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Unique Roof Creates Thailand’s Largest Column-Free Exhibition Space

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The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) now has so much open space that exhibitors have the capability to stage displays reaching 25 m into the air. Exhibitors and visitors to the newly expanded exhibition centre will benefit from unblocked views and an innovative roof which is capable of accommodating huge suspended displays. The BITEC now has so much open space that were it to stage an aviation show, Airbus would be able to showcase a full-sized A380 model indoors.

In line with the vision of its owner, BHIRAJ BURI Co., Ltd, the new BITEC heralds an era of unrivalled exhibitions and related events in Bangkok. The exhibition centre opened in 1997 and is located in the Bang Na district of the city.

As the lead structural engineer, Aurecon office in Thailand played a key role in the expansion project. The company worked closely with the architect to balance aesthetics and engineering practicalities, optimising the design while also respecting the architect’s desire for a dramatic addition to the Bangkok skyline – complete with elegant masts and cables. In addition to the detailed design of the finished structure, the company worked out a detailed construction sequence to facilitate the erection of this unusual structure for the main contractor, Italian-Thai Development.

Creating Space and Width
Stretching to 108 m between columns at its widest section, the new long-span structure gives the venue its impressive floor space possibilities. The expansion more than doubles the area of the exhibition centre, adding 40,000 square metres to the existing 35,000 square metres.

The expansion has two distinct, large areas, each with a different clear height. The first section features a height of 25 metres – high enough to accommodate the tail section of an Airbus A380 replica – with a 108-metre column-to-column span; while the second has a clear height of 15 metres with a 90-metre column-to-column span. The light-weight roof also has the capacity to support large hanging loads.

Illustration 1.

Illustration 1.

One of the biggest challenges for the design was supporting the weight of the roof. To counter this, Aurecon’s engineers used advanced modelling and structural analysis to evaluate the size, specification and siting of the cable-stays, together with the optimum lattice design for the roof truss.

To create such long column-to-column spaces, Aurecon designed an innovative support system for the roof structure. This design has the main roof truss supported by fore stays on each side, with these cables then supported on masts around the edge of the building. A further cable from the top of each mast is anchored to the ground, via a configuration that incorporates a back stay, tie stay and reaction beam. There is one mast design for every three roof trusses (See Illustration 1).

Getting the Sequence Right
More importantly, a detailed erection sequence was developed for the building contractor, which required the roof’s lattice structure to be jacked above its final resting height during assembly. Doing this meant that as the contractor systematically removed the jacks – in line with the erection sequence – the downward motion induced the required tension in the cable stays to meet design requirements.

To create such long column-to-column spaces, Aurecon designed an innovative support system for the roof structure.

To create such long column-to-column spaces, Aurecon designed an innovative support system for the roof structure.

“One of the most significant engineering challenges was making sure we got the erection sequence right,” explained Pisit Yingmanokit, Technical Director, Aurecon in Thailand, the project’s senior structural engineer. “It was quite a meticulous process to ensure the roof would maintain its desired shape and strength, but the end result is something unique in Thailand, allowing the venue to stage much bigger and better events.”

“Aurecon is proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate with one of Thailand’s premier property developers to engineer the focal element of the BITEC expansion,” said Thiti Ariyakul, Project Leader and Executive Director of Aurecon in Thailand. “It is a perfect showcase for the design and engineering talent of Thailand, with every phase of the job handled by a Thai company.”

The new BITEC venue welcomed its first exhibition on 23 November 2016.

E-Shang Redwood Subsidiary Acquires 80 Percent Indirect Interest in CITM

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Cambridge Industrial Trust Management Limited (CITM), as the Manager of Cambridge Industrial Trust (CIT), has been informed that nabInvest Capital Partners Pty Limited (NAB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Australia Bank Limited) and CREIM Limited (Oxley, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oxley Global Limited) have entered into a binding agreement today for the sale of their aggregate 80 percent indirect interest in CITM to e-Shang Infinity Cayman Limited (Infinity), a subsidiary of e-Shang Redwood Limited (ESR). This transaction also includes Infinity acquiring a 100 percent indirect interest in Cambridge Industrial Property Management Pte. Ltd. (“CIPM”), the property manager of CIT. Completion of the Transaction is expected to take place within this week.

