SECTION 1: CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDELINES

1.1 GENERAL

It is the duty and responsibility of the Consultant to ensure that the designs satisfy the strength,
stability, safety and serviceability requirements of the building. The design calculations and
drawings for the proposed structural system shall comply with the latest Singapore Standard or
relevant Bristish Code of Practices (eg. SS CP 65, BS5950,etc) and other regulatory and
statutory requirements.

1.2 MATERIAL

Minimum grade 40 concrete shall be used for the substructures and superstructures of the
building including precast reinforced concrete piles, pilecap and building precast concrete
components. A single grade of concrete shall be used for the cast-in-situ substructure (excluding
piling) and superstructure. In the design of the concrete mix, the contractor is allowed to replace
up to a maximum of 30% of natural sand with granite fines. However, the Consultant must ensure
that the design mix can meet the performance in terms of strength, workability and durability in
addition to regulatory requirements.

As part of the quality assurance system for the usage of ready mixed concrete, the Consultant
shall ensure that concrete are batched in accordance with clauses as stated in relevant
standards, Building Control Regulations and HDB’s requirements on ready-mixed concrete
supplier which can be downloaded from website http://ml.eptc.sg. The Consultant shall carry out
checks to the ready-mixed concrete plant for the respective site twice a year, during the active
stage of construction. The QP shall submit report within two weeks after the checks for any
violation.

1.3 LOADING

1.3.1 Imposed Load

The characteristic minimum imposed loads adopted in the Consultant’s design shall
comply with the Building Control Act and Regulations 1989 and its latest amendments.

The following minimum imposed loads shall be used in the design of residential flat, multi-
storey car park, precinct pavilion, linkways, linkbuilding and related building structures:

(1) Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP) and Service Road

(a) Area of MSCP designated for future 5 kN/m²

conversion to social communal facilities

(b) Accidental vehicle impact load acting 150 kN

horizontally onto columns adjacent to
service road at a height of 0.610m from
floor level.

(c) Fire Engine access on building structures 16 kN/m²

- Point load 75 kN per wheel

(d) Lift motor room 7.5 kN/m²

- point load at mid-span of floor beam 100 kN/lift
- point load at mid-span of motor room's 50 kN/lift

(2) Linkway

Ground floor/passageway 4.0 kN/m²

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 (3) Non-Reinforced Concrete Roof

(a) Metal roof 0.5 kN/m²

(b) Clay tile roof 0.5 kN/m²

(4) Design for future conversion

Any part of structures that are designed for future conversion (for example from car
parking to social communal facilities) to support higher imposed load shall be
clearly demarcated on the structural layout plan. The imposed load for the
demarcated areas shall be clearly indicated on the floor plan.

(5) Other Load Consideration

Imposed load reduction for foundation and column shall not be implemented in the
structural design.

The roof fascia shall be designed to support the load of suspended cradle which is
used for architectural works and subsequent maintenance works.

1.3.2 The imposed and dead loads given in clauses 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 serve as a guide in the
design of the building structures of multi-storey car park, linkway/ linkbuilding and non-
reinforced concrete roof. It shall not relieve the Consultant’s responsibility to design for
higher load should the actual load of his proposed plant, construction equipment, finishes
and partition wall acting on any part of the building structures be heavier than the above
minimum imposed and dead load.

1.4 CONCRETE COVER

(a) The minimum concrete cover to the top and bottom steel reinforcement of the slab shall
be 20mm and 30mm respectively.

(b) The minimum concrete cover to main reinforcement bars of the beam shall be 35mm.

(c) The minimum concrete cover to main reinforcement bars of the column shall be 60mm.

(d) The minimum concrete cover to main reinforcement bar of the pilecap shall be 75mm
measured from the side and top face of pilecap and 50mm measured from the pile head.

(e) The minimum concrete cover to the main reinforcement bars of the footing shall be
75mm.

(f) The Consultant shall use welded fabric reinforcement for slab and wall, and
prefabricated link cages for beams and column design.

