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Vol. 11, No. 2, May 2015 Newsletter of IStructE Singapore Regional Group 1 MCI (P) 040/12/2014 New route to membership The New IStructE Chartered Membership Singapore Supplementary Examination In November 2014, IStructE worked with Singapore PE Board to facilitate an alternative route to Corporate Membership of the Institution of Structural Engineers involving a Singapore Supplementary Examination. This new alternative route would apply to Structural Engineers who have passed the Singapore Professional Engineers Board Examinations, namely, “Fundamentals of Engineering Examination”, “Professional Practice Examination” and the Professional Interview. There are currently more than 400 of such successful Professional Engineers who are eligible to apply to sit the IStructE Singapore Supplementary Examination. On 14 April 2015, the first Chartered Membership (CM) Supplementary Examination was held in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Eight candidates sat for the first CM Supplementary Examination. The IStructE Supplementary Examination comprises a 1.5-hour written exam and an interview conducted jointly by Senior Members of IStructE and PE Board. The 1.5-hour written exam comprises typical CM Examination questions, such as identifying two distinct and viable solutions to the problem. The problem requires candidates to use sketches and text to illustrate the schemes. Since the candidates are experienced practising Professional Engineers in Singapore, they could estimate section sizes based on “rules of thumb” instead of detail calculations on sizing. The candidates then compare the proposed two structural schemes and choose more economical and/or easier-constructible option. The interview lasts half- to one-and-a-half hours depending on the candidate’s solutions and questions by Examiners. The general questions by Examiners could focus on: Presentation of the two proposed but different solutions. Explanation of load path transfer for gravity and lateral loads for the two schemes. Explanation of the stability of each scheme at the location and the proposed type of bracing. Possible questions on requests by the client for changes or alterations of the building, while the candidates provide possible impact of the changes to the structural scheme, load path, construction sequence, costs, etc. Presentation of construction method and construction sequence including safety, stability, and other issues. Estimated construction schedule of each stage of the construction activities. The Chartered Membership Singapore Supplementary Examination focused mostly on the overall structural concept, capability of PE in providing different solutions to the structure, in understanding and meeting the various site constraints, comparisons of different structural schemes, selection of a better solution, and the knowledge of construction safety, sequence, and schedule. The next Chartered Membership Singapore Supplementary Examination will be held in September 2015. Professional Engineers who satisfy the requirements described above are invited to apply to IStructE to seek Chartered Membership of the largest professional institution in the world dedicated to the art of structural engineering and to enjoy the privileges that they are entitled to, as a Chartered Structural Engineer.

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Vol. 11, No. 2, May 2015Newsletter of IStructE Singapore Regional Group

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MCI (P) 040/12/2014

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New route to membership …

The New IStructE Chartered Membership Singapore

Supplementary Examination

In November 2014, IStructE worked with Singapore PE Board to facilitate an alternative route to Corporate

Membership of the Institution of Structural Engineers involving a Singapore Supplementary Examination. This

new alternative route would apply to Structural Engineers who have passed the Singapore Professional

Engineers Board Examinations, namely, “Fundamentals of Engineering Examination”, “Professional Practice

Examination” and the Professional Interview. There are currently more than 400 of such successful

Professional Engineers who are eligible to apply to sit the IStructE Singapore Supplementary Examination.

On 14 April 2015, the first Chartered Membership (CM) Supplementary Examination was held in Nanyang

Technological University, Singapore. Eight candidates sat for the first CM Supplementary Examination. The

IStructE Supplementary Examination comprises a 1.5-hour written exam and an interview conducted jointly

by Senior Members of IStructE and PE Board. The 1.5-hour written exam comprises typical CM Examination

questions, such as identifying two distinct and viable solutions to the problem. The problem requires

candidates to use sketches and text to illustrate the schemes. Since the candidates are experienced

practising Professional Engineers in Singapore, they could estimate section sizes based on “rules of thumb”

instead of detail calculations on sizing. The candidates then compare the proposed two structural schemes

and choose more economical and/or easier-constructible option. The interview lasts half- to one-and-a-half

hours depending on the candidate’s solutions and questions by Examiners. The general questions by

Examiners could focus on:

• Presentation of the two proposed but different solutions.

