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The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (Penang Branch) Dec 2005 Newsletter 1

Chairman’s Message

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA[ PENANG BRANCH ]

- NEWSLETTER -

DECEMBER 2005 Issue 2005 No. 2

LEVEL 5, 5-A, NORTHAM VENTURE, 37, JALAN SULTAN AHMAH SHAH, 10050 PENANG

TEL: 04-8182045 FAX: 04-8182046

e-mail: [email protected] web page: http://iempenang.tripod.my

CONTENTS Community Service …... 1 Messages ……………… 2 Committees …………… 3 Activities: - Recruitment Drive &

Career Talks ……… 3

Technical Visit ………. 4 Seminar ……………… 6 Evening Talks ……….. 12 CNY Open House …… 13 Professional Interview

Workshop ………… 14

Upcoming activities …. 14 Suggestion Box ……… 15 Engineering Career

Camp 2005 ……….. 15

ACS Pulau Betong Community Service

intellectual disabilities as they strive to lead a more independent life. As ACS planto introduce the recycling activity to local residents and make recycling as a source of income to support the centre daily operation, they decided to construct arecycling site to collect the recyclable materials from the local residents andpreprocess it. The construction of the recycling site started in December 2004 when ACS hosted a group of youth volunteers from the Yomiuri Light andHumanity Foundation, Japan. The 10-member group worked together with the Jawatankuasa Kecil Kampung Pulau Betong to prepare the foundation and build aconcrete floor covering 300 sq feet. Later, YB Mohd Farid Haji Saad, ADUNPulau Betong, who is an advisor on this project, acquired funds from his office forthe awning shade. However, the construction of the retaining wall was put onhold, as the centre committee was worried that the retaining wall might collapse due to the lack of professional advice in terms of engineering structure design.This is where G&S came in. G&S started to hold meetings with the centrecommittee. After G&S understood the requirements and needs, three young engineers from G&S, Andy Lian, Catherine Sim and Lim Chin Tat, came outwith a draft of the retaining wall’s structure design. At the same time, G&Smanaged to secure the funds for this project from IEM Penang Branch. For twoweekends in March, engineers from IEM (Penang Branch) G&S, residents fromthe local community and members from ACS centre labored in the hot sun toconstruct the retaining wall. The team took three working days to complete theretaining wall, including casting the stiffener, installing bricks, plastering, painting, and installing the plastic signboard. Besides helping to build theretaining wall, G&S also built the drainage, which surround the recycling site andinstalled a wooden shelf in an existing storeroom. The materials for the wooden shelf were 100%-recycled. The wooden shelf was recycled from the plywood usedto cast the stiffener while the angle iron from the original fence wall, wasmodified as the support structure. This is in line with the aim of the project to promote the recycling activity. An opening ceremony hosted by the ACS centretook place at the end of the project. YB Mohd Farid and IEM Penang Branch’sHonorary Secretary Ir Paul Phor inaugurated the use of the recycling site.Although the project has ended, it actually marked a new beginning for IEM(Penang Branch) G&S to contribute in community service.

Things started off during IEM (Penang Branch) G&S visit to the Tsunami affected residential area at Pulau Betong early of this year. The ACS (Asia Community Service) Pulau Betong Stepping Stone Centre is a workplace for people with intellectual disabilities inBalik Pulau, a rural district in Penang. The main focus of the workplace is to provide support for people with


Greetings to my fellow members!! As the year 2005 draws to a close, one cannot help but to take a pause and reflect on the events and issues affecting us as individuals either directly or indirectly. Natural disasters likehurricanes and earthquakes brought untold misfortunes to many. Human conflicts continue to inflict sufferings andcarnage while abject poverty and hunger remain unresolved. Innocent lives were lost due to ravaging wars andsuicide bombings in the name of salvation. World peace and understanding seem distant and elusive. It is hopedthe Perdana Global Peace Forum 2005 in KL, an international platform for open discussion of world problems willmake a cogent impact on global peace. Every human being deserves a better tomorrow. I am delighted that our AGM held on 11th November 2005 was successfully conducted with order and dignity.Fellowship and camaraderie were all too evident in the engineering fraternity. I am humbled by my re-election as chairman for the second consecutive term of office. I wish to extend my congratulations to all members of theExecutive Committee for 2005/06 and am confident we will endeavour to the best of our ability to discharge ourduties faithfully, zealously and conscientiously. We hope members will reciprocate by giving full support to oursocial and community activities in addition to the compulsory CPD programmes. Collectively we must project engineering fraternity as a united, responsible and caring, professional and forward looking body of educatedpeople deserving of recognition in our society. This is the first issue of the IEM newsletter for 2005/06 and thanks are duly accorded to Ir Dr Tan Kim Hor and hiseditorial board members. His constant collaboration and consultation has assured me that the issue will beinformative and current, unbiased and journalistic. In short, it will be an effective channel of communication between your elected Exec.Committee and the general membership. Useful information and updates will certainlybenefit everyone. Several activities have happened since the AGM. The 2 day short course held on 17th and 18th Nov. on "Earthquake Engineering " organised by JKR and USM and endorsed by IEM with 14 CPD credits was very wellattended. Then on 26th Nov., IEM organized a 1 day course on "Variable speed in line booster system " with 7CPD credits, featuring Grundfos pumps. The 38th IEM Anniversary Dinner held on 3rd Dec. was a greatcelebration. It was attended by YB Dato Dr Teng Hock Nan, State Exco for Local Government and EnvironmentAffairs, representing the Rt Hon. Chief Minister of Penang, IEM President Ir Prof. Dr Ow Chee Sheng, Chairmen of SPEAD component bodies, Government Department Heads and 500 engineers and supporters. I am also duty bound to report we have given an allocation of RM10,000.00 to the G&S committee to enable 5engineers to attend the CAFEO conference in Laos. It is hoped they will benefit from this international exposure,gain useful knowledge and become better engineers. We await their report on the trip. Finally, I wish my fellow engineers Merry X’mas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you at our IEM Chinese New Year open house on 4th February 2006. Until then, take care and stay healthy.

