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AECOM awarded US$130-million contract for construction of Asia’s biggest cavern sewage treatment works in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG — AECOM, a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, announced today that it has been appointed by the Drainage Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to provide investigation, design and construction supervision consultancy for the relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works (STSTW) to caverns in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. The consultancy’s lump sum fee is around US$32 million while the total contract value, including site supervision costs, amounts to US$130 million.

With a sewage treatment capacity of 340,000 cubic meters per day, the relocated STSTW will be the biggest cavern sewage treatment works in Asia when completed, serving a population of over 800,000 in Sha Tin. This project also marks a new milestone in large-scale cavern development in Hong Kong as part of enhancing land supply strategy to free up land for housing and other beneficial uses.

AECOM’s scope of works includes engineering and environmental impact assessments, design of sewage treatment process, all aspects of engineering and architectural design in relation to the sewage treatment works in caverns, preparation of tender documents and construction supervision. AECOM will also assist the government in public engagement activities and provide preliminary design for the upstream sewerage networks and pumping facilities related to the relocation of the STSTW to caverns.

To design a sustainable sewage treatment works located inside caverns that will meet the demands for the next several decades, AECOM’s cavern and process teams will work out advanced sewage- and sludge-treatment technologies to minimize the size of needed caverns, energy consumption, carbon footprint and sludge production, in order to optimize the cost of the entire life cycle. AECOM will organize pilot studies to ensure that state-of-the-art technologies work well for local sewage characteristics, including high salinity due to the use of seawater for flushing in Hong Kong.

“AECOM is delighted to deliver this mega-infrastructure project after the completion of our feasibility study,” said Sean Chiao, AECOM’s President, Asia-Pacific. “With our integrated capabilities and technical expertise, we provide a truly integrated service to handle this challenging project that will generate tangible benefits for the Hong Kong society.”

The investigation and design work are scheduled for completion in phases from 2017, and construction works will commence afterwards.

J.Avenue – Pomeroy Studio revamps JCube Mall interior to create an all-new shopping experience

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Major retail developer CapitaMalls recently turned to award-winning green design firm Pomeroy Studio to design their latest concept retail concessions in Singapore’s west coast mall, JCube. The designers and thought leaders of sustainable built environments sought to bring a new retail flavour to Jurong through the refurbishment of 10,000sq ft of retail space.‘J.Avenue’ is inspired by the popular shopping districts found in Tokyo and Seoul, respectively, and features a total of 70 shops selling fashion apparel and accessories. Phase 1 opened earlier in September to the excitement and delight of the young and trendy, while the roll out of the concept into other phases are scheduled by the end of the year.

Chloe Li,  Associate Principal at Pomeroy Studio and the project director has consulted with CapitaMalls on other AEI projects such as Raffles City Singapore since 2009. She said, “The concept seeks to balance, social, spatial, cultural and economic parameters. Socially, the concept gives tenants the flexibility to present their brands and goods in inventive ways and help shape their retail community. Spatially, it seeks to evoke a ‘street-like’ atmosphere and shopping experience. Culturally, it reinterprets the street culture of Harajuku and Hongdae. And economically, it provides a platform for young entrepreneurs and first time shop-owners on short-term leases to quickly display their products. The net result is an engaging retail experience that is constantly changing, and therefore vibrant and highly engaging”.

Such adaptability is made possible by the modularized approach to both design and construction – an approach that Pomeroy Studio are no strangers to, having executed award-winning modular projects. Project Leader and Senior Designer Nancy Teo commented, “This was made possible by the modular kit of parts that we designed from the outset. It has effectively allowed us to reduce the design and construction time by half”.

Bureau Veritas ​​Buys CKM to Deepen Construction Expertise and Expand Its Asian Presence

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Acquisition of stake timely as Singapore partner clinches S$26m contract from LTA for Thomson MRT Line​

Bureau Veritas, one of the largest global testing, inspection and certification agencies, has bolstered its Singapore presence through the acquisition of a 70% stake in homegrown CKM Consultants Pte. Ltd.

The acquisition of CKM Consultants will enable the Euronext Paris-listed company to deepen itself into Singapore public sector construction projects as well as expand into private sector projects in the longer term. Bureau Veritas already has testing, inspection and certification expertise in the construction and infrastructure sectors globally.

Bureau Veritas has other core competencies in sectors like Marine, Oil & gas, Consumer products and Commodities.

The partnership is timely as CKM Consultants has just clinched a S$26 million contract to undertake comprehensive qualified person supervision (an industry term used to refer to an accredited service to conduct supervision) on four new stations on the upcoming Thomson Line (TSL). With connections to the North-South East-West Line, North East Line (NEL), Circle Line (CCL) and Downtown Line (DTL), the TSL is expected to open in phases from 2019.

