Trip to Madhya Pradesh_16.02.10

I went to India for a meeting in Nagpur and to visit my project site in Madhya Pradesh, with my colleague Haji Anuar Aris. We left KLIA on 16th February 2010 by MAS and arrived in Delhi about 11.00 p.m. The next day we caught an Indigo Airline flight to Nagpur by 9.00 a.m.

Delhi Airport
Indigo Flight
After a day in Nagpur, we proceeded to Seoni to visit our project site. Our project involves the rehabilitation and upgrading to four lanes of Lakhnadon to Border Section from km 596.750 to km 653.225 of National Highway-7 in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The interesting part of the project is that the road transverses a 20 km stretch which is part of Pench Tiger forest reserve region. Our Team Leader supervising the construction of the Highway is a Malaysian, Mr. Roy and is assisted by a team of Indian Engineers and Technicians.
Existing Bridge at Forest Reserve
Arch Bridge built in 1865 to be replaced.

Completed Stretch of MP3 Highway

Railway Overbridge under construction
During our site visit, we stopped at Bison Reserve Retreat for tea and 'samosa'. The shop situated under banyan trees which was quite scenic and peaceful.
Tea break at Bison Reserve Retreat

Mr. Roy (Team Leader) and Haji Anuar

Miscellaneous photos taken in India
Fruit Seller at Seoni
All in the family clinic in Delhi
We came back to Delhi by flight on 19th morning and flew back the same night, ending another trip to India.

DUKE Highway (Section 1) Opening_30.04.09

The Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) is a new dual 3 to 4-lane expressway which traverses from the east to west along the the Northern Corridor of Kuala Lumpur. The expressway of 18 km, connects the North Klang Valley Expressway’s Jalan Duta Interchange to Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 at Taman Hillview Interchange in the east and at Greenwood Interchange in the north, crossing major KL roads i.e Jalan Duta, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Duta. The Concessionaire for this project is Konsotium Lebuhraya Utara-Timur (KL) Sdn Bhd (KESTURI).

DUKE map

DUKE Kuching Interchange

The official opening ceremony of Section 1 of DUKE from Jalan Kuching Intercahnge to Sentul Pasar Interchange was held on 30th April 2009 at the Batu Toll Plaza. It was officiated by YB Dato’ Shaziman bin Abu Mansor, Minister of Works. As Design Engineering Consultant for Section 1 of the project, we were invited to witness the opening ceremony of the expressway. The section 1 of DUKE is the final section to be opened as the rest of the stretches have been opened last January 2009.

YB Dato’ Shaziman bin Abu Mansor arriving for the opening ceremony accompanied by Y. Bhg. Dato’ Haris Onn Hussein of KESTURI
Batu Toll Plaza

YB Dato’ Shaziman bin Abu Mansor and Y. Bhg. Dato’ Haris Onn Hussein at opening ceremony
Raj and colleagues at Toll Plaza

The DUKE Expressway operates an open toll system at its three toll plazas located at Batu, Sentul, and Ayer Panas, with a fixed toll rate depending on the class of vehicle. 46% of the expressway journey is toll free. There are 7 interchanges and 5 ramps giving the users multiple entry and exist points.

For more information, refer to DUKE website: http://www.duke.com.my/

LEKAS Highway (Package 1) Opening_22.08.08

Lebuhraya Kajang Seremban (LEKAS) is a new dual 3-lane highway between Kajang and Seremban. The Highway of 44 km in length, starts from the south of the Kajang Ring Road and ends at Paroi, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus. LEKAS forms the alternative route to Kuala Lumpur(K.L.)-Seremban PLUS Highway for motorist travelling from east of K.L. to Seremban.

LEKAS map

The official opening ceremony of Package 1 of LEKAS from Kajang South to Pajam was carried on 22th August 2008 at the Kajang Selatan Toll Plaza. It was officiated by YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin bin Mohamed, Minister of Works. As Design Engineering Consultant for the project, we were invited to witness the opening ceremony of the Highway.

Toll Plaza at Kajang Selatan
Y.A.M. Tunku Naquiyuddin and Y.B. Dato' Ir Mohd Zin

Y.B. Dato' Ir Mohd Zin presenting hampers to motorist
Mr. Mathew (Project Manager)_right and Nara (Design Coordinator), HSSI

Raj (Chief Engineer_Bridge) & Mr. Nitchi (COO, HSSI)

The construction of LEKAS highway is divided into 3 packages i.e. Package 1, 2A and 2B, and 3. This package 1 of 18.2 km length was completed in July 2008. Package 2A from Pajam to Mantin is scheduled to be completed by December 2008.

