New approach to underground utilities aims to cut road work in future projects
First adopted in Tengah New Town, the Urban Redevelopment Authority is using shared utility ducts, advanced mapping technology and coordinated planning to reduce road disruptions.
A worker enters a utility duct through a manhole to carry out maintenance work.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore is changing the way it builds and manages underground utility networks – a move that could mean fewer road closures, less drilling and smoother journeys for residents in the coming years.
The new approach by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), first adopted in Tengah New Town, will eventually be extended to major infrastructure projects including new public housing, MRT lines and road networks.
It combines shared utility ducts, advanced underground mapping and better coordination between government agencies and utility providers to make future maintenance and cable installations easier while reducing road work.
SHARED DUCTS MINIMISE ROAD EXCAVATIONS
Beneath Singapore’s roads and housing estates lies a dense network of electrical cables, telecommunications lines, water pipes and other essential utilities.
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Traditionally, each utility owner plans and installs its own underground network.
When cables need to be repaired or upgraded, roads often have to be dug up again to access them.
Under the new approach, similar utilities such as electricity and telecommunications cables will instead share utility specific ducts, or underground passages that house cables together.
Dedicated manholes, built at regular intervals, allow workers to enter the ducts for maintenance or to install new cables without excavating the road above.
Such ducts have already been implemented in Tengah New Town, where access points are located along roads at intervals of about 200m. Some extend about 3m underground.
Mr Vijay Das, group director of URA’s Infrastructure Planning Authority, described shared ducts as “a more optimised way of compacting similar utilities”.
The ducts are also encased in reinforced concrete, protecting the cables from damage during nearby works and making the surrounding area safer for those carrying out maintenance, he added.
Tengah served as the pilot because utility needs could be planned for the entire town from the outset, Mr Das said.
He added that the agency intends to make utility specific ducts the default approach for new developments, particularly new HDB towns.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO “SEE” UNDERGROUND
Authorities are also relying more on advanced, non-invasive mapping technologies to identify what lies beneath the ground before construction begins.
Instead of relying largely on trial trenches to locate underground utilities, engineers can now use tools such as multi-channel ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic locators to map underground utilities without digging.
With such tech, it also narrows down the scope. Any trial trenches that are still needed can then be limited to specific locations.
“Advanced non-invasive mapping technologies … better map the location of utilities, so that trial trenches can be more targeted, and because they’re doing it on behalf of all utility owners, you have a significant reduction in road openings,” said Mr Das.
Under URA’s new approach, a single lead agency will also be appointed to coordinate work across different utility owners.
By planning utilities holistically from the outset, it helps minimise conflicts that would otherwise be discovered during construction, Mr Das added.
MAKING ROOM UNDERGROUND
As Singapore makes greater use of underground space, authorities also must decide where different types of infrastructure should be located.
The country already has extensive underground networks, such as MRT lines, electricity transmission systems and water reclamation facilities.
It has also developed underground storage facilities – including the Jurong Rock Caverns for liquid hydrocarbon storage and the Mandai Underground Ammunition Facility.
Deciding on how this limited space is used depends on five factors: geographical, geological, safety, security and environmental, said Dr David Ng, chairman of the Civil & Structural Engineering Technical Committee at The Institution of Engineers, Singapore.
As an example, Dr Ng said the Jurong Rock Caverns were sited near Singapore’s oil and petrochemical facilities on Jurong Island, where the geology is suitable for underground hydrocarbon storage.
In contrast, the Mandai ammunition facility reflects the need to prioritise safety and security when planning underground infrastructure.
He added that similar considerations are being applied to Gali Batu near Mandai, which is being studied as a potential underground storage site for construction aggregates because of its former granite quarry and proximity to major expressways.
Looking ahead, URA is working with the Singapore Land Authority to develop a centralised digital underground map.
The platform will allow agencies to share up-to-date underground utility data gathered from projects across Singapore, helping them better plan future infrastructure needs.
Source: CNA/mp(ca)
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