School of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Nanyang Technological University

ISSN 0219-0370 NO. 18JANUARY 2005

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/ http://www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/research/bulletin/index.asp

IN FOCUSAchieving Excellence in

Civil Engineering Research

Civil engineers have traditionally played an importantrole in developing infrastructures which shape cityskylines and enable the exploitation and harnessing

of the earth’s natural resources that underpin the economicgrowth engine. Human activities create stresses on theenvironment and affect the natural cycles in soil, atmosphereand water bodies. These stresses have led to the degradationof natural habitats and adverse global scale environmentalimpacts such as ozone layer depletion and global warming.As civil engineers address problems associated with agingurban infrastructures, growth in human population andeconomic activities continues to exert ever increasing demandfor new infrastructures. Amid signs of intensifying naturaldisasters such as floods, forest fires, typhoons and earth quakes,civil engineers also have to face emerging needs to protect thepopulation against manmade threats such as biological andchemical terrorism and structural blast damages. There is alsoan increasing awareness of the need to build resource-efficientstructures to preserve the environment, and maintain asustainable relationship with the earth’s natural resources. Civilengineers are being challenged to deliver products and servicesof higher quality and greater efficiency. To remain efficientand relevant, civil engineers will need to continue to advancethe knowledge in such diverse disciplines as solid mechanics,environmental fluid dynamics, structural dynamics, smartmaterials technology, and molecular biotechnology.

The School, besides performing its primary role of providingeducation, also places equal emphasis on research anddevelopment of innovative engineering solutions to problemsrelevant to the natural and built environment. The R & D effortsof the School have gained recognition from the industry asreflected by its winning of two Singapore Institution ofEngineers Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards in2004. The first award was for outstanding research achievementsin Biogranulation, a powerful and versatile system for high-performance biological wastewater treatment developed by aresearch team led by Prof Tay Joo Hwa. In this system, compactmicrobial aggregates or “granules” are cultivated which can be

Using a confocal laser scanning microscopeto investigate granular biofilms

Confocal laser scanning microscope image of a granulesection hybridized with molecular probes

DNA fingerprint techniques are routinely used to investigatethe microbial ecology of the granular biofilms

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Scanning electron microscopy image of an entire granule

customised to harbour uniquely superior characteristics tobecome potent bioagents for biological wastewater treatment.Biogranulation systems can be aerobic or anaerobic, can sustainhigh loads, can biodegrade a wide range of organic and inorganicsubstrates, can tolerate and degrade high concentrations of toxicchemicals, occupy a small footprint and can achieve rapid start-up within one to two weeks. This innovation has also receivedthe prestigious National Technology Award from the Agencyfor Science, Technology and Research in 2003, and theEnterprise Challenge Innovator Award from the PrimeMinister’s Office in 2001. The technology has been applied ata full-scale facility that treats chemical wastewaters on JurongIsland. A biogranulation patent has been filed in the US and incountries in Europe and Asia.

The second award was in recognition of the R&D achievementsof the School’s Protective Technology Research Centre(PTRC) for its work on maximising land use in Singapore.The research team was led by PTRC Director Prof Pan Tso-Chien and included A/P Zhao Jian and A/P Lu Yong. Theteam carried out its works in collaboration with researchersfrom the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA)of Ministry of Defence, Singapore. A significant percentageof Singapore’ surface land area is used for military purposes.Ammunition storage, in particular, takes up a large portion ofland space used for these purposes. This is because restrictionsneed to be imposed on the buffer zones for both security andsafety reasons. After extensive field investigations andlaboratory studies, the PTRC research team concluded thatthe Bukit Timah granite formation, which covers about one-third of the Singapore main island, is of extremely good quality,and that it is technically feasible and economically viable toconstruct rock caverns in the rock formation. The researchefforts provided solid engineering support for the successfulconstruction of the first Underground Ammunition Facilities(UAF) in Singapore, as well as resulting in the freeing up of400 hectares of surface land space for other developments.The research team contributed significantly to the planning,site identification, site characterisation, cavern design andconstruction. During the post construction stage, the researchteam initiated a monitoring program to install aninstrumentation system for rock cavern monitoring, field datacollection, data processing and interpretation, in order to assesscavern safety during construction and operation. These R&Dachievements have created an enormous impact on both rockengineering and structural engineering.