Chief Editor’s Message

Chairman’s Message

It is with great pleasure that this second copy of newsletter has been printed and circulated. The Editorial Board hopes that IEM members receiving this copy will be better informed of the various activities carried out by IEM (Penang Branch) and the G&S section. This newsletter also puts on record the appreciation of IEM (Penang Branch) towards the various organizers and participants of talks, seminars and factory visits carried out this year. The Editorial Board would very much welcome articles from IEM members. These articles need not necessarily be of a technical nature, the only criterion is that it should be interesting to the members at large. Your article may prove to be helpful to other IEM readers and they will thank you for it. To make it easy, you can send your articles by email to IEM (Penang Branch) at [email protected] or directly to me at [email protected]. So, to make the next publication of IEM newsletter even more interesting, your Editorial Board is waiting anxiously for your articles.

Ir. Vincent Tan Huei Meng PJK (Chairman - IEM Penang Branch)

Ir. Dr. Tan Kim Hor (Committee Member - IEM Penang Branch)


Chief Editor Ir Dr Tan Kim Hor Associate Editor Ms Lim Sheau Rou Editor Ms Catherine Sim Associate Editor Ms Chan Siau Huay Editor Mr Andy Lian Administrative Ms Ng Wai Yin

EDITORIAL BOARD

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2005/2006

Chairman Ir Vincent Tan Huei Meng, PJK Vice-Chairman Ir Ooi Boon Bow Ir Tan Kim Hor Immediate Past Chairman Ir Dr Goh Teik CheongHon. Secretary Ir Paul Phor Chi WeiHon. Treasurer Ir Chua Chin ChyangGeneral members Ir Ng Sin Chie Ir Addnan Mohd Razali, PJK Ir Harbhajam Singh Ir Ting Chek ChoonPast Chairman Dato’ Ir Dr Lee Yow Ching , DMPN Ir Wong Lim Chin, PJK

GRADUATE & STUDENT 2004/2005

Chairman Ms Catherine Sim Siew Ping Vice-Chairman Mr Andy Lian Shin WaiImmediate Past Chairman Mr Alvin Goh Chun HunHon. Secretary Mr Lau Tze LiangGeneral Members Mr Ronnie Ng Choo Hean Ms Lim Sheau Rou Ms Chan Siau Huay Mr Sim Tzer Yung Ms Tan Hui Sze Ms Tean Sze Nee Mr Chee Hooi Beng Mr Lim Jit Kheng

Committees

Company Date Presenters No of Participants Participant

Tenaga Nasional Berhad 13.04.05 Ir Soon Fong LeeIr Paul Phor Chi Wei Ir Ng Sin Chie

30 Engineers

ADM 05.05.05 Ir Vincent TanIr Ooi Boon Bow Ir Paul Phor Chi Wei Ir Ng Sin Chie

50 Engineers

RECRUITMENT DRIVE TO FACTORY


Subsequently at around 12.00 p.m., the participants were ledby Mr. Brian Chin and Ms. Nge for a plant visit. The groupwas shown the integrated steel mesh making process, fromsteel wire rod preparation to final welding process.Participants gained significant exposure and knowledge insteel plant equipment and machinery operation, qualitycontrol, conveying system, and other engineering challengesin steel mesh fabrication. Before concluding the technical visit, Ir. Paul Phor,representing IEM Penang Branch presented a token ofappreciation to Mr. Lee, Mr. Brian Chin and Ms. Nge fortheir contributions in making this technical visit a success.

