Ultimate Limit State (ULS) is usually adopted for column design and a check had been carried out for the additional buckling moment due to the slender column. For Serviceability Limit State (SLS), a check was carried out for crack width, stresses and P-delta effects.
However, the speaker cautioned that SLS would control the design instead of ULS when large lateral loads and axial loads with a high eccentric condition dominate. All these design checks were explained in detail with reference to the specific clauses in the BS Codes and in relation to the effective column lengths, tapering column (varying widths) and bulking modes. The concept design of the single pile foundation was also explained.
A lively question and answer session covered on various aspects of site issues, the use of silica fume concrete, the difficulty to achieve Grade 80 concrete at site, presence of honeycomb at the bottom haunch of the box segment and at the side edge of the diaphragm, and the pros and cons of the use of internal and external tendons. The work quality of local contractors was also discussed.
The CSETD then proceeded to thank the speaker and presented him with a token of appreciation to the applause of the participants.
AnnoUnCEMEnT
IEM Penang Branch Office Bearers for Session 2011/2012:
Chairman : Ir. Ng Sin Chie
Vice Chairman : Ir. Dr Mui Kai Yin
Ir. Phor Chi Wei, Paul
Honorary Secretary : Ir. Ting Chek Choon
Honorary Treasurer : Ir. Quak Boon Kwong
Committee Member : Ir. Lian Shin Wai, Andy
Ir. Yau Ann Nian
Ir. Khoo Koon Tai
Ir. Tan Kim Hor
Ir. Loh Eng Chuan
Ir. Chan Wah Cheong
Immediate Past Chairman : Ir. Lim Kok Khong
Apppointed Past Chairman : Ir. Addnan Mohd. Razali
Ir. Dr Koay Ban Hing
CiViL AnD STRUCTURAL EnginEERing TEChniCAL DiViSion
Technical Visit to Perodua Manufacturing Plant in Rawang
AgRicUlTURAl And food EnginEERing TEchnicAl diVision
ThE Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division (AFETD) of IEM had organised a technical visit to the Perodua manufacturing plant at Serendah, Rawang, Selangor, on 23 April 2011. A total of 20 IEM members participated in the visit. The headquarters of Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn. Bhd. (Perodua) is located in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor.
Perodua was established in 1993 as the second national car company to serve the nation’s need for an affordable compact car, and the Perodua Kancil was introduced to the Malaysian market in August 1994. Besides manufacturing cars, Perodua also produces engine component parts for both local and international carmakers. It helps to build the automotive industry in Malaysia via the vendor development programme, which involves over 100 local parts suppliers.
Over the past 18 years, Perodua has built and sold more than 1.5 million cars and employed more than 10,000 people.
On behalf of the Technical Division, Ir. Kumar Subramaniam, Chairman of the AFETD, thanked the management of the Perodua manufacturing plant for the visit and the presentation on the Perodua water treatment system.
by Ir. Kumar Subramaniam
The technical visit was very educational and has created awareness among the IEM members on the importance of waste treatment by the Perodua plant. About 2,400m3 of liquid waste is being produced daily by the car manufacturing plant. This liquid waste is toxic and must be treated before it can be disposed off into the water courses or surrounding environment. Proper treatment and management of the liquid waste is necessary to minimise environmental pollution and to ensure that the car manufacturing process is sustainable.
noTE of APPREciATion
IEM wishes to acknowledge with thanks the assistance provided by the Faculty of Chemical Engineering of Universiti Malaya in hosting the editorial process platform for the IEM Bulletin, for use by the Editorial Board of the Standing Committee on Information and Publications.
The IEM Editorial Board
condolEncE
With deep regret, we wish to inform that ir. Ariyathavaratnam a/l Kathiraveloo (f0004) has passed away on 23 December 2011. On behalf of the IEM Council and management, we wish to convey our condolences to his family.
