Keller completes its first Vibro Concrete Column project in Singapore Featured

Keller has completed its first-ever vibro concrete column (VCC) project in Singapore, opening a new market in the country.

Vibro concrete columns can be used in a variety of soils to reduce settlement and increase bearing capacity. They offer an economical alternative to traditional piling methods and produce very little spoil.

Keller has participated in upgrading the Lorong Halus, an area in eastern Singapore that used to be, literally, the country’s dumping ground. The region accommodated the largest landfill of Singapore which was closed in 1999. Since then, officials have made great efforts to transform the area into an attractive, ecologically diverse coastal wetland.

The local government has invested heavily in a major roadworks program in Lorong Halus, but with difficult ground conditions caused by years of buried waste, the government’s consultants in charge of the project turned to Keller. 

“After analyzing the soil conditions, we explored the possibility of using deep soil mixing, vibro stone columns or vibro concrete columns. Based on our analysis, vibro concrete columns were the best solution. Our team in Keller Malaysia has faced a similar situation in Penang, Malaysia where VCC was used to support water tanks in Penang’s sewage treatment plant, also built on landfill soil. The nature of the technique introduces concrete into the soil and pushes the problematic, landfill soil to the side. This way, strength gained from the columns are independent of surrounding soils.” Edward Koh Cho Meng, Senior Business Development Manager, Keller Singapore, stated.

Although Keller hadn’t carried out any previous vibro concrete column projects in Singapore, the advantage of being part of a global company is the ability to share knowledge. The team was able to draw on expertise from Keller’s Vibro Global Product Team, as well as their colleagues in Malaysia. One of the keys to the project’s success was pre-loosening the top layer of stiff soil, which had been heavily compacted with years of domestic waste, so the team’s vibrator could penetrate the soft clay layer below.

“By proving our capabilities on this project, we can now offer vibro concrete columns as an alternative technique, adding value to our Singapore clients and giving us a competitive advantage in a marketplace largely offering conventional piling methods and deep soil mixing,” Edward added.