{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"‘I truly believe engineering is a humble profession’","date":"2021-05-17 21:54:13","id":2853,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2021/05/1621257485146_DSC_0359-thumbnail.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

Based in Singapore, Koh Sock Hoon works at global engineering company Binnies as a process specialist in wastewater treatment and odour control. She has been involved in various wastewater projects across the country and globally.

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“I am passionate about wastewater treatment and its innovations, and would love to see more women engineers joining the field. In my view, the engineering and construction industry is unique as it provides a tangible opportunity to witness a project transformed from concept into reality.”

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In her role, Sock Hoon helps clients identify suitable wastewater treatment strategies that meet the project need. “Being able to apply my specialist knowledge and experience to help them resolve wastewater-related challenges is the most enjoyable part of my career,” she reveals. “I also enjoy working with other disciplines to deliver engineering solutions.”

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A certified Professional Engineer (PE) in the US, Sock Hoon has had a passion for the environment since she was in school. “I was also good at mathematics and science, so I thought by choosing engineering as a profession, I would be able to apply my knowledge and do some good for the environment – and I was right.”

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After she earned her Master’s degree in 2002, she joined a local consulting firm in Iowa, in the US, and later moved to a global consulting engineering company in Kansas where she started her process engineering career, before relocating to Australia. A Malaysian citizen, she returned to Southeast Asia about six years ago and has been working in Singapore since then.

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‘More emphasis on sustainable initiatives’

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As a process engineer, Sock Hoon says her biggest reward is when the projects are implemented successfully and operate as intended. “There are unique problems in different phases of the project, but I often find construction and commissioning stages challenging.”

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“A few years ago, I was tasked with managing a contractor’s process commissioning and plant-proving activities for an advanced, highly automated membrane bioreactor (MBR) demonstration plant designed with complex operational flexibility for multiple treatment modes,” she shares.

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“With delays in construction, there was mounting pressure to have the plant ready and handed over quickly, leaving little room for errors during plant proving. The team had to complete the job within a short period of time.

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“We worked hand-in-hand with the contractor, performed daily checks and fine-tuning of the operation, control logic and sampling regimes.

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“In the end, the plant was successfully commissioned, producing high-quality effluent suitable for feeding a reverse osmosis (RO) system. The demonstration plant has since received multiple awards including the Water/Wastewater Project of the Year in the 2018 Global Water Awards.”

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She further explains that in recent years, the engineering and construction industry has put more emphasis towards energy-efficiency, environmental sustainability, and climate-resiliency initiatives.

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“Biological treatment technologies have gained popularity in the odour control and biogas desulfurisation areas. On the energy-neutrality and climate resiliency front, the use of biofilm technology and bubble-less aeration systems has become a hot topic in wastewater treatment owing to its treatment resiliency and energy efficiency.

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“For land-scarce countries challenged with water-security risks, implementing compact solutions – such as direct MBR + RO treatment – for producing high-quality water as recycled water has been the trend.”

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‘Hesitate no more’

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Speaking about her experience working in a male-dominated industry, Sock Hoon says she has not faced any barriers so far. “As engineers, regardless of gender, we all like to come together and solve problems.”

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In most projects, the difficulties she has encountered are often “surrounding the human factor – dealing with people from different backgrounds, personalities, and interests. With a common goal and a good plan, resolving differences in opinions and delivering win-win solutions is achievable.”

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She notes that there are many women engineers today working in the water – and other engineering – sectors tackling design, construction, and management roles with great success. “I truly believe that engineering is a humble profession, where everyone who is passionate about problem solving and has good technical background should find a place.”

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Her advice to women aspiring to join the engineering and construction industry? “Hesitate no more!”

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Photos courtesy of Koh Sock Hoon

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As a civil engineer at Binnies Singapore, Goh Chun Chiong has been involved in a variety of water and wastewater projects across the country.

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“I have had a great interest in the water treatment process since university," she reveals. "Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to get involved in building different types of water treatment plants, from water to wastewater and desalination plants, collaborating with engineers from a wide range of disciplines.”

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She says her decision to study civil and structural engineering at university was partly inspired by her father. “My father was a hardworking concrete worker and I wanted to learn about his job and choose something he could relate to.”

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Chun Chiong started her career working under a Professional Engineer (PE) and later moved to a consultancy firm, before joining Binnies. In her current role, she is responsible for developing plant layouts as well as the architectural, civil, geotechnical and structural designs of the projects. She also provides guidance and engineering directions for the design engineers and on-site teams.

