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[Korean Construction Builds the World]

Ssangyong E&C Puts Safety First at the TEL 308 Construction Site

 

With the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Singapore planning to double the nation’s rail network by 2030, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is being constructed while the Downtown Line (DTL) is being extended. Against this back, the familiar logos of Korean contractors can be seen all around Singapore as they are actively involved at these construction sites.

 

Ssangyong E&C secured a contract, commissioned by the LTA, to construct the Thompson-East Coast Line (TEL) Section T308 in January 2016. The project involves the construction of a 1.78-kilometer long subway section, which connects the area south of downtown with the eastern coastal areas, as well as two 1.34-kilometer long tunnels and Marine Terrace Station. The project is worth USD 252 million (KRW 305 billion).

 

This particular section is considered extremely challenging because the area is densely packed with apartment complexes, thus requiring careful control of noise and dust levels and because the ground is too weak for tunneling. For this reason, Ssangyong E&C applied the top-down approach, digging a tunnel downwards from the ground to minimize changes to the ground structure and friction with local residents. Currently, the main frames have been fully installed, with construction expected to be completed in 2023.

 

◇ Secret to Beating Low Bidders

To participate in the bidding process, Ssangyong E&C (75% share, USD 190 million) formed a joint venture (JV) with Hyundai E&C (25% share). Even though the JV was not the lowest bidder, it secured the bid by scoring high in the non-price categories.

 

In particular, the success was the result of the company’s high scores in the safety management capability category. Ssangyong E&C achieved the world’s first 16-million accident-free man-hour record at the Downtown Line (DTL) 921 site, the most challenging construction section of the line. The previous record was seven million accident-free man-hours.

 

Another factor behind the successful bidding was Ssangyong E&C’s superb technological prowess, demonstrated by the company’s 24 LTA safety awards since 2010. Ssangyong E&C’s joint venture received unparalleled scores in the non-price categories of the Price Quality Method (PQM), where the contractor’s construction capabilities, technological expertise, safety management capability and management performance are comprehensively evaluated.

 

◇ Ssangyong E&C’s Outstanding Reputation for Safety Management in Singapore

Ssangyong E&C cares about safety management as much as it does about quality. That’s because of the company’s philosophy that the highest level of trust a contractor can provide is to ensure safety.

 

The company has paid particular attention to its Singaporean project sites, hiring two to three times the number of managers and supervisors required for the number of on-site construction workers. Clients take a contractor’s safety management capability seriously during the bidding process. Currently, Ssangyong E&C has maintained a record of five million accident-free man-hours at the TEL 308 site. Moving forward, the company will use its technological prowess and safety management capability as selling points and actively participate in construction tenders within Singapore.

 

“Ten years ago, our company established a safety education center for workers at our construction site, for the first time in Singapore. Now, you see such centers at every construction site,” Sang Hyeon Jeong, Ssangyong E&C’s site manager noted. “In this way, we are promoting the Korean system of safety in Singapore.”