SMART Tunnel Conference_08.07.08

I attended the Conference on SMART Tunnel held at Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya on 8th and 9th July 2008. This conference which was organized by the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) was officiated by Dato Ir Hj Ahmad Husini bin Suleiman, Director General, Department of Irrigation Malaysia.

One the first day of the conference, papers were presented by Engineers involved in the project followed by a half day site visit to the Motorway Control Centre (MCC) and Stormwater Control Centre (SCC) on the next day.

Brief Project Description

SMART, an acronym for Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel, was originally conceived to mitigate the flooding problems in Kuala Lumpur. It also provides alternative route to relieve traffic congestion between Kampung Pandan roundabout and Sungai Besi airfield along KL-Seremban Highway.

The total cost of the project is RM 1.93 billion and is jointly funded by the government which is the project owner, and the JV Contractor (MMC-Gamuda JV) financing the road tunnel section and allowed to collect toll for 40 year period.

Location map

Project Components of SMART
1. Intake System
- Debris removal system in Sungai Ampang and Sungai Klang upstream of the confluence of two rivers.

Debris Removal System

- River flow diversion system complete with a 4-bay diversion weir structure (radial gates).
Radial Gates at Sungai Klang

- Holding Pond with storage capacity of 600,000 cubic metres located at the upstream of the tunnel. Flow is directed into this pond via the off take structure.


Holding Pond at Kampung Berembang, Ampang

2. Tunnel Bypass
- A 9.7 km bypass stormwater tunnel with internal diameter of 11.8m stormwater diversion cum double deck road traffic tunnel. The tunnel has a storage capacity of 1 million cubic metres when it is full.

- A vehicular tunnel enters the diversion tunnel system about 4.6 km downstream from the holding pond and exits a further 3 km downstream. The section of the tunnel where the vehicular traffic is included have 3 components i.e. two traffic decks and a lower channel for stormwater flow.
Cross section sketch of tunnel

Tunnel Operation Modes


3. Outlet system
- A storage pond with a storage capacity 0f 1.4 million cubic metres is located at the downstream end of the tunnel i Taman Desa.

- A set of twin box culverts, gated at both ends, conveys the discharge from the storage reservoir to Sungai Kerayong whenever the water level in the river is at a permissible level.

The second day of the conference included a site visit and briefing at the Motor Control Centre(MCC) and Stormwater Control Centre (SCC).

HSSI participants: Raj, Mr. Kun, Somnath & Nor Affiza (behind middle) attending briefing.

The SMART motorway is monitored around the clock at MCC near the Bulatan Kg Pandan.
MCC Control room

The SCC houses the SMART Flood Detection System (FDS) t Kg. Berampang in Ampang. The FDS not only provides real time hydrological information as well as forecast flood mode, but also serves to monitor the status of all the SMART components.
Flood mode dispalyed at SCC monitor.
Monitoring of hydraulics information at SCC

Westport Site Visit_02.05.08

Went to Westport for a site visit of the construction of the Container Terminal 5 (CT5) with my Engineers on 02.05.08.

Sukhvinder, Kanaeshwaran, Wong, Raj & Janice.
With Mr. Lee CH (Resident Engineer) and Hardi (Asst Resident Enginer (ARE)

The construction of CT5 is part of the ongoing expansion project of Westport wharves development that is located at the northwestern shore of Pulau Indah, Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The CT5 wharf which is 600m in length and 64m wide is connected to the port's container yard by three bridges. The bridges are of 90m in length and 18m wide. The structures are supported on piled foundation of spun concrete piles. The deck structure consists of precast crossheads, precast slab units and in situ concrete topping.

Putra Perdana Construction Sdn. Bhd. was awarded the construction works of the CT5 wharves on 16.07.07 and expected to complete the works on 31.08.08. The construction works includes marine and land piling; dredging; concreting for precast and in situ concrete; substation construction; installation of Panzerbelt system, fender units, bollards, crane rails and highmast; ancillary steel work; electrical and mechanical works, hydrant and water piping; drainage; revertment works and pavement works. To date 70 % of the works has been completed.

Piling works from barge

Fixing of pilecap reinforcement

Construction of bridge connecting the wharf
Construction of frontal panel of wharf
Mr. Lee standing next to a bollard

Penang Bridge Widening

Site visit to Penang Bridge on 25th April 2008.


Basic description of project:

• Penang Bridge currently provides the only fixed link between Penang Island and the mainland. The overall length of crossing is 13.5 km.

• Widening of 4.8m to each side of the approach bridge is being constructed to accommodate one extra vehicle lane and 2m shoulder to merge with the central cable stayed spans which have been constructed previously with dual two lanes.

Piling works in progress

Completed SubStructure

• The construction works involve installation of additional piles, extension to pilecap, additional columns and crosshead extension to support two precast beams and extended in-situ concrete deck.

Mr.J.P.Teng, Deputy Resident Engineer.