ESR is a leading pan-Asia logistics real estate developer, owner and operator. ESR focuses on developing modern, institutional quality logistics and industrial warehouses across major gateway markets in Asia. The company currently has 6.5 million square metres of projects in operation or under development in China, Japan and South Korea with an additional 6 million square metres in the pipeline.

As ESR seeks to actively broaden its presence across Asia, the transaction is significant as it marks ESR’s initial foray into Southeast Asia. As the majority shareholder of the Manager, ESR is committed to evaluating opportunities that will maximise value for CIT unit holders by leveraging its asset and property management expertise to improve CIT’s current property performance as well as grow the portfolio by actively assisting the Manager to source accretive acquisition opportunities in Singapore and across the region.

Mr Jeffrey Shen and Mr Stuart Gibson, co-CEOs of ESR, jointly commented: “CIT is a well- respected industrial REIT which has grown significantly since its IPO in 2006. Our investment underscores our confidence in the underlying fundamentals and quality of CIT’s portfolio of assets, which provide us a strong platform for further diversification and growth into Singapore and key markets across Asia. ESR’s interest is aligned with CIT’s management and unit holders and we look forward to seeking opportunities to add value to all its stakeholders.”

On 18 October 2016, an announcement was made by the Manager in the announcement portal of Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited, which disclosed that Infinity had entered into a definitive option agreement to acquire up to 10.65 percent of the outstanding CIT Units from three existing unit holders. Upon exercise and completion of the acquisition of the CIT Units pursuant to the option agreement after the completion of the Transaction, ESR will become the second largest unit holder of CIT.

 

SGK unifies USG Boral Across 12 Different Countries

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The packaging was designed from the ground up, based on the strategic idea of “smart pragmatism”.

The packaging was designed from the ground up, based on the strategic idea of “smart pragmatism”.

SGK, a division of Matthews International Corporation, and a leading global brand development, activation and deployment provider that drives brand performance, has created a global, unified packaging system for USG Boral, the joint venture between Australia’s Boral and USG Corporation.

The $1.6 billion joint venture has brought together a portfolio of leading-edge plasterboard, ceiling and finishing products. To ensure global reach and view, USG Boral engaged SGK to brand its varied processes and brands packaging into one core, consistent master brand. The common goal was to unify 14 categories across 12 markets and 13 businesses into one cohesive efficient packaging system.

Starting with a purpose-built program from insight to execution, the USG Boral and SGK teams conducted extensive audit sessions within the different markets and spoke to a diverse range of stakeholders, architects, builders, contractors, distributors, and end users. The aim was to create a unified portfolio architecture that allows for future premiumisation, whilst optimising brand recognition and product navigation.

The packaging was designed from the ground up, based on the strategic idea of “smart pragmatism”. The result is a design that enables easy navigation of product types through vivid colors and bold typography. A smart set of icons made advanced performance features visible, while the graphic system maximises visual impact for the USG Boral brand.

Adhering to the global design and color guidelines across the core and premium ranges, Anthem Worldwide, part of the brand development group of SGK, led the creative strategy through to production for over 1,300 SKUs in sequenced phases using a cloud-based, graphic management system. This ensured enough flex to respond to multiple markets, languages, cultural nuances and regulations, while bringing technical superiority to life.

SGK’s Client Solutions group engineered solutions for greater design-to-print efficiency, serialisation, anti-counterfeiting and future packaging innovation. Through three launch phases, one global packaging system was achieved in market with the strength and flexibility to build brand consistency while responding to local needs.

“Our partnership with SGK has been a fascinating journey in designing a new, cohesive packaging system for our diverse portfolio across the APAC and Middle East markets.

The system manages to convey the union of USG Boral’s premium positioning and best-in-class building products technology, manufacturing and distribution footprint. We are now becoming ONE USG Boral across 12 different markets and cultures throughout Asia, Australia and the Middle East.” – Jeremy Verstraete, Marketing Director, USG Boral. USG Boral is currently being rolled out in 12 markets including Australia, China and Korea.

2017 Trends In The Enterprise

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by Gavin Milton-White, Vice President Asia Pacific Enterprise at CommScope

With changes and uncertainty in the global landscape – Brexit, President-elect Donald Trump, country leaders resigning – 2017 could be the year of massive change as businesses loosen their purse strings and invest, or organizations reduce spending while waiting to gauge the impact of changes. Even with these two different scenarios, we see a few trends for the coming year in business enterprise network infrastructure.