An underground ammunition facility (UAF)

In connection with the development of undergroundammunition storage facilities, the PTRC research team alsocarried out studies to evaluate ground shocks induced byunderground explosion and their effects on surface buildingstructures. The results have led to methodologies which providea more reasonable estimate of the safe inhabited buildingdistance (IBD) for buildings around an undergroundammunition storage facility. Minimising the safe inhabitedbuilding distance (IBD) is an important issue for land-scarceSingapore as it defines the extent of un-usable land, and isthus concerned with the effective use of surface land spacearound UAF facilities. Both numerical studies andexperimental investigations were carried out on explosion-induced ground shocks and their effects on reinforced concrete(RC) buildings. Existing codes of practice in determining thesafe inhabited building distance in the proximity of anunderground ammunition storage facility have been based onsome field observations of damage to low-rise buildings fromblast-induced stress waves. Their recommended empiricalcriteria are typically in terms of the peak particle velocity(PPV). PTRC’s R&D results have demonstrated that theempirical criteria of existing codes tend to be excessivelyconservative when applied to modern reinforced concretebuilding structures. For example, the safe distance for surfacebuilding structures is predicted to be 110 m if 100 t TNT isexploded at 46 m below the ground surface, whereas PTRC’sR&D results show that reinforced concrete structures will bedamaged severely only if they are located at a surface distanceof less than 50 m. These findings have resulted in substantialreduction in the un-usable land and thus free up more surfaceland space in designing an underground ammunition storage

Typical ground shock limit curves (PPV vs. PF) fordifferent damage levels of RC frames for design applications

[PTRC R&D results incorporated into NATO Manual onSafety Principles for the Storage of Ammunition and Explosives

(AASTP-1 PART III-B)]

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Following the successful development of UAF, the PTRCresearch team extended its research scope to examine thecapability of the Jurong Formation, a thick stratigraph ofsedimentary rocks, in housing underground caverns. The studyexamined the geology of the Jurong Formation, the engineeringproperties of the sedimentary rocks, suitable locations forcavern development, the technical feasibility of cavernconstruction and the cost of cavern development in the JurongFormation. The PTRC research team, together with the JurongTown Corporation (JTC), has been leading the project fromfeasibility study to site investigation and to the design of cavernlayout. One of the potential development schemes is to buildoil and gas storage caverns under the Jurong Island. Whencompleted, this will be the largest underground oil and gasstorage under the sea in the world. The sub-sea oil and gasstorage in rock caverns will be one of the most challengingunderground works in the world as it is a large-scale projectin a sub-sea environment and with fractured and inter-beddedsedimentary rocks. When completed, the sub-sea facilities willhelp improve safety and make Jurong Island less exposed torisks associated with surface oil and gas storage. In addition,the successful implementation of the sub-sea cavern storageconcept will not only free up and optimize land resources, butwill also develop Singapore as a centre for oil storage and oiltrading activities.

facility. The R&D outcomes received great interest from theKlotz Group and the NATO Working Group on UndergroundAmmunition Storage.

Minimising the inhabited building distance (IBD) toreduce the unusable surface land space above an

underground ammunition storage

Proposed site for offshore underground oil and gas caverndevelopment under the Jurong Island

Since May 2002, Singapore’s Defence Science and TechnologyAgency (DSTA), supported by PTRC, has been tasked byNATO AC258 Working Group to lead the revision of thedesign manual for ground shock prediction and structuraldamage assessment. To support this R&D initiative, DSTAhas successfully planned and conducted a series of large-scaleunderground blast tests in Sweden. These tests have provideduseful experimental data which will further enable R&D onthe calibration and benchmarking of numerical methodologiesthat have been developed for ground shock prediction. Since1998, the PTRC research team has been presenting their R&Doutcomes in ground shock prediction and damage criteria forinhabited buildings in a series of workshops held every otheryear in conjunction with the United States Department ofDefense (DoD) Explosive Safety Seminars. Papers from theseworkshops have been distributed for discussion by the NATOA/C 258 Committee on safety of ammunition and explosivesstorage. Because of these R&D achievements, Singapore hastaken a leading role in revising the NATO Safety Principlesfor Underground Storage since 1998. Design guidelines withregard to the ground shock prediction and the building damagehave been formulated in the form of empirical equations anddesign charts. The results were officially endorsed andincorporated into “The NATO Manual on Safety Principlesfor the Storage of Ammunition and Explosives (AASTP-1PART III-B)” at a recent meeting of NATO AC/258Committee held in Bern, Switzerland.

