MICA (P) 013/12/2010

IES-IStructE Joint Committee IES Building 70 Bukit Tinggi Road Singapore 289758

Tel: (65)-6469 5000 Fax: (65)-6467 1108 Website: www.istructe.org/branch/singapore

Newsletter of IES-IStructE Joint Committee Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan 2011

(Registered Charity)

The Conference on Structural Marvels was successfully held at the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort from 13-14 December 2010. The conference was oversubscribed with 170 structural engineers from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Australia. A summary and closing remarks by the IStructE Chief Executive Martin Powell aptly capture the theme and content of the conference.

Mr President, Mr Divisional Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for entrusting the closing remarks of this wonderful event to me. The first thing I want to do is to echo the comment made by one of yesterday’s session chairs, Jeslin Quek, who said “Engineers are geniuses” – they are, you all are, so please give yourselves a round of applause!

On your behalf I thank all our presenters for bringing their projects to life; for informing, inspiring and challenging us in so many ways. Time prevents a review of all 13 projects and as a non-engineer it would indeed be inappropriate for me to try. I would however like to draw out a series of five themes that have presented themselves to us over the last 36 hours.

Firstly, The structural engineer and the use of “soft engineering” skills as distinct to “hard engineering issues”.

By “hard engineering” I mean the traditional mastery of technical design and engineering skills as distinct to the conceptual skills of “soft engineering” and the understanding of people; places and environment. it is clear that today’s engineer needs to be masterful and mindful at both ends of the spectrum to be able to understand and imagine how a structure fits into its local environment and to deal with the implications of integrated living. This was amply demonstrated in the presentation on The Sail development that focused on integrated “in-city living” and the

CON FER ENCE O N STRUCTURA L MARVELS

Martin Powell delivering the closing remarks

Conference delegates fully packed at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre

Summary and Closing Remarks by Martin Powell, Chief Executive, Institution of Structural Engineers

The Structuralist Editorial Sub-Committee Editor: Er. Kang Jianhan Advisors: Prof. Wang Chien Ming Dr. Lok Tat Seng Dr. Boh Jaw Woei

Dear readers, Thank you for taking time to read this newsletter. We appreciate your con-tinued 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 opin-ions 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 per-mission from the editorial committee of this publica-tion and/or from the respective author(s).

IES-IStructE Joint Committee (2011-2012)

Prof. Wang Chien Ming (Chairman) cvewcm@nus.edu.sg Dr. Ho Kwong Meng (Vice. Chairman) hokm@starhub.net.sg Dr. Lok Tat Seng (Hon. Secretary) ctslok@ntu.edu.sg Dr. Boh Jaw Woei (Hon. Treasurer) jwboh@hotmail.com Er. Wijaya Wong (Hon. Asst Secretary) Wijaya.Wong@arup.com Er. Jeslin Quek (Hon. Asst Treasurer) jeslinquek@fyfeasia.com Er. Leonard Heng lheng.ies2010@gmail.com Er. Seow Hong Chiow hc@sce.com.sg Er. Mak Yew Cheong Mak.yew.cheong@pmlink.com.sg Er. Mah Guan Pang maba.cnsa@pacific.net.sg Er. Ang Chee Keong angcheekeong@gmail.com Ms. Cong Zheng Xia congzhengxia@yahoo.com.sg Er. Steve Yeung Steve.Yeung@worleyparsons.com Er. Kang Jianhan jianhankang@gmail.com Er. Reve Chin Jen_yee_chin@hotmail.com

Contents & Contributors 1. Conference on Structural Marvels

Summary and Closing Remarks (Martin Powell)

2. IStructE Singapore Structural Awards 2010 (CM Wang)

3. Announcement on the Demise of Dr. YS Lau

4. IStructE Members’ Nights, 9th September 2010 (TS Lok)

5. Structural Dynamics Come Alive for Engineering Science Students (YH Low)

6. Calling for Articles for the Singapore Division Special Issue of TheStructural Engineer Journal (Steve)

7. IStructE Subscription Rate for Joint IES/IStructE Membership w.e.f. 1st January 2011 (TS Lok)

8. Announcement for IStructE Chartered Membership Examination Preparatory Course (Steve)

Singapore Pinnacle social housing development that sought to ensure cohesive communities. Er Lau Joo Ming eloquently pointed out the development in structural engineering over the past 50 years that has gone from purely providing shelter to a profession that now holistically thinks of development in terms of communities.

