w w w. e n g . n u s . e d u . s g / c i v i l
CE Courses Accredited
T
he Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), which
visited the Department in March 2001, has
accredited the Civil Engineering Courses for a
period of five years from 2001 to 2005. The team was
led by Professor J G A Croll (University of London)
and included Professor B I G Barr (Cardiff School of
Engineering), Mr Terry Hulme (LTA, Singapore) and
Mr Lim Kim Cheong (Lim Kim Cheong Consultants,
Singapore) as members and Mr J C Joel as the
Secretary.
The two-day visit was filled with activities that included
viewing of the students' submissions in laboratories,
tutorial sessions, design and research projects, and
examinations. The JBM team visited all department
and faculty facilities, met separately academic staff,
CE Department Celebrated Science.01
T
his year the traditional yearly event of
Technology Month has been renamed as
Science.01. This is a nation-wide event
sponsored by NSTB to promote the awareness of the
importance of Science, Engineering and Medical Science
to Singapore’s economy. It comprises of a month-long
activities such as talks, exhibitions and tours of
laboratories.
The Department participated actively in this national
event during the month of September. A special Civil
The K-Road tester
ISSN 0219-3760 • Vo l u m e 1 1 No.
student representatives and department administration.
The team members commended the high standard
of the Department's infrastructure facilities, high
academic quality of students admitted, excellent teaching
and examination criteria, exceptional academic standing
of the staff and high quality of students' written work.
The JBM team has recommended accreditation of
our BEng (Hons) Degree in Civil Engineering for the
student intake of 2001 to 2005 inclusive, at "MEng
level for Degrees awarded at Pass, Pass plus Merit
and above". The visiting team complimented the
Department for having confronted the accreditation
requirements head on and making very creditable progress
in meeting those requirements. Strong emphasis on environ-
mental issues and their impact provided in the curriculum
have been duly recognised and appreciated by the team.
Engineering Seminar and poster exhibitions were
organised to highlight exciting research activities
undertaken by the Department. Also, a patented
product – the k-road tester was put on display as the
exhibit from the Department of Civil Engineering, and
Structural Engineering and Hydraulic Engineering
Laboratories were opened to members of the public.
cont’ page 2
INSIDE...
1 • CE Courses Accredited
1 - 2 • CE Department Celebrated Science.01
2 - 3 • Operation Orion 2001 – Touching lives of the villagers in Hainan
3 - 4 • Completed Research Projects
4 • New Research Project
5 • Civil Engineering Day 2001 – Summer Aloha
 cont’ from
page 1
Special Civil Engineering Seminar
As part of the activities of Science.01, staff from the
Department presented three talks covering structural,
geotechnical and environmental engineering
in a special Civil Engineering Seminar
held in the Engineering Auditorium on 8
September 2001.
In his talk on “Structural Upgrading in a
Knowledge-Based Economy: Myths and
Assoc Prof K H Tan sharing his Facts of Advanced Composite Materials”,
expertise in FRP reinforcement.
Assoc Prof Tan Kiang Hwee propounded
that one of the great challenges in structural
upgrading works is the development of
innovative technology and materials that
would promote fast and non-labour intensive
construction. Drawing from various practical
applications and an intensive programme
of experimental study, Prof Tan showed that
Assoc Prof C F Leung attributing the development and application of advanced
credit to centrifuge modelling in
the construction of Pasir Panjang composite materials or more specifically,
Container Port. fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement, is
a big step towards achieving this objective.
Assoc Prof Leung Chun Fai highlighted the
importance of centrifuge experiments in
geotechnical engineering in his talk on
“Applications of Centrifuge Modelling to
Geotechnical Practice”. Prof Leung
Dr Liu enticing the audience with explained that because centrifuge model
the latest development in water
research at the molecular level tests could be carried out in well-controlled
environments and could be repeated many
times with relative ease, it had proved to be a very
useful technique for examining the movements of
2
Operation Orion 2001 –
Touching lives of the villagers in Hainan
O
peration Orion 2001, a youth expedition project
initiated and organised by CE students to provide
humanitarian aid in neighbouring ASEAN
countries, was held from 18th June to 8th July 2001.
The primary mission of this project was to improve the
irrigation system in the Chinese village of Loong Zhi
Vil l a g e in H a in a n .
Building on the success of
Operation Orion 2000 in
Myanmar, this project was
supported by the
Depar tment of Civil
E ngin e ering a n d
Singapore International
Foundation. The
Orion’s members preparing
team consisted of 28
ground for the drain contruction. enthusiastic 2nd and 3rd
geotechnical structures under a variety of configurations
and conditions. The results of several joint university-
industry research studies were presented to demonstrate
the practical applications of centrifuge modelling to
geotechnical problems.
Last but not least, Dr Liu Wen-Tso, a new addition to
the Centre for Water Research, delivered a fascinating
talk on “Water Research at Microbial and Molecular
Levels”. Dr Liu gave a brief introduction on the exciting
development in the use of advanced and novel molecular
techniques to study microbial formation at the molecular
level. He elaborated on the huge potential of this area
of research in enabling better control and removal of
biofilms formation and facilitating treatment process
optimization. Techniques like rDNA clone library, rDNA-
based fingerprinting, fluorescent in-situ hybridization
(FISH) with DNA probes were explained through
interesting and colourful illustrations.
The k-Road Tester - CE Exhibit in Science. 01
The Department’s exhibit in Science.01 is the patented
k-Road Tester (Singapore patent no: P-No.67286
dated 16 Jan 2001 Industrial / Commercial
Applications). Being first of its kind, this new falling
head permeability measuring apparatus was developed
by Prof Fwa Tien Fang and Assoc Prof Tan Siew Ann
of the Department to establish engineering criteria for
measuring drainage performance of porous road mixes
with many attractive features. The apparatus is
extremely useful for comparison of different drainage