The IEM Editorial Board
Concrete Retaining Wall
Concrete Sheetpile
Concrete Arch
White Water Rafting
ThE IEM Young Engineers have done it again! We explored the turbulence of white water as our latest challenge. Our white water rafting experience was successfully completed on 30 July 2011 at Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor. Although it attracted many potential participants, unfortunately, we were only allowed to reserve places for 20 people. Located about an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, the Selangor River offers an ideal place for white water rafting with a 7km rafting trail and grade 1 to 4 cascading rapids in a thrill ride that lasts between three and four hours.
Early in the morning, five participants gathered at the IEM building for the trip while the rest met up at Kuala Kubu Bharu. On the way, we became concerned about the weather as there was a heavy downpour. At about 9.00a.m., we reached our destination and had breakfast at a nearby restaurant. From there, we gathered in front of the local post office and were greeted by an experienced and friendly guide named Mr. Pie. After registration and signing of the indemnity forms, we departed to the ‘Put In’ point about 5km along the Kuala Kubu Bharu/Fraser’s Hill road. Upon arrival, those who had driven parked their cars at the ‘Take Out’ point and were transferred back to the ‘Put In’ point by the organiser’s crew.
At the ‘Put In’ point, all rafting equipment such as helmets, personal flotation devices and paddles were allocated to all the participants. The guides then started to brief us about
by
the important points and safety measures during rafting which took about 15 to 20 minutes. The participants were then divided into groups with a maximum of six people per raft. There were about 100 participants in total.
At about 11.00a.m., we finally started rafting. About 5 minutes later, we had a practical exercise at the ‘Flip Corner’ for about 10 minutes. The water level was just right for rafting after the rain due to control by the dam upstream. There were about eight rapids in total. It was a truly thrilling experience!
Some of us were thrown out into the rapids and, at times, even the guide of the boat suddenly disappeared as he ended up in the water. The rapids were strong but it was a great experience. Throughout the whole journey, we learned to help drag each other back into the boat when anyone of us fell into the water. It was a very good teambuilding activity.
The water started to calm as we reached the ‘Take Out’ point at about 3.00p.m.. Some of us decided to swim to the destination while enjoying the wonders of nature. Everyone was tired after the activity. At about 4.00p.m., we had dinner at the ‘Take Out’ point which is also a camp for “Latihan Khidmat Negara”. We all had a shower there and took a group picture before bidding farewell. The IEM Young Engineers Section has successfully completed the Kuala Kubu Bharu white water rafting challenge!
Engr. Wong Yoke Mei and Engr. Shuhairy Norhisham
Participants playing “Catch the Paddle” game while waiting for the rest to arrive
A group picture of the Young Engineers before the thrilling ride
The Chairman in the raft with the rest of us
Another shot with other raft members
Fighting against the rapids “Look, another rapid in front! Hold on everybody!”
This was one of the toughest rapids and we were stuck there for about 10 minutes
A group picture before our departure
yoUng EnginEERs sEcTion, iEm
Inaugural Certificate Presentation Ceremony and Dinner Reception for Associate ASEAN Engineers
youNg Engineers in ASEAN countries can now register themselves with the ASEAN Engineers Register for Young Engineers (AERYE), which is a formal registration for Young Engineers in ASEAN countries. With this registration, Young Engineers will be accorded the title of Associate ASEAN Engineer (AAE) and they can use the abbreviation AAE after their name. The registration scheme paves the way towards enhancing the position of YEAFEO (which represents young engineers within the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations) on the international stage. This would also prepare AAEs to face future challenges and help them progress to become successful professional engineers and corporate leaders.
On 21 March 2011, the Inaugural Certificate Presentation Ceremony and Dinner Reception for AAEs was held at the Tan Sri Prof. Chin Fung Kee Auditorium, Wisma IEM, Selangor.
by Engr. Lee Cheng
and Engr. Shuhairy Norhisham
A total of 37 AAEs attended the certificate presentation after calls for registration by the IEM G&S Young Engineer Section were made. The attendees were presented with a certificate and medal by the AER Head Commissioner and AFEO Secretary General. To date, 144 Young Engineers have registered themselves as AAEs from 10 ASEAN countries.