The School has also continued to pursue opportunities forresearch collaboration with industry. On 14th October 2003, aMemorandum for Collaborative Research between theEnvironmental Engineering Research Centre (EERC) andHyflux Ltd, a leading Singapore player in water treatmentsolutions, was signed. This collaboration is intended to acceleratethe growth of research and development in the field ofmembrane technology in water processing. Researchers fromEERC will join forces with industrial experts from Hyflux Ltdto forge new breakthroughs in membrane technology. Membranetechnology is a crucial initiative in Singapore’s efforts to developnew sources of water to reduce its reliance on imported water.In the case of sea water desalination, advances in membranetechnology can significantly lower production costs and makeit a more feasible form of water recycling. The use of membranetechnology in water treatment has other distinct advantageswhich include high consistency and quality of treated water.

Memorandum for Collaborative Research between theEnvironmental Engineering Research Centre (EERC) andHyflux Ltd. Prof Cheong Hee Kiat (left), Deputy President

of NTU and Ms Olivia Lum, CEO of Hyflux

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Besides conducting cutting-edge research, the School alsooffers a diverse range of graduate programmes in bothtraditional and emerging civil engineering disciplines leadingto the award of Master of Science (MSc) degrees bycoursework and dissertation. The following MScprogrammes allow students to undertake advanced studies ina selected field while developing breadth in related areas:

Master of Science (MSc) Degree (http://www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/program/postgrad.asp):

� MSc (Environmental Science and Engineering)(Singapore Stanford Partnership, SSP)

� MSc (Offshore Engineering)� MSc (Civil Engineering)� MSc (Maritime Studies)� MSc (Geotechnical Engineering)� MSc (International Construction Management)� MSc (Logistics Studies)� MSc (Transportation Engineering)� MSc (Environmental Engineering)

The Singapore Stanford Partnership (SSP) programme wasjointly set up in 2003 by the School and Stanford University’s

The collaboration will leverage on Hyflux’s industrialexperience and NTU’s research capabilities to improve thedevelopment and application of existing membranetechnologies for water reclamation.

The Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering(IESE) and Singapore-listed Sinomem Technology Ltd alsojointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding to developand commercialise membrane technology for applications inindustries on 15 December 2003. The partnership leveragesIESE’s membrane-related research expertise and Sinomem’sadvanced membrane technology and industry experience toadvance the research and development of membranetechnology and is targeted, in particular, for applications bythe pharmaceutical, chemicals, food, water and bio-technology industries. The aim is to replace distillation andevaporation, commonly used techniques for purification, withmembranes that can do the same job at a fraction of the cost.

Research collaboration between IESE and Sinomem.From left: Dr. Lan Wei Guang, Managing Director of

Sinomem Technology, Prof Tay Joo Hwa, Director of IESEand Dr Wong Fook Sin , Director of IESE’s Advanced

Membrane Technology Centre

Pioneer batch of SSP students receiving their MSc degreesduring NTU Convocation in July 2004

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering with theaim of establishing a Singapore-based premier graduateeducation and research programme in Environmental Scienceand Engineering. The first batch of 18 SSP students whocame from Singapore, China, Taiwan and Thailand receivedtheir MSc degrees in July 2004. According to SSP Co-Director Prof James Leckie of Stanford, the record ofachievement of the SSP students and the Stanford studentsin the common classes was indistinguishable. Furtherinformation on the SSP programme is available at:www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/ssp.

The School also offers the Master of Engineering (MEng)and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes for thosewho wish to pursue more in-depth studies in specific areasby research. The research programmes are strongly linkedto the School’s identified focus areas and many graduatestudents are involved in externally-funded projects. Studentswith outstanding academic records can consider applying forscholarships to pursue full time MEng and PhD studies inthe following broad focus areas (http://www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/program/phd.asp#msc).

In the area of Port and Maritime Technology, opportunitiesexist for research studies relating to maritime hydrodynamics,fluid structure interactions, bunker fuel quality assurance andmarine environment modelling and management.

Development of bunker fuel quality assurance system by FTIR

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Ship trajectory modelling and prediction

Advanced Protective Technology is another key focus areaoffering research opportunities in such topics as blast responseof structural components and systems, post blast fire effects onstructural components and systems, soil and rock dynamics andground shock effects on structures.

Break up of concrete structures subjected to explosive loading

Maritime security activities

Post blast progressive structural collapse of reinforcedconcrete high-rise commercial buildings

Numerical simulation of blast-induced stress waveand damage to surface structures

Potential research areas relating to EnvironmentalEngineering and Science and Water Resources includewater reclamation, environmental bio-technology, wastereclamation, environmental remediation, environmental fluidmechanics and water resources management.