mixes required in quality control and maintenance of
road pavements.
year Civil Engineering students as well as 1st year
Engineering students.
Preparation for the expedition started 6 months ahead.
Funds were raised through activities such as Old Clothes
Collection and Car Wash Drive. A Local Community
Service Project was held in the month of May, where
50 Civil Engineering students painted 10 flats for the
elderly in Geylang Bahru. An exhibition in Suntec City
Mall was also held to showcase the project.
The expedition began with a 2-day programme at the
Hainan Teachers’ Training College, where the students
were introduced to Hainan’s history, culture and
language through specially prepared courses. Spending
the remaining 19 days in Loong Zhi Village, the students
were fully occupied constructing the irrigation drain,
teaching English to the village kids, interacting with
cont’ page 3
 the villagers, cooking their own
cont’ from page 2
meals and exploring the village.
With perseverance and strong
teamwork, they finally completed
a 1km stretch of modern and
properly designed drains. The
villagers would no longer have to
dig the ground 3 – 4 times
a year to irrigate their Smiling faces after the completion
of irrigation drains.
farms, thus allowing them
Completed Research Projects
A Study of Biostability of Potable Water and
Treated Effluent (RP3981615/R-264-000-048-112)
Biological stability is an important issue for water distribution
and industrial water recycling and reuse systems and has
been receiving considerable attention in the fields of water
treatment, water reclamation and water quality management.
A modified Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) was used to
evaluate the biological stability of industrial effluent, sea
water and pre-treated water, SED effluent, RO effluent,
chlorinated industrial water, and stored water. In order to
cater for tropical conditions of Singapore, a higher incubation
temperature of 23oC was adopted in AOC bioassay in this
project. This higher incubation temperature resulted in a
reduction in the time needed to perform the AOC bioassay.
The results indicated that the multi-barrier membrane system
was able to reclaim treated sewage and generate biologically
stable product water with chlorination.
Contact Person: Assoc Prof Ong Say Leong, Tel: 874 2890
Behaviour of Piles Subject to Downdrag and
Vertical Load (RP3960702 / R-264-000-021-112)
An extensive series of centrifuge model tests has been
conducted to investigate the behaviour of single piles and
small pile groups subject to vertical load and downdrag.
The test results reveal that the magnitude of pile head
settlement and downdrag force on a pile installed in soil
undergoing self-weight consolidation or experiencing
surcharge-induced settlement increase with the settlement
of soil and reach maximum values at a critical soil settlement.
The neutral plane representing the transition from negative
to positive friction also moves up along the pile shaft with
increase in applied load. When the applied load on a pile
exceeds about three times the downdrag force, the downdrag
force on a pile diminishes. Group interaction effect is found
to be insignificant on small pile groups subject to downdrag.
The above findings enable a much better understanding of
the mechanism of pile behaviour in settling soils. In most
cases, a pile subject to downdrag is also likely to carry certain
vertical load (for example structural dead load)
simultaneously, thus the conventional pile design practice of
adding vertical load to downdrag load may be conservative.
Further studies are planned to study the behaviour of long
piles in thick soft soils deposits and the behaviour of large
pile groups subject to vertical load and downdrag.
Contact person:
Assoc Prof Leung Chun Fai, Tel: 874 2281 / 874 2278
to diversify their crops to better
cash yielding ones.
This expedition to build a modern
irrigation system for the needy
villagers has not only exposed
the s tudents to hands-on
experience but also strengthened
the bond, understanding and co-
operation between the people in Singapore and China.
Long-term Stability and Performance of
Porous Road Mixes (RP3971660/R-264-000-032-112)
The increasing use of porous asphalt mixtures as pavement
surface layers necessitates the development of rational
methodologies for their structural and drainage capacity
designs and the evaluation of the long-term performance of
these materials. This research focussed on the drainage
capacity design and the long-term stability and drainage
performance of porous asphalts. Making use of a recently
developed falling-head permeameter in both laboratory
studies and actual road trials, a rational basis for the drainage
evaluation of porous asphalt mixtures was developed with
respect to flow requirements and clogging consideration.
The effects of pavement slopes and anisotropic material
permeability were also considered. For practical design
applications, a series of drainage design charts was established
using finite element simulation. The drainage design
methodology proposed in this research forms part of a
rational design framework for an integrated design of porous
asphalt pavement surface layers addressing both the structural
and drainage requirements of porous asphalt pavements.
Contact Person: Assoc Prof Tan Siew Ann, Tel: 874 2278
3
Development of Operation Technique for
Concentrating Organic Contaminants
(RP3991634/R-264-000-055-112)
Treated or reclaimed water need to be concentrated prior to
testing for organic contaminants. Hence, a suitable technique
for concentrating potential organic contaminants is an
important step to enhance the efficiency of the testing
protocol for treated or reclaimed water.
The optimal conditions for concentrating trace organic
matters present in product water, tap water and reservoir
water by using XAD resins were established in this study.
The water concentrating system consisted of four main
processes namely, resins purification, adsorption, elution and
evaporation, respectively. This study had also determined the
effects of resin materials, pH of water sample, empty bed
contact time (EBCT) and maximum BV (volume ratio of
water to resin) on adsorption efficiency. The results of this
study suggested that a combination of XAD-2/4/8, a pH of
2, an EBCT of 1 min, and a maximum BV of 2500 as the
optimal conditions for organics adsorption.
Contact Person: Dr Hu Jiangyong, Tel: 874 4540
cont’ page 4
cont’ from
page 3
Integrity of Precracked Reinforced Concrete Design and Development of Thin Reinforced
Retrofitted with FRP Laminates Concrete Products and Systems
Completed Research Projects