With the AAE registration, young engineers will have access to a bigger market and benefit from better employment prospects. In addition, the AAE scheme will also provide a platform for the sharing of knowledge, expertise and technology, as well as facilitate wider networking and the formation of strategic alliances between the engineers
Pay
Certificate and Medal for Associate ASEAN Engineer (AAE)
Group photo session for the first batch of Associate ASEAN Engineers (AAEs). Congratulation!
Chairman of IEM G&S-YES, the first AAE, being presented a medal and certificate by AER Head Commissioner, Ir. Choo Kok Beng, and AFEO Secretary General, Y.Bhg. Academician Datuk Paduka Ir. Prof. Dr Hj. Keizrul bin Abdullah
Associate ASEAN Engineer, Engr. Rina S. Guzman, from the Philippines receiving her certificate and medal
youNg ENgINEERS SECtIoN, IEm
SMART Engineering
poS Malaysia has issued a set of commemorative stamps and a miniature sheet with the theme “Underground Engineering Excellence” on 21 November 2011. This set was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of MMC Corporation Bhd as well as the achievement of the innovative Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART).
The issue is made up of three pairs of 60 sen vertical se-tenant stamps (stamps of different designs printed jointly together). The stamps feature:
• Pair 1: SMART and its schematic cross section
• Pair 2: Tunnelling through and TBM after breakthrough
• Pair 3: Tunnel breakthrough and construction gantry
The miniature sheet has a special triple image lenticular stamp with RM2 and RM3 denominations. Three pairs of different graphics appear when viewed from different angles. This is the first time that the lenticular feature has been used on Malaysian stamps.
The stamps and miniature sheets can be obtained from the Philatelic Bureaus at major post offices in Malaysia. First day covers can be obtained from stamp dealers
For technical details on the issue, please visit http://www.pos. com.my/pos/personal/stamp/what_hot/underground.aspx
Set of three se-tenant stamps
Miniature sheets
by Ir. Shum Keng Yan
A Pictorial Presentation of Activities and Events
golf ToURnAmEnT on 20 JUly 2011
bno fishing villAgE TRiP on 29 dEcEmbER 2011
sekinchan, selangor
iEm
Peransang Templer golf club, Rawang
Diving into the Great Blue Hole
THE Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize in Central America is a feature on the surface of the Earth that is not only well known within the diving fraternity, but to the general public as well. It is a sinkhole in the ocean floor measuring 300m in diameter and 124m deep.
Viewed from the air, it appears distinctly as a deep blue circular patch surrounded by aquamarine water and coral reefs. The Great Blue Hole is part of the Great Barrier Reef of Belize, the second longest barrier reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Geologically, the Great Blue Hole was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciations when sea levels were much lower.
My wife and I had come to Caye Caulker, a small island about 30km northeast of Belize City, for a taste of Belize’s sun, sand and sea. I signed up with the Big Fish Dive Centre on the island to dive the Great Blue Hole. There were eight others in the group, five Europeans and three Americans. We left in a dive boat from the jetty at 06:15 hrs, and it took the speedboat more than two hours to get to the Great Blue Hole. Several other dive boats were there too.
From the boat, we hardly realised that we were right over the famous Great Blue Hole. I had expected to see a distinct change of colour at the edge of the hole, but the hole was so large that it just swallowed us whole.
by Ir. Chin Mee Poon
The much anticipated dive into the Great Blue Hole turned out to be an anti-climax. We descended to a maximum depth of 42.5m and all I saw were some stalactites. Visibility was poor. The only consolation was that I got a glimpse of two grey reef sharks during the ascent.
Our second dive of the day, near Half Moon Caye not far from the Great Blue Hole, turned out to be much more interesting. The visibility was extremely good and the coral reef appeared to be in a very healthy state. There were many giant barrel and tube sponges and a few beautiful spotted eagle rays swam by gracefully.