1.5 FOUNDATION

All types of pile foundation and footing shall be designed to satisfy the requirements stipulated
under the relevant code of practice and other statutory requirements.

The design of foundation shall take into consideration the followings:

(a) All types of pile foundation

All types of pile foundation refer to bored pile, steel H-pile, micropile, jack-in steel pipe
pile, jack-in steel H-pile and precast reinforced concrete pile.

The design considerations and preparation of plans for these piles shall comply with the
following minimum requirements:

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(i) Safety factor

All types of pile foundation shall be designed with safety factor of minimum 2.5
times the nominal working load.

(ii) Site investigation

The site investigation for pile foundation shall comply with the requirements of the
relevant authorities and Code of Practices.

The Consultant shall assess the soil conditions and extent of soil investigation
required based on the boreholes provided and may recommend to carry out
additional boreholes as deemed necessary due to complexities in the ground
conditions.

The Soil Investigation (SI) boreholes should be laid out within the footprint of
proposed MSCP blocks for which the piled foundation is to be designed.

SI should be phased or carried out in stages. Depending on the configuration and

size of the proposed blocks, the SI boreholes may start with a spacing of between
30 m and 50 m within the footprint of a proposed block for an initial assessment of
the underlying soil conditions and variability. For example, for a rectangular block of
width 10 m - 15 m and length 60 m - 80 m, the SI may start with 3 no of boreholes
comprising at least 1 at the centre.

Soil information from available boreholes at neighbouring sites (previously carried

out by HDB) and the SI report from a set of boreholes carried out within the
proposed site will be provided. This information should be used by the consultant as
part of the desktop study to provide a preliminary assessment of the ground
conditions. This same soil information should also be used by the QP as a
reference in the initial assessment when considering to request from HDB for more
boreholes than the minimum number carried out at the proposed site (as provided in
the tender document). Where the ground condition is found and established to be
consistent (viz with little variation), the SI for the proposed site may be considered
as adequate.

Overall, the QP shall be responsible for the appropriateness of the SI to adequately

substantiate the underlying soil conditions at the proposed site.

(iii) Pile penetration

The penetration length for each type of pile shall be indicated on the plans. Should
the actual penetration lengths of the piles deviate excessively and extensively from
those shown on the piling plans, the Qualified Person responsible for the pile design
shall redesign, amend the piling plans and re-submit them as required.

(iv) Pile load Test

The number and location of ultimate and working load test for piles shall be clearly
indicated on the piling plans. The number of other required pile integrity tests shall
also be indicated on the piling plan.

At least one instrumented Ultimate Load Test (ULT) shall be carried out to verify the
design soil parameters before commencement of piling works.

Upon completion of the instrumented ULT, the QP and AC should carry out
immediate evaluation on whether the pile design could be further optimize based on
the soil parameters derived from the instrumented ULT.

The recommendations, with the design analyses including comparisons of initial

design parameters versus actual soil parameters gathered from the instrumented
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 ULT, should be presented in a joint review with HDB. The review date shall be fixed
early to be within one week following the completion of the instrumented ULT.

If the review concludes that the pile design should be further optimized, the QP shall
revise the initial drawings and seek BCA’s approval. The submission to BCA shall
include a complete set of revised drawings, the calculations and the AC's report.

To maximize the benefits from such design optimization, the QP should strive to
expedite the evaluation, redesign and submission and aim to obtain the BCA
approval within two weeks from completion of the instrumented ULT.

Where more than one instrumented ULT is specified for the contract, due to size of
the project or soil conditions, to verify soil parameters in different part of the site, the
above review and submission can be carried out in parts according to each ULT.

To minimize delay to the piling, QP may allow the piling to proceed according to the
original design where the revised design is being put up for BCA approval.

The QP should effect the changes immediately on site and inform HDB upon
obtaining approval from BCA on the amended pile design.