Secondly, Structural Engineers as Innovators.

The distinguishing feature of the structures we have discussed is their uniqueness. Each had its own set of challenges that required solutions and we were challenged by Tristram Carfree to play with ideas where we do not know at the outset what the possible solutions are. To stretch our thinking beyond the solutions in our existing toolboxes is where true innovation begins.

Additionally we were challenged when using IT solutions to look beyond analysis and instead look to the advantages of synthesis to stretch our thinking. And throughout the construction process we have seen examples of structural engineers understanding and being involved with innovations in formwork solutions; construction techniques; material usage. The challenge was clearly laid before us that a low carbon and sustainable future would demand much of structural engineers and we were introduced to the concept of discovering “delightful efficiency”.

Thirdly, Structural Engineers as Integrated Business people

In the presentation on the Penang 2nd Crossing we gained an insight from Afshin Forouzani into cost optimisation and the role of the structural engineer in working with and leading in the development of practical constructional solutions; such evidence also came across in several other project presentations.

In looking at the Macau-Hong Kong proposed bridge development Naheem Hussain portrayed design challenges when operating across international boundaries; different philosophies; challenges in the use of differing codes and standards; attitudes to risk and of course different registration systems for engineers.

Structural engineers have long been at the interface with other professionals and the extremes of new challenges will increase the type of interaction required. We have witnessed the tremendous opportunities of underground structural engineering presented on underground hydro-carbon storage.

Fourthly, Engineers as competitive people

Now this section is really just for a bit of fun! Who said engineers didn’t have fertile imaginations! We started the conference with talk about peanut shaped coffer dams; not to be outdone doughnut dams soon made an appearance only to be outdone by combined doughnuts and peanuts! Cloverleaf shapes then took over; foot plates in the shape of question marks and before we knew where we were, clean straight lines of buildings became the “new curve.”

And then of course, comes the competition of the vertically challenged. Caisson Pier Walls reminded us that structural engineering is not just about vertical development! Semi-submersible structures the size of 30-storey buildings. The ability of engineers to place their structures into vertical league tables knows no end and regularly these were compared with the Eifel Tower which seems destined to become a standard reference tool for engineers. Long gone are the days when a London double Decker bus was the standard tool of measurement!

Vo l. 7 No. 1 Jan 2011 Page 3

The fifth and final strand is Structural Engineering and its “outward facing image”

This conference has essentially been inward looking, a conference of sharing between professionals and there is of course nothing wrong with that at all. The common denominator is that every single project has an impact on the population at large. The modelling techniques and analysis together with codes and standards developments are all there is to ensure public safety; perhaps we take this for granted however there is a message of confidence that we can take to those who do not understand the contribution structural engineers make to the built environment. Not all structural engineering will be like the projects we have discussed over the last day and a half. That matters not. What we’ve witnessed should be inspirational to all engineers wherever their work takes them. To stand on the shoulders of the great and look ahead is good for the profession and good for continually raising the bar on all that structural engineers do. Additionally we must harness the images of these projects to inspire and enthuse a future generation of engineers.

I finish these closing remarks by thanking the organisers for their vision, enthusiasm and diligence in preparing this conference. It has been an enormous pleasure and privilege to be able to join you and share your friendship. I wish you all well in your future endeavours and an enjoyable afternoon for those who are going on one of the site visits.

IStructE President Norman Train giving an opening speech for the Conference on Structural Marvels 

Participant asking questions 

Networking of engineers at coffee break  Networking of engineers during lunch break 