Conversion of food wastes into bio-fertilisers

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Trace analysis of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) usingliquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS)

Membrane technology for sustainable water

Like most professional disciplines, civil engineering is rapidlyevolving so that it will continue to play a key role in sustainingthe world economy, environment and quality of life. TheSchool, therefore, will continue to identify new signature areasto advance the state of knowledge in civil and environmentalengineering. The research achievements of the School havebeen exemplary. It is the School’s mission to continue to shapethe future of civil engineering through pioneering research andnew initiatives in educating students to solve emergingproblems. The School believes that as long as civil engineersremain innovative and are prepared to face challenges as theyemerge, the future and prospects of the profession will continueto be bright.

3-D reservoir water quality modelling

Centre for Advanced Construction Studies(CACS)

� A/P Yip Woon Kwong, A/P Ting Seng Kiong, A/P TanTeng Hooi and A/P Li Bing went on a technical studyvisit to Honolulu, Sacramento and San Diego under theBCA “Hybrid steel-concrete connections for precastconcrete frame” project from 26 June to 3 July 2003. Theteam visited the University of Hawaii and met ProfessorIan Robertson for discussion on their current researchprojects, and on earthquake and high wind loadings. Theteam also visited the Charles Lee Powell StructuralResearch Laboratories at the University of California SanDiego.

� A course on Fire Resistance of Structures: Performance-

based Design Concept and Procedures was conducted

Research Centres

The main events hosted by the School’s research centres during the period from July 2003 to June2004 are summarised below.

by A/P Tan Kang Hai, A/P Tan Teng Hooi and Dr BillWong from Monash University on 1 and 2 December 2003.

� CACS organised the 4th International Conference on

Construction Project Management (ICCPM 2004) on

Delegates of ICCPM 2004 during the site visitto the new National Library project

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4 and 5 March 2004 in Singapore. The keynote speakersincluded Mr S Nasim, Meinhardt (S) Pte Ltd, ProfMiroslaw J. Skibniewski, Purdue University;Mr Wong Heang Fine, SembCorp Engineers &Constructors as well as Mr Wong Meng Meng, WongPartnership. More than 100 participants from 14 countriesattended the Conference.

� A course on Construction Project Procurement byAwarding a Design-&-Build Contract was conductedby Adj Prof Wong Yui Cheong on 7 May 2004.

� A course on Fire Engineering: Design of Steel and

Composite Structures was conducted by A/P Tan Kang Hai and Prof Ian Burgess from theUniversity of Sheffield from 22-24 July 2004.

Centre for Transportation Studies (CTS)

� A Course on Urban Traffic Management and Controlwas conducted from 8 to 12 September 2003 for transportprofessionals from Singapore and Malaysia.

� A course on Traffic Impact Assessment was conductedfrom 1-4 December 2003 for transport professionals fromSingapore and Malaysia.

� A seminar A Comprehensive Approach to BalancedRoad Space Allocation in Relation to Transit Prioritywas presented by Prof William Young, Chair of the CivilEngineering Department at Monash University, Australiaon 30 October 2003, and was attended by more than 70practising professionals in Singapore and Malaysia.

� Three public lectures/seminars on Transportation andCities: Lessons learned, Directions for the Future;Characteristics and Applications of Medium-CapacityTransit Systems; and Incentives and Disincentives forImplementation of Balanced Transportation Systemswere presented by SMRT Prof Vukan Vuchic, UPSFoundation Professor of Transportation Engineering, andProfessor of City and Regional Planning, University ofPennsylvania, USA.

Environmental Engineering Research Centre(EERC)

� A seminar on Treatment of Heavy Metals containingWastewaters by Electrocoagulation Flotation Processwas presented by Professor Hung Yung-Tse, ClevelandState University, USA on 26 August 2003.

� A seminar on Structure and Functional Relationshipsin Activated Sludge Communities was presented byProfessor R. J. Seviour, La Trobe University on 9September 2003.

� A MOU for Research Collaboration signed between NTUand Hyflux on 14 October 2003.

� A seminar on Modelling of Environmental Processeswas presented by Professor Miklo Bulla, SzechenyiIstvan University, Hungary, on 26 January 2004.

� A seminar on Sludge Solubilisation, Floc Morphologyand Enzymological Profiles within a Sludge BedReactor under Sulphate Reducing Conditions waspresented by Professor Chris Whitley, RhodesUniversity, South Africa, on 4 March 2004.

� A seminar on Time and Space Scales of Interactionsbetween the Ecology and the Hydraulic Environmentin Natural Systems was presented by Professor JorgImberger, University of Western Australia, Australia, on23 June 2004.

� A course on Wastewater Odour: Evaluation andControl was conducted by A/P Lawrence Koe for PUB.

� A course on Design of Pumping Mains and PumpingStation was conducted by A/P Shuy Eng Ban for PUB.