Cloud Migration
Service providers, enterprises and data center owners began a migration of applications to the cloud and we see this increasing over the next year.

A recent IDC survey indicates that currently 41 percent of a company’s IT budget is allocated to cloud versus outsourcing or in-house. The survey indicates that in 24 months, that will increase to 47 percent.In Asia Pacific region excluding Japan, spending on public cloud services in particular will grow at a 22.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), which is almost six times the rate of overall IT spending growth – from nearly US$7 billion in 2015 more than doubling to US$15 billion in 2019.

Nonetheless, we believe there also will be a build out of private clouds for those industries that have regulatory requirements or their legacy networks do not allow them to go to a full public cloud at this time.

Capital Decisions
The lease versus buy and capital expenditure versus operating expenditure debate is ongoing with businesses. Throughout the next year, we see service providers and enterprises looking at options to building their own networks as they explore co-location (or multi-tenant) options for data centres and leasing office buildings.

By 2018, IDC predicts that 45 percent of the ICT spending in enterprises will be on a mix of co-location, hosted and public cloud datacentres in order to react to changing data use patterns in Asia Pacific; this has been a consistent and ongoing trend for the past couple of years but we see the gap closing in 2017 as enterprises shift from ‘build you own’ to multi-tenant data centres.

Security
It is part of every business and IT discussion these days and it will only become more intense in 2017. We see an increase in the demand for video for surveillance, both for government and private businesses. This issue includes physical security—securing the building, people and assets—as well as network and data security.

Network Convergence
The trends of capital investments and security are also impacting another area that we see as big trend in 2017—network convergence. Take buildings, for example. What was traditionally just hardwired for data and voice is now being retrofitted or designed new with wireless in mind. Building owners and operators are looking at the co-existence of wireless and wireline for the coming year but will consider the new radio spectrum, both licensed and unlicensed, that is coming available as well as new technologies that enable the universal ceiling.

As this convergence happens, we see a greater focus in 2017 on consolidation and partnerships (creating an ecosystem) to address these needs.

Philips Lighting to Deliver Unrivalled “Fans-First” Experience at New Perth Stadium

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Perth Stadium is the first full LED-lit multi-purpose stadium implementation in the APAC region. Image courtesy of Philips.

Perth Stadium is the first full LED-lit multi-purpose stadium implementation in the APAC region. Image courtesy of Philips.

Philips Lighting has just announced the largest LED stadium lighting system of its type for Australia’s newest sporting venue, Perth Stadium. The stadium plans to use LED lighting to support its mission to become the premier, multi-purpose venue in the southern hemisphere.

As part of the West Australian Government’s ‘fans-first’ approach for the stadium, it demonstrates the lighting design capabilities, which Philips Lighting can bring to a project of this scale. The holistic LED stadium lighting system includes more than 15,000 controllable LED light fittings that are managed through a control platform. It has the flexibility to create a completely immersive lighting experience for the venue with a capacity of 60,000, making it ideal for a variety of events.

The lighting has the flexibility to create a multi-purpose arena for fans to watch anything from their home football and cricket teams to world-famous rock concerts. Music and lighting can be merged together in advance by the lighting operator for seamless implementation to create visually stunning pre-match light shows. In addition, the LED floodlights meet the requirements for HDTV broadcasting standards for sports lighting.

Chris Palandri, Regional Director for Multiplex, the stadium builder, said, “LED stadium lighting is an integral part of the plan to make Perth Stadium the premier multi-purpose venue in, not only Western Australia, but also the entire southern hemisphere. The lighting will be crucial to delivering an amazing fan experience whether it’s for Australian Rules Football, cricket, a rock concert, or for a completely different type of event. The stadium will represent a beacon for the entire community.”

The venue showcases the Philips ArenaExperience capability. The centerpiece is the Philips ArenaVision LED pitch lighting system comprising LED floodlights and a control panel. This system can be synchronized with external lighting consoles for other types of lightshows and events. The stadium façade and roof canopy will be lit by Philips’ Colour Kinetics architectural LED lighting with connected LED light points that can be easily controlled.

An artist's impression of the new Perth Stadium. Image courtesy of Philips.