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Taking part in water and wastewater projects gives Chun Chiong a sense of fulfilment as it enables her to contribute to society, “by delivering a better quality of clean drinking water and a renewable water source, and ensuring only well-treated wastewater is discharged to the environment.”

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‘BIM and PPVC are highlights in Singapore’

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“There are different challenges for every project and in various project stages. What we often face in the industry nowadays is how to meet a stringent construction timeline and tight budget without compromising the construction quality,” Chun Chiong explains.

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“Technical knowledge, experience and communication skills are key to making crucial decisions in order to complete the projects successfully.

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“It is rewarding when clients and contractors are open and receptive to our solutions and ideas. The appreciation and good working relationship that develops through the project is invaluable to me.”

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She adds, “I enjoy working in a team, learning from the people around me and embracing challenges. It is always satisfying and encouraging for me to be able to reach a project milestone even though it may be just a small step towards the project completion.”

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Chun Chiong further highlights some innovations in Singapore’s construction industry. “The BIM technology and PPVC (prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction) method are the most interesting topics in recent years.

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“PPVC is now commonly adopted in HDB and residential projects, which significantly reduces manpower on site and eliminates construction risks.”

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She shares that before the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) made BIM mandatory for large-scale projects in Singapore, “3D modelling technology had been used in fast-paced DBOO (design, build, own and operate) projects for a complex process piping arrangement.

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“I have no doubt in the capability of advanced modelling technology to enhance engineering work and speed up project delivery.”

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‘Hard work and contributions will pay off’

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Chun Chiong notes that more and more women in civil and structural engineering profession are taking part in construction today, and also hold important roles and positions within the industry.

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Speaking about her experience as a female engineer, she says one of her challenges is to balance work and personal life, especially with young children. “It felt like it was impossible to achieve a work-life balance, in particular during the construction of a fast-paced project.

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“To overcome this, I have learned to prioritise between the tasks and responsibilities in my personal life and career. I am thankful to have a supportive husband who shares our family commitment when necessary. I also appreciate the understanding of my supervisors and team mates over the years.”

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When it comes to a career choice, Chun Chiong believes that “everyone should pursue their interest and do what they love and are passionate about.

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“There are no restrictions for women to join engineering and construction. As long as you are capable and set your heart on it, you can succeed in the industry.”

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Her advice to aspiring female engineers is “be patient and have an open mind when considering opportunities in the industry. I would recommend participating in various project stages such as bidding, preliminary planning, detailed design, construction support and contract execution.

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“Your hard work and contributions will eventually pay off with trust and appreciation from the industry.”

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Photos courtesy of Goh Chun Chiong

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“It is the problem solving, creative thinking and teamwork opportunities that I like most about engineering and construction,” says Rebecca Cheng, a senior civil and structural manager at Binnies Singapore.

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“There are many ways to solve problems. With the creative application of science, mathematics, human relation and project management, we utilise practical and holistic approaches to overcome any hurdles at work and meet clients’ needs.”

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Rebecca was inspired by her father, a mechanical engineer and lecturer, to always stay curious about how things work. “I’ve enjoyed solving mathematical and physical problems since an early age and civil engineering somehow aligns with my interests. I believe it is my curiosity and passion, which go hand in hand, that have kept me going in the industry.”

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In her role, she is leading a team of civil and structural engineers to deliver civil and structural designs for various water and wastewater projects across Singapore. “As a civil engineer, my biggest challenge is to work with unforeseen conditions, which could lead to increased costs, damaged relations, and loss of clients,” she explains.

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“I’ve encountered many such circumstances in my past projects, such as ground conditions deviating from the design assumption, uncharted underground services obstructing pipe laying, unanticipated changes in ground profile during tunnel boring, and workmanship issues causing retaining wall movement and ground settlement.”

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Nevertheless, it is through this experience that Rebecca also learned to expect the unexpected, and how to identify and mitigate each risk to its minimum in the early stages of a project.

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She further shares her risk-management strategy: “To effectively limit design and construction risk throughout the project life cycle, we need to verify design assumptions early using sophisticated engineering methods, streamline communication among the project teams and stakeholders, carry out detailed planning of construction sequences, and practise efficient project management.”

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‘We have to explore new and innovative ideas’

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Rebecca points out that technological advancement is “the way to go” in reshaping the engineering and construction industry. “At Binnies, our approach aligns with the Singapore government’s sustainability initiatives to promote the use of technologies and innovations to boost productivity. For example, in one of our recent projects, we used laser scanning to conduct crack surveys inside a confined water tank. This enabled us to collect accurate crack width measurements and locations in a short space of time.