• Explanation of load path transfer for gravity and lateral loads for the two schemes.

• Explanation of the stability of each scheme at the location and the proposed type of bracing.

• Possible questions on requests by the client for changes or alterations of the building, while the

candidates provide possible impact of the changes to the structural scheme, load path, construction

sequence, costs, etc.

• Presentation of construction method and construction sequence including safety, stability, and other

issues.

• Estimated construction schedule of each stage of the construction activities.

The Chartered Membership Singapore Supplementary Examination focused mostly on the overall structural

concept, capability of PE in providing different solutions to the structure, in understanding and meeting the

various site constraints, comparisons of different structural schemes, selection of a better solution, and the

knowledge of construction safety, sequence, and schedule.

The next Chartered Membership Singapore Supplementary Examination will be held in September 2015.

Professional Engineers who satisfy the requirements described above are invited to apply to IStructE to seek

Chartered Membership of the largest professional institution in the world dedicated to the art of structural

engineering and to enjoy the privileges that they are entitled to, as a Chartered Structural Engineer.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 2

IStructE Membership in the Singapore Regional Group

Only 29% have taken and qualified for the coveted Chartered Membership (Members

and Fellows). Why? Is it the rigorous exams? Or the fees? Or its relevance in

Singapore?

In Singapore, IES members enjoy a 33% discount on IStructE fees. The fee structure is shown

in the table below. IES members also pay almost £90 for IES fees. For members of both

IStructE and IES, this discount effectively makes the IES membership ‘free’.

Fellows - 24 (4%)

Member - 146 (25%)

Associate - 29 (15%)

Associate -Member - 1

Honorary Fellow - 1

Graduate - 118 (21%)

Student - 258 (45%)

Breakdown of the 577 Membership in the IStructE Singapore Regional Group

as at March 2015

Fellow Member Associate Honorary Fellow Associate-Member Graduate Student

Membership Grade

UK Subscription

2015

Joint IES-IStructE

Subscription, payable

with effect from 1st

January 2015

1 Fellow £383 £256.61

2 Member £299 £200.33

3 Associate £299 £200.33

4 Associate Member £195 £130.65

5 Technician Member £151 £101.17

6 Companion £146 £97.82

7 Graduate 1st year after studies, 2nd

year, 3rd & subsequent years £49(a), £97(a), £146 £32.83, £64.99, £97.82

8 Student £0 £0

Fees paid in the IStructE Singapore Regional Group

The Structuralist Editorial Committee

Editors: Dr Kong Kian Hau

Er Leonard Heng

Advisors: Prof Wang Chien Ming

A/Prof Lok Tat Seng

Dear Readers,

Thanks for taking time to read this newsletter.

We appreciate your continued support and

would also like to hear from you for whatever

reasons. Please direct all your

correspondence and inquiries to:

Disclaimer:

All views and opinions expressed therein are

solely those of the writers and its publication

does not necessarily imply that such views and

opinions are endorsed by the IES, IES/IStructE

Joint Committee and the editorial committee of

The Structuralist.

Copyright:

The reproduction in whole or in part of any

material in this publication must obtain written

permission from the editorial committee of this

publication and/or from the respective author(s).