An artist’s impression of the new Perth Stadium. Image courtesy of Philips.

The roof canopy acts as a giant canvas upon which spectacular light shows can be created with patterns and imagery via the connected light points. Philips Lighting also provided LED lighting for offices and hospitality areas inside the stadium.

David Gardner, general manager, Philips Lighting ANZ said, “On completion, this project will be Philips Lighting`s largest complete LED stadium implementation in the world, and the largest LED multi-purpose stadium lighting implementation of its type in the world. The scale of the project really demonstrates how seriously Australians take their sport and events. We at Philips Lighting are proud to install this world-class LED stadium lighting system together with Multiplex, the stadium builder, for the enjoyment of fans.”

The Stadium will be used for, amongst others, Australian Rules Football, Cricket, Rugby Union and Rugby League, Soccer and entertainment events. It is scheduled to open in time for the start of the 2018 Australian Rules Football season. a train and bus station, as well as a pedestrian bridge connection across the Swan River to the city centre will service the facility. Find out more HERE.

Crestron Expands Into India, North East Asia and China

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The RMZ Ecoworld office in Bangalore, India. Image courtesy of Crestron.

The RMZ Ecoworld office in Bangalore, India. Image courtesy of Crestron.

Crestron, a global leader in advanced control and automation systems, recently announced significant investment in Asia Pacific, including a new physical brand presence in India, North East Asia and China.

The official expansion into these markets allows the company to further enhance its service and support to customers in the region. The expanded presence and business strategy is being overseen by Stuart Craig, CEO, Asia Pacific, Crestron, who is based out of the Crestron APAC Head Office in Sydney, Australia.

Each of the three new facilities includes a fully functional Crestron Experience Centre (CEC), with state-of-the-art training facilities and various active workspaces. Guests can experience the latest Crestron solutions first-hand, which allows people to control entire environments with the push of a button, integrating systems such as A/V, lighting, shading, IT, security, unified communications, BMS, and HVAC to provide greater comfort, convenience, and security. These facilities allow the local Crestron team to provide hands-on, comprehensive training and education on the latest solution offerings to partners and customers.

The new, wholly owned Crestron subsidiary in India includes a headquarters at RMZ Ecoworld, Bangalore, and supporting regional offices. In Hong Kong, a new facility in Quarry Bay is supported by a dedicated presence in all key North East Asia markets including Korea, Macau and Taiwan. The Hong Kong headquarters will be expanded by mid year to offer a full Crestron Experience Centre, yet the facility is currently fully operational and the new training facility will open in early April.

Further, in exclusive partnership with Shanghai Golden Bridge, Crestron China brings a tailored local presence to the region, establishing facilities in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu, Hefei, Kunming and Guiyang. The Crestron China HQ with CEC is being built in Shanghai and is scheduled to be open in May.

The view from the NEA Hong Kong Head Office. Image courtesy of Crestron.

The view from the NEA Hong Kong Head Office. Image courtesy of Crestron.

Stuart Craig, CEO, Asia Pacific, Crestron, said: “Asia Pacific is an increasingly important market for Crestron and we are investing to support our customers, ensuring opportunities for all. Crestron is committed to providing our partners in the region with the highest level of customer experience and the tools and technologies to help our partners grow their business. Our goal is to provide the full range of our market leading technologies locally and to ensure our customer service leads the industry.”

“In all regions we are open for business today and over the coming weeks customers will see all of our facilities expand even further. As we approach the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe, which will see many new generation solutions released, our APAC customers can feel very assured and confident in the investments Crestron is making across the board,” said Craig.

The new direct footprint will allow Crestron to help grow the business of its local partners and resellers, allowing more clients in the Asia Pacific region to optimise their biggest investments spanning people, spaces and technology.

Aurecon’s Smart Engineering Delivers Spectacular New Dubai Resort

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A view of the property's exterior.

A view of the property’s exterior.

Innovative structural engineering was needed to ensure Dubai’s newest tourism hotspot, the Jumeirah Al Naseem, took full advantage of its spectacular location. Construction of the Jumeirah Al Naseem was announced in late 2012 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai. At the time, he emphasised how Dubai’s tourism infrastructure must match the UAE’s increasingly strong position as an international tourism hub. Global infrastructure and engineering advisory firm Aurecon rose to the design challenges, helping ensure the venue delivers a truly five-star experience for its guests.

