Curtin Malaysia students learn about IBS technology at Miri Hospital extension project

Miri – 9 September 2022 – The Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and student-run Curtin Civil Society and Curtin Environmental Club academic clubs of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently organised two separate site visits for 67 students to the Miri Hospital extension project.

Accompanying the students on the visits were lecturers Dr. Tina Ting, Dr. Lee Yeong Huei, Ir. Meheron Selowara Joo and Dr. Timothy Ting.

The purpose of the site visits was to allow the civil and construction engineering and environmental engineering students to learn more about the construction project and also observe how Industrialised Building System (IBS) construction technology is being used on the project.

To upgrade the functionality of Miri Hospital, construction of a building extension to accommodate an estimated 328 beds and various medical facilities has been carried out since 2020. To expedite the construction process and improve the quality of the construction, IBS construction technology was implemented. IBS is the adoption of construction industrialisation and the use of prefabricated components in building construction. Carried out by Riaplus Sdn. Bhd., the project is expected to be completed by 2023.

According to Ir. Meheron, who is a senior lecturer and programme coordinator in the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, some of the civil engineering students are studying Reinforced Concrete Design and Integrated Design and Construction as part of their academic programme and thus, learning about the IBS construction technology being implemented at the site was very relevant to their studies.

“The site visits were aimed at introducing the students to the fundamentals of structural design and real-world applications of construction engineering. This helps them prepare to be future engineers and be job-ready when they graduate,” said Ir. Meheron.

The site visits began with technical briefings by site engineer Ho Zi Hao, who briefed the students on the unique IBS construction technology used in the project, in addition to its design aspects, practical considerations and construction methodologies. The briefings were followed by tours of some of the completed hospital buildings.

Final-year civil and construction engineering student and Curtin Civil Society president Lim Zi Hao said the site visit he went on was very educational and enhanced his understanding of real-world construction techniques, having learned the theories behind them in class. He said while IBS technology is relatively new, its use in the Miri Hospital extension project has proven very effective.

“As a final-year student, I was pleased to have the opportunity to go on the site visit and find out more about IBS systems that may be pertinent to my future engineering career,” said Lim.

Fellow final-year student Brandon Ng Kah Meng, meanwhile, said he was pleased to be able gain a lot of new knowledge and observe practices that were slightly different from what was taught in his course. He said that from the site engineer’s briefing, the students learned that there were numerous considerations such as drainage and guttering that had to be taken into account on a construction site. Also, noting the arrangement of superstructures on the site gave them some ideas about completing jobs, such as slab sizing.

Dr. Lee thanked the staff of Riaplus Sdn. Bhd. for their support towards the site visits and the ongoing learning of engineering students of Curtin Malaysia. He said the visits provided the students valuable insights into the application of IBS technology in building construction, especially precast components, connections, and insulation systems, which will be very useful to them in their future careers.

Adding to Dr. Lee’s comments, Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering Associate Professor Ir. Wong Kwong Soon remarked that industrial site visits are an important component of Curtin’s engineering curriculum, providing students opportunities to strengthen their understanding of concepts and theories learned in the classroom and their application in real world situations.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin’s Bachelor of Engineering in Civil and Construction Engineering, which equips students with the knowledge and skills to apply scientific and technological principles to the design and construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water supply and wastewater treatment systems, tunnels, power projects, offshore structures, and commercial and industrial buildings.

The Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering, meanwhile, provides a broad scope of environmental engineering, including water treatment, solid waste management, and domestic and industrial waste water treatment. Graduates can find employment in areas such as environmental impact assessment, air pollution prevention and control, environmental monitoring and management systems, soil erosion prevention, noise monitoring and control, recycling systems and oil spill recovery.

Both are four-year honours courses accredited by Engineers Australia (EA) and the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), and recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit https:// www.curtin.edu.my or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok. More information on the Faculty of Engineering and Science can be found at https://engsci.curtin.edu.my/.

First batch of students and lecturers pose for group photo with staff of Riaplus Sdn Bhd

A second batch of students visiting the construction site.

Students and lecturers attending a briefing by Site Engineer Ho Zi Hao.

Students with Site Engineer Ho Zi Hao in one of the buildings under construction.