(RP 3981608 / R-264-000-041-112) (RP 3960644/R-264-000-015-112)

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates are being
increasingly used in the structural strengthening of slabs,
beams and columns. In the case of beams and slabs, the
concrete-FRP interfacial bond characteristics plays an
important role in ensuring the effectiveness of the
strengthening system, the study of which formed the objective
of the project. In the experimental investigations carried
out, the bond characteristics of FRP laminates under static
and cyclic loadings, was clarified for both glass and carbon
laminates. In general, the static bond strength decreases
with the bond length, while the S-N relation for the bond
strength under cyclic loads follows both the Wholer model
and the Power Formula. An analytical model was also
established and verified by tests which indicated that the
failure of precracked beams would be due to FRP debonding,
FRP rupture or concrete crushing. Design charts were
developed for strengthening purpose. Further tests were
carried out to examine measures to overcome inadequacy in
bond strength. The study was of significance especially in
the application of FRP systems in real-life structures that
would have been preloaded and are subjected to cyclic loads.
Contact person: Assoc Prof Tan Kiang Hwee, Tel : 874 2260
This project is primarily aimed at developing an industrialized
housing system using prefabricated thin-walled elements,
the individual elements being assembled into a complete
structure by using bolted connections. Making use of the
highly versatile channel elements as the building block, a
two-storey housing unit has been conceptually developed. To
translate this concept into reality, it is necessary to address
the technical issues associated with the element response,
response of the connections between the elements and global
response of the structure built by assembling these elements.
At element level, structural actions recognized include pure
flexure, flexural shear and punching shear. These problems
are considered separately and treated both analytically and
experimentally. At the joint level, three types of bolted
connections have been identified. These are shear joint, axial
joint and moment joint. Each type of joint has been treated
both analytically and experimentally to generate new
information and to fill the voids in present state of knowledge.
Analytical expressions developed on different aspects of
element response and various types of joints commonly
encountered furnish the necessary tools and guidelines for
the design of a complete structural system.
Contact person: Assoc Prof M.A. Mansur, Tel: 874 2284

of construction buildability. Its application is also a

New Research Project
Utilisation of Wastes in Self-Compacting
Concrete
The development of sustainable materials is one of the
4 main foci of research in the NUS Centre for Construction
Materials and Technology. One emphasis is on the
utilization of wastes in self-compacting concrete (SCC).
This project is a synergy between BCA, NUS, RDC
Concrete, WR Grace and Eng Seng Construction with
a total funding around $0.5 million. One objective is
to enhance sustainability by turning wastes into
resources, thereby reducing disposal problems in
Singapore while lowering the cost of
concrete construction. Wastes being
considered include rock dust, recycled
copper slag and incinerator ash.
step in the right direction towards sustainable
construction because of energy savings in compacting
concrete by internal or external vibrators, and the
positive effect of reduced cement consumption for
similar grade concrete and expected longer service life
due to improved microstructure of the cement-aggregate
system. Some of the buildability benefits include reduced
number of workers on site, improved health and safety,
increased productivity and opportunities for automation.
As such, it has been postulated that in less than 10
years, the use of SCC will become the normal practice
in concrete construction.
Contact Person: Assoc Prof Ho Wai Sum, David, Tel: 874 2283