“Bureau Veritas has a long and rich experience in helping clients in the construction industry to define their strategies, manage risk, monitor quality, improve performance and enhance their return on investment throughout the critical design, construction and transaction phases.  This timely partnership with CKM Consultants will enable Bureau Veritas to bring some of the best global practices into our Singapore partner,” said Serge Antonini, Bureau Veritas’ Senior Vice President for Southeast Asia-Pacific.

“It is also an opportunity for Bureau Veritas to bring CKM’s expertise to overseas markets, especially in Southeast Asia,” he added.

Rakesh Kumar, Chief Executive of the company’s Industries and Facilities Division, said that the new relationship with CKM Consultants is a strategic alliance because of the immense experience and track record it has in Singapore public sector construction market. “Bureau Veritas is already a diversified player in the testing, inspection and certification and we see this alliance as a marriage of global expertise and local networks to jointly seek private sector projects in the construction sector.”

“CKM Consultants views the relationship with Bureau Veritas as part of its next phase of growth,” said Abishek Murthy, a founding Director of the Singapore company. “We have been around for 25 years and have done enormous amounts of civil and structural work for numerous public projects. We see this alliance with a global MNC as a gateway to pitch for private sector projects and as a catalyst to spread our wings into the region,” he said.

CKM was founded as a professional engineering services company in 1989 and has undertaken more than 150 projects with the likes of the Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, Preservation of Monuments Board, among others.

Murthy said that the Singapore company has four core accredited offerings: Independent Design review and peer review; Periodic structural inspections; Structural investigation & feasibility studies; and Construction supervision.

In the past two decades, CKM Consultants has successfully completed more than 500 Accredited Checking/ Independent Design Reviews / Peer Reviews mainly in Singapore and in selected markets in Asia.

Murthy adds that CKM Consultants is one of the Singapore pioneers in the area of structural investigation and consultancy. “Full structural investigation is a specialization which few have, CKM being one of them. We are a pioneer of this kind of work when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) started their efforts to conserve buildings in the late 80s,” he added.

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 64,000 employees in around 1,330 offices and laboratories located in 140 countries. The Singapore office, which functions as a regional headquarters for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, has 550 staff.

Serge Photo

 

Build Safely with Safe Formwork Systems

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Investments in safety soon deliver demonstrable benefit to every project. Greater cost-efficiency, a reduced risk of accidents and enhanced employee motivation are just some of the advantages of implementing a professional safety concept on the site. When it comes to safety, Doka takes a holistic, A-to-Z approach that runs all the way from product development to safety consulting, and to its extensive range of products and services.

Study after study has shown that on safe jobsites, people work faster. Quite apart from human suffering and loss of value-creation, accidents also cause heavy costs ranging from sick-leave to legal consequences which may even include work on the site being stopped altogether. The old objection to installing safety systems is that it “means more work”; Doka has made this objection ever less relevant by developing quick and easy-to-operate safety innovations for every type of forming assignment.

A holistic understanding of safety begins right from when formwork systems are still under development. Safety, ease of handling and ergonomic design are among the key characteristics of Doka products. The use of high-grade materials for all formwork components not only makes them last longer, it makes them safer, too.

Systematic safety
Doka systems unite speed, safety and cost effectiveness on the site. For a high standard of safety, Doka offers complete systems for floor, wall or column formwork. These come with ‘on-board’ protection features such as ladderways or working platforms with integral edge protection. Pre-assembly of the protective elements at ground level, and easy-to-use connector components that allow the formwork and platform to be repositioned in one piece, make for swift, safe work on the site.

Safe, from the planning through until completion
As early as in the planning phase, Doka supports its customers with professional consulting with safety issues. In-depth analysis of the initial situation provides the basis for individualised solutions in which suitable products are incorporated into the formwork planning right from the start. Efficient usage of formwork systems is achieved not only by the features themselves, but even more so by using their components correctly. This is why high-quality documentation such as formwork utilisation plans, instruction manuals and safety data sheets are such an important basis for a safe site. Services such as practical, relevant training offerings, Formwork Instructors and fielding technical advisers facilitate a high level of safety on-site.

Echo Barrier Backs NEA’s Quieter Construction Fund

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“Money and time is being needlessly wasted by construction companies who are failing to specify noise reduction measures as part of their site plans” is the message from market leading noise reduction specialists Echo Barrier.

Last month the National Environment Agency of Singapore (NEA) introduced a special S$10million fund to incentivise construction companies to introduce noise reduction solutions into their site management plans.  The Quieter Construction Fund (QCF) will offset up to 50% of the cost of purchasing or leasing noise reduction solutions.

In response to the new incentive, the company, which has recently worked with internationally recognised construction projects such as the London Underground and the Sydney Rail Network, is urging Singapore’s construction firms to take advantage of the chance to make noise reduction a priority and reap the benefits.

