Curtin University Malaysia students learn more about bridge works in site visit

MIRI: Curtin University Malaysia students were able to gain valuable insight into the construction of Long Lama Bridge during a recent technical talk and site visit.

The university, in a statement yesterday, said both events were conducted by the Curtin Highway Infrastructure Research and Innovation Hub, in collaboration with the Institution of Engineers Malaysia ( IEM) Miri branch.

The talk was attended by students and staff of Curtin Malaysia’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and IEM members.

Delivering the talk was Sam Yii Hock Wong, a senior project manager with Pekerjaan Piasau Konkerit Sdn Bhd ( PPK) – the main contractor for the bridge project.

Yii is an experienced and qualified professional engineer, with some 20 years’ experience in road and bridge construction works.

The bridge project is fully funded by the Sarawak government at a cost of some RM67 million, and the structure is expected to be open to the public in April next year.

Yii explained to the visitors the overall works involved in the construction of the balanced cantilever bridge – from the foundation works to the construction of the piers and bridge deck.

He also highlighted the various methods of construction used, including the post- tensioning works specific to bridge deck construction, as well as problems faced during construction and the solutions used to overcome them.

Yii then hosted a site visit to the project site for Curtin Malaysia students and staff the following day.

They were able to view firsthand how a balanced cantilever bridge was constructed – gaining valuable insights as Yii pointed out the travelling formwork used in constructing the deck and how post- tensioning works were carried out on site.

Curtin Malaysia’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering head Assoc Prof Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman commented that at Curtin Malaysia, undergraduate students are given ample opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

He said special lectures by invited speakers and field trips are organised every semester to help students connect their studies with actual industry applications.

“With the additional exposure, undergraduates pick up further knowledge and skills, enhancing their marketability graduation,” he said.

The four-year Bachelor of Engineering ( Honours) in Civil and Construction Engineering at Curtin Malaysia is identical to that available at its parent campus in Western Australia.

The professional and practically- oriented course is professionally accredited by Engineers Australia and the Board of Engineers Malaysia, and by virtue of Australia and Malaysia being signatories of the ‘ Washington Accord’, the qualification is recognised in over 20 countries.

A comprehensive combination upon of civil engineering and construction engineering, the course has extensive support and collaboration from industry players and is highly prized by graduates and respected by professional engineers.

The quality of Curtin University’s courses is assured through its strong standing in global university rankings.

It is currently ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide in the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2018.

It is also ranked in 27 out of 48 subjects globally in the 2018 QS World University Ranking by Subject.