� A course on Water Reclamation Plant Developmentwas presented by Dr Jose Matheickal, Dr Tan Yi, DrWong Fook-Sin and Dr Hassan Madmud for PUB.

� EERC played host to 25 distinguished Professors andAcademics in the field of environmental management,economics and oceanic sciences from the 2nd to 7th June2004 for the 15th LOICZ international ScientificSteering Committee (SSC) meeting as well as the 1st

LOICZ (Land-Ocean Interactions in the CoastalZones) Regional Nodes meeting.

Geotechnical Research Centre (GRC)

� A course on Interpretation of Laboratory and In-SituSoil Tests was conducted by A/P Chang Ming Fangand A/P Chu Jian on 14 and 15 July 2003.

� GRC co-organised the 12th Asian Regional Conferenceon Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering inSingapore from 4 - 8 August 2003.

� A seminar on Geotechnical Activities at ShandongUniversity China was presented by Professor LiShucai, Vice-Dean and Professor, School of Civil andHydraulics Engineering & Deputy Director ofGeotechnical Research Centre Shandong University,Jinan, China on 26 August 2003.

� A seminar on Behaviour of Bothkennar Clay underRotation of Principal Stresses was presented by DrClaudia Klotz, Researcher and Manager of LaboratoriesInstitute of Geotechnical Engineering, University ofStuttgart, Germany on 29 August 2003.

� GRC co-organised the Underground Singapore 2003Conference in Singapore from 27-28 November2003.

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� A seminar on Fabrication and Installation Aspects ofOffshore Steel Jackets and Topsides was presented byDr Gho Wie Min on 13 April 2004.

� A course on Hydrodynamic Analysis of Offshore andMarine Structures was conducted by Dr Gho Wie Minand Dr Wang Qian Xi on 8 May 2004.

� A seminar on An Introduction to Offshore and MarineInfrastructure Technology was presented by Mr EmhaAntariksa, Dr Gho Wie Min and Dr Tan Soon Keat on28 June 2004.

� A Seminar on Corrosion Monitoring and SurfaceCoating Technology was presented by Dr Tan Yong Junand Dr Khor Khiam Aik on 24 July 2004.

Protective Technology Research Centre(PTRC)

� A seminar on Structural Response to Blast Loads &Blast Retrofit Design Using FRP was presented by MrJohn Crawford, President, K&C, USA, and Mr YogeshChhabra, Senior Vice President, Fyfe Asia Pte Ltd on 11July 2003.

� PTRC, together with the National Defense Academy,Japan, and the Pennsylvania State University, USA, co-organised the First International Conference on Designand Analysis of Protective Structures Against Impact/Impulsive/Shock Loads (DAPSIL 2003) in Japan from15-19 December 2003.

� A seminar on Vibration Serviceability of Floors:Problems, Procedures and Solutions was presented byDr Aleksandar Pavic, Senior Lecturer, University ofSheffield, UK, and Dr Paul Reynolds, Lecturer,University of Sheffield, UK, on 6 September 2003.

� A seminar on Development and Applications of CoupledCFD/CSD Codes was presented by Dr Joseph D Baum,Director of the Center for Applied ComputationalSciences, SAIC, USA, on 12 December 2003.

� A seminar on Multidimensional Representation ofGeospatial Information - From Map via GIS to VGEwas presented by Professor Zhu Qing, State Key Lab ofInformation Engineering in Surveying, Mapping andRemote Sensing, China, on 19 December 2003.

� A seminar on Seismic Isolation Systems for DevelopingCountries was presented by Prof James M Kelly,Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, University ofCalifornia at Berkeley, USA, on 13 January 2004.

� A seminar on Changi Mazzanine Footbridge:Pedestrian Loading Effects and Countermeasures waspresented by A/P James M W Brownjohn, on16 January 2004.

� A seminar on Concepts for Co-Mixing of Tailings andWaste Rock was presented by Professor G WardWilson, University of British Columbia, Canada on3 November 2003.

� A seminar on Introduction to Geotechnical EngineeringDepartment of Tongji University and Some RecentResearch Activities was presented by Professor ZhuHehua, Tongji University, China on 17 March 2004.

� A seminar on Stress Dilatancy Behaviour of Soil andits Modelling was presented by Professor ASBalasubramanian, Australia, on 19 March 2004.

� A seminar on Limit Analysis with Application toGeotechnical Problems was presented by DrMohammed Hjiaj, University of Newcastle, Australia,on 20 March 2004.

� A seminar on Tunnelling Project for the High SpeedRail between Cologne and Frankfurt was presented byDr Ulrich Klotz, Zublin International GmbH, Germany,on 21 May 2004.