17 Tables @ Conference Banquet 

Newslet ter o f IES-ISt ru ctE Jo in t Co mmi t tee Page 4

Awards I S T R U C T E S I N G A P O R E S T R U C T U R A L A W A R D S

2 0 10

The Institution of Structural Engineers UK has been giving Structural Awards since 1968. In 2009 and 2010, the structures that won the Supreme IStructE Structural Awards are the Infinity Bridge and the Stonecutter Bridge, respectively. Inspired by the many structural marvels that were built recently in Singapore, the IES/IStructE Joint Committee felt that it is timely to introduce the IStructE Singapore Structural Awards to highlight the outstanding structures and to acknowledge the contributions and hard work of the talented structural engineers who made these structures become a reality for our enjoyment. For the inaugural IStructE Singapore Structural Awards 2010, entries received range from small to large projects but they must be completed after 1st Jan 2009. The 6-man judging panel comprising Prof Wang Chien Ming, A/Prof Francis Lok, Er. Mah Guan Pang, Er. Mak Yew Cheong, Er. Seow Hong Chiow and Er. Jeslin Quek have made the decision on the award winning structures based on their Innovation, Buildability, Sustainability and Aesthetics. The Award for Infrastructure 2010 went to The Helix Footbridge by Arup Singapore. It is a double helix stainless steel footbridge of pure and complete structural engineering feat that negates the need of superficial architectural beautification. The Helix exudes elegance with an added dimension of innovativeness in its intelligent use of modeling the DNA conformation into a standout structure. Owing to many good submissions for the structures category, the judges decided to present a Commendation Award for Structures. The Commendation Award for Structures 2010 went to The Amphitheatre at Dhoby Ghaut Green by Web Structures. The semi-submerged amphitheatre has a stage and seating area enveloped by 2 entrance-ramps

IES-IStructE Joint Committee (1st Jan 2009 – 31st Dec 2010)

L to R: Er. Mah Guan Pang, Er. Seow Hong Chiow, Dr. Ho Kwong Meng, A/Prof. Francis Lok, Mr. Norman Train, Prof. Wang Chien Ming, Mr. Martin Powell, Er. Jeslin Quek, Er. Ang Chee Keong, Dr. Boh Jaw Woei, Er. Steve Yeung, Er. Widjaja Wong, Er. Mak Yew Cheong, Er. Leonard Heng, and Ms. Cong Zheng Xia.

The Helix by Arup Singapore The Amphitheatre at Dhoby Ghaut Green by Web Structures

Pag e 5 Vo l. 7 No. 1 Jan 2011

Announcement on the Demise of Dr Y.S. LAU It was with great sadness that we learned of the demise of Dr Y.S. Lau, who passed away on 3rd November 2010. Dr Lau was a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, London, and Chairman of the IES-IStructE Joint Committee from 1994 to 2000. He continued to faithfully serve Singapore IStructE members for many years after his term and during his retirement. Dr Lau was the recipient of the IStructE People Service Award in 2005 “for service as an Institution Branch Secretary or Institution Representative” (Structuralist, Vol.1, No.3, Sept 2005). Dr Lau was well-known within and outside of the structural engineering community and was the designer of the Changi SIA airline hangar. In fact, there are many significant projects designed by Dr Lau that will continue to remind us of his contribution to the engineering profession. He served on the Technical Committee in SIRIM (equivalent of SPRING) and was a former President of the Singapore Concrete Institute. He was instrumental in developing a series of International Conferences on Structural Failure. He will be greatly missed by many members of the Institution and the engineering community at large in Singapore and elsewhere. The IES-IStructE Joint Committee expresses their condolences to his wife, Dorothy, and her family.

with three cantilevered frames. On the outside, perforated aluminum sheets are woven together like a rattan basket, to act as a porous screen and allow natural ventilation. Tilted at an angle, this aluminum screen and roof canopy provides some shade from the sun. At night, the structure is subtly lighted to glow like a lantern. The inaugural IStructE Singapore Award for Structures 2010 went to Marina Bay Sands® (Hotel and Sands SkyPark®) by Arup Singapore. A truly distinct structural ingenuity, Marina Bay Sands projects a futuristic aura yet underscores the ancient art of achieving harmony with its smooth framing but intricate and challenging engineering design. Amidst a backdrop of equally inspiring buildings, the structure stands majestic in its expressly bold structural form that encompasses its SkyPark and Hotel making it outstanding and phenomenal. The IES/IStructE Joint Committee is grateful to all the engineers who submitted their entries for the consideration of the awards and hope to receive even more entries for the next Singapore Structural Awards to be given out in 2012.