TECHNICAL VISIT TO SOUTHERN STEEL MASH SDN BHD In line with continuing professional development initiative, IEM Penang Branch organised a half day technical visit on 5th Mar 2005, to Southern Steel Mesh Sdn. Bhd. (SSMSB), the leading steel fabric manufacturer inMalaysia with its production plant located in Prai Industrial Estate. A total number of 15 participants attended this event to visit the above-mention plant which is equipped with electronically controlled welding machines having various distinctive welding features. The group was received byMr. Brian Chin, Ir. Yap Kong Lim and Ms. Nge Hui Yee from SSMSB. The programme started at 10.00 a.m., with the presentation of the SSMSB company background by Mr. BrianChin, then follow by the technical presentation by Ir. Yap, which covered introduction of the fabric terminologyand the technical requirements of steel fabric production as stated in the relevant Malaysia Standards MS144:1987and MS145:1987. The presentation continued with the introduction of the process flow of the steel meshfabrication together with the related equipment, rolling machine and the conveying system.

TECHNICAL VISIT

ENGINEERING CAREER TALKS TO SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Lists of Talks Presented

School/College Date Presenters No of Participants Participant

SMK (L) Methodist 24.02.05 Prof Madya Ir Dr Eric GohMr Alvin Goh Chun Hun

80 Form 4 & 5

Penang Chinese Girl’s High School

23.03.05 Ir Paul Phor Chi WeiIr Tan Yan Moy Ms Catherine Sim Siew Ping

100 Form 4 & 5

SMK Sungai Ara 05.08.05 Prof Madya Ir Dr Eric GohMs Lee Sze Yin

70 Form 4 & 5

UiTM University 15.10.05 Ir Paul Phor Chi Wei 60 Lecturers & Students

In 2005, IEM Penang Branch held many Engineering Career talks for various secondary schools and institutions ofhigher learning. Several IEM Penang Branch members had kindly presented these talks. The main objective ofhaving these talks is to boost the students’ awareness of the wide scope of the engineering profession, whichconsists of various engineering disciplines. Hopefully, by holding such talks, more and more students will beinterested to choose the engineering profession as their future career.


TECHNICAL VISIT TO TNB MANJUNG POWER PLANT IEM Penang Branch organized a half day technical visit to the 2,100MW TNB Manjung Power Plant on 30th April 2005. A total of 34 participants from various disciplines of engineering together with trainees attended the site visit. The coach departed from Northam Venture at 7.15a.m. and arrived at TNB Manjung Power Plant in Perak at10.45a.m. The participants were given a warm welcome by Tuan Haji Mokhtar bin Majid, General Manager andMr. Chong Swee Choon, Head of Maintenance. Mr. Chong then proceeded to give the participants some insightsinto the following topics:

1) Background of TNB Manjung Power Plant 2) Plant operation & maintenance planning 3) System & plant components 4) Clean coal combustion technologies 5) Environmental monitoring & studies

In the presentation, we were told that the choice of coal as fuel is in line with the government’s five-fuel policy. Petroleum is not used because it is expensive and not a renewable source. Besides, it is also the aim of theMalaysian Government to reduce heavy dependence on non-renewable resources. Coal is the most viable alternative fuel, abundant throughout the world and the price is relatively stable. TNB Manjung Power Plant hasimported coal from Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Newcastle (Australia). Mr. Chong ended the presentation with aslogan “Technology in Harmony with Nature”. He has shown that sophisticated technologies used in the plant donot necessarily put the environment into jeopardy. After the presentation, participants were taken for a tour around the power plant and the control room. At the end of the tour, participants were invited to have lunch. IEM Penang Branch extended heartfelt thanks and presented souvenirs to TNB Manjung Power Plant (Janamanjung Sdn. Bhd.) for being a gracious host to our IEM delegates. The site visit ended at 2 pm and we returned to Northam Venture at about 5pm.

TECHNICAL VISIT TO KUALA LUMPUR IEM Penang Branch organized a 3 days 2 nights technical visit to Kuala Lumpur and attended by 17 participants. The visited venues were KLCC, Perbadanan Putrajaya, KL Monorail System Sdn Bhd, Multimedia University,Motorola Multimedia Sdn Bhd and Petronas Sains.


SEMINAR

SEMINAR ON GEOGRID REINFORCED SOIL The seminar was jointly organized by Mega Geoproducts & Services Sdn. Bhd. and IEM Penang Branch on 3-12-04. 78 participants attended the seminar, which was presented by Ir. Michael J. Dobie, Mr. Tee Choon Heng & Ir.Dr Ooi Teik Aun. As we know, in recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the usage of reinforced soil structures in many partsof the world. The applications include retaining walls, steep slopes, slope rehabilitation, erosion control and roadembankment on soft ground. Soil is inherently weak in tension and shear. By incorporating high strength geosynthetic reinforcement (Geogrids)in soils, engineers have acquired a powerful, versatile tool for providing innovative and cost effective solutions toa wide range of engineering problems.

Engineers are attracted by the greater reliability andcontrol arising from the uniform properties of modernreinforcing elements, and the ability of these structuralelements to mitigate local soil deficiencies. Otheradvantages include faster, less weather-dependent construction, reduced volume of earthworks and thepossibility of using poorer quality insitu soils.