SCC is an innovative construction material,

which flows under its own weight over a
long distance without segregation and
without the use of vibrators for
consolidation. This complete elimination
of consolidation process can be translated
into many benefits, particularly in the area

Recycled copper slag for disposal

Civil Engineering Day 2001 – Summer Aloha

T
he Civil Engineering Day 2001 was celebrated
on August 24.This was the time when all students
and staff of CE department took half a day off
their hectic schedules and get together to have an
afternoon of fun, thus allowing
greater interaction between them
to build a stronger CE family
spirit. This year, CE Day
represented the grand finale of a
month-long programme organised by the CE club for
students and staff of the department. In line with the
theme, ‘Summer Aloha’, the activities, ranged from
soccer matches to site visits.
The CE Day event kicked off with a
performance by the staff team followed
by several song items from the student
body. A number of interesting and fun-
filled games were played, and many
attractive prizes were given away to
the winners and participants. A variety of snacks and
refreshments were served to mark the culmination of
the event. With the enthusiasm shown by the students
and spontaneous support received from the faculty
members, technical and support staff, and our industry
sponsors, the event has turned out to be a truly
memorable one.

Staff Activities
The CE Department congratulates Assoc Prof
Wang Chien Ming on his appointment as the
Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Programs with
effect from 17 August 2001.
Assoc Prof Tan Kiang Hwee was invited to
give a lecture on "Strengthening of Special
Structures using FRP: Rectangular Columns
and Dapped Beams" in the HDB Annual Forum
on Advancing Lifestyles, at the HDB
Prefabrication Technology Centre, on 27 July
2001.
Assoc Prof Koh Chan Ghee has been invited
to be a member of the international scientific
committee of International Conference on
Structural Dynamics, Portugal, 3-5 June 2002.
Assoc Prof Koh Chan Ghee has been invited
to be an associate editor of the International
Journal of Structural Health Monitoring (based
in USA).
Assoc Prof Koh Chan Ghee delivered a
keynote paper entitled "Vibration-based
inspection of structures: Computational
challenges and strategies" at the 7th
International Conference on Inspection,
Appraisal, Repairs and Maintenance of
Buildings and Structures, Nottingham, U. K.,
September 2001.
Dr Huang Bo will co-chair the First
International Workshop on Web GIS to be held
in Kyoto, Japan, December 3-6 2001, together
with Professor Christophe Claramunt (France)
and Professor Stefano Spaccapietra
(Switzerland).
Professor N E Shanmugam co-authored by
invitation a chapter on "Structural Analysis"
for Manual of Bridge Engineering, Edited by
M J Ryall, G A R Parke and J E Harding and
published by Thomas Telford Publishing,
Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
Professor N E Shanmugam has been invited
to be an Honorary Advisor to the Editorial
Board of the "Concrete Technology Today"
(incorporationg Steel in Construction) which
highlight the Construction activities in the
South East Asian Region.
Assoc Prof Ong Khim Chye, Gary presented
an invited paper entitled “Damage assessment
of repaired reinforced concrete slabs under
static and cyclic loading”, at the International
Conference on Concrete under Severe
Conditions, CONSEC ’01, held in Vancouver,
Canada from June 18-20, 2001.
Assoc Prof Ong Khim Chye, Gary was invited
to deliver a lecture on “Repair of the foundation
of a large compressor”, at the International
Workshop on Interdisciplinary and Innovative
Advances in Concrete Construction held in
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, from June
21-22, 2001.
Assoc Prof Ong Khim Chye, Gary was invited
to present a paper entitled “Reconstructing
the construction industry in Singapore”, at the
Asian Concrete Forum held in Sapporo, Japan
from 4-5 July 2001-11-02