Marina Bay Sands® (Hotel and Sands SkyPark®) by Arup Singapore

Arup Engineers with their Awards. IStructE President is on the extreme left, the IES/IStructE Joint Committee Chairman is fifth person from the right and IStructE Chief Executive is

fourth person from the right

Web Structures Engineers with their Award. IStructE President is on the extreme left, the IES/IStructE Joint Committee Chairman is fourth person from the right and IStructE Chief Executive is on the

extreme right

News Flash

Newslet ter o f IES-ISt ru ctE Jo in t Co mmi t tee Page 6

I S T R U C T E M E M B E R S ’ N I G H T , 9 T H S E P T E M B E R 2 01 0

70 members of the Institution participated in the Members’ Night on 9th September 2010. The evening commenced with a welcome speech from Prof Wang, Chairman of the IES-IStructE Joint Committee. On this special occasion, several members were presented the Singapore Division Service Award for their exceptional contributions to the Joint Committee. They were Er. Ang Chee Kong, Dr Boh Jaw Woei, Ms. Cong Zhengxia and Er. Mah Guan Pang. Successful members of the 2010 Chartered Membership Examination were also invited onto the stage and presented with Congratulatory Certificates. The six new members were Mr Ravindiran Kathaperumal, Mr Tan Chun Yong, Mr Colin YIP Yau Kit, Mr Reve Chin Jen Yee, Mr Sam Chang Loung and Mr Hitlar Meenakshi Sundarasan

There were two after-dinner presentations delivered to the participants. Prof CM Wang shared his experience of his recent visit to the Shanghai Expo. He provided commentary on the structures and his personal views of the exhibits. His advice to all intending to visit the Expo is “a great deal of patience is needed in queuing to enter the Pavilions, especially the China Pavilion”. The second presentation was an off-the-cuff delivery by Er. Seow Hong Chiow of his hobby in photography. His subjects were people, landscape and unusual creations of man. For portraits, he looks for sparkles in the eyes of his subjects.

In his closure, Dr. Lok reminded members of the role of the IES-IStructE Joint Committee and their communication with members via email and The Structuralist. He also highlighted the significance of membership and the CME, forthcoming Eurocode courses, IStructE Singapore Structural Awards 2010 and the Conference on Structural Marvels.

The evening ended with 10 lucky members who won for themselves a textbook on Reinforced Concrete Design to EC2. The evening drew to a splendid close when members promised to attend the next Members’ Night in 2011.

Er Mah GP, one of several Commit-tee Members, receiving the Division’s

gratitude for exceptional service

Mr Kathaperumal, one of three success-ful first attempt CME2010 candidates,

receiving his Congratulatory Cert.

Photo-shy Tibetan Girl of Serxu

Sculptured Creation of the Hani Tribe in Yuanyang Terraced Ricefields

Raymond Tsui was one of 10 lucky winners to receive his EC2: RC Design book

Pag e 7 Vo l. 7 No. 1 Jan 2011

S T R U C T U R A L D Y N A M I C S C O M E A L I V E F O R E N G I N E E R I N G S C I E N C E S T U D E N T S by Low Ying Hui (Second Year Engineering Science Student, National University of Singapore) For the ESP2109 Design Project module, second year engineering science students were challenged to design, model, analyze and build a wooden tower capable of withstanding horizontal oscillations while carrying a heavy load at the top. From a fixed number of wooden sticks, glue and base boards, students analysed and built water towers that have to fit within a structural footprint of 60mm x 60mm and a minimum height of 250mm. The students had to first design a beam bending experiment to determine the Young’s Modulus of two different types of wood. Using the material properties obtained, they utilized the analytical software CADRE PRO 6 to perform static and dynamic analyses of their tower designs. After 6 weeks working on the project, it was a tense moment for the students as their towers were subjected to large amplitudes of oscillations at increasing frequencies on a shake table in the Depart-ment of Civil Engineering’s Structural Lab. One by one, the towers crumbled as the vibrations became more and more intense. As there were 12 different structural designs, students got to see the various modes of vibration (such as sway and twisting modes) and failure (due to joint failure, member failure and resonance). Editor’s Note: Dr Pang Sze Dai and Prof Wang Chien Ming are happy to award the team comprising Zhang Yu, Huang Hejin, Ngo Yun Fun, Raghav Malhotra & Melvin Ang Kai Lun and the team comprising Ying Hui, Ling Chun Yu, Tay Junlong Julian, Cheng Youyang & Sun Yongbo with a joint first prize for producing the wooden towers that withstood the highest load (2.54kg) and frequency (3 Hz). The prize money is sponsored by the IStructE Singapore Division.