IES/IStructE Joint Committee

Prof Wang Chien Ming (Chairman):

[email protected]

Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng (Vice Chairman):

[email protected]

Er A/Prof Lok Tat Seng (Hon. Secretary):

[email protected]

Dr Boh Jaw Woei (Hon. Treasurer):

[email protected]

Er Reve Chin (Asst. Hon. Secretary):

[email protected]

Er Ms Jeslin Quek (Asst . Hon. Treasurer):

[email protected]

Er Wijaya Wong

[email protected]

Er Mak Yew Cheong

[email protected]

Er Mah Guan Pang

admin@mabaengineering

Er Ang Chee Keong

[email protected]

Er Steve Yeung

[email protected]

Er Ms Cong Zheng Xia

[email protected]

Er Kang Jianhan

[email protected]

Er Sam Tan Gak Peng:

[email protected]

Dr Kong Kian Hau

[email protected]

Er Michael Sien

[email protected]

Er Leonard Heng

[email protected]

Ms Liu Ziyue

[email protected]

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Vol. 11 No. 2 May 2015 3

So, if fees were the motivator for attaining membership grades,

and one assumed that in the idealized journey to become a

Chartered Structural Engineer, undergraduates would ‘rush’ to

become Student Members for free. Then when they started

work, grew and developed as engineers, they would progress

through the various IStructE membership grades. In such an

idealized world, the distribution of membership should be

inversely proportional to the fee.

Let us examine the effect of fees in greater detail:

Fellow 12%

Member 16%

Associate 16%

Associate Member

24%

Graduate 3rd &

subsequent years 32%

The fee effect - theoretical distribution of membership

based on fee paid (where membership is assumed

proportional to 1/fee)

In the idealization above, the coveted Member and Fellow fees

form 28%. It just happens that the real Singapore membership

breakdown does in fact have 29% from the Member and Fellow

groups. But then, the 1/fee plot above did not consider students

who pay no fees, simply because one cannot plot 1/0 = infinity.

So if the Students were removed from the membership plot at

the start of this article, then 54% of the Singapore Regional

Group would be made up of fellows and members. This is

shown in the next plot below.

Fellow8%

Member46%

Associate9%

Graduate37%

Breakdown of the Actual Membership in the IStructE

Singapore Regional Group, less students

The adjusted chart on the right seems to

indicate that higher fees alone cannot

dissuade people from trying to become

(Chartered) Members.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 4

Then again, whilst in reality 37% of the members are in the ‘Graduate’ grade, the ‘fee effect’ seems to infer

32% would be found in the Graduate grade. On closer examination, there are many rather ‘mature’

engineers amongst the ranks of the Graduates. The 1/fee proportion for Graduates, of 32%, seems to

indicate that the people in this group are more ‘cost sensitive’.

But is money the main factor driving membership? Perhaps the answer lies beyond statistics, in something

deeper that drives and motivates people to take the grueling exams leading to Chartered Membership. To

find out, we interviewed two structural engineers in the IES/IStructE Joint Committee on what drove them to

take up Chartered Membership.

Wijaya Wong Back in 1999, a young engineer with a degree from a private university in Jakarta

bravely took the challenge to move from his Jakarta office to Singapore. It was a

challenge at that time to prove that he was not inferior to engineers with a degree

from Singapore universities or overseas universities. Although he could prove it,

the ‘piece of paper’ still mattered. He tried to apply for an interview for the

Singapore Professional Engineer qualification but the registration was immediately

rejected by an administrative officer at the application booth. It was ironic at that

time (before 2009) that there was no avenue for Indonesian degree holders (nor

for degree holders from China and India), to register unless they sat for and

passed prescribed degree course examinations in NTU or NUS. So again a ‘piece

of paper’ mattered. He then applied for Professional Review Interview and

Chartered Membership Examination of the internationally reputable and

prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers, passed, and obtained a Corporate

Membership as MIStructE. This new qualification has opened up opportunities to

work internationally, and the recognition to as a Qualified Structural Engineer.

Michael Sien Michael became a Chartered Engineer partially due to influence from his late

father, who used to work as a Structural Engineer in Hong Kong and Singapore.