SEMINAR ON ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

The need of a well-structured course on engineering management methodology is essential to practising engineers who have the intention to develop their career as well as to be decision makers in their organization. This programme held on 30 June 2005 and 1 July 2005 was specially designed to expose engineers to the art of managing Engineering Companies. Financial knowledge for engineers, project management, the needs of information technology in preparation for the challenges into the next millennium and so forth. This programme, in total, exposed the engineers with the contemporary management and functional skills to enable them to manage their work more effectively. The objectives are: -

To expose the aspects of managing engineering companies. To provide management principles to engineer – Culture, politics, motivation. To create financial understanding for the engineers. To highlight engineer’s perspective on project financing. To give information on the importance of IT to engineers. To provide awareness on global trends of trade liberalization.

SEMINAR ON STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS, DESIGN & DETAILING SOFTWARE The seminar was jointly organized by KDMAC Technology and IEM Penang Branch on 24 Jun 2005. The speakerwas M.R. Reddy. 17 participants attended. This Strap Release 11.5 software is a powerful and easier structural analysis, design and detailing software.


SEMINAR ON POLYETHYLENE ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE PIPE (P.A. PIPE) IEM Penang Branch organized a seminar on the product of Polyethylene Aluminium Composite Pipe (P.A. Pipe)on 12 March 2005 which was conducted by M/S Timur P.A. Pipe for the benefit of the engineers. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce the usage of P.A. pipes and to make known its benefits compared to the conventionalpipe system. The panel speakers representing M/S Timur P.A. Pipe were Mr. Darren Wong, Ms. Jenny Teoh and Mr. Alan Teoh. All speakers have vast experience in piping systems. The response to the seminar was encouraging with 25 participants from IEM members and other non-IEM members. The Chairman of IEM Penang Branch, Ir. Vincent Tan, presented the opening address, followed by the panelspeakers. The first topic was presented by Mr. Darren Wong on the history of pipe technology and the propertiesof each pipe system. Following that, Ms. Jenny Teoh presented the benefits and the technology of P.A. pipes inthis modern day. Finally, Mr. Alan Teoh presented their company’s P.A. pipe products and their referenceprojects. He also stressed that the P.A. pipe is widely distributed that it can be easily bought from most hardwareshops in Malaysia. Before closing the seminar, a Q&A session was opened to all the participants which prompted many questions andanswered comprehensively by the speakers. Ir. Vincent Tan presented the speakers with IEM souvenirs during theclosing of the seminar. Many participants stayed back after the seminar to have a feel of the real product and its working tools which werebrought together by the speakers. The seminar was very interesting due to the presentation of new product technology and benefits.

SEMINAR ON CENTRE VACUUM SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS

The seminar was jointly organizedby KB Bandaraya (PP) Sdn Bhd andIEM Penang Branch on 13.01.05. Itwas held at IEM Penang office with32 participants attended. The speakerwas Mr Sri Skanda Rajah.


SEMINAR ON TSUNAMIS, ITS EFFECTS, RELIEF AND DEFENSE WORKS IEM Penang Branch with the support of its Geotechnical Engineering Technical Division organized a seminar on various aspects of Tsunamis, which are of direct relevance to Practicing Engineers, Academics and the public on 28 April 2005. A total of 50 participants from different backgrounds attended the seminar. The speaker was Professor Nobuo Shuto, an international authority on Tsunamis and Coastal Engineering. He has spent his whole lifetime in the design and research in this field of Tsunamis. He gave an introduction of Tsunamis and disasters which discuss causes of tsunamis, tsunamis in deep sea, amplification factors in shallow sea, typical disaster in the past and the impact of tsunamis to the public. He then discussed the design and construction aspects of coastal dikes, sea walls and tsunami barriers. In the aspect of tsunami forecasting and warning, he believes in signs from nature rather than high-tech alert systems. The people should not just wait for the government to issue a forecast warning before taking action but heed nature’s warning and listen to it. He reported that 15 minutes early warning system was sufficient for now as Malaysia is not at the epicenter of earthquakes or tsunamis but more simulations and data gathering could be done to make the warning time shorter. Before concluding the seminar, Ir Vincent Tan, representing IEM Penang Branch, presented a token of appreciation to Professor Nobuo Shuto for sharing his experiences with the public. The public were asked to fill in the “Public Awareness On Earthquake and Tsunami” survey form before the seminar ended at 8 pm.