Assoc Prof Ong Khim Chye, Gary was invited
to serve as Secretary to the Publication
Committee of the Institution of Engineers,
Singapore in June 2001.
Publications. April - June 2001
Abdullah and Mansur, M.A., "Effects of mesh
orientation on tensile response of ferrocement",
Proc., Seventh Int. Symp. on Ferrocement and
Thin Reinforced Cement Composites, National
University of Singapore, 27-29 June , 45-54.
Ahmed, S.F.U., Maalej, M. and Paramasivam,
P., "Strain-Hardening Behaviour of Hybrid
Fibre Reinforced Cement Composites", Proc.
Seventh Int. Symp. On Ferrocement and Thin
Reinforced Cement Composites, National
University of Singapore, Singapore, 27-29
June, 215-226.
Aldred, J.M., Swaddiwudhipong, S., Lee,
S.L. and Wee, T.H., "The effect of initial
moisture content on water transport in concrete
containing a hydrophobic mixture", Magazine
of Concrete Research, 53 (2), 127-134.
Balendra, T., Wang, C.M. and Yan, N., "Control
of wind-excited towers by active tuned liquid
column dampers", Engineering Structures, 23
(9), 1054-1067.
Basheer Khan, M., Ong, K.C.G. and
Paramasivam, P., “Impact performance of
ferrocement slab systems”, Proc. FERRO 7,
Seventh Int. Symp. On Ferrocement and Thin
Reinforced Cement Composites, Singapore,
27-29 June, 95-106.
Bhattacharyya, P., Tan, K.H. and Mansur,
M.A., "Flexural moment capacity of
ferrocement hollow sandwich panel system",
7th Int. Symp. on Ferrocement and Thin
Reinforced Cement Composites, Singapore,
June 27-29 2001, 55-61.
Bonacci, J.F. and Maalej, M., "Behavioural
trends of RC beams strengthened with
externally bonded FRP", Journal of Composites
for Construction (ASCE), 5(2), 102-113.
Choo, Y.S., Quah, C.K., Shanmugam, N.E.
and Liew, J.Y.R., "Fabricated trunnions for
heavy lift", Transactions, Institute of Marine
Engineers, UK, 113(64-76).
Dhanalakshmi, M. and Shanmugam, N.E.,
"Design for openings in equal-angle cold-formed
steel stub columns", Thin-Walled Structures,
UK, 39(2), 167-187.
Dong Jiang and Swaddiwudhipong, S.,
"Performance of built-up SRC columns", First
Int. Conf. on Steel & Composite Structures,
Pusan, Korea, June 14-16, 831-838.
Huang, B. and Worboys, M., "Dynamic
modelling and visualization on the Internet",
Transactions in GIS, 5 (2), 131-139.
Huang, B., Jiang, B. and Lin, H., "An
integration of GIS, virtual reality and the
Internet for spatial data exploration",
International Journal of Geographical
Information Science, 15 (5), 439-456.
5
Kang, J.H. and Ong, K.C.G., “Pre-loaded steel
concrete composite columns’, Proc. First Int.
Conf. On Steel and Composite Structures, Vol.
1, June 2001, South Korea, 847-854.
Kog, Y.C., Ong, K.C.G., Yu, C.H. , and
Sreekanth, A.P.V., “Reinforced concrete
jacketing for masonry columns with axial
loads”, ACI Materials Journal, 98(2), 105-
115.
Lee, S.L. and Swaddiwudhipong, S.,
"Conceptual design and wind load analysis of
tall Building", Computational Structural
Engineering, 1(1), 11-20.
Leung, C.F. and Toh, S.L., "Continuing
education programs at National University of
Singapore, Proc. 8th Int. Conf. on Continuing
Engineering Education, Toronto, May 2001.
Leung, C.F., Wong, J.C., Manivanann, R. and
Tan, S.A., "Experimental evaluation of
consolidation behaviour of stiff clay lumps in
reclamation fill", Geotechnical Testing Journal,
ASTM, 24(2), 145-156.
Lim, C.T.E., Paramasivam, P. and Ong, K.C.G.,
“Pushout shear strength of ferrocement
concrete interface”, Proc. FERRO 7, Seventh
Int. Symp. On Ferrocement and Thin Reinforced
Cement Composites, June 2001, 481-192.
cont’ page 6
cont’ from Maalej, M. (2001)., "Tensile properties of short Shanmugam, N.E., "Thin-walled structural vibrating plates that model VLFS", Proc.
page 5 fiber composites with fiber strength elements containing openings", Proc., Third Int. Eleventh International Offshore and Polar
distribution", Journal of Materials Science, Conf. on Thin-Walled Structures, Cracow, Engineering Conference, Stavanger, Norway,
Publications. April - June 2001

36(9), 2203-2212. Poland, 5-7 June, 37-51. June 17-22, Vol 1, 272-278.