He had once asked his father during his childhood days why one would want to

become a Structural Engineer, and his father’s response was that anybody

regardless of his/her social and economic position will need a roof above their

heads. His belief was that Structural Engineers contribute enormously to society by

providing a safe shelter for everyone and are a catalyst for the economic

development of the country. And Chartered Engineers are engineers who have

reached a high level of professional competence. Achieving the status of

Chartered Engineer is a demonstration of personal achievement and professional

competence. MIStructE is widely accepted by employers as personal commitment

to professional excellence, and as an international passport to practice. Clearing

the grueling 7-hour Chartered Membership Examination was no easy feat

(everyone who sat for it said it was equivalent to finishing one week’s work within 7

hours!). Michael took it upon himself as a challenge and a test of his technical

competence. That is why he chose to sit for the Institution’s Chartered Membership

Examination in 2011, and became a Chartered Engineer.

So for Wijaya and Michael, they were not attracted by discounts in total (IES + IStructE) fees, nor were they

demotivated by a ‘fee effect’. When it came to Chartered Membership – money was simply not the issue. They

became Chartered Structural Engineers because it was an honor and recognition of their engineering ability,

and as a personal commitment to the professional life of a Structural Engineer.

But when all is said, do engineers in Singapore really need to go through that 7-hour exam to ‘prove’ that they

are worthy engineers? Not everyone agrees. After all, in Singapore, it is the Singapore Professional Engineer

license that allows engineers to practice, and which enables engineers to ‘bring home more bacon’. IStructE

has recognized this. Hence, the launch of the new IStructE Chartered Membership Singapore

Supplementary Examination. Perhaps this will enable more to become Chartered Structural Engineers, a

sizable portion of whom may be from the 118 graduate members, who form 21% of the membership, of the

IStructE Singapore Regional Group.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 5

In and about Singapore …Bridge Design Competition 2015

Students of the Civil and Environmental

Engineering Club at Nanyang Technological

University organised a two-day Bridge Building

Competition on 14-15 March 2015. The

Competition was jointly sponsored by the Building &

Construction Authority of Singapore and the

IES/IStructE Joint Committee. The competition was

divided into two distinct categories – the University

Category and the Polytechnic Category. Students

from all the major Institutions of Higher Learning

were represented at the competition. A total of 48

Teams, each comprising two students from any

discipline of study, participated in the competition.

In the Polytechnic Category, the following

Institutions of Higher Learning participated in the

competition:

Singapore Polytechnic

Nanyang Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic

Republic Polytechnic

Ngee Ann Polytechnic

BCA Academy

The participating universities were:

Nanyang Technological University

National University of Singapore

Singapore University of Technology and

Design

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Day One was reserved for briefing and discussion

amongst team members. The fabrication of the

structure and preparation for a short presentation

were carried out on Day Two.

Teams working on structural concept and

load transfer

Each Team has 3 minutes to present their concept

and 2 minutes to answer questions from judges

The Teams were briefed to prepare for questions by judges on the evolution of their structural

concept and on their possible performance under load. Finally, load tests were conducted. The winner

is the bridge design with the least weight supporting the greatest load.

Four judges were appointed to consider aesthetic assessment of the model bridges and assessment

of presentation. The judges were appointed from the major institutions. They were:

• Mr Clement Tseng, Director of Bridges and Structural Steel Department, Building and Construction

Authority

• Assistant Professor Low Ying Min, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National

University of Singapore

• Associate Professor Yang Yaowen, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang

Technological University

• Associate Professor Li Bing, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological

University

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 6

And the winners of the competition …

1. Polytechnic category1st prize – Singapore Polytechnic

2nd prize – Singapore Polytechnic

3rd prize – Singapore Polytechnic

2. University category1st prize – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

2nd prize – Singapore University of Technology and Design

3rd prize – National University of Singapore

Winner of the University Category Winner of the Polytechnic Category

Acknowledgement – The Organising Committee of the CEE Club in NTU wishes to acknowledge

the financial support from the Building & Construction Authority of Singapore, IES/IStructE Joint

Committee and other contributors and sponsors of this competition. They also wish to thank the

faculty of NTU and NUS for their time and effort acting as advisors and judges. Lastly, they are

grateful to Prof Wang Rong, Chair of CEE, for her guidance and approval of this activity.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 7

Continuous learning … Workshop on Avoiding Design Errors

How to avoid design errors? This has been the most relevant question in many engineers’ minds ever

since their undergraduate days in the engineering faculty, and later in their engineering career. It has

become increasingly important in a fast paced commercial environment where engineers are subjected

to constant time pressure and perform structural design for large, challenging and complex structures.

