UNDERGROUND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS IN SINGAPORE: CHALLENGES, RISKS AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

As major cities like Singapore are becoming an increasingly dense setting, the government has shifted its focus towards underground developments. Underground developments are viewed as a strategy to alleviate land scarcity and an opportunity to improve economic pursuits for the nation. As such, more commercial infrastructures are expected to be shifted underground. However, underground infrastructures are inherently risky and face a multitude of challenges over the course of its development. Therefore, this dissertation will investigate the critical challenges and risks within underground commercial projects. In addition, it will propose effective solutions and risk mitigation strategies to tackle the identified challenges and risks. Survey results revealed that the top challenges in underground commercial projects are: (1) “long duration of construction”, (2) “extensive restoration time and cost if structure is damage”, (3) “intense pressure from clients” and (4) “ensuring safety of site”. Data from the survey also identified that the top solutions to overcome challenges in underground commercial projects are: (1) “selecting an experienced and competent team”, (2) “using information technology (e.g. BIM) to simulate the construction process to predict and control the negative impacts to be imposed on surrounding underground infrastructure”, (3) “improve construction quality to ensure lesser maintenance is required during the operational stage” and (4) “improve communication between client and other stakeholders”. It was also assessed from the survey that the most critical risks involved in underground commercial projects are: (1) “excessive demands and variations from owners/developers to the project”, (2) “unforeseen site conditions”, (3) “underestimation of construction schedule” and (4) “delay in completion”. Finally, the most effective risk mitigation strategies are: (1) “deploy inundation prevention equipment at site”, (2) “commission experts from third-party risk management agency”, (3) “develop an effective and efficient risk management system”, (4) “define clear roles and responsibilities of stakeholders” and (5) “train more professionals in underground construction”. The findings from this study can help improve and progress the state of underground commercial projects in Singapore.