Mansur, M.A., Tan, K.L., Naaman, A.E. and
Paramasivam, P., "Behavior and strength of
ferrocement axial joints", Proc., Seventh
International Symposium on Ferrocement and
Thin Reinforced Cement Composites, National
University of Singapore, 27-29 June, 287-296.
Ong, K.G.G., Nandakumar, N. and
Paramasivam, P., “Damage assessment of
repaired reinforced concrete slabs under static
and cyclic loading”, Proc. Int. Conf. On Concrete
under Severe Conditions, CONSEC ’01, Vol.
2, Vancouver, Canada, June 8-21, 2023-2030.
Ong, K.C.G. and Xu, W., “Durability of repair:
the interfacial transition zone”, Proc. First
Int. Conf. On Steel and Composite Structures,
Vol. 1, June 2001, South Korea, 839-846.
Rahman, M., Mansur, M.A. and Lau, S.H.,
"Tool wear study in a lathe made of
cementitious material", Journal of Material
Processing Technology, 113(1-3), 317-321.
Ramalingam, N., Paramasivam, P., Mansur,
M.A. and Maalej, M., "Flexural behavior of
hybrid fiber reinforced cement composites
containing high volume fly ash", ACI Special
Publication, SP-199, American Concrete
Institute, June 2001, 147-161.
Swaddiwudhipong, S. and Dong Jiang, "Shear
capacity and energy absorption of SRC joints",
First Int. Conf. on Steel & Composite
Structures, Pusan, Korea, June 14-16, 823-
830.
Tan, K.H., Mansur, M.A. and Weng,W., "Design
of R/C beams with circular openings", ACI
Structural Journal, 98(3), 407-415.
Tan, K.H. and Patoary, M.K.H., "Blast
resistance of masonry walls externally bonded
with FRP systems", 10th Int. Symp. on
Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with
Structures, San Diego, California, USA, May
7-11.
Tan, K.H., "Effect of interfacial bond on failure
mode of precracked members retrofitted with
CFS", Concrete Engineering Series 42, Japan
Society of Civil Engineering, June 2001, II-59
- II-68.
Wang, C.M., Xiang, Y., Utsunomiya, T. and
Watanabe, E., "Evaluation of modal stress
resultants in freely vibrating plates", Int. Journal
of Solids and Structures, 38 (36-37), 6525-
6558.
Wang, C.M., Wang, Y.C., Watanabe, E.,
Utsunomiya, T. and Xiang, Y., "Obtaining
accurate modal stress-resultants in freely
Wang, C.M., Ler, C.W. and Lee, L.W.,
"Optimization of submerged, fully stressed,
funicular arches", Extended Abstracts of the
Fourth World Congress of Structural and
Multidisplinary Optimization, Dalian University
of Technology, Dalian, China, 4-6 June, 191-
193.
Wang, C.Y. and Wang, C.M., "Buckling of
circular plates with an internal ring support
and elastically restrained edges", Thin-Walled
Structures, 39 (9), 821-825.
Wang, Q. and Wang, C.M., "A controllability
index for optimal design of piezoelectric
actuators in vibration control of beam
structures", Journal of Sound and Vibration,
242 (3), 507-518.
Xiang, Y., Wang, C.M., Utsunomiya, T. and
Machimdamrong, C., "Benchmark stress-
resultant distributions for vibrating rectangular
plates with two opposite edges free,"
Computational Structural Engineering, 1 (1),
49-57.
Zhang, M.H., Blanchette, M. and Malhotra,
V.M., "Leachability of trace metal elements
from fly ash concrete: results from column-
leaching and batch-leaching tests", ACI
M a t eri a l s Jo u rn a l , 8 ( 2 ) , 1 2 6 - 1 3 6 .