The opening of the new 430-room Jumeirah Al Naseem gives substance to the Ruler of Dubai’s ambition. The fourth luxury hotel within the Madinat Jumeirah Resort development, the Jumeirah Al Naseem links with the three existing Jumeirah resorts, which occupy a prime spot on the stunning local coastline. The Resort, Dubai’s largest, was recently named in the Top 3 hotels of the Middle East and Africa by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Aurecon started work on the Jumeirah Al Naseem in December 2012 when the company was invited to collaborate on a range of engineering disciplines by leading development and management company, Mirage Leisure and Development. Aurecon and Mirage have collaborated on several previous developments within the Madinat Jumeirah Resort. Other companies appointed to the project included South African architects, Northpoint, who delivered the concept, and the Dubai office of Woods Bagot, who served as executive architect.

Having been awarded several engineering disciplines within the project, Aurecon began its design work in 2013. Civil and structural work was led by the local Dubai office with support from Aurecon’s office in Cape Town, while acoustics design, vertical transportation, marine design, waste management and geotechnical design was handled by experts in other global offices in Australia and South Africa.

Wouter Brand, Technical Director of Buildings and the Project Director for Aurecon’s work on the Jumeirah Al Naseem, says the company’s previous experience in the region, particularly in hotels and resorts, proved invaluable in making this project a success.

The opening of the new 430-room Jumeirah Al Naseem gives substance to the Ruler of Dubai’s ambition.

The opening of the new 430-room Jumeirah Al Naseem gives substance to the Ruler of Dubai’s ambition.

“Our knowledge of the local construction industry was as important as our ability to provide engineering solutions to the many design challenges of the project,” he said. “Creating a seamless connection with the rest of the resort was essential, as was making the most of its geographic location, lying across the water from the spectacular Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and delivering incredible sea views to all guest rooms.”

Challenging Designs
One of the biggest challenges to the structural design was to accommodate the complex building geometry and orientation of the hotel rooms, which were not compatible with the structural grid of the supporting basement car park. The lower level car park was designed with a rectangular grid of supporting concrete columns and walls for effective traffic flow and generous parking bay sizes. However, the structural column grid for the superstructure was restricted by the orientation of the hotel rooms and corridors, as well as the siting of the public entrances, retail and services spaces on the ground floor.

Adjusting the orientation of the hotel was not an option because every room was required to have a sea view; while the grand entrance hall was situated to give guests a sweeping vista of the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. With numerous balconies and floor plates that stepped back with increasing height, the combined design challenges made for an intricate and highly detailed engineering process.

“The optimal solution to this engineering challenge was the introduction of a concrete transfer slab to overcome the differences between the column grid above and below the ground level” said Faan Calitz, Technical Director of Structural Engineering at Aurecon. “The transfer slab system, which in certain areas is in excess of a metre thick, proved to be one of the challenging technical aspects of the project.”

The design had to ensure low deflection of the transfer slab and provide structural redundancy against earthquake loads. It was made more demanding because the transfer slab does not have a uniform thickness or a uniform top level, as it also has to support landscape, planting and pool areas, which lie at different levels around the ground floor of the hotel.

Geotechnical and Marine
Early involvement with the geotechnical and enabling works contractor was also crucial to the success of the project. Aurecon recommended the site be vibro-compacted to improve soil conditions and reduce the risk of liquefaction, which can occur during a seismic event. This compaction lowered the ground level by 400 mm and was an effective ground improvement solution.

Aurecon started work on the Jumeirah Al Naseem in December 2012.

Aurecon started work on the Jumeirah Al Naseem in December 2012.

In addition, Aurecon carried out a Marine Study for the project, which assessed the vulnerability of the coastal development to severe storm surges. The study included a risk assessment of possible flooding and associated inundation and run-up levels, and care was taken to ensure that ground floor levels of the hotel were above possible flood levels. Aurecon also designed marine protection elements, which included sheet piling to the front of the property to prevent undermining of the structure.

Local Knowledge
As with all projects in Dubai, Aurecon’s design had to be approved by Government authorities before any construction could proceed. This approval process is aimed at ensuring the highest standards of design and construction quality are maintained in Dubai.

