COVER STORY: Stamford Diversion Canal and Stamford Detention Tank Become Operational
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THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE THE www.ies.org.sg SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2019 | MCI (P) 105/03/2019 COVER STORY: Stamford Diversion Canal and Stamford Detention Tank become operational CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: The Sydney Metro Northwest Skytrain PLUS PROJECT APPLICATION: Expansion of Kim Chuan Depot as part of a larger MRT system HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING: A Study of Protec ve Features in Singapore’s Buildings - Part 1 (Features) CONTENTS FEATURES COVER STORY 20 Stamford Diversion Canal and Stamford Deten on Tank become opera onal These major drainage projects are designed to be er protect Orchard Road against fl oods. 21 CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING 22 The Sydney Metro Northwest Skytrain It will become the fi rst completely automated high-speed train system in the country. PROJECT APPLICATION 24 Expansion of Kim Chuan Depot as part of a larger MRT system AECOsim Building Designer helped to complete the 22 design within a ght me-frame. 26 The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge The project, one of the biggest ever completed, presented challenges in underground waterproofi ng and anchoring of metal elements. 24 President Publica ons Manager Editorial Panel Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Prof Yeoh Lean Weng Desmond Teo Er. Chong Kee Sen Cover designed by Irin Kuah [email protected] Dr Chandra Segaran Chief Editor Dr Ang Keng Been Cover images by T Bhaskaran Publica ons Execu ve Mr Gary Ong PUB, Singapore’s Na onal Water Agency [email protected] Queek Jiayu Dr Victor Sim Published by [email protected] Mr Syafi q Shahul The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore Media Representa ve 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758 Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108 sales@mul 9.com.sg Printed in Singapore THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 02 March 2019 www.ies.org.sg PROJECT APPLICATION 30 Inverted construc on of bridge piers Innova ve solu ons are required, in terms of structural engineering and formwork technology. TUNNELLING TECHNOLOGY 33 E-Power Pipe nominated for bauma Innova on Award 2019 This new development enables the economical and 30 environment-friendly installa on of underground cables. HEALTH & SAFETY ENGINEERING 36 MEWP simulators ‘will enhance but not replace’ exis ng training Key observa ons in a comprehensive strategy paper published by the Interna onal Powered Access Federa on are highlighted. 38 A Study of Protec ve Features in Singapore’s Buildings - Part 1 (Features) 33 Various op ons for the protec on of buildings are discussed. REGULAR SECTIONS 06 INDUSTRY NEWS 18 EVENTS 44 IES UPDATE 36 The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publica on is distributed free-of-charge to IES members and affi liates. Views expressed in this publica on do not necessarily refl ect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the content at press me, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contribu ons are welcome but their inclusion in the magazine is at the discre on of the Editor. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2019 03 INDUSTRY NEWS GLOBAL EDITION OF ‘EMERGING TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE’ RELEASED Real estate investors are becoming increasingly cau- • In Asia, real estate fundamentals remain robust. tious due to concerns over political uncertainty, trade While interviewees noted that Chinese cross-border wars and slowing economic growth in key markets capital flows continue to decline, rising investment across the world, according to the 2019 global edition activity and strong pricing have offset concerns of ‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate’, an annual report about dwindling Chinese capital. Seoul has emerged measuring real estate investor sentiment, that is pub- as a hub of commercial investment activity, putting lished jointly by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and it on par with Tokyo. Emerging markets such as PwC. The report notes that as investors are attempt- Vietnam and India are beginning to attract attention, ing to buttress against these headwinds, they are and, due to low vacancy rates and good future sup- simultaneously overhauling traditional business and ply, alternative real estate such a self-storage, data valuation models in response to changing consumer centres, student accommodation and senior housing, demands. are starting to become more attractive to investors Released during MIPIM 2019 in Cannes, France, the across the region. global Emerging Trends report reflects recent inter- • European investors are increasingly seeing an uncer- views with nearly 30 global real estate leaders, and tain economic outlook, reversing the optimism that builds on the