Samwoh paves green, innovative ways towards a sustainable future
Not long ago, when Singapore was still a fledgling independent country, nation-building meant paving roads, raising bridges and erecting buildings where there were previously none. The industrial and economic stronghold that is the Singapore of today redefines nation-building as creating a sustainable future where roads withstand the wear and tear of the bustling metropolis, old structures give life to new ones, and waste provides power and resources.
Not long ago, when Singapore was still a fledgling independent country, nation-building meant paving roads, raising bridges and erecting buildings where there were previously none. The industrial and economic stronghold that is the Singapore of today redefines nation-building as creating a sustainable future where roads withstand the wear and tear of the bustling metropolis, old structures give life to new ones, and waste provides power and resources.
In the early 1970s, three lorry drivers had the ambition to contribute to Singapore's nation-building. They incorporated a company named Samwoh, the core business of which at that time was transport and logistics. Over a span of 40 years, with a determined entrepreneurial spirit, Samwoh has grown to become a market leader in civil and infrastructure construction, and the manufacturing and supply of construction and building materials with innovation and sustainable technologies.
"Marking Samwoh's 40th anniversary as Singapore celebrates its 50th year of independence this year, we are set to pave the way for a future where construction waste is a thing of the past," says CEO Eric Soh. "Keys to achieving this are in-depth expertise to understand clients' needs and a strong, innovative spirit that is committed to taking the big leap."
One-stop industry leader
During the company's establishment in the 1970s as a logistics and transport company, Samwoh quickly earned the trust of its first high-profile client - the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Creating a niche in the construction and maintenance of roads, aircraft and seaport pavements, the company also expanded its services to asphalt premix supplying and laying.
Through perseverance and unity, Samwoh conquered many challenges to achieve the status of a construction industry leader and a pioneer in civil engineering, infrastructural construction, building materials supply, specialised blasting systems, recycling of construction and industrial wastes, and pavement consultancy.
"The field of construction is highly competitive. We differentiate ourselves through the elements of innovative research and development [R&D], which bring value back into our core business of sustainable construction," Soh says. "By employing our expertise, particularly in construction materials, we come up with new mixes, designs, and production and testing facilities that help drive us ahead in the industry."
To ensure consistent supply and production, the company owns and operates three asphalt factories equipped with green facilities that can produce up to 600 tonnes per hour. These factories are complemented by hot mix silos capable of storing and preserving more than 2,500 tonnes of finished products at any time. All tools and machinery, particularly milling and paving equipment, are regularly maintained and upgraded in compliance with stringent industrial standards.
Such advantages, coupled with Samwoh's dedicated milling and paving teams, and an in-house fleet of vehicles for transport and logistics, allow for maximum flexibility and efficiency. Through this, Samwoh ensures that customers receive their orders on schedule - regardless of their location in Singapore, extreme weather conditions or volume.
"Investment in the latest technologies yields consistent quality work and progress at Samwoh," says chief operating officer Dr Ho Nyok Yong. "Samwoh's business system is like a thriving ecosystem, where every business unit contributes and propels one another towards the benefit of our clients."
With this principle, Samwoh further engages in many areas of civil engineering and infrastructure construction projects for the public and private sectors. The company has led the construction of some of Singapore's key expressways, arterial roads, flyovers, underpasses, runways and building infrastructures such as substations and sewage pumping stations.
In addition to the HDB, clients have grown to include Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA), Jurong Town Corp, Defence Science and Technology Agency, Changi Airport Group, Public Utilities Board, PSA Corp, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, along with other major developers in Singapore. Samwoh has also become a top maintenance contractor for Singapore's various roads and expressways, and the runways and taxiways at Changi and Seletar airports.
As a registered A1 civil engineering contractor with Singapore's Building and Construction Authority (BCA) under the civil engineering category, Samwoh certifies that every project is handled by dedicated and professional teams of managers, engineers, quantity surveyors, supervisors and foremen. These teams, backed by in-house technical support and specialists, also ensure that OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards are strictly implemented at every site.
Apart from civil engineering, Samwoh offers a comprehensive portfolio of explosives and controlled blasting systems that complements its capabilities. This includes services such as drilling and blasting for underground work and utilities, tunnels and caverns.
Samwoh's "one-stop service" concept and business framework that enables great working synergy has allowed the company to stand out among the country's most enterprising companies, securing the company multiple recognitions from highly reputable industry stakeholders such as BCA and LTA.