“Aurecon understands the importance of achieving an approved design within the available timeframe, because this is essential if a contractor is to commence construction on time,” said Ben Hawkes, Senior Structural Engineer who was based at the project site. “The Middle East is well-known for the scale and spectacular nature of its designs, as well as ambitious timeframes that are set for development. This all adds to the importance of ensuring that the execution of any project includes a robust plan for achieving authority approvals.”

“At Aurecon, we are committed to engineering solutions that suit the designs and dreams of our clients,” he concluded. “Although it’s only one part of the overall development, the location and guest experience of Jumeirah Al Naseem is crucial to ensuring Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah Resort remains one of the world’s leading tourist destinations for many years to come.”

Faithful+Gould to Deliver New IKEA in Mumbai

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Set to be operational by July 2018, this will be the second store in India. Image courtesy of http://ikea.in.

Set to be operational by July 2018, this will be the second store in India. Image courtesy of http://ikea.in.

Faithful+Gould has been engaged to deliver IKEA’s latest store in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai. Together with their parent company, Atkins, they will be providing a comprehensive delivery solution that includes project management, cost management, construction management, and multidisciplinary design services.

Set to be operational by July 2018, this will be the second store in India, a first in the central India region, and is part of IKEA India Private Limited’s expansion plan to open 25 stores in the next 10 years.

The new 1,130,200-square-feet store will include a basement and ground floor car park, warehouse on the first floor with double-height ceilings, and dedicated retail spaces on two floors to accommodate showrooms, a market hall and restaurant.

Faithful+Gould’s team will begin work immediately, commencing with the demolition of existing structures and land remediation on site. As part of their role in the development of the IKEA store, Faithful+Gould will also manage the retail fit-out and provide green building advisory.

Michael Phillips, operations director for Faithful+Gould India, said: “The new store is expected to have five million visitors a year, and it will generate jobs for about 500-700 workers. It’s exciting to think how our work will make a positive impact and contribute to India’s economic sustainability.”

Alex Winchester, director, property and major projects, Atkins India, added: “Winning such a hard fought competition is a substantial coup for Faithful+Gould and Atkins. Helping one of our key global clients to establish their new foothold in India demonstrates our teams’ collective ability to deliver the same top-tier service in India as they have experienced with us elsewhere in the world.”

Within Asia Pacific, Faithful+Gould was involved in the delivery of IKEA retail stores in Baoshan, Hangzhou and Foshan in China. They are also working on store projects in Harbin and Zhengzhou in China, as well as the first IKEA store in Southern Malaysia in Johor Bahru.

Engineering Brilliance Lands Singapore Engineers Regional Honours at CAFEO 2016

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Innovative Floating Wetlands @ Punggol. Image courtesy of www.hdb.gov.sg

Innovative Floating Wetlands @ Punggol. Image courtesy of www.hdb.gov.sg

A record number of six engineering projects clinched the prestigious ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards 2016 at the 34th Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO34) on 23 November 2016, at Palawan, Philippines, out of a total of 34 winners from the region. AFEO also conferred five engineering champions and leaders from Singapore with the AFEO Honorary Fellowship title at the ceremony.

Presented by AFEO, a non-governmental organisation affiliated to the ASEAN Secretariat, the annual awards salute engineering achievements distinctive in their demonstration of outstanding engineering skills and significant contributions to the engineering progress and the quality of life amongst the ASEAN countries.

The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) had selected these projects out of the 13 winners of the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2016 for nomination to the AFEO awards. The winning projects are:

  •  A Biophilic Waterway@Punggol – Innovative Floating Wetlands and Freshwater-Tolerant Mangroves by Housing Development Board (HDB)
  • Development of Semakau Landfill Phase II by National Environment Agency (NEA)
  • Galassia – NUS First Nanosatellite by National University of Singapore (NUS)
  • The Future of Auditing: Early Detection & Prevention of Significant Trading Irregularities by A*STAR, Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) and Group Audit, DBS Bank Ltd
  • Highly Flexible and Wearable Sensors for Real-Time Healthcare Monitoring Applications by NUS
  • Seeing is believing: from Microscope to Nanoscope by NUS and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

“All the winners highly deserve to be applauded for their contributions as their work have made remarkable impact to the quality of life of the people in Singapore. IES is pleased to be a conduit for their work to be recognised by AFEO and hope that the awards will inspire them to bring about far-reaching positive impact to communities across ASEAN,” said Er. Edwin Khew, President of IES.

