Invited Speakers

 

Ong Chee Wee

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Biography: Er. Dr. Ong Chee Wee, Victor is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Managing Director of ONE SMART Engineering Pte Ltd. He is the Immediate Past President of the Singapore Institute of Building (SIBL) and currently the Chairman of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Technical Committee TC207 (Soil–Structure Interaction and Retaining Walls).
He is a Specialist Professional Engineer (Geotechnical and Tunnelling) and a Professional Engineer (Civil) registered with the Professional Engineers Board (PEB), Singapore. His professional qualifications include Qualified Erosion Control Professional (QECP), ABC Waters Professional, Design for Safety (DfS) Professional, Competent Person (CP) for Periodic Facade Inspection (PFI) and ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer.

Speech title "Soil–Structure Interaction in Pipe Jacking Projects: Behavioural Insights for Risk Mitigation in Singapore"

Abstract-Pipe jacking is increasingly used in Singapore to deliver water, sewer and utility infrastructure within congested corridors where open cut construction is often impractical. Project performance depends on the coupled response of excavation control, ground conditions and adjacent structures, which governs ground movement, stress redistribution and thrust demand, particularly near live expressways and MRT tunnels. This paper synthesises practical mechanisms relevant to risk mitigation and presents three Singapore case histories: (i) undercrossing of a live expressway supported by defensive horizontal jet grouting and sequence-based settlement assessment, (ii) overcrossing of operational MRT twin tunnels by a DN2200 water pipeline with verified millimetre level movements from field monitoring, and (iii) long distance and curved large diameter drives at Jurong Island where friction management, water control and steering discipline govern constructability. The case studies show that staged 3D numerical analyses, combined with well defined construction control limits and an observational monitoring approach, provide a robust basis to manage uncertainty and protect critical structures.

 

 

Alexander Lin

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Biography: Alexander Lin is a Senior Lecturer in Department of the Build Environment at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University and a PhD from the Structural Engineering Mechanics and Materials program at UC Berkeley's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Initially focusing on advanced concrete materials and their applications in structures, his research has evolved to incorporate the innovative use of technology and 3D printing, customizing shapes and details of building components for improved performances. His current work centers on optimizing building configurations, employing advanced algorithms and AI to enhance not only structural performance but also operational performances including acoustic and thermal insulations. He is a co-lead for the Thrust of AM (Additive Manufacturing) Enabled Design and Environment in Centre for Additive Manufacturing in NUS.

 

 

Kim Yongmin

University of Glasgow, Singapore

Biography: Dr. Kim Yongmin is an Assistant Professor at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, specifically in Singapore campus. He completed his PhD in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, in 2015. His research lab, Digital Geotechnical Engineering Lab (DGEL), is focused on Urban Disasters & Sustainable Urban Development. The lab uses deep-layered neural networks, machine learning, extensive laboratory experiments, field testing, and coupled multidisciplinary analyses to conduct their studies. Dr Kim Yongmin's research focuses on unsaturated soil mechanics to solve geotechnical problems associated with tropical residual soils. His research emphasis has been on rainfall-induced landslides, one of the major natural disasters occurring in many parts of the world. He has utilized unsaturated soil mechanics principles to better understand the mechanisms of rainfall-induced slope failures, particularly in tropical residual soils. Dr Kim Yongmin and his team have developed several systems, including the Capillary Barrier System (CBS), GeoBarrier System (GBS) for cover systems and retaining structures, as well as a Slope Management and Susceptibility Geographical Information System. They have also applied unsaturated soil mechanics to soil improvement for tree stability, understanding the effects of rainfall on tree stability, and developed instruments for tree inclinometer with the associated analytics.