The diminutive Half Moon Caye itself was an even bigger attraction. There is a small exhibition centre on the island put up by the Belize Audobon Society. The island supports a large colony of magnificent frigate-birds and redfooted boobies.
These two birds nest together, but when it comes to feeding, the booby catches its fish and swallows it before taking off to the air again, whereas the frigate-bird cannot catch its own fish and will chase the booby in an attempt to make it give up its catch. This behaviour of robbing others of their food is known as “kleptoparasitism”. There are also many rose-skin iguanas on the island. The endemic leafyfooted gecko is found on this island and another in Belize, but I did not see any as it is nocturnal.
Solution for 1Sudoku published on page 26 of this issue.
Date: 10 January 2012
To All Members,
CANDIDATES APPROVED TO SIT FOR YEAR 2012 PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW
The following candidates have been approved to sit for the Professional Interview for 2012.
In accordance with Bylaws 3.9, the undermentioned names are published as having applied for membership of the Institution, subject to passing the year 2012 Professional Interview.
If any Corporate Member of the Institution has any reason as to why any of the candidates is not a fit and proper person for election, he should communicate in writing to the Honorary Secretary. Such communication should be lodged a month from the date of publication.
Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Teang Shui Honorary Secretary, The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia
NEW APPLICANTS
Name Qualifications CIVIL ENGINEERING
ABDUL NAJIB BIN
ABDULLAH BE HONS (UTM) (CIVIL, 1999)
AMIRUDDIN BIN ALALDIN BE (NEW SOUTH WALES) (CIVIL, 1988)
ANITA BINTI AINAN BE (UM) (CIVIL, 1991) ME (USM) (CIVIL, 2004)
ARSHAD BIN SARDI BE HONS (UTM) (CIVIL, 1990) ME (UTM) (CIVIL, 2008)
22340 PREM KUMAR A/L KALIAPPAN BE HONS (UTM) (CIVIL, 2001)
28282 THOON KHIN KHUAN BE HONS (USM) (CIVIL, 2007)
09832 ZAINUDDIN BIN YUSOFF BSC (HARTFORD) (CIVIL, 1986)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
36263 AHMAD FIRDAUS BIN ISA BE HONS (UM) (ELECTRICAL, 2006)
30657 GOPINATH S/O SUBRAMANI BE HONS (UNITEN) (ELECTRICAL, 2007) ME (UNITEN) (ELECTRICAL, 2011)
31736 HASBULLAH BIN ABDULLAH BE HONS (UTM) (ELECTRICAL, 1996)
45847 SHAIRUL WIZMAR BIN WAHAB BE HONS (UTM) (ELECTRICAL, 2006)
38738 SYED NORAZIZUL BIN SYED NASIR BE HONS (UTM) (ELECTRICAL, 2008)
12745 TAJUL ARIFIN BIN SULAIMAN BSC (WEST VIRGINIA) (ELECTRICAL, 1988) MSC (QUEENSLAND) (COMPUTER, 2003)
30588 TIANG KWONG HWO BE (CURTIN) (ELECTRICAL, 2006)
38885 WONG CHEE YEN BE HONS (UM) (ELECTRICAL, 2004)
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
47541 SYAHIDUDDIN BIN MISBAHULMUNIR BE HONS (UTM) (ELECTRONICS, 2002) ME (UNITEN) (ELECTRICAL, 2009)
mECHANICAL ENGINEERING
37999 ANG ENG HENG BE HONS (UM) (MECHANICAL, 1999)
14441 AZAMI BIN RAMLI ADV DIP (UiTM) (MECHANICAL, 1994)
48120 CHAN PAUL WANG, TERENCE BE HONS (UNIMAS) (MECHANICAL, 2008)
47605 GOH CHIA CHUAN, JASON BE HONS (UM) (MECHANICAL, 2007)
36940 LEE YEW WYN, ALVIN BE HONS (MONASH) (MECHANICAL, 2006)
41119 LIM KEAN SENG BE HONS (UTM) (MECHANICAL, 2005)
04040 MATHEW A/L THOMAS BSC HONS (TEESIDE POLYTECHNIC-CNAA) (MECHANICAL, 1974)