The ceremony also observed the conferring of the AFEO Honorary Fellowship title upon five distinguished persons from Singapore. Each of them has been exemplary in rendering outstanding and meritorious services to the engineering profession, IES and Singapore. They are:

  • Er. Chong Kee Sen – Immediate Past President, IES
  • Prof. Quek Tong Boon – Advisor, DSO National Laboratories; Chief Executive, National Robotics Programme; and Chief Defence Scientist, Ministry of Defence till June 2016
  • Prof. Low Teck Seng – CEO, National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office
  • Mr. Chua Chong Kheng – Deputy CEO, Land Transport Authority
  • Mr. Lee Fook Sun – President, Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd

IES and various Singapore engineering representatives attended CAFEO34 in Palawan from 21 to 24 November 2016. Since 1982, the annual CAFEO has been hosted in different ASEAN member countries to promote goodwill, understanding, cooperation and exchange of ideas and experiences in the fields of education, science, engineering, technology, environment, human resource, training and registration of professional engineers.

MHE-Demag Opens Southeast Asia’s Largest Crane Manufacturing Plant

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The Bukit Raja manufacturing facility is also a showcase of MHE-Demag’s innovative solutions.

The Bukit Raja manufacturing facility is also a showcase of MHE-Demag’s innovative solutions.

MHE-Demag, a joint venture between Terex MHPS GmbH and Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) Pte Ltd, has officially opened its largest manufacturing and warehouse facility in Bukit Raja, Malaysia. Developed at a cost of RM45 million, the facility can operate at a capacity of 200,000 production hours a year, a 54 percent increase from the previous site. The facility is also expected to support the fabricated metal products and machinery & equipment industries; two key areas that have been identified as drivers for the manufacturing sector to attain its projected growth of 5.1 percent per annum.

With a built-up area of close to 15,000 square metres sitting on over 26,000 square metres of land, the plant is also the largest and first-of-its kind crane manufacturing facility in Malaysia and the region. Capable of building cranes of up to 50-meter span, this plant will primarily serve customers from Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Singapore, who hail from various industrial sectors where lifting, moving and maintenance of materials or machineries are required.

Mr Karl Tilkorn, Regional Managing Director, MHE-Demag, said, “This investment cements MHE-Demag’s commitment to Malaysia over the past 40 years, and is an important step forward for us. This plant is the largest and most modern of our eleven manufacturing facilities across the Southeast Asian region. Each industrial crane needs to be individually designed and custom fabricated, hence the larger production facility along with state-of-the- art equipment will allow us to maintain our leadership position to meet the high standards required by our growing customer portfolio, particularly with the prestigious projects we have secured.”

The facility will also host MHE-Demag’s Regional Training Centre, where employees and customers throughout the Group will attend skills training and upgrading programmes to ensure excellence in operations, maintenance and safety for industrial cranes is maintained. The factory has also been built in reference to the Malaysian Green Building Index, incorporating the most environmentally friendly solutions.

Mr. Frankie Chan, Managing Director of MHE-Demag Malaysia said, “We have put a lot of focus on creating conducive work areas that have a low impact on the environment. This includes building for natural ventilation and employee well-being; from utilising translucent panels to allow for extensive natural light to investing in ergonomic workstations. Our Regional Director, Mr. Joergen Moeller, also personally managed the construction process of this manufacturing facility from design to final stage. I strongly believe the new factory will enhance employee comfort and increase their motivation, leading to greater customer satisfaction.”

. Leading MHE-Demag material handling products such as lift trucks, dock levellers, aerial work platforms, building maintenance systems for safe working at heights, as well as automated car parking systems are employed in industrial applications throughout this facility.

Easily accessible via the North Klang Valley Expressway, Federal Highway, the New North Klang Straits Bypass and the new proposed Coastal Highway, the Bukit Raja manufacturing facility also connect to major ports such as Port Klang, Northport and West Port within 30 minutes.

Besides Bukit Raja, MHE-Demag has another manufacturing facility at Simpang Renggam, Johor, and twelve sales & service offices within Malaysia. In addition, a service depot is also established in KLCC.