And one that many engineers have been looking for an answer.

Prof Wang (center) and IES-IStructE committee

members together with Dr Sean Brady (second

from right)

IES-IStructE committee members together with Dr

Sean Brady (second from left)

On 13th March 2015, 33 participants attended the one-day Workshop on Avoiding Design Errors at

Kent Ridge Guild House, National University of Singapore. Owing to the interactive nature of the

workshop, the workshop leader had requested to keep the number of participants to not more than 30

people (hence due to overwhelming response, the workshop had reached full capacity and more!).

The participants came from a wide spectrum of background - design consultants, contractors,

developers, government agencies, and officers from the Building and Construction Authority of

Singapore. The workshop leader, Dr Sean Brady, is a forensic structural engineer specializing in

identifying the cause of engineering failures and unsatisfactory performance in steel and concrete

structures. He is the Managing Director of Brady Heywood Pty Ltd and has investigated the cause of

engineering failures on a wide range of structures both in Australia and internationally. He has over

15 years of experience as a structural engineer, and he has published and presented internationally

on the subject of engineering forensics. He is an Editorial Board Member of the ASCE Journal of

Performance of Constructed Facilities and the ICE Forensic Engineering Journal. Sean is no stranger

to The Structural Engineer as he contributes an article every month there.

Dr Sean Brady had initially been invited by the IStructE to deliver the Workshop on Avoiding Design

Errors in London. His original plan was to do a stop-over in Singapore for a few days before flying to

London. The IES/IStructE Joint Committee approached and invited him to deliver the Workshop on

Avoiding Design Errors in Singapore. Singapore became the first stop in his international series of

workshops and lectures, after which he would deliver the same workshop in London, and lecture in

Hong Kong the following week.

The workshop started with the introduction of forensic engineering and case studies for various

structural failures around the world. Participants listened attentively as the workshop leader discussed

each case study in great depth and detail. The workshop focused on the sequence of events that had

triggered the structural failure - not only technical issues but also the human errors and omissions

involved. He went on to show how human nature played a major part in contribution to the final

collapse of a structure. He summarized the case studies and introduced the Swiss Cheese model

where a structural collapse would happen if several extreme events and design/construction errors

occur at the same time and place. The workshop was conducted in an interactive manner where

participants could readily contribute to the discussions that followed - a feature which many

participants enjoyed and felt that it distinguished the workshop from the usual workshops and

seminars.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 8

The Marshmallow Challenge: workshop

participants constructing their tallest structure

using their knowledge of engineering principles

Teamwork in progress: another team in a bid to

construct the tallest structure in a race against

time!

In the afternoon, Dr Sean Brady introduced everyone to an interactive game - the Marshmallow

Challenge. Teams of four were formed at each table in the room and every team were given the

same resources - a bag of spaghettis, a long string, a roll of masking tape, and a ball of

marshmallow. The mission is to build the tallest structure with the marshmallow at the crown of the

structure within 18 minutes without borrowing any support from the room’s ceiling! Many teams

started constructing the structure without careful planning. They underestimated the impact of the

self-weight of the marshmallow and did not consider slenderness of the spaghettis strands. As the

time passed, teams were anxious to complete the structure. Many teams hastily constructed the

structures to suit the stipulated time limit, only to witness their structures fail in the last few remaining

minutes. In a post mortem analysis, the workshop leader pointed out that many teams were focusing

too much on completing the “project” within time limit but did not do careful planning or evaluate the

impact of the self-weight of marshmallow on the structure. It showed the effect of time pressure on

human behaviour, which is often the deciding factor in structural failure in the real world.

