DL E&C announced on Dec. 21 that the company has completed the Tuas Terminal 1 sea landfill project in Singapore.
Singapore is currently working on the Tuas Terminal project to create the world’s largest port. When all four phases of the project are completed by 2040, it will be reborn as a super-large new port capable of handling 65 million TEUs per year. The Singapore government plans to create a world-class smart megaport by relocating existing port facilities and functions to Tuas Port and introducing various next-generation port technologies, including an unmanned automation operating system.
DL E&C signed a contract with the Singapore Port Authority in April 2015. The total construction cost is 1.98 trillion won, and the project was won together with Dredging International, a Belgian company specializing in dredging. The share of DL E&C is about 720 billion won. DL E&C was in charge of the construction of the pier facilities, including the landfill ground improvement, caisson production and installation for the harbor.
Due to Singapore’s geographical characteristics, most construction materials had to be procured through imports from neighboring countries, so material costs were high. In particular, the Tuas Port project required a huge amount of rubble stones and sand as it involved a huge offshore reclamation project 1.5 times the size of Yeouido, and high costs were expected.
DL E&C received high evaluation from the client with an eco-friendly design that minimizes the use of sand. In order to minimize the use of sand, the dredged soil generated in the process of dredging the seabed was used as much as possible for landfill. From the time of design, the latest soil theory was studied and safety was thoroughly reviewed, and about 6.4 million cubic meters of sand was saved compared to the general reclamation method. This is about 1/8 the size of Namsan Mountain in Seoul (about 50 million ㎥).
A caisson is a concrete structure manufactured to build the foundation for reclamation work. Caisson fabrication and installation is a key process in large-scale reclamation work, and in the case of ports, it serves as a quay for large container ships to dock. DL E&C has prepared a caisson production site near the site and installed a total of 221 caissons sequentially.
The caisson is 28 meters high and weighs about 15,000 tons, approaching the size of a 12-story apartment building. DL E&C made a caisson on land and moved it to the sea through special equipment, and installed it by moving it to the exact installation location using a tugboat. Through subdividing the caisson manufacturing process and thorough process management, the process was completed in 29 months, a reduction of 7 months from the original 36 months.
State-of-the-art robotic facilities were also used in the construction of the caissons. DL E&C has introduced a robot for rebar processing to maximize the productivity of caisson production and create a safe working environment. Caisson fabrication requires rebars of uniform length and shape as the same process is repeated. DL E&C achieved high work efficiency and quality by automating rebar machining, and reduced the risk of safety accidents.
DL E&C is participating in Singapore’s major large projects and is recognized for its technology and business capabilities. The Thomson Line subway construction, which opened in November, was successfully carried out, including the Tuas Terminal project. Currently, Jurong East transit station expansion and connection construction is underway, and various projects are expected in the Singapore construction market in the future.