29039 MOHAMMAD NIDZAM BIN MOHAMED BURHANUDIN BE HONS (WOLLONGONG) (MECHANICAL, 1999)
39154 MOHD ASRI MOHD NOR BE (SOUTHAMPTON) (MECHANICAL, 2003) ME (ADELAIDE) (MECHANICAL, 2007)
30567 MOHD HIFZAN BIN SHAFIEE BE HONS (USM) (MECHANICAL, 2007)
33794 S. MUGENESWARAN A/L SHANMUGAM BE HONS (UTM) (MECHANICAL, 2000) ME (UTM) (MECHANICAL, 2006)
38071 TAN TEONG JIN BE HONS (UTM) (MECHANICAL, 2007)
22913 YEOH CHIEN WERN BE HONS (UNITEN) (MECHANICAL, 2001) ME (UNITEN) (MANAGEMENT, 2011)
INVITATION AND CALL FOR PAPERS
18th iNteRNatioNal CoNFeReNCe oN soil MeChaNiCs AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Paris, France, 2 – 5 september 2013
The International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISCMGE) will be organizing the International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering on 2 – 5 September 2013.
IEM being a Member of SEAGS cordially invites IEM members who are interested in presenting papers at this Conference to submit their abstracts through IEM. Each abstract should contain about 300 words, typed in English on A4 size paper with a 25mm margin all around, and should be mailed or e-mailed to IEM by 2 April 2012.
The instructions on abstracts are also available at the Conference website (www.paris2013icsmge.org).
The paper quota allocated to IEM is a maximum of 8 papers, and each paper shall not exceed 4 pages in length.
The title of the paper, name of the authors (maximum five), mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address and the session topic centralised at the top of the front page should be provided. Five keywords from the paper must also be provided after the text of the abstract.
All enquiries and correspondence should be sent to:
the institution of engineers, Malaysia bangunan ingenieur, lots 60/62, Jalan 52/4
P.o.box 223 (Jalan sultan), 46720 Petaling Jaya selangor darul ehsan, MalaYsia
tel No. : + (603) 7968 4001/4002
Fax No. : + (603) 7957 7678
e-mail : aziah@iem.org.my
NOTIS
Rujukan: lUas sel.10010/1/WK1Jld16 (18)
Pemakluman Mengenai Keperluan Permohonan Kebenaran bertulis dan aktiviti Pengubahan sumber luas di bawah seksyen 43 enakmen luas 1999
Lembaga Urus Air Sleangor (LUAS) telah menggariskan sebanyak 30 aktiviti di bawah “Aktiviti Pengubahan Sumber” yang memberlukan kebenaran bertulis berdasarkan Seksyen 43(1) Enakmen LUAS 1999. Antara tujuan utama kebenaran bertulis ini ialah sebagai suatu kaedah pengawalseliaan oleh Lembaga terhadap submer air, terutamanya bagi projek-projek yang melibatkan atau berhampiran dengan sesuatu sumber air. Sehubungan itu, tindakan undang-undang di bawah Enakmen LUAS 1999 boleh diambil terhadap mana-mana projek atau aktiviti yang dijalankan tanpa kebenaran bertulis oleh pihak LUAS.
Untuk maklumah lanjut, pihak LUAS boleh dihubungi di 03-5511 1800 atau memuat turun maklumat di halaman www.luas.gov.my
Sekian, terima kasih.
Hj. Md. Khairi bin Selamat Pengarah, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS)
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7th ICCT (International Conference on Concrete Technology) 2004: Winner of ‘Best Engineering Award’ MSC-APICTA 2005: Winner of ‘Best of Industrial Applications, Malaysia’ MSC-APICTA 2010: Merit Award of ‘Best of Industrial Applications, Malaysia’
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