responses from thousands of interview- was expressed in 2018. Slowing growth in France and ees who informed the findings in the 2019 editions, Germany, Italy entering a recession, and the loom- published late last year, for North America, Europe ing spectre of Brexit have investors worried about and Asia Pacific. the future. A strong decline in consumer confidence Despite nervousness surrounding the global econom- is driving down economic growth, which is also ic outlook, interviewees suggest that there are still reducing the risk of interest rate rises on the conti- positive signs for real estate in 2019. They believe that nent. Interviewees were heartened by the amount of the decision by the US Federal Reserve to put inter- capital still flowing into European real estate, though est rate rises on hold, along with lower levels of debt they warn that the investment product available is financing and lower property supplies in most markets not meeting the demand as investors become more worldwide (compared to the final stages of the last disciplined and cautious. upcycle), will temper the effects of a slowdown. • The US is seeing real estate investment increase even The report points to multiple changes beyond tradi- with the threat of a possible economic slowdown in tional economic factors, that will continue to affect 2020. The country has benefitted from capital flows real estate. These include the following: out of Canada, France, Germany and Singapore. Should a recession occur, interviewees believe it will • Accelerated obsolescence of properties, which is a be a brief slump followed by a quick rebound. While growing concern for asset owners across the globe, sentiment regarding the US is generally positive, in- against a backdrop of rapid changes in technology, terviewees indicated concerns that prolonged trade demography, and social norms, as well as a height- tensions between the US and China could lead to ened emphasis on real estate risks related to climate companies reducing their expansion plans, and to a change. decline in gross domestic product growth. • Adaptation of assets to meet the different demands of new generations of workers and consumers, such The Urban Land Institute as flexible working and experience-led hotels and The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and retail. This is requiring owners to rethink how they research institute supported by its members. Its mis- operate their businesses to drive returns, and is like- sion is to provide leadership in the responsible use of ly to have a longer-term effect on values and perfor- land, and in creating and sustaining thriving communi- mance. ties worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has • The rising appeal of alternative real estate such as more than 42,000 members worldwide, representing student housing and senior housing, as favoured all aspects of land use and development disciplines. property types among investors and fund managers. This trend represents a fundamental, structural tran- PwC sition for the industry, as it seeks to meet the rapidly PwC aims to build trust in society and solve important changing demands of occupiers and consumers. problems. It is a network of firms in 158 countries, The report includes a look at factors specific to Asia, with over 250,000 people who are committed to deliv- Europe and the US, that have global ramifications: ering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 06 March 2019 INDUSTRY NEWS ST ENGINEERING AND VUZIX LAUNCH WORLD’S FIRST SMART EYEWEAR ST Engineering and Vuzix Corpora on, a leading supplier of barcodes for effi cient cargo loading and delivery, of smart glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology real- me cross-referencing against a central database of and products, have launched the world’s fi rst Augmented criminal off enders and displaying route maps to criminal Intelligence, biometric-enabled Smart Glasses pla orm. suspects in the vicinity. This pla orm as a service (PaaS), developed by ST In emergencies, it enables fi rst responders to more Engineering’s Electronics sector, is a new pay-per-use effi ciently iden fy casuali es or pa ents and obtain vital applica on integrated with Vuzix’s Blade Smart Glasses, medical informa on, thereby allowing medical help to be enabling hands-free and non-intrusive iden fi ca on. provided more quickly. With this subscrip on-based smart glass model, “Technology has created a new world of work enterprise customers in the healthcare, avia on, logis cs possibili es with the applica on of ar fi cial and manufacturing industries can save costs without the intelligence and data analy cs to healthcare, avia on, need of addi onal infrastructure or hand-held devices. manufacturing, logis cs and public safety, taking on-the- job effi ciency to a whole new dimension,” said Mr Low The PaaS Smart Glass solu on allows customisa on of Jin Phang, General Manager of Info-So ware Systems at a number of applica ons including hands-free scanning ST Engineering’s Electronics sector.