Foundations of High-rise Buildings

High-rise buildings are found on complex foundation systems that often dominate the construction cost and schedule of the project. The complexity and economics of the foundation system creates a unique challenge for the geotechnical engineers to explore new frontiers in the design and construction of foundation systems. The research area encompasses raft foundations for high-rise buildings, effect of ground movements due to excavation on adjacent structures; construction of large diameter bored piles, soil-structure interaction of piled raft foundations, negative skin friction in piles, and application of neural network to pile foundations.

Land Reclamation

Land reclamation is one of the major Civil Engineering activities in Singapore and in the region. Land reclamation in Singapore typically involves the placement of sand fill or other suitable material over sea bed soft clay near shores and the improvement of the soft clay using vertical drains and preloading and the sand fill using dynamic compaction. As reclamation encroaches into deeper water and weaker seabed soils, new and cost effective techniques of reclamation are needed. The research interest covers aspects related to methods of soil characterization, consolidation of clay around vertical drains, methods of densification of sand fill, and use of dredged materials and other spoil for land reclamation.

Tropical Soils Engineering

Tropical residual soils cover two-thirds of Singapore’s land. As such, it is important to understand the formation processes and characteristics of tropical soils, soil-water interactive mechanisms, and the response of such soils to geotechnical and construction activities. The research area encompasses: characterisation and classification of tropical soils; hydraulic and strength characteristics of tropical soils; seepage as applied to flux boundary conditions; soil deformation due to fluctuating groundwater table; swelling pressures and heave prediction; slope stability inclusive of preventive and remedial measures; drainage system, compaction and soil reinforcement; geoenviromental problems such as contaminant transport and groundwater pollution control.


Underground Space Development

Underground space is an alternative for the future space development in Singapore. Underground space can be created in the form of caverns, tunnels and deep basement, for commercial, transportation, industrial, and institutional purposes. Research in underground space development includes construction and utilisation of underground rock caverns, geological mapping and modelling for underground space development, numerical modelling of tunnelling and tunnel support in soil and rock, study of ground shock propagation and its effect on underground structures, and properties of rock material and rock mass under dynamic loading.