Updates on work from Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur

Hitachi Wins 300-Elevator Order for Singapore’s HDB

Hitachi Elevator Asia Pte. Ltd. has won a long-term contract to supply, deliver and install 300 elevators for the Housing & Development Board (HDB) of the Republic of Singapore, the largest-ever order for Hitachi in the country. Observing that more than 80% of Singapore’s population lives in HDB developments, Hitachi Elevator Asia Managing Director Victor Sia said the contract will allow Hitachi to “showcase the ability to adapt to different markets and their needs.” Hitachi Elevator Asia has provided elevators, escalators and moving walks to numerous major projects, including Singapore Changi Airport and Guoco Tower, which, at 290 m, is Singapore’s
tallest building.

Massive Concrete Pour Marks Milestone at One Bangkok

A 33-hr concrete pour involving 23,725 m3 of material with a compressive strength of 600 kg/cm2 — higher than that used for the Burj Khalifa — marked a milestone earlier this year at One Bangkok, a mixed-use development scheduled for completion in 2023 in central Bangkok next to Lumphini Park, Construction Global reported. Occurring in February, the task required coordination of nearly 550 trucks to create a 4.5-m thick foundation for a 170-m-tall office building, which will be part of what developers TCC Assets and Frasers Property Holdings intend to be a “global landmark destination.” In addition to air- and noise-pollution mitigation measures, the team — including Concrete Products and Aggregate Co., Ltd.; K.C.S. & Associates Co., Ltd.; Stonehenge Inter Plc; and Italian-Thai Development Corp. Ltd. — took careful measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Precautions’ Effect on Kuala Lumpur Supertall

Prior to a movement control order aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, construction on PNB’s Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur — expected as Southeast Asia’s future tallest tower (ELEVATOR WORLD, November 2019)—had reached the 111th of 118 floors in March, The Malaysian Reserve reported in May. The project was on hold for up to three months, but PNB executives said during a virtual press conference on May 4 that construction was expected to resume within a week. Measures including taking workers’ temperatures, staggering work hours and practicing social distancing are being implemented, and the executives said there are plenty of construction materials on hand to allow work for the next six months. The more-than-3-million-ft2 structure will house 1.65 million ft2 of premium office space, a Park Hyatt Hotel and 1 million ft2 of retail. Completion is anticipated in late 2021.