Over S$30 Million for Research Into Greener Building Methods, Plus New Rules to Cut Diaphragm Wall Costs

The programme will be funded by the Singapore Institute of Technology, A*STAR and other industry players, and also involves construction and civil engineering firm Woh Hup. Speaking at the Construction Technology Innovation Laboratory Seminar on 1 October, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said it is one of the largest private-sector research and development investments in the built environment sector so far.

Called the Woh Hup-SIT-A*STAR Consortium Research Programme for Sustainable Construction Technology, it will take on seven research projects spanning sustainable construction materials, innovative substructural systems, and low-carbon structures and reusability over the next three years. SIT said the programme will run until 31 March 2029.

Research will focus on areas where the sector has clear needs: scaling up ultra-low carbon concrete production, developing AI-enabled design and optimisation tools, transforming demolition waste into useful construction materials, and enabling the reuse of structural steel. Other projects cover transforming demolition waste into materials for land reclamation, and improving productivity and safety in deep excavations using lightweight retaining and stabilising structures.

Chee said solutions developed can help reduce embodied carbon, improve productivity and resource efficiency, and strengthen the resilience of Singapore’s construction supply chain. Embodied carbon refers to greenhouse gases resulting from the extraction, creation and transportation of building materials, as well as the construction of buildings.

“We want our firms and professionals to develop new competencies in areas such as AI-enabled design, sustainable materials and data analytics, and we hope that by doing this we can create more good job opportunities for our people,” he said.

The programme builds on work done by the Construction Technology Innovation Laboratory, set up in January 2021 by SIT and Woh Hup with three other industry players. The lab developed solutions such as ultra-low carbon concrete, which has been deployed in condominium developments Copen Grand and Lumina Grand, as well as the upcoming Union Square.

Chee also said the Building and Construction Authority and Land Transport Authority have formed a joint working group with industry professionals, specialist contractors and practitioners to develop technical guidelines improving the construction quality of diaphragm walls. It is one outcome of an action team of government and industry representatives set up to find ways for firms to save time, costs and manpower without compromising safety and quality standards. Chee chairs the action team, whose formation he announced in February 2026.

Diaphragm walls, made of reinforced concrete, are commonly used in underground projects such as MRT stations and basements, supporting the surrounding ground during construction and keeping the completed structure watertight.

Construction firms gave feedback that in some diaphragm walls, steel reinforcement within the walls was highly congested, making it difficult for concrete to flow around the steel bars, which could impact construction quality and potentially lead to water leakage.

The guidelines will set out how improved concrete performance and appropriate detailing can be used to optimise reinforcement while maintaining the required structural safety and watertightness. The measures are expected to reduce reinforcement usage in such walls by about 10 per cent, saving up to S$3 million per kilometre of diaphragm wall construction.

“At the same time, these measures will improve construction quality and productivity, and reduce the need for subsequent rectification works,” Chee added. He noted that innovation does not always involve new technology. “Sometimes, it means taking a fresh look at the way we do things today, working with our industry partners to identify what are the areas that we can do better, and finding ways to achieve the same desired outcomes, but with lower costs, less time and manpower.”