� A seminar on 3D FEM Simulation of Settlements Dueto Tunnelling was presented by Mr Sven Moller,University of Stuttgart, Germany on 28 May 2004.

� A seminar on The Role of Unsaturated Soil Mechanicsin Hazard Management was presented by ProfessorDelwyn G Fredlund, University of Saskatchewan,Canada, on 30 June 2004.

Maritime Research Centre (MRC)

� The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) donated $4Mfor setting up a Professor Chair (ShippingManagement), to be hosted by the school of CEE andmanaged by the Centre.

� A NTU-BI Executive Programme on Global ShippingManagement was conducted by Cathrine Bjune, DagR_mmen, Alistair J. Smith, Robert Loeseth, Dag Halle,Marcus Indrevær, Finn Bj_rnstad, Thor ErlingKylstad, Dag Billingstad and Per-Christian Endsjofrom 11 – 22 August 2003.

� A course on Tubular Joint Design to API RecommendedPractice 2A-WSD (RP 2A-WSD) was conducted by DrGho Wie-Min on 27 September 2003.

� A course on Fatigue Assessment of Tubular Structuresto API RP2A and EC3 was conducted by Dr Chiew Sing-Ping, Dr Lie Seng-Tjhen and Dr Gho Wie-Min on 8November 2003.

� A course on Water Hammer Analysis of Pipeline andPumping System was conducted by Dr NormanLawgun, Hytran Solutions, Auckland, New Zealand from20 – 21 November 2003.

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� A seminar on Analytical Methods Needed for Analysisof Reinforced Concrete Structures Exposed to NearbyBlast Loads was presented by Mr John Crawford, P.E.,the President of Karagozian & Case, and Dr ShengruiLan, a Principal Engineer in Karagozian & Case, Burbank,California, USA, on 4 February 2004.

� A seminar on Carving Crazy Horse: Art andEngineering of Blasting Massive Rock Monuments waspresented by Professor Charles Dowding, NorthwesternUniversity, USA, on 23 March 2004.

� A course on Construction Vibrations was conducted by Professor Charles Dowding, Northwestern University,

USA; Professor Pan Tso-Chien and A/P Leong EngChoon, from 25 - 26 March 2004.

� A Seminar on Advances in Geophysics and NewApplications in Geotechnical Engineering waspresented by Professor Michael Asten, MonashUniversity, Australia, on 13 July 2004.

� A course on Geophysical Methods for SiteCharacterisation was conducted by Professor MichaelAsten, Monash University, Australia; Dr Wang Hou,Director, Ryobi Geotechniques Pte Ltd and A/P LeongEng Choon, on 16 July 2004.

Commendations

The School takes pride in the outstanding research achievements of the following staffmembers:

� A/P Tommy Wong was awarded the 2004 J. C. StevensAward for his paper “Discussion of ‘Predicting RiverTravel Time from Hydraulic Characteristics’ by HarveyE. Jobson” which was published in the ASCE Journalof Hydraulic Engineering in May 2003. The award isgiven annually by the Environmental and Water ResourcesInstitute of the American Society of Civil Engineers inrecognition of excellence in a paper published by theASCE.

A/P Tommy Wong (centre) receiving the 2004J. C. Stevens Award

� A/P Tommy Wong was invited to join the EditorialBoard of the Advances in Water Resources and he hasaccepted the invitation.

� Dr Ivan Au Siu Kui was invited to serve as a memberof the International Scientific Committee forInternational Conference of Structural Safety andReliability (ICOSSAR’05), June 9-23, 2005, Rome, EU.

ICOSSAR is a prestigious conference in the field ofstructural safety and reliability held regularly every fouryears.

� A/P Chu Jian was awarded the R. M. Quigley Awardby the Canadian Geotechnical Society for publishingthe best paper in the Canadian Geotechnical Journal in2003 on 25 Oct 2004. The paper titled “Unstablebehaviour of sand its implication for slope instability”was co-authored with S. Leroueil, a former visitingprofessor to NTU, and Chu Jian’s former PhD student,W. K. Leong.

� Professor Henry Fan Shing Leung was invited to serveas :• Member, Academic Council, China-Singapore

Airport Management Academy.• Member, Transportation Sub-committee, National

Energy Efficiency Committee, Singapore.• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Aviation

Management.• Member, Editorial Board, Singapore Maritime and

Port Journal.• Invited Speaker, Regional Meeting of Centres for

Education, Training and Research in TransportPlanning and Policy Development, Bangkok,Thailand, United Nations Economic and SocialCommission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),November 2003.