One of the winning teams with their wooden tower Students with their model being mounted on shake table

C A L L I N G F O R A R T I C L E S F O R T H E S I N G A P O R E D I V I S I O N S P E C I A L I S S U E O F T H E S T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R J O U R N A L The IES-IStructE Joint Committee is pleased to announce a call for articles for a special issue of TheStructuralEngineer journal devoted to the Singapore Division. Each year, the IStructE Singapore Division is entitled to one Special Issue of the journal, which is intended to allow Singapore structural engineers to share their project experience, knowledge and to showcase their achievements. June 2010 saw the first Singapore Division Special Issue published. Original articles that reflect on recently completed or ongoing projects are welcome:

● There is no particular criterion for size or type of projects to be submitted, as every project presents its own challenges ● As a general guide, each article should be between 2,000 and 4000 words, with about 3 to 6 illustrations each ● The closing date for submissions is 30 April 2011 ● Enquiries and submissions should be sent via e-mail to Er. Steve Yeung (steve.yeung@worleyparsons.com)

All submitted articles will be subjected to peer review by the IStructE London headquarters on the basis of technical quality, relevance and clarity. All accepted papers will be published in the next Singapore Special Issue, targeting at the third quarter of 2011.

I S T R U C T E S U B S C R I P T I O N F O R J O I N T I E S /I S T R U C T E M E M B E R S H I P

– W . E . F . 1 S T J A N U A R Y 2 01 1

Subscription Fees

IStructE Members who are also paid-up members of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore, will continue to enjoy a 33% flat rate discount on their IStructE UK annual subscription. The discount has been applied to each member’s account for 2011, if they have received the discount in the 2010 subscription. If a member did not receive the discount in 2010 but would like to apply for the discount in 2011, then they can do so by contacting IStructE HQ (records@istructe.org). For auditing purpose, IES members must declare to IStructE the following statement:

“I _________________________(full name as shown  in the subscription notice) am a member of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore. My IES Membership No. is _______________________ and I am a fully paid‐up member of IES. Accordingly and under the existing Joint Membership agreement, I hereby claim the discounted rate provided for in the memorandum.” 

Should an individual’s circumstances change (i.e. resignation of IES membership), then the full subscription amount shall be payable to IStructE. Please contact the Hon. Secretary of the IStructE Singapore Division, Dr T.S. Lok, if members have any queries on this matter. Note: The subsidised subscription to IStructE is applicable only to individual membership of IES. Organisation membership of IES is not applicable and must not be used by an individual to offset their IStructE annual subscription.

IES‐IStructE Joint Committee wish all members and colleagues a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and to all Chinese readers a Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year! 

Announcement for IStructE Chartered Membership Examination Preparatory Course

Organiser: IES-IStructE Joint Committee Venue: The Institution of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road Singapore 289758 Fee: $90 total (including light refreshment); inclusive of GST Coordinator: Er. Steve Yeung This course is aimed to help the IStructE Chartered Membership Examination candidates prepare for the forthcoming examination in April 2010. The course will be conducted over two sessions: Session 1: Saturday 26th Feb 2011, 2 pm – 5 pm Tutors who successfully passed the CM Exam in recent years will collectively conduct this session on: • Preparation for the exam; • Exam techniques and time management; • Marking scheme and failure points – Explanation on what the Examiners look for when marking the exam

scripts and what the common mistakes are; • Discussion on past exam questions – The tutors will talk through the questions they attempted in the actual

exam, e.g. structural concepts development, details, drawings, such that candidates can appreciate how to present the solution with an appropriate level of details during the exam.

Session 2: Saturday 26th Mar 2011, 2 pm – 4 pm This is a follow-up tutorial and mentoring session. It is designed mainly to allow candidates to ask questions on past exam questions. Candidates are strongly recommended to attempt some past exam questions prior to this session in order to make the most benefit out of it. Please register online or contact the following by Friday, 25th Feb 2011: Kok Sun, Email: koksun@iesnet.org.sg, (Tel) 6461 1222