Engineers to receive award for cutting-edge solutions
Step into the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 4 and a large, wide space greets you.
The striking absence of pillars is made possible by a huge steel framework overhead extending across 60m.
It is one of the features that helped engineer Lai Huen Poh bag top honours at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Awards this year.
He is one of six winners, with four others receiving merit honours, said BCA yesterday. The 10 individuals will receive their awards on May 22.
Mr Lai, senior managing director at RSP Architects Planners and Engineers, will attest that such building feats do not come easy - and they have even modified his own "thatch".
"Each project (gives) me a patch of white hair," quipped the 63-year-old.
Given 30 months to complete the airport terminal, which opened last October, Mr Lai and his team used prefabrication methods to manufacture most of the structure off-site before assembling it on-site.
A unique "hat first" technique - where, after the completion of the roof, construction starts from the centre and proceeds outwards - made sure other works could start quickly.
Another winning project saw the temporary diversion of the Singapore River to ensure smooth tunnel boring works of the Downtown Line from Chinatown to Fort Canning stations, which were opened last year.
This was to clear obstructions such as existing river wall piles used for embankment works, and debris such as timber, steel and concrete below the river bed, said engineer Tan Yoong Heng, who oversaw the project with Ms Cheryl Lee.
Both of them, from engineering consultant company Arup, won the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Awards as well.
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