Samwoh's recent recognitions include the Asean Green Building Awards 2014 for its Eco-Green building made with up to 100 per cent recycled concrete aggregates; the Gold BCA Construction Productivity Award (Advocates) and the Platinum BCA Green Mark at the BCA Awards 2014; and Enterprise 50 award top winner in 2009 and 2010.
Today, Samwoh synergises the strengths of its 18 companies, including an overseas subsidiary based in Indonesia, and has become one of the region's most recognised companies of its kind.
"Beyond awards and recognitions, Samwoh takes greater pride in leading the way to Singapore's new future - one that is sustainable and socially responsible," Soh says.
A glimpse of next-generation green buildings
Addressing the government's appeal to intensify efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle wastes, Samwoh took it upon itself to develop innovative ways, technologies and facilities devoted to the cause.
One of Samwoh's asphalt manufacturing plants, for instance, is designed to produce recycled asphalt premix from reclaimed asphalt pavement. Samwoh has also built two integrated construction waste recovery facilities at the Sarimbun Recycling Park developed by Singapore's National Environment Agency to boost the city state's waste recycling industry.
Recycling demolished concretes and other wastes from the construction industry, the facilities yield aggregates that are then reused in road construction or made to replace natural aggregates for the manufacturing of concrete.
The latest and greatest testament to Samwoh's commitment to sustainability, however, is the Samwoh Eco-Green Park. The park is home to an asphalt recycling plant that processes asphalt pavement waste, a ready-mixed concrete plant that produces eco-concrete, and the Samwoh Eco-Green building.
"Samwoh's recycling activities not only enable us to extract better value from the wastes generated from our own construction activities, they also contribute towards our nation's goal of achieving environmental sustainability," Ho says.
Unveiled in 2010, the three-storey Samwoh Eco-Green building features office spaces and a research laboratory, but its most remarkable characteristics are embedded in its structure itself. It was constructed with up to 100 per cent recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), which has never been used in such high percentage in structural buildings - making Samwoh Eco-Green building the first of its kind to demonstrate the viability of RCA application in structural works.
Towards the completion of the Samwoh Eco-Green building, this R&D helped Samwoh gain worldwide recognition. The company's research journals on this breakthrough are featured on highly prestigious platforms such as Magazine of Concrete Research (Britain) in May and Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers in March 2013.
Much of Samwoh Eco-Green building's R&D success is attributed to the in-depth research and laboratory tests conducted at the company's R&D centre in collaboration with BCA and Nanyang Technological University.
"The building opened up a new chapter in Singapore's sustainable development with the reduction of our dependence on natural aggregates," Ho says. "We hope to see such a feat resonating across the region and the globe."
Bringing the expertise to developing markets
Renowned among the most advanced laboratories in the field of civil engineering in Singapore, the Samwoh Research and Development Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art testing facilities for evaluation of civil engineering materials including asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, bitumen, aggregate and soil.
Led by experienced engineers, the centre is keen on partnering with government agencies and tertiary institutions such as National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore Polytechnic. It is a regular recipient of R&D grants from the government, particularly for green initiatives such as the construction of the revolutionary Eco-Green building.
"There are several areas in construction where we can add value through our know-how and technologies. We are thrilled to bring our expertise overseas, particularly to developing countries that can benefit the most from cost-efficient, long-lasting and safe roads and infrastructure," Ho says. "Whether through consultancy, joint venture or other forms of partnership, we look forward to replicating our contributions in other parts of the world."
Customisation and bespoke development of application-specific materials are two of Samwoh's areas of expertise that have already benefited clients locally and internationally. Part of the process is evaluating not only what the client wants, but also creating solutions necessary and appropriate for the project, considering factors such as its purpose, the location's ambient conditions and the allocated budget.
Having completed several similar projects in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Myanmar, Samwoh is eyeing Indonesia, Brunei and other Asia-Pacific markets, as well as the Middle East. Another expertise the company sees as having a practical application to developing regions is its pavement management system, which analyses the profile, quality and reliability of pavements in different applications, including roads and runways, to ensure safety and comfort of travellers.
"As a progressive, forward-looking industry leader, we look forward to being able to contribute to the continuing nation-building beyond construction," Soh says. "The only answer is continuous innovation, which can steer any company or country towards sustainability - and we aim to be the partner of choice to those seeking to follow our construction business journey."