The QP shall be responsible for validating the pile design and any amendments to
the pile design.

(v) Pilecap

i. Where pile foundations are used in the design, reinforced concrete pilecap shall
be designed to support the column. The design of the pilecap shall be based on
the pile load capacity.

ii. The minimum embedment of the piles in the pilecap shall be 100mm for precast
reinforced concrete pile and 150mm for steel pile and bored pile. The
embedment length of the pile dowels into the pile cap shall be tension anchorage
length and of minimum 850mm.

iii. The minimum distance between the edge of piles and edge of pilecap shall be
250mm.

(b) Bored pile

The bored pile shall be of minimum concrete grade 35. The bored piles for building of 10-
storey or higher shall comply with the following additional requirements:

(i) Limit the design compressive stress to 7.5N/mm2.

(ii) Allowable settlement measured at the pile top shall not be greater than 25mm when
tested to 2 times working load.

(iii) Angle of distortion between bored pile group or column location shall not be more
that 1:500.

(c) Timber pile

No timber pile foundation shall be used.

(d) Precast concrete pile

(i) Precast concrete piles shall only be used for linkways, linkbuilding, precinct pavilions
and other single storey light structures.

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 (e) Footing

(i) The soil bearing capacity for design of footing at different depth below ground level
shall be based on the borelog result of corresponding depth. The soil bearing
capacity and the corresponding depth used in design shall be clearly indicated in the
design calculation and footing plans.

(ii) The footing base should be at least 1.5m below ground level.

1.6 COLUMN

(a) All columns shall be founded. Transfer beam design is not allowed.

(b) Column shall be designed as short column in accordance with SS CP65.

(c) Unless column is designed to resist high bending moment, the design ultimate axial load
of short braced columns supporting an approximately symmetrical arrangement of
beams shall be in accordance with SS CP65.

(d) The column load shall correspondingly be indicated in the reinforcement bar schedule for
columns.

(e) Maximum area of steel reinforcement for columns shall be limited to 4.0% of the gross
cross concrete section.

(f) The design of precast column and wall shall comply with the following:

(i) The structure shall be analysed as a continuous frame model.

(ii) HDB spiral connector system, NMB Splice Sleeve System with SS mortar or other
HDB approved equivalent connection system shall be adopted for the precast
column to column connection. The minimum number of splice bars for 200mm to
250mm and 300mm and above width columns shall be 2 and 4 numbers
respectively.

The design shall be cost-effective with efficient usage of splice sleeves for the
column connections while maintaining the structural integrity and compliance with
the requirements of the relevant Code of Practices or building regulations.

The column connections shall be designed for robustness and all the possible
forces that may be acted at the joints as required by the relevant Code of Practices.
Mechanical coupling systems and welding of column reinforcements shall not be
used.

(iii) Columns joints shall be pressure grouted using approved Grade 70 High Strength
Non Shrink Grout. The grout shall be checked for bearing stress for axial load and
bending moment. For this checking, the designed compression cube strength of the
grout bearing joint shall be taken as 50 MPa.

(g) Column links of 3 numbers R10 or equivalent shall be provided within the columns at the
column-beam intersections at ground and second to 5th storey. For building design with
multi-storey voids, the above links reinforcement shall also be placed at the column and
beam intersections of the immediate two stories above the multi-storey void area.

(h) Links spacing shall not exceed 100mm for columns with no framing beam. The column
links at the first storey and multi-storey voids shall be of minimum R10 and at spacing
not exceeding 100 mm. The column links reinforcement spacing from 2nd to 5th storey
shall be of minimum R10 and at spacing not exceeding 150mm. This shall similarly apply
to the immediate 2 stories above the multi-storey voids.

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 (i) The termination of main reinforcement bars for columns at roof shall comprise T25 L-
bend dowels or equivalent. The top end of the bars shall be bent with adequate
anchorage.

(j) All column/wall of building structures that are next to a driveway shall be checked and
designed for vehicular impact load.