Er Michael Sien presented the Certificate of

Appreciation to Dr Sean Brady

Dr Sean Brady with the Workshop participants in a group

photo after the successful completion of the Workshop

Er. Michael Sien presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Dr Sean Brady on behalf of the

IES/IStructE Joint Committee for the successful completion of the Workshop on Avoiding Design

Errors. It was truly a successful workshop as participants’ feedbacks were positive, and as many had

indicated that they enjoyed the workshop. Forensic engineering is relatively new to many engineers in

Singapore and they are interested to find out more. In view of the overwhelming response by

Singapore engineers, Dr Sean Brady has been invited to do a re-run of the workshop on 10

September 2015.

Article by Michael Sien

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 9

Continuous learning … Course on Seismic Design with EC8 and Course on

Sustainable Concrete

Prof. Costas Georgopoulos

EC8What do earthquakes and sustainable concrete have in common?

A. Both are topics that Singapore is trying to grapple with

B. One other commonality - Costas Georgopoulos

On 19th March 2015, 82 participants attended a Course on Seismic Design

with EC8 which was conducted by Prof. Costas Georgopoulos at the

Novotel Singapore, Clarke Quay. The participants were keen to learn how

to handle earthquakes the Eurocode way.

Participants at the Novotel Singapore, Clarke Quay

The next day, 38 participants, many from the earthquake

course the previous day, gathered at the same venue to

learn about sustainable concrete from Prof. Costas and

local experts - Mr. Low Giau Leong from the BCA Centre

for Sustainable Buildings and Construction on Singapore

government’s approach to sustainability in building, and

Prof. Gary Ong of NUS, about the latest technologies and

standards surrounding the sustainable use, and reuse of

concrete in Singapore.

Prof. Costas brought a fresh perspective to earthquake

engineering, with the personal touch of one from an

earthquake-prone country (Greece), who has seen how

earthquakes can be managed. As an engineer he had assessed if buildings were safe to use or to be

repaired after earthquakes. Now from his base in Kingston University London, he has dedicated himself to

teach engineers from the world over, so that more buildings would be safer from earthquakes.

The course was filled with accounts of real earthquake effects and damage, supported by pictorial

evidences. From these examples, participants leant why buildings had to be designed in particular ways in

order to survive earthquakes better. Many of the detailed damages caused by earthquake were not intuitive

to practicing engineers trained in non-seismic regions like Singapore. For example, damage such as “short

column effects”, which could arise from well-intentioned addition of masonry infills between frames.

Earthquakes could cause buildings idealized in one way, to separate into other parts and move in different

ways, with the parts knocking into and damaging each other. Earthquake-induced building movements in

some building components, could cause different emergent behaviours from other building components. For

example, varying displacements to foundations and columns of buildings as the ground moved over time

caused slabs, which may have provided a stiff diaphragm against wind and storms, to move out-of-plane

and tear like paper.

Time was too short to learn all about EC8. So Prof Costas focused on the essentials and taught participants

more on ‘Concepts in Design’. But he gave generous notes and references, all in pdf files and spreadsheets

bundled into a thumb drive for all participants. By the end of the course, almost everyone knew more about

designing against earthquakes, but they also learnt how much more they did not know and needed to learn.

Sustainable Concrete

On the next day, Prof. Costas switched topics and taught Sustainable Concrete from the UK perspective,

including what motivates UK and how it implements sustainability. Participants received a copy of his book

“Sustainable Concrete Solutions”. Local experts , Mr. Low Giau Leong from the BCA presented Singapore’s

motivation and approach to sustainability. Prof. Gary Ong from NUS, showed ways to measure, control and

implement sustainable concrete. Thus participants were able to compare how sustainable concrete solutions

were approached in Singapore and in the UK.