Visiting Professor New Appointments Visiting Appointments

Dr Huang Bo, Professor Ole S. Madsen
Professor J N Reddy Assistant Professor Adjunct Professor,
Mr Loy Tsu Ren, (23/07/2001 - 04/08/2001)
Professor J N Reddy, a Distinguished Professor and inaugural Research Engineer Professor J N Reddy
holder of the Oscar S. Wyatt Endowed Chair in Mechanical Mr Md Zahidul Hasan, Visiting Professor,
Research Engineer (05/07/2001 - 25/07/2001)
Engineering at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas,
Mr Li Lirong, Professor Syed Qasim
was appointed as Visiting Professor in the Department from Research Engineer Visiting Professor,
5th to 25th July 2001. He is the author of over 260 journal (26/07/2001 - 01/08/2001)
papers and 12 textbooks on theoretical formulations and
finite-element analysis of problems in solid and structural Mr Zhang Hongwen
6 Research Scholars
mechanics (plates and shells), composite materials, Mr Zhu Dongqi
computational fluid dynamics, numerical heat transfer and Mr Lai Wee Leong Mr Yuen Jun Mun Victor
Mr Pang Chee Meng Mr Bishwajit Chowdhury
applied mathematics. In addition, he has received various significant Mr Chia Kok Seng
national and international awards. Ms Zou Yang
Mr Toh Beng Hwee Mr Shakil Mohammad
Mr Lee Yang Pin Kelvin Rifaat
During his recent visit, Professor Reddy presented a seminar on "An Mr Chai Kok Chiew
Overview of Research in Modelling of Materials and Structures". Mr Wang Zhengquan
Mr Chen Kai Loon Ms Zhang Xiying
Mr Cheng Ch'ng Yih
Mr Mihindukulasooriya
Mr Tay Kwee Guan
P C Fernando
Mr Jonathan A/L
Mr Ganesh Ram
Professor Syed Qasim Daramalinggam
Jeyaraman
Mr Boh Jaw Woei
Mr Kristhombu B S N
Professor Syed R. Qasim was appointed Visiting Professor Ms Chen Yu
Jinadasa
in the Department from 26 July to 1 Aug. 2001. He is a Mr Ng Swee Tuan
Mr Lim Heng Thong Mr Yang Jun Wei
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Ms Dulakshi S K
Ms Teo Chin Pei
University of Texas at Arlington, USA with expertise in the Mr Song Hongbin Karusingha
area of water and wastewater treatment processes. Professor Mr Chen Cheng Mr Tin Min Thant
Qasim has written four books, published over 100 technical Mr Feng Shuhong Ms Senadheera A S A
papers, and research reports, and received numerous research Ms Elly Tenando Karunarathna
Ms Zeng Zhen Ms May Myat Hla
honours and awards.
Mr Zou Jian Mr Liew Yoon Hsien
During his visit, Professor Qasim conducted two workshops Mr Wang Zhiliang Ms Ma Kaiying
on “Water Treatment Plants: Theory and Design” and “Waste Water Mr Zhao Haidong Mr Chin Kheng Ghee
Mr Lee Kum Fai Mr Jong Hui Kiat
Treatment Plants: Theory and Design” jointly organized by the Professional Mr Low Han Eng
Mr Chen Chia Lung
Activity Centre of the Faculty of Engineering and the Centre for Water Mr Ooi Poh Hai
Mr Liew Yong Seong
Research of the department. Both workshops were very well received Mr Kamalasudhan Ms Zhu Xingzhao
from both the academics and professionals. Besides these, Professor Achuthan Mr Lee Chen Hui
Qasim had also explored and identified the areas for possible R&D Ms Seow Puay Eng Mr He Zhiwei
collaboration with the Water and Biotreatment Group (WBG). The Constance Mr Man Chuanjian
postgraduates of WBG did not miss out on this golden opportunity to Mr Zhang Lihe Mr Sithu Htun
Ms Li Shuang Mr Zhou Jun
gain from Professor Qasim’s vast experience in the related areas.
Mr Wong Man Tak Ms Lo Hui Ling
Seminars held. July - September 2001
Date Title Speaker
10 July Water Research at Molecular Level Dr Liu Wen-Tso
Assistant Professor, NUS
11 July Strengthening of RC continuous beams Mr Robert A. Tjandra
with external CFRP tendons Research scholar, PhD candidate, NUS
Rapid Strengthening of Masonry Walls Mr M.K.H. Patoary
Using FRP Reinforcement Research scholar, PhD candidate, NUS
Punching shear behaviour of RC flat slabs Mr Wang Jiewei
externally strengthened with CFRP system Research scholar, M.Eng candidate, NUS
12 Jul An Overview of Research In Modeling of Professor J N Reddy
Materials and Structures Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
17 Jul Recent Developments in Smart Structures Professor J N Reddy
Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
20 Jul Development of Cement-Based Environmentally Dr Zongjin Li
Friendly Materials at UST Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
27 Jul Roughness of Pavement Professor Zhong Yang
School of Transportation Engineering
Harbin Institute of Technology, PR China
2 Aug Recent Progress in Modeling Wave-current Professor Ole S. Madsen
Interaction and its Implication R.M. Parsons Laboratory, MIT
Using Dielectric Measurements in Concrete Dr Swee L. Mak
Technology & Construction Principal Research Scientist
CSIRO Building, Construction & Engineering, Australia
A Very Close Precursor of Self-Compacting Professor Mario Collepardi
Concrete (SCC) Politecnico of Milan, Italy
11 Aug Lightweight and Metal Composite Structures: Assoc Prof J Y Richard Liew, NUS
Composite Megacolumns Mr Venugopal s/o Rajamani
M Eng Candidate, NUS
Novel triple-coupler Connectors for Space Frames Dr Wang Bin-Bing
Research Engineer, NUS
Analysis of Composite Filled Columns (CFTs) Mr Chai Khye Yeien
M Eng Candidate, NUS
Steel-concrete Composite Joints - Characterization Mr Teo Teck Heong
Using Component Approach PhD Candidate, NUS
- PHINGE2 - A Computer Program for Dr Chen Hong
Second-order Inelastic Analysis of Steel Frames
with Composite Beams & Semi-Rigid Connections
Research Engineer, NUS
7
16 Aug An Investigation on Biostability of Reclaimed Water Ms Shan Junhong
M Eng Candidate, NUS
Membrane Cleaning in the MSBR Ms Sun Yingjian
M Eng Candidate, NUS
Self compacting concrete (SCC) Assoc Prof David W.S. Ho
for Improved Buildability NUS
Advances in concrete quality control - Mr Teo Yong Boon
introducing CubeInfo™ Senior Manager (Quality Services), Buildnow Pte Ltd
23 Aug Logarithmic Matching and Its Applications in Dr Guo Junke, John
Computational Hydraulics and Sediment Transport Assistant Professor, NUS
7 Sep Beach evolution between Headland Breakwaters Ms Chen Jian
PhD Candidate, NUS
14 Sep Conventional Repair and Retrofitting Techniques Mr Yogesh Chhabra
for Concrete Structures Senior Technical Manager, L&M, Singapore
18 Sep Bridge Engineering: Types, Frontiers & Challenges Dr Man-Chung Tang
Chairman of the Board and Technical Director, T.Y.Lin International
20 Sep Soil Liquefaction and Sediment Re-suspension on Dr Lin Pengzhi
Seabed due to Wave-Current Interaction Assistant Professor, NUS
21 Sep Use of Advanced Composite Materials for Protection Mr Yogesh Chhabra
and Strengthening of Structures Senior Technical Manager, L&M, Singapore
27 Sep Modeling Strain Rate Effect on Mechanical Behaviour Professor C T Sun
in Polymeric Composites Neil A. Armstrong Distinguished Professor of Aeronautical & Astronautical
Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
28 Sep Strength of Short Concrete Filled Dr Brian Uy
High Strength Steel Box Columns IREX Fellow, NUS
New Faculty