• External assessor for the Sydney DewberryProfessorship in Civil, Environmental andInfrastructure Engineering, George MasonUniversity, USA.

� A/P Robert L K Tiong has been recognizedinternationally as one of the main contributing authors to

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the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering andManagement (JCEM) (13 papers, 5 of which as soleauthor) along with 18 other authors who are mostly fromthe US. This finding was reported in the paper titled“Analysis of Trends in Construction Research: 1985-2002” in the May/June 2004 issue of the JCEM. Thestudy described in this paper focused on research trends

in the global construction industry using the ASCEJournal of Construction Engineering andManagement as the basis for the investigation. The articlealso cited NTU as being one of the institutions thatcontributed more than ten papers during the study period(1985-2002), along with other US universities such asMIT, Ohio State University, University of Florida.

Research Projects and Activities

A list of recently approved research projects is summarised below. Readers are welcome to emailthe respective investigators for more information regarding their work.

PROJECT TITLES INVESTIGATORS

R&D of Ceramic Membrane Based on Waste Oil Reclamation Tan Yi (ytan@ntu.edu.sg)Technology Tay Joo Hwa (cjhtay@ntu.edu.sg)(ECO-IEE-IESE Collaboration Project)

Sand Accretion Study Tan Soon Keat (ctansk@ntu.edu.sg)(JTC-NTU Collaboration Project) Lim Siow Yong (csylim@ntu.edu.sg)

Yu Guoliang (cglyu@ntu.edu.sg)

Studies on Inhibition and Feeding Strategies for Denitrification Geng Anliin Du Pont Textiles and Interiors (Singapore) Pte Ltd (DTI)’s Stephen Tay (ctltay@ntu.edu.sg)Anoxic Bioreactors Show Kuan Yeow (ckyshow@ntu.edu.sg)(DTI-IESE Collaboration Project)

A Case Study for Structural Collapse Analysis Pan Tso Chien (cpan@ntu.edu.sg)(MINDEF-NTU Collaboration Project)

Probabilistic Ground Shock Lethality Model for Persons Inside Lu Yong (cylu@ntu.edu.sg)Buildings(MINDEF-NTU Collaboration Project)

Converting Sludge from Waterworks into Value-Added Products Darren Sun (ddsun@ntu.edu.sg)using Frontier Recrystalisation Technology Cheong Hee Kiat (chkcheong@ntu.edu.sg)(PUB-NTU Collaboration Project)

Horticultural Waste: A New Material for Producing Quality Soil Wang Jing Yuan (jywang@ntu.edu.sg)Substitute(NTU-NEA- NParks-ECO-Wise Collaboration Project)

Jurong Island Rock Caverns for Oil and Gas Storage Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-JTC Collaboration Project) A M Hefny (camhefny@ntu.edu.sg)

Nottingham University - NTU Research Collaboration on Bridge Study Edmund Choi (cechoi@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-Nottingham University Collaboration Project)

Temasek Professorship Programme Tay Joo Hwa (cjhtay@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-A*STAR-IESE Collaboration Project)

Optimisation of Conventional Pretreatment Process for Reverse Lawrence Koe Choon ChiawOsmosis (RO) in Seawater Desalination (ccckoe@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-Hyflux Collaboration Project)

Photocatalysts - New Materials and Architectures Tim John White (tjwhite@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-A*Star-IESE Project) Li Ying (IESE)

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PROJECT TITLES INVESTIGATORS

Development of a Novel Gas Separation Process for CO2 Capture Wang Rong (IESE) (rwang@ntu.edu.sg)from Combustion Processes(NTU-A*Star-IESE Project)

Optimisation of Quantum Effects in Apatite-based Nanocomposite Tay Joo Hwa (cjhtay@ntu.edu.sg)Metallic & Semiconductor Catalyst for Environment Protection Tim White (IESE) (tjwhite@ntu.edu.sg)(NTU-A*Star-IESE Project) Li Ying

Jean Kim

MPA-NTU Joint R&D Tan Soon Keat (ctansk@ntu.edu.sg)(MPA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)- Rock Mechanics and Engineering for Large Caverns subjected toDynamic Loads(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program A M Hefny (camhefny@ntu.edu.sg)-Behaviour of Rock Fractures Under Dynamic and Impact Loads Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project) Ma Guowei (cgwma@ntu.edu.sg)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Tor Yam Khoon (cyktor@ntu.edu.sg)-3D Geological Information System (3DGIS) for Subsurface Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)Infrastructure Planning(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Zhao Zhiye (czzhao@ntu.edu.sg)-Development of Advanced Numerical Modelling for Underground Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)Structures(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Ma Guowei (cgwma@ntu.edu.sg)-Studies of Rock and Material Properties under Dynamic Loads Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project) A M Hefny (camhefny@ntu.edu.sg)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Tan Kang Hai (ckhtan@ntu.edu.sg)-Fire Safety in Underground Caverns and Tunnels(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Underground Technology and Rock Engineering (UTRE) Program Yang Yaowen (cywyang@ntu.edu.sg)- Vulnerability, Risk Analysis and Monitoring of Underground Structures Soh Chee Kiong (csohck@ntu.edu.sg)(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project) Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)