SEMINAR ON TENSIONED FABRIC STRUCTURES (TFS) Tensioned fabric structures are structures where very thin coated fabric in tension forms an integral part of the structures. They are engineered and fabricated for the use of buildings such as sports stadiums, exhibition halls, convention centers, shopping complexes, terminals, community halls, amphitheaters, resting areas and many others. This kind of structure is lightweight and translucent which makes it highly suitable for use in roof structures covering very large column-free areas and creating an interior which is filled with diffused natural light during day time and a glowing exterior during night time. Apart from that, surface of the membrane structures could be formed into a great variety of aesthetic free-form shapes due to the flexible nature of the coated fabrics. The objective of this lecture is to provide basic knowledge about the engineering aspects of tensioned fabric structures. In the first half of the lecture, the history and material of tensioned fabric structures (TFS) were presented by Mr. Chew Teik Boon. It was followed by Dr. Choong Kok Keong who touched on structural mechanics of TFS. Topics of design and analysis were covered by Dr. Choong after a short break. Three stages of design for TFS discussed were: form finding analysis, stress analysis & design checking and cutting pattern analysis. Fabrication and construction points were then presented by Mr. Chew in the second half of the lecture. 30 participants attended this half day seminar held on 21 May 2005 at IEM Penang Office.


SEMINAR ON CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) FOR PE

The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) is currently in the process of introducing a policy on ContinuingProfessional Development (CPD) to further enhance professionalism among engineers and the scheme is expected to be fully implemented by 2006. The policy targets professional engineers with the possibility of extending toother grades of engineers. This effort by BEM is timely as engineering has become increasingly recognised as a field which is facing rapid changes in this new millennium. This will enable the local construction industry toinstill and uphold a greater level of professionalism and professional expertise in view of globalisation and thechallenges associated with it in the international services sector. The policy is aimed to further improve andbroaden the knowledge and skill of engineers in performing their duties in line with current practice andregulations. On the implementation side of this CPD policy, a well-structured organisation backed by strong membership support has become crucial in order to provide sufficient and appropriate training programmes for thelargest profession in the country. At the moment there are more than 11,000 professional engineers registered with the Board. With the membership base and the pool of engineering expertise available, the Institution of Engineers,Malaysia therefore is well-placed to be an organisation capable of assisting BEM in the implementation of theCPD policy and programme. This Seminar on Continuing Professional Development Awareness was held on 6August 05 at IEM Penang Office.

SEMINAR ON THE USAGE OF MALAYSIAN STANDARD MS1553:2002 CODE OF PRACTICE ON WIND LOADING FOR BUILDING STRUCTURE The most common lateral load considered in building design is wind load. Wind load varies in intensity depending on the building's geographic location, elevation, degree of exposure, relationship to nearby structures, building height, size and shape. The dynamic effect of wind load is usually analyzed as an equivalent static load in most small and moderate-sized buildings. Wind against a building may build up positive and negative pressures on the windward and leeward sides of the structure. Winds can apply loads to structures from unexpected directions. Wind loads have become particularly significant because of the increasing number of high-rise buildings. Thus, a designer must be well aware of the design criteria for this lateral load. There are numerous codes of practice on wind loading that have been referred such as American Standard (ASCE 7-2002), British Standard (BS 6399:1995), Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 1170.2:2002), ISO Standard (ISO 4345:1988), Canadian Standard (NRCC). Malaysia has developed its own code of practice on wind loading for building structure recently which is known as MS 1533:2002. Several reviews and assessments are still ongoing to ensure the validity.

This talk gave an overall scenario of design code on wind loading and example of wind loading calculation for tall buildings. Modification on parameters from recent research findings was presented and comparison with other design codes (AS 1170.2, AIJ-1996, Eurocode and NBCC-1996) were made. 35 participants attended this half day seminar by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taksiah A. Majid on 25 June 2005 at IEM Penang Office.

SEMINAR ON SAFETY & HEALTH AT WORK The seminar was jointly organized by IEM Training Centre and IEM Penang Branch on 22 & 23 March 2005. It was held at IEM Penang Branch office and 30 participants attended. The speaker was En. Ahmad Nazri b AbdulAziz. As we know, industrial safety and health of engineering activities are increasingly given greater emphasis inpractice and law. This programme examines the latest statutory obligations of both the engineers andenvironment. It also exposed the engineers to the Occupational Safety and Health Management issues and relatedelements of safe systems at work. Questions on how to ensure compliance of the latest Safety and Health Act and how to implement and control a sound safety and health programme at our workplace were answered.


SEMINAR ON ARBITRATION RULES (2003) It was held at IEM Penang office on 20 August 2005 and attended by 36 participants. The speaker was Ir Khoo Choong Keow. This seminar consists of the following subjects:-

Part I Modifications to Uncitral Arbitration Rules Part I(A) Amendments to Uncitral Arbitration Rules Part I(B) Additional Rules Part II Uncitral Arbitration Rules Part III Short Form Arbitration Procedure

SEMINAR ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF ARBITRATION PRACTICE & UPGRADING OF ARBITRATION SKILLS IN IEM The seminar was held at IEM Penang office on 20 August 2005 and attended by 36 participants. Thespeaker was Ir Khoo Choong Keow. This seminar consists of the following subjects: -

