Curtin Malaysia students make virtual visit to Pan Borneo Highway

Miri – 7 July 2021 –  The Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Curtin Highway Infrastructure Research and Innovation hub (CHIRI), Curtin Civil Society and Curtin Environmental Club of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) jointly organised a virtual site visit to the Pan Borneo Highway on 3 July 2021.

The visit was for students and academic staff from the Civil and Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management and Health, Safety and Environment programmes at the campus.

Ir. Siaw Ming Chian from Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) Sarawak and Ir, Sam Yii from Pekerjaan Piasau Konkerit Sdn. Bhd. jointly hosted the virtual site visit on Webex for the 70 students and staff.

After giving some background information on the Pan Borneo Highway project, which has been in progress since 2015, Ir. Siaw talked about JKR’s specifications and requirements in the construction of the 1,060 kilometre highway in Sarawak. In addition to a four-lane dual carriageway, it also entails the construction of many bridges for river crossings and pedestrian bridges, as well as interchanges and bus shelters all along the length of the highway.

Ir. Yii, meanwhile, talked about the beam launching procedures for the flyover bridge at the Pujut Intersection in Miri. He also related some of the environmental, health and safety considerations in the implementation of the project.

The three-hour site visit also involved watching a video of the beam launch process and a virtual visit to the beam casting yard and construction site at the Pujut Intersection. The students and staff also had the chance to learn about the construction of reinforced earth walls through a live session.

“Unfortunately, we could not watch a live video of the beam launching as such activities are conducted at night for safety reasons, but what we managed to see and learn during the virtual site visit was very enlightening nonetheless. We are grateful to Ir. Siaw and Ir. Yii for giving us very valuable insights into their respective projects,” said Dr. Wong Kwong Soon, Head of the Civil and Construction Department at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science.

To conclude the site visit, there was an extensive one-hour question-and-answer session discussing  aspects such as casting and launching of beams; environmental inspections, noise pollution, and water pollution as the casting yard is located next to a river; and construction management aspects such the impact of fluctuation in the prices of materials on construction costs; and health and safety aspects such as the role of safety officer and supervisors in ensuring the safety of workers and road users during beam launching.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin University’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 facilities such as roads, bridges, water supply and wastewater treatment systems, tunnels, power projects, offshore structures, and commercial and industrial buildings. Students also acquire an understanding of the properties of construction materials and construction methods to produce designs for projects.

The Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering covers a broad scope of environmental engineering, including water treatment, solid waste management, and domestic and industrial waste water treatment. Graduates of the course are highly sought after in areas such as environmental impact assessments, air pollution prevention and control, environmental monitoring and management systems, environmental consultation, soil erosion prevention measures, noise monitoring and control, development of 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).

Curtin Malaysia also offers the Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management, a management-oriented course that prepares students for a range of professional roles in the building and infrastructure construction industry. Graduates of the course work across a broad range of interrelated disciplines on residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.

The Bachelor of Science in Health, Safety and Environment, meanwhile, prepares students for diverse careers in the expanding area of occupational health and safety. They will specialise in identifying and managing workplace risks to ensure safe and healthy work environments, as well as develop professional skills in critical thinking, information literacy and technology.

Curtin Malaysia’s mid-year (July) intakes for foundation and undergraduate programmes are now open for applications. Interested SPM and STPM leavers can enquire by email to enquiries@curtin.edu.my or visit courses.curtin.edu.my for more information.

Some of the students and staff who took part in the virtual site visit.