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CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Foundation and sub-structure
By using large bored pile sizes and avoiding large pilecap
construction and deep excavation, piling design was optimised
and construction time was reduced. By adopting repetitive and
standard grids, it was possible to achieve approximately uniform
loads acting on the foundation, allowing standardisation of pile sizes.
Pilecaps were detailed to integrate with the lower ground slab
as part of the flat slab design. The pilecaps also acted as a drop
panel to provide shear resistance, and were detailed to integrate
with the lower ground beam as well, to eliminate construction
of stumps.
The lower ground floor was designed as a flat slab with droppanel
construction, thus avoiding deep beams that would have
increased the cost of construction.
The use of bored piles also reduced vibration and noise to
the surroundings.
Precast structures
In view of the short construction period, the adopted building
structural system had to be buildable and the speed of
construction was a major consideration.
In general, the structural system adopted for this project
comprises precast hollow core slabs supported by precast
RC beams. The design approach was to eliminate or minimise
formwork, props and scaffolding.
Precast beams were designed without props and are supported
on corbels. The corbels are designed to take the self-weight of
the beam only during installation. In service, the load from the
beam is transferred directly to the column by the end face of
the beams. To ensure proper transfer of load from the end face
of the precast beams, shear keys are provided on the end face.
The hollow core slabs were precast, pre-tensioned and designed
to span 12 m without the use of any props.
WORKSHOPS
HEADQUARTERS
By adopting repetitive and standard grids, it was possible to achieve approximately
uniform loads acting on the foundation, allowing standardisation of pile sizes.
In total, more than 15,000 structural precast units were prefabricated and all
were erected within nine months.
30 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2012