DRP for Engineering & Construction Industry IEM’s Role in the Engineering and Construction Industry IEM Perspective on DRP Economy (Commerce) Cycle & Dispute Resolution Roles of Engineers in Arbitration Arbitration Procedure - Flow Chart Showing Basic Steps Experts/Skills Required for Arbitration in Construction Industry Arbitrators & Counsels - Expertise Required For Construction Industry Disputes Training Courses Appointment of Arbitrators Future Development Objectives and Action Plan

SEMINAR ON THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN ENGINEERS The seminar was held at IEM Penang Office on 10 September 2005 with 20 participants which was presented by Mr Yoon Chon Leong. Some 30 years ago, when big technology companies first came to Malaysia, engineers havea very simple role of coordinating manufacturing process. Today, we have shown that we are able to run our factories as effectively as anybody else in the world. Being more technologically sophisticated and establishedwith a much wider field of capabilities, we have the capabilities to manage world-class factories that produce the highest technology products. However, the world is also rapidly changing and other countries such as India andChina are also developing very rapidly and catching up with us. Being world class at managing factories is just notenough. Our engineering resource needs to be overhauled and reoriented into design and creation modes. The reorientation will involve transformations from: skill provider to knowledge creation; technology focused tobusiness driven; individual effort to collaboration approach; learn-to-contribute to leverage-to-impact through knowledge management; and theory-on-paper to hands-on to bring idea and theory into fruition.

SEMINAR ON CODE OF ETHICS/REGULATIONS The seminar was jointly organized by IEM Training Centre and IEM Penang Branch on 3 & 4 October 2005. 37 participants attended the seminar which was held at IEM Penang office. The speaker was DrRamlee Karim. This programme was specially designed in respect to the Code of Ethics in whichengineers have to comply. This is to ensure that the Engineering Professionalism in our country isenhanced and as competent as that of their counterparts globally. This programme critically explainedthe role of engineers in facing crucial situation at their workplace. Besides that, the programme also touched on the most appropriate way of dealing with any difficult scenario that arises at workplace which may have some conflicts of engineering ethical. Since the conflict of interests between organization andengineers varies from one to another, cases and facts from real job situation were highlighted anddiscussed, which covered six elements of engineering aspects.


SEMINAR ON CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION FOR SITE PERSONNEL IN CONSTRUCTION / ENGINEERING CONTRACTS The course was jointly organized by IEM Training Centre on 28 & 29 Jun 2005 and IEM Penang Branch. Ir Harbans Singh K.S. was the speaker for the course and 42 participants attended. The objective of the course is to: - To familiarize participants with the various types of Construction/Engineering Contracts Procurement

Methods used. To understand the rights and duties of the various parties under the contract especially the Main and Sub-

Contractors. To learn all aspects of administering the contract from commencement upto the issue of the Final Certificate. To acquaint with the practical issues involved in the day-to-day running of a contract. To arm yourself with effective ways of managing time and cost related claims To have a through understanding of the various means of avoiding delays, disputes and cost overruns.

SEMINAR ON CLAIMS IN ENGINEERING/CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS The seminar was jointly organized by IEM Training Centre and IEM Penang Branch on 27 & 28 September 2005.It was held at IEM Penang office and attended by 24 participants. The speaker was Ir. Harbans Singh K.S. TheEngineering/Construction Industry has been growing in leaps and bounds over the last decade or so. This periodhas seen massive projects being undertaken on a mega-scale. In tandem with this development has been a largeincrease in claims pertaining to Engineering/Construction Contracts. The issue of claims is a thorny one, whichcontinues to plague the industry. In view of this fact, this course had been put together to address the practicalaspects of the said subject and will benefit all major parties of the industry. This course comprises a total of four modules conducted over an intensive two-day seminar. This course dealt with practical aspects of the claimsprocess with sufficient time allotted to question and answer sessions.

SEMINAR ON GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2005 IEM Geotechnical Engineering Technical Division and IEM Penang Branch Graduate & Student (G&S) sectionhad jointly organized a 2-Day seminar on 30 September and 1 October 2005 on various topics of Geotechnical Engineering aspects for the benefits and understanding of the engineers especially in the northern region of Malaysia. The response for the seminar was great with a total of 117 participants from IEM members and alsonon-IEM members. Our very own Chairman of IEM Penang Branch, Ir. Vincent Tan, was the MC for the 2-Day seminar. A total of 9 lectures have been presented in the 2-Day seminar. All lectures are presented by experienced geotechnicalconsultants and academicians in their own topics: Ir. Eddie Ng - The Importance & Awareness of Soil / Subsurface Investigation Assoc. Prof. Tan Boon Kong - A Glimpse of Engineering Geology & Rock Mechanics Ir. Simon Tan - Slope Stability Analysis Ir. Liew Shaw Shong - Soil Nailing for Slope Strengthening Ir. Neoh Cheng Aik - Design & Construction of Pile Foundation Ir. Tan Yean Chin - Design of Embankment on Soft Clay Ir. Kenny Yee - Ground Improvement Ir. Albert Lim - Geosynthetic for Reinforced Soil Ir. Mun Kwai Peng - Testing of Piles Using Stresswave Measurement Technique Simple & clear examples and real cases were given in the lectures to enable the participants understand the topics better. Before each ending of the lecture, Q&A session was opened to all the participants. Quite a number of questions were asked which were answered by the speakers. Ir. Vincent Tan presented the speakers with IEMsouvenirs at the closing. The seminar was really an eye opener and beneficial to most of the participants as there were a lot of new designand product technology presented and could be utilized by them in their future works.