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 10

Both Singapore and the UK did not focus on concrete alone when approaching sustainability. Instead they

looked across the entire building life cycle from planning and design, to construction, use, reuse and finally

recycling after demolition, and to refine processes and materials. Both looked at a host of factors affecting

sustainability, from reducing Green House Gases (GHGs) to reducing energy and water usage.

In spite of the best intentions, the Singapore and UK efforts would not leave a large dent in global

sustainability levels. The UK’s consumption of concrete was only about 0.5% of the global whole and

Singapore’s was much less. Thus, the Singapore and UK contributions would be meaningful only when

viewed from their commitment as members of larger wholes. The island of Singapore aims to be a “global

citizen” and much larger UK made considerable efforts to be aligned to, and to fit into, Europe’s sustainability

commitment.

However, Mr. Low also pointed out that Singapore’s motivations for sustainbility also arose from the desire

to have diversified, secure and stable sources of raw materials for buildings. This desire had been

accetuanted by sudden shortfalls in the supply of sand in 2007 and sudden shortfalls in granite aggregates

in 2014. This motivation for sustainability did not exist in the UK’s case.

Prof. Costas pointed out that the following embedded CO2 (ECO2e) in concrete was much more than that in

steel. Thus the drive to use concrete smarter and less. At no time did he suggest the abandonment of

concrete as a building material. Perhaps it was because the UK intrinsically recognized that people were

comfortable with certain usages of concrete for the built environment, and would be likely to continue to

desire some inclusion of concrete into their environment. And hence the drive towards more efficient use of

concrete and the development of better, greener, concretes, which eventually would lead to less use of

“unsustainable” traditional concretes.

Finally, Prof. Gary Ong provided participants with details of how to assess aggregates for reuse. He also

provided overviews of newer techniques available in Singapore for treating and recycling aggregates,

including the use of microwaves to remove cement mortar stuck to aggregates.

Prof. CM Wang presenting speakers with

Certificates of Appreciation. Clockwise from top

left: Prof. Costas Georgopoulos, Mr. Low Giau

Leong and Prof. Gary Ong

Prof. Costas left participants with notes and his book, detailing

ways to measure sustainability efforts; such as ways for

computing thermal mass by mixing building cladding layers,

ways for computing service life of claddings, ways to estimate

relative benefits of material and reuse, provided quick charts to

optimize concrete material element sizes in design, and

detailed ways to compute embedded CO2.

The two days certainly enriched all participants, leaving all

feeling that they had learnt to practice engineering better

locally, being glad that they were members locally through IES.

At the same time, participants could be members of the larger

global network of engineers though IStructE, practising

regionally and globally, if and when called upon to.

The IStructE Singapore Regional Group is most grateful for the

knowledge and experiences shared by Prof. Costas

Georgopoulos, Mr. Low Giau Leong and Prof. Gary Ong.

Having a joint committee between IES and IStructE brings opportunities for richer and greater diversity in

activities organized. On 24 March 2015, one such opportunity came...

Please turn over …

111

A/Prof. Dr Chu Jian

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 11

SEMINAR ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDING ENGINEERING

A one-day seminar on “Infrastructure and Building Engineering, 2015”, was

jointly organized by IES/IStructE Joint Committee and IES’s Overseas

Chapters Committee at the Furama City Centre (Hotel) Singapore. 115

participants attended the Seminar. The Morning Session was chaired by the

Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng (Vice-Chairman of Joint Committee) and Er. Jeslin

Quek (Asst. Hon. Treasurer of Joint Committee) chaired the Afternoon

Session.

The 7 presentations in this seminar showcased the rich diversity of Civil and

Structural engineering projects in the region, and were presented by leading

engineers from the region. These were :

1. “Concept of Integrated Design and Examples for Potential Applications in

Singapore” presented by A/Prof. Chu Jian of Nanyang Technological

University. SMART tunnel in Kuala Lumpur which combines both traffic and

flood discharge functions into one, Below Sea Level Cities and Suction

Caisson Method were presented and discussed.