Echo barrier’s technical director Peter Wilson is a supporter of the fund, commenting: “Not only can noise reduction measures reduce noise complaints, save time and money, but it goes a long way to creating a quieter living environment for local residents.

“We are congratulating the NEA for making this fund available and are urging any construction company, no matter what their size, to take advantage of it.”

In financial terms, upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars are thought to be wasted annually in noise complaints and disrupted work schedules.

Echo Barrier is one of the world’s leading solutions to the increasingly important issue of excessive noise, offering innovative, effective, practical and low cost solutions for noisy construction sites.

The temporary acoustic barriers are easily fitted to metal fencing or scaffolding structures to reduce both transmitted and reflected sound, significantly reducing the noise emitted from construction sites – typically by 90 – 97%.

 

Photo Credit: Echo Barrier

For more information about echo barrier visit www.echobarrier.co.uk

New 166 m Office Tower Will Be The Second-Tallest Building In Turin

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World-famous Italian star architect Renzo Piano is the name behind another new urban landmark in Turin, this time a sophisticated highrise project in the city’s San Paolo district. The client is the banking group Intesa Sanpaolo SpA (BISP), whose around 100,000 staff and over 5000 branches make it one of the largest in the eurozone. The new building will fulfil very exacting structural and environmental standards. Rising to a height of 166 m, it will also take up a visually pre-eminent position in the Turin skyline. Especially with its automatic climbing equipment, Doka is helping this structure to be built economically and to high quality specifications.

A prestige project in the highrise sector: once completed, the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper in Turin will house the new headquarters of the Intesa Sanpaolo SpA banking group.

A prestige project in the highrise sector: once completed, the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper in Turin will house the new headquarters of the Intesa Sanpaolo SpA banking group.

Turin, Italy – On completion, the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo will offer more than 110,000 m² of useable floor-space spread over 44 storeys, with most of it being used to accommodate 2000 office workplaces. Other parts of the building will be put to various interesting uses for the Turinese public, including a conference and event venue, exhibition spaces, a panorama restaurant and a bar with a viewing terrace. Visitors will be whisked upwards by a free-standing panoramic lift.

To achieve high sustainability performance for the structure, the architects are implementing a ‘Green Building Challenge’ energy concept which will give the building an Energy Class A rating under Italian regulations. To this end, the eastern and western facades of the building will be enveloped in a double glass ‘skin’ with movable louvres that can assist with temperature regulation by being opened or closed as needed. Furthermore, ventilated ceilings are to be installed throughout the building. The southern facade carries 1600 m² of photovoltaic panelling for generating electricity. Geothermal heat will also be tapped, to lower the building’s external energy-sourcing needs.

Complex construction operations

Construction works have been entrusted to a consortium formed by Italian general contracting group Rizzani de Eccher SpA, acting as leader, and Implenia AG of Switzerland. On a site as large and complex as this – building the 166 m tower with three CIP concrete cores, composite floor slabs (steel girders plus pre-cast concrete members), shafts for 25 lifts, energy-saving HVAC systems – it is crucially important for the formwork systems used to be efficient, high-performing and reliable. In addition, on this site a substantial volume of structural steel works had to be optimally integrated into the construction workflow: to provide work-decks for pre-assembling the steelwork for the floor slabs, Doka supplied a large platform with a high load capacity (5.0 kN/m²). This platform was suspended on high-load cones anchored in the rising concrete wall, doing away with the need for labour-intensive and time-consuming shoring scaffolds.

Safe, streamlined climbing

To build this 44-storey office tower, it was important to deploy fast, efficient yet highly flexible formwork systems that could be quickly adapted to the changing circumstances encountered in different workflows. Another requirement was that the forming operations should need as little craneage as possible, because this had to be kept available for the extensive structural steel works. For this reason, the contracting consortium decided to construct the rising reinforced-concrete walls using the ‘SKE50 plus’ and ‘SKE100 plus’ self-climbing systems. The concrete placing booms are always raised cranelessly along with the formwork whenever this is automatically ‘climbed’. The fact that the entire unit is firmly anchored to the concrete construction at all times during the climbing operation ensures constant cycle times throughout the entire course of construction – regardless of the weather conditions: With the SKE system, climbing operations can continue unhindered up to a maximum wind speed of 72 km/h and a structure inclination of up to +/- 15 °.

Dokaflex props and formwork beams H20 were used to shore the composite floor slabs during construction. In areas with very high room heights, the slabs were shored with the Load-bearing tower Staxo 100 system. The resulting cycle time for all the operations on one storey was ten days.

Ever since work started on this site, a Doka project manager has been on hand to provide formwork-technology oversight. Ciro Menna of Doka Italia co-ordinates the planning and deliveries, and acts as the interface to all the decision-makers on the site: “Our formwork solution has proved itself with flying colours, in terms of both performance and safety, and has helped to optimise the sequencing of all site operations”, notes Menna, summing up his experience on this build.