EVENING TALKS

Evening Talk on Income Tax Self Assessment – Submission of Form BE 2004 The talk was held at IEM Penang office on 21 March 2005 and the speaker was En Tuan Haji Baharuddin AbdulHadir. 21 participants attended this evening talk. Evening Talk on The Water Problem – Meeting the Demand It was held at IEM Penang office on 19 April 2005 and attended by 10 participants. The speaker was Ir.Chan Boon Teik. Water problem has long been the topic hotly discussed and debated among the peoplemore particular in the recent drought spell. Though there has been tremendous effort and huge spendingon water projects, yet we are still facing a lot of water related problems. Issues affecting the generalpublic are:

1. How to meet the rapid growth of water demand? 2. Our existing planning of water storage and treatment effective? 3. What is non-revenue water? How to reduce it? 4. Can ground water help?

Evening Talk on Talking About Talking – Stand Up, Speaker Up & Shut Up? It was held at IEM Penang office on 31 May 2005. 9 participants attended the talk which was presented by Ir Chan Boon Teik. Talking About Talking".... "A lighthearted talk from personal experience of how to stand up, speakup...and shut up?” Evening Talk On The Use of Piezoelectric Bimorph In Engineering Applications The talk was held at IEM Penang office on 7 July 2005 and the speaker was Ir. Dr C.W. Lim from Hong Kong. 13participants attended this evening talk. Bimorphs made of piezoelectric materials are special piezoelectric deviceswidely used as displacement transducers or actuators requiring precise sub-micron increments. Piezoelectric bimorphs are used in ink-jet printers, phonographic equipment, micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) components for chopping optical beams, and recently in scanning tunnelling microscopes. Spiral piezoelectric devices known as Archimedes bimorphs are also widely used as micro sensor/actuators. A piezoelectric bimorph consists of twoidentical, plate-like piezoelectric elements stacked together. Coated with electrodes, it can have parallel and anti-parallel arrangements depending on the poling directions. Under an applied voltage, one element will contract andthe other will expand, resulting in a bending motion normally many times great than the change in the length of asingle element. Obviously, it is very crucial to be able to accurately predict the electromechanical behavior ofsuch a device. Arranged in a spiral configuration, the displacement of an Archimedes piezoelectric bimorph canbe greatly increased and thus can be used as a sub-micro sensor/actuator. This spiral structure can be extended toconstruct and simulate the characteristics of biomechanics of DNA, an important and state-of-the-art branch in engineering life sciences.

Evening Talk On Vibration Neutralizer For Lamppost Tsing Ma Bridge The talk was held at IEM Penang office on 7 July 2005 and the speaker was Ir Dr C.W. Lim from HongKong. 13 Participants attended this evening talk. It has been a noticeable fact by the lamppost maintenance staff of Highways Department of HKSAR that the serviceable life of lamps for lanterns atTsing Ma Bridge has been considerably shorter than that specified by its manufacturer. As speculated bythe maintenance staff, one of the possible causes is the excitation of severe lamppost vibration due to the operation of Airport Express as well as the heavy traffic flow on the bridge. This talk summarized (i)measurement and analysis, (ii) design, and (iii) installation of a vibration attenuation device aiming atalleviating the extent of vibration of lanterns at Tsing Ma Bridge. On-site measurement following device installation showed that vibration magnitude had been substantially attenuated. The analogy between thecases of Tsing Ma Bridge and Penang Bridge was discussed.


Evening Talk on Innovative Design of Welded Steel Fabric (Mesh) to MS 145 24 participants attended the talk which was held at IEM Penang Branch office on 28 July 2005. The speaker was Ir Yap Kong Lim. Welded Steel Fabric (mesh) was introduced in Malaysia more than 54 years ago. The ease andspeed with which welded fabric can be handled and installed considerably reduces placing time and consequentlyreduces the cost of the installed reinforcement. Its ability to reduce construction time is also in line with ourGovernment emphasis on Industrialised Building System (IBS) - prefabrication and automation - in order to solve the increasingly great shortage of construction workers in Malaysia. The wide range of wire sizes and spacingavailable makes it possible to furnish almost exactly the cross-sectional steel area required, hence allows a moreeconomical design solutions. In the past, standard fabric types such as A10, B7, etc. are commonly specified byengineers. However, with the recent developments towards greater capabilities of new generation fabric-making machines, SSM has introduced the innovative Engineered Mesh design such as Twin Wire Mesh, SpecialConfigured Mesh, Staggered Mesh etc. This talk provided latest fabric design and its innovative applications,which also includes:

1. Specification – latest update in MS 145 (second revision) 2. CQ mesh – What is its potential danger? 3. Cut-to- Size Mesh vs Standard Sheets – Do’s and Don’ts 4. Special Mesh – How to achieve further economy in design? 5. Engineered Mesh – a new development in Mesh Design – Its benefits 6. Mesh – Innovative Applications

FIRST CHINESE NEW YEAR OPEN HOUSE CELEBRATION

This was the first open house celebration at IEM Penang Branch office and 37 participants attended.


Date Title

04-01-2006 Seminar on Design and Test Of Digital Systems In The Era High Process Variations and Defect Rates. Venue : PSDC Speaker : Professor Sandeep Gupta

14-01-2006

Technical Visit to Timur P.A. Pipe Industries Sdn Bhd

Venue : P.A. Pipe Industries Sdn Bhd

18-01-2006 Cardio Vascular Talk: How To Take Care of Your Heart?

Venue : IEM Penang Office Speaker : Dr Rajesh Pravinchand Shah

21-01-2006 Seminar on A New Urban Construction Approach Using The Press-In Piling Technology

Venue : City Bayview Hotel Speaker : Dr Goh Teik Lim

04-02-2006 Chinese New Year Open House Celebration

Venue : IEM Penang Office

20-03-2006 Engineers Week 2006

23-03-2006 Engineering Career Camp

PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW WORKSHOP

The workshop was held at IEM Penang Branch office and was attended bt 34 graduate engineers. The panel speakerswere Ir. Hj. Md. Mazlan, Prof. Madya Ir. Dr. Eric Goh and Ir. Soon Fong Lee.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES


We welcome any suggestion or comment on the activities from members. Please email to IEM Penang Branch.

The IEM Penang Branch successfully organized the Engineering Career Camp 2005 on the 24 March 2005 duringEngineering Week. The main objective of this project is to disseminate the knowledge and awareness on theimportance of the engineering profession in nation building to the community. It is hope that through this project itwill encourage more students actively to choose engineering as the first choice in their career later. It is imperativethat opportunities be made available to the career counselors and students alike to enable them to gain someperspectives and insight into the engineers’ working environment. The Engineering Career Camp 2005 received the approval from the Penang State Education Department. Thisprogram attracted twenty four (24) participants from six selected secondary schools from Penang State. They wereSMK Convent Green Lane, SMJK Heng Ee, SMK St. Xavier, SMK Tanjung Bungah, SMK Convent Lebuh Lightand SMK Berapit. The one day intensive event was held at Bunga Raya Seminar Room in Penang DevelopmentCorporation (PDC). It began with the welcoming speech by Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Eric Goh, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Ir. Dr. Goh Teik Cheong, the past immediate Chairman of IEM Penang Branch,following by the project briefing presented by Mr. Andy Lian, the Vice Chairman of IEM Penang Branch G&SSession. Before the engineering career talk entitled “'Engineering - Key Career for Industrialisation & Globalisation” was presented by Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Eric Goh and Dr. Goh Teik Cheong, an ice breaking sessionwas introduced to all the participants to get to know each other better. Three technical visits to government engineering department, factory and consulting firm were scheduled after the enlightening talk. The first technical visit was conducted at PDC. Participants were given a tour to the Planning and EngineeringDepartments by the Civil Engineer, Mr. Muraliraj Silvaraj. The students and teachers were exposed to the workingenvironment of a project management based government department. Unico Electronics (Pg) Sdn. Bhd. was the second destination of the visit. This is a company which designs the layout of printed circuit board. On arrival at the manufacturing factory, participants were given an interestingbriefing on the orgainsation and products by the General Manager, Mr. H.C. Low. It was then followed by a visit to the operating plant. The last technical visit was carried out at PDC Consultancy Sdn. Bhd., a private engineering consulting firm. Thisfirm involves in design and construction of engineering project. The professionals who consist of engineers,architects and quantity surveyor shared the nature of each specific career and their invaluable working experiencewith the participants. The one day program ended around 5.30pm with a photograph taking session in front of PDC building. The wholejourney was led by Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Eric Goh and was coordinated by Mr. Andy Lian, Mr. Lau Tze Liang, Ms.Tan Hui Sze and Ms. Ng Wai Yin. This program was a success with the full support and sponsorship from Penang Development Corporation, Unico Electronics (Pg) Sdn. Bhd. and PDC Consultancy Sdn. Bhd.

ENGINEERING CAREER CAMP 2005

SUGGESTION BOX

Documents

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA [ PENANG …iempenang.tripod.com/Newsletter_doc/newsletter05.pdf · The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia ... The Institution of Engineers,