Effect of Strength and Stiffness Anisotrophy of Geomaterials on the Chu Jian (cjchu@ntu.edu.sg)Stability and Deformation of Tunnels(Zublin University-NTU Collaboration Project)

Ship Interaction between a Tug Boat and a Container Vessel Tan Soon Keat (ctansk@ntu.edu.sg)(MPA-MRC Collaboration Project) Wang Qian Xi (RF, MRC)

(cqxwang@ntu.edu.sg)

Maritime Innovation and Strategic Technology Tan Soon Keat (ctansk@ntu.edu.sg)(MPA-NTU Collaboration Project)

Hydraulic Behaviour of Unsaturated Soil as Affected by Volume Harianto Rahardjo (chrahardjo@ntu.edu.sg)Changes(Politecnico Di Torino-NTU Collaboration Project)

Water Quality Monitoring, Modelling and Management for Catchment Edmond Lo (cymlo@ntu.edu.sg)and Reservoir System Tay Joo Hwa (cjhtay@ntu.edu.sg)(PUB-NTU Collaboration Project) Karina Gin (cyhgin@ntu.edu.sg)

Shuy Eng Ban (cshuyeb@ntu.edu.sg)

Soil Improvement for Tree Stability Harianto Rahardjo (chrahardjo@ntu.edu.sg)(National Parks Board-NTU Collaboration Project) Leong Eng Choon (cecleong@ntu.edu.sg)

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In this issue, we feature sixty six (66) technical articles highlighting the School’s recent researchactivities in the areas of Construction, Environment, Geotechnics, Structures, Spatial Information,

Transportation and Water. Readers are welcome to email the respective authors to find out moreabout their works.

PROJECT TITLES INVESTIGATORS

Comprehensive Monitoring of Underground Structures during Yang Yaowen (cywyang@ntu.edu.sg)Construction and Operation Soh Chee Kiong (csohck@ntu.edu.sg)(DSTA-NTU Collaboration Project) Zhao Jian (cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg)

Maritime Technology Development Tan Soon Keat (ctansk@ntu.edu.sg)(MPA-MRC Collaboration Project)

Effect of Strength and Stiffness Anisotropy of Geomaterials Chu Jian (cjchu@ntu.edu.sg)

Application of Membrane Systems for Water Treatment and Desalination Lawrence Koe Choon Chiaw(ccckoe@ntu.edu.sg)

Treatment of Fly Ash from Waste-to-Energy Incineration Plant Lawrence Koe Choon Chiaw(ccckoe@ntu.edu.sg)

Characteristics of Structural Response to Blast Loading Pan Tso Chien (cpan@ntu.edu.sg)

Soil Improvement for Sustainable Environment Harianto Rahardjo (chrahardjo@ntu.edu.sg)

The Use of Flow Cytometry for Pathogen Detection Karina Gin Yew Hoong (cyhgin@ntu.edu.sg)

Integrated Analysis Procedure for Fatigue Strengths of Tubular Joints Lee Chi King (ccklee@ntu.edu.sg)Under Complex Loading Conditions Chiew Sing Ping (cspchiew@ntu.edu.sg)

Lie Seng Tjhen (cstlie@ntu.edu.sg)

Vulnerability Assessment for Civil Structures Against Blast Loading Ma Guowei (cgwma@ntu.edu.sg)Soh Chee Kiong (csohck@ntu.edu.sg)Shu Dongwei (MPE)

Nano-Mechanical System for Data Storage Application Yang Yaowen (cywyang@ntu.edu.sg)Soh Chee Kiong (csohck@ntu.edu.sg)Yang Jiaping (Data Storage Inst)

Mitigation of Progressive Collapse of Tall Buildings Tan Kang Hai (ckhtan@ntu.edu.sg)Ting Seng Kiong (cskting@ntu.edu.sg)Ivan Au Siu Kui (cskau@ntu.edu.sg)Adrian Law Wing Keong (cwklaw@ntu.edu.sg)

IN FOCUS