(k) No sanitary services stacks or rain water down pipe shall be embedded into the
columns/walls.

(l) Openings through column for services conduit pipes shall not exceed maximum 50 mm
(width) by 150 mm (height). Opening penetration along the full length of the column is
not allowed.

1.7 SLAB DESIGN

(a) Floor slab system shall be precast prestressed concrete floor planks with cast in-situ
topping. Minimum overall slab thickness shall be 125mm with a minimum of 80mm thick
topping to allow for the embedment of conduits for concealed electrical wiring. The use of
main framing and secondary tie beams shall be used to support the precast prestressed
concrete floor planks. The details in the HDB standard guide drawings for this type of
floor system shall be used as a reference for design and detail. To avoid the undesirable
effect due to excessive cambering, the design parameters used for the prestressed plank
shall be verified and adjusted, where necessary, during construction stage to achieve the
required flatness at the slab soffit. Cast in-situ or post-tensioned flat slabs system shall
not be used.

(b) All slabs shall be designed to ensure that any localised concentration of stresses in the
slabs are considered and well distributed with incorporation of detailed reinforcement
details. Also, avoid placing floor openings at locations with high concentration of
stresses. Any openings and re-entrant corners are to be well detailed and reinforced
with trimming bars to prevent cracks formation and stress concentration.

(c) The typical floor shall be designed to comply with the following minimum requirements:

(i) For slab at end bay of the building, the entire roof slab shall be designed and
detailed with top and bottom steel reinforcement for the whole slab panel. The sum
of top and bottom steel reinforcement bars area shall be of minimum 0.25% of gross
cross sectional area of slab.

(ii) At any corner where the slab is simply supported on both edges meeting at the
corners, additional bottom bars with anchorage of L-bend into the beam support and
adequate lapping with bottom mesh shall be provided for torsional resistance.

(d) The roof slab shall be designed to comply with the following minimum requirements:

(i) The entire roof slab shall be designed with top and bottom reinforcement bars of
100mm spacing in both directions for crack control purposes. The sum of top and
bottom steel reinforcement bars shall be of minimum 0.25% of gross cross sectional
area of slab. This 0.25% includes the bottom bars in the precast prestressed
concrete plank.

(ii) In the case where the in-situ concrete topping over the precast prestressed concrete
plank is thick and the sum of top and bottom reinforcement bars is less than 0.25%
of gross cross sectional area of slab, the difference of these reinforcement bars shall
be placed at the bottom level of the concrete topping.

(iii) Roof slab shall be designed and cast to fall. Floor screed to form the fall shall not be
allowed.

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 (iv) The overall roof slab thickness may be reduced by introducing folds at strategic
locations.

(e) The ground slab, apron slab, apron drain, inspection chamber, grease interceptor and
other sewer system shall be suspended.

(f) In the case where the link-bridge is designed at every floor as an access corridor, the
slab shall be designed to resist the stresses induced from the lateral movement and
differential settlement between two opposite side of building structures. The entire slab
shall be designed and detailed with top and bottom reinforcement bars.

(g) For building with staggered height, adjoining slabs as well as beam shall be designed
and detailed to resist the stresses induced from differential settlement between lower
and higher building blocks. The top and bottom bars shall be detailed with tension lap.

1.8 BEAM DESIGN

(a) Peripheral beams shall be provided at all storeys and shall be precast. The precast
facade shall be integrated with the peripheral beam.

(b) The beam layout shall be such that the beam is in line with the partition wall.

1.9 OTHER BUILDING COMPONENTS

(a) Unless specified otherwise by HDB, as a guide to achieve the specified precast
implementation level, the precast system to be used shall consist of, but not limiting to,
the following precast components:

(i) Staircase;
(ii) Parapet (if design as reinforced concrete);
(iii) Ferrocement secondary roof slab;
(iv) Gable end wall;
(v) Facade wall;
(vi) Precast column;
(vii) Precast wall;
(viii) Precast “ferrolite” or any HDB approved internal partition wall system;

The standard precast components in the HDB standard guide drawings shall be used as
a reference for the design. Where possible, the Consultant shall adopt the standard
precast Household Shelter dimension and design as provided in the guide drawings to
ensure cost effectiveness and avoid creating new types. The Consultant shall seek
HDB’s waiver for any deviation from the standard.

The design of the precast components shall be simplified and achieved high repetitions
and standardisation.

(b) The building envelope shall be designed as precast facade. The design of the precast
facade shall be of simple profile and of consistent cross section with maximum
repetitions. The precast façade walls are preferable to be designed as full façade
elements. Where possible, the number of components shall be reduced by integrating
small precast façade panel with the adjacent panel to form a larger component. However,
the components shall be within the lifting capacity of the equipment at site.

(c) The water-tightness test shall be carried out using a continuous jet of water sprayed on
the joint/interface with a nozzle and water hose. For each window, four points shall be
selected for testing and each point shall be sprayed for 20 minutes. The velocity of the
water at the nozzle shall be 2m per second. The capacity of the water delivered shall be
600 litres per hour. The nozzle shall be held at a distance of 1m away from the
joint/interface and pointed towards the joint/interface horizontally.

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(d) All precast façade shall also be designed and detailed to achieve good water tightness.
Protrusion or nibs/ribs shall be of minimum 100mm thick. The design for concrete ledges
or canopy shall be for functional purposes and shall limit to the maximum width of
600mm measure from the external façade face. To achieve good buildability, avoid the
design with tiny concrete strips, nibs, fins, bands or groove lines and etc, which requires
accurate alignment and matching with the adjacent façade panels for achieving continuity
of pattern. Any canopy or ledge projections shall not exceed 600mm measures from the
external surface of the beam/façade.

(e) The design and paneling of the precast façade components shall be simple and easy to
produce. Complicated façade components design that are formed by integrating with
long and thin cladding/fins at the ends of façade to form a complex L-shape or angular-
shape component, that can cause difficulties to the production and handling processes,
shall be avoided. Any L-shape turn at the end of the façade shall be limited to a
maximum of 1000 mm projection measuring from the façade wall surface. The
Consultant shall also standardize the façade design to minimize the need for inter-floor
moulds changes.

The Consultant shall ensure that the precast component design take into consideration
of the components profile and reinforcement detailing to prevent cracks and distortion
during demoulding, handling, delivery, hoisting and installation.

The Consultant shall design and detail the precast components profiles and dimensions
at the topmost storey to be identical to the typical storey components in order to ensure
high productivity of precast components. Where necessary, the Consultant shall modify
the roof fascia system and details to accommodate this requirement. In the event that the
Consultant is unable to comply with the above requirement, the Consultant shall consult
the HDB C&S Review Panel to make reasonable modifications.

(g) The Consultant shall not adopt tile, exposed aggregates or pebbles as the surface
finishes for the facade.

(h) Design Efficiency for Precast Concrete Construction

In order to achieve higher productivity and shorter construction cycle time, the number of
different types of precast components per floor shall be optimised. This shall be achieved
by designing the precast components by integrating smaller panels into larger size
components. The components weight shall be limited to the size that can be handled
efficiently at site. Nevertheless, the design shall be simplified and able to achieve
maximum standardization and repetitions. To ensure optimum moulds usage and
achieve costs effectiveness, there shall be minimum 100 repetitions for each types of
precast façade design.

In the even the design cannot achieve the required number of repetitions, the Consultant
shall justify for the deviation and seek waiver from HDB.

The attached design checklist (Appendix B) is for Consultant compliance. The

Consultant is required to submit the checklist to HDB within one month upon closing of
the tender.

(i) To facilitate the precast production, the Consultant shall also include detailed drawings of
the precast components for the building project. These drawings shall complete with
detail dimensions, appropriate elevations, cross sections, isometric views and etc