Dr. Huang Bo joined the department as an Assistant
Professor in July 2001. Prior to this, he was a Postdoctoral
Research Assistant in the Department of Computer Science
at Keele University, UK and connected with the
GeoInformatics research group. He also did his Postdoctoral
research in the Joint Laboratory of GeoInformation Science
and the Department of Geography, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong from October 1997 to December 1999.
Dr. Huang received his PhD from the Institute of Remote
Sensing Applications, The Chinese Academy of Sciences in
1997. Since 1989, he has been involved in a number of
Conference/ Workshop
GIS projects such as spatial/spatio-temporal data models
and query languages, integration of GIS and Remote
Sensing, environmental modelling and visualization, virtual
reality, Internet computing, expert systems, and
urban/cadastre GIS. He has published about 35 technical
papers, and developed several GIS and visualization related
packages. Dr. Huang’s current research interests focus on
the exploration of GIS and other geospatial information
technologies for civil urban applications. These include
spatio-temporal modelling for transportation applications,
3D GIS for urban infrastructure management, and Internet-
based environmental visualization.

Date Conference/ Workshop/ Short Course Contact Person

29 - 31 Oct 2001 R & D and Technology for Port and Maritime Excellence Professor N Jothi Shankar
E-mail: cvejothi@nus.edu.sg
Tel: (65) 874 2279

6 - 8 Aug 2002 13th Asia and Pacific Division (APD) - International Association Dr Guo Junke
for Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR) Congress E-mail: cveguoj@nus.edu.sg
Tel: (65) 874 4922

16 - 18 Dec 2002 Second International Conference on Structural Stability Assoc Prof C M Wang
and Dynamics (ICSSD '02) E-mail: cvewcm@nus.edu.sg
Tel: (65) 874 2157
Assoc Prof K K Ang
E-mail: cveangkk@nus.edu.sg
Tel: (65) 874 2570

8 - 10 Jul 2003 6th International Symposium on FRP Reinforcement for Assoc Prof Tan Kiang Hwee
Concrete Structures (FRPRCS-6) E-mail: cvetankh@nus.edu.sg
Tel: (65) 874 4512 / (65) 874 2260
Website: http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/c
vetankh/internet/frprcs6

4 - 8 Aug 2003 12th Asian Regional Conference in Soil Mechanics Assoc Prof Leung Chun Fai
and Foundation Engineering (12ARC) E-mail: 12ARC@nus.edu.sg
Website: http://www.eng.nus.edu.sg/civil/c
onf/12ARC/
Tel: (65) 874 5113; Fax: (65) 874 5097

To receive a complimentary
copy of the Civil Engineering Newsletter,
please contact:

Assoc Prof M A Mansur

Editorial Committee
Department of Civil Engineering
National University of Singapore
Blk E1A #07-03
1 Engineering Drive 2
Singapore 117576
Tel: 874 2284
Fax: 779 1635
E-mail: cvemansu@nus.edu.sg

Advisers Professor T F Fwa, Head of Department. Assoc Prof K H Tan, Deputy Head of Department (Admin)
Editorial Committee Assoc Prof M A Mansur, Chairman. Ms Nurhayati Binte Sukiman