Tests on for Underground Science City

Soil, rock analysis part of ongoing feasibility studies
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 1 Feb 10;

DEVELOPMENT of the planned Underground Science City (USC) at Kent Ridge is gaining momentum, with JTC Corporation now embarking on a thorough soil and rock investigation of the site.

This follows its award of a tender in December to a Swiss-Singapore consortium to get detailed designs and cost estimates for the project which spans a 20-hectare geological formation below Science Parks 1, 2 and 3 as well as Kent Ridge Park.

The consortium of Amberg Engineering and Jurong Consultants has a 13-month timeline to complete that study, with the results expected in January next year, a JTC spokeswoman said.

Amberg specialises in underground construction like road and railway tunnels and has built caverns for the Swiss Army and Swiss Air Force while Jurong Consultants is part of the Jurong International Group.

Jurong International said on its website that the study will "look into the potential of underground caverns for research laboratories and data centres. It will reassess the maximum build size for the cavern complex as well as other environmental and demographic factors".

The JTC spokewoman said that the latest soil and rock study - a tender for which was called on Friday - is part of ongoing feasibility studies for the project. "It is still at conceptual stage at this point," she added.

The soil and rock investigation is expected to take about four months.

The appointed consultant-contractor will undertake detailed studies like rock core drillings to obtain data down to approximately 150 metres, and to investigate the quality and properties of bedrock at the site.

The consultant will also need to have specialists such as an engineering geologist or geotechnical engineer, an experienced drilling specialist and a geophysicist for the study.

Additionally, the JTC tender also specified that the contractor should have a geologist who has good knowledge and 10 years’ experience in local geology in Singapore or similar soil/rock formations like the Jurong Formation.

With land getting scarce, the USC is one of several underground projects which Singapore is now pursuing.