2. “Importance of Instrumentation for Deep Excavations” by Er. Lim Peng

Hong, Managing Director of PH Consulting Pte Ltd.

The Participants

Er. Lim Peng Hong

Er. Lim Kok Kim

Er. Dr. Ho Kwong MengChairpersons, Speakers and Sharon Er. Jeslin, Er. Lim and Er. Dr. Ho

From Paper of A/Prof. Chu Jian From Paper of Er. Dr. K.M. Ho

3. “Engineering 3 Tall Buildings in Jakarta in 3 Different Decades” was

presented by Er. Lim Kok Kim of K K Lim & Associates Pte Ltd.

4. “Structural Design Considerations for Open Piled Wharf Structures” was

presented by Er. Dr. Ho Kwong Meng. Green Port and Futuristic Offshore

Cities were also discussed.

5. “Fast Track Design & Build Procurement - The Metropolis” was presented by Er. Yeo Choon Chong of KTP

Consultants Pte Ltd.

6. “Stabilization of Reclaimed Land in Singapore” was presented by Dr. V. R. Raju, Managing Director for

Keller in Asia.

7. “Press-in Engineering Technology – Innovations in Design Concept and Work Approach” was presented by

Er. Dr. Goh Telk Lim.

112

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Vol. 11 No. 2, May 2015 12

Coming soon …

IStructE Singapore Members’Night

The IES/IStructE Joint Committee is organizing an IStructE Members’ Night on Friday, 9 October

2015 at the Raffles Town Club at Level 1, Dunearn Ballroom 3. This members’ night provides a

great opportunity for members of IStructE Singapore Regional Group to get to know each other in

a relaxing ambience and to receive an update on the IStructE Singapore Group activities from the

Joint Committee Members. Also it is an opportunity for the committee to obtain valuable

members’ feedback on the activities and suggestions for future activities to meet members’

needs. We have invited Professor Seeram Ramakrishna, FREng who was former Dean of Faculty

of Engineering, NUS to speak on “How to live beyond 100 years with health?” A sumptuous sit

down dinner will be provided free of charge.

For Enquiries & Registration:

Please contact Ms. Angela Loke for more information at Tel: +(65) 6516 5408, Fax: +(65) 6775 4710

or E-mail: [email protected]

The Institution of Structural Engineers will host an International Conference in

Singapore on 3-4 September 2015 at The Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The Conference, ‘Innovate, Create, Inspire – Structurally Engineering a Modern World’, is intended for all

those with an interest in structural engineering and its impact on the modern built environment. The event

will feature expert keynote speakers drawn from nations around the world including China, Germany,

Australia, Canada, Singapore, Japan and the United Kingdom. Featured topics will include tall buildings,

bridges, tensile and compressive structures, architectural engineering, seismic, wind and extreme

loading, emerging materials and technologies, repair and strengthening, and construction innovation.

Tim Ibell, 2015 President of The Institution of Structural Engineers said: "This Conference is an absolute

must for anyone interested in hearing from world-leading engineering professionals about the cutting edge

innovation which is helping to shape our structural engineering profession. The event is also a wonderful

opportunity to network with members of the Institution, and to collectively ensure that the remarkably

innovative, creative and inspiring work of structural engineers is celebrated.“

Martin Powell, Chief Executive of The Institution of Structural Engineers, said: "Singapore is at the

forefront of urban development and renewal, offering breath-taking examples of innovative structural

engineering and a perfect location for our latest International Conference. This really is an essential diary

event for anyone interested in learning more about structural engineers’ role as creative, innovative

design professionals and the guardians of public safety around the world.“

For more information and to buy tickets visit the website

http://www.cvent.com/events/international-conference-2015/event-summary-

ab6314ee1c7841f0af1a7692a2738310.aspx?RefID=news