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“Another example is the use of building information modelling (BIM) technology in complex water and wastewater projects. This not only provides us with the most up-to-date information, but also allows us to walk through the design with our stakeholders in a virtual environment. As a result, it enhances our work process.”

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“The advancement in mobile technology also enables real-time data collection and transmission,” she adds. “By adopting real-time monitoring systems to continuously monitor ground movement, any abnormality can be detected and managed immediately. This real-time data is available to all stakeholders via web and mobile applications.”

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She stresses that in order for the engineering and construction industry to remain competitive, “we have to explore new and innovative ideas, and invent new ways of executing our work in a more efficient and effective manner.”

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‘A love for learning is also important’

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Rising through the corporate ranks in a male-dominated industry, Rebecca says she did feel “out of place” at first when she started her career working for a contractor in Hong Kong. “Over the years, I have progressively broken this negative perception by putting extra effort into gaining hands-on experience.

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“Learning more about the industry also helped me develop important skills and build my confidence. I no longer face any barrier working in a male-dominated environment and in fact, I now enjoy working with them as they always motivate me to perform at my best and go the extra mile whenever faced with challenges.”

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Rebecca encourages more women to pursue a career in engineering and construction, especially “if you have curiosity and passion for it. Successful women engineers are very motivated and highly satisfied with their career choice. My advice is: don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Gaining hands-on field experience early will help you later in your career, particularly when you have to overcome difficult challenges and make crucial decisions.

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“A love for learning is also important, as continuous learning improves professional skills and abilities and inspires engineers to innovate and be more effective.”

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Photos courtesy of Rebecca Cheng

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Based in Singapore, Sri Hernani Mohamed Affandi has always aspired to make a positive contribution towards addressing the environmental challenges that the country – not to mention the world – is “urgently facing”. To fulfil her lifelong goal, she studied environmental engineering at university and started her career at the National Environment Agency, before joining Binnies Singapore as an environmental engineer.

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She has now taken on the role of process and hydraulic specialist at Binnies Singapore, continuing to work on addressing the environmental challenges of today’s world. “As a hydraulics engineer, one of my tasks is to perform hydraulic modelling and studies using computational hydraulic modelling software. This work is normally carried out for drainage-management studies that investigate the impact of extreme rainfall events and rising sea levels brought about by climate change.

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“With hydraulic modelling, areas that are most at risk of flooding can be identified, and the benefits of any proposed mitigation measures can be determined and quantified. Such studies facilitate the implementation of preventative flood alleviation measures by the authorities, which will help to prevent loss of life and injury, damage to infrastructure, as well loss of productivity that may occur during flood events.”

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In her role, Sri Hernani is primarily involved in the feasibility study or preliminary design stage of a project. “It is very rewarding to see a study that you have worked on previously on paper come to fruition years later with the recommendations that you have put forward in place.”

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‘Innovative solutions needed’

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With the impact of climate change being felt globally, Sri Hernani believes that creative thinking is necessary to tackle the challenges. “An interesting and innovative solution that has been proposed and studied is the development of a massive underground network of large tunnels and caverns across Singapore, which would not only contain excess stormwater from surface catchments during extreme rain events to prevent flooding, but also store the water for clean water supply and to generate electricity as part of a pumped storage hydropower system,” she explains.

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“Managing the upcoming challenges due to climate change will certainly require innovative solutions,” she reiterates, “and it was impressive to see the authorities already evaluating one such possible solution and commissioning a study to determine its effectiveness. I’d be interested to see if the risk of climate change will be deemed grim enough to warrant this major investment in infrastructure to prevent flooding in Singapore.”

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‘Various roles to suit individual preferences’

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Speaking about her experience working in a male-dominated industry, Sri Hernani says that she has “nothing to worry about. I am fortunate to work in a company where female professionals are well represented in various roles, including office and team leaders, and where there is a culture of respect for all professionals regardless of gender, race or religion.”

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She further mentions that her employer is “supportive and understanding about the challenges that many women face at work, like the taking of maternity and childcare leave, as well as the juggling of work and the care of our children on a daily basis. Binnies is open to flexible working arrangements should the need arise, and even provides a clean and secure room for nursing mothers within office premises.”

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Sri Hernani encourages women to join the engineering and construction industry, “because we have so much to contribute and having a diverse pool of people in a workforce will lead to a greater contestation of ideas, perspectives and skills, which can only benefit the industry.”

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“A variety of roles are available in the industry to suit individual preferences,” she adds. “In addition to working on the jobsite, there are also opportunities for engineering design work in an office-based setting.”

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Her final advice to all aspiring female engineers is simply “work hard and let your results speak for themselves!”

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Photos courtesy of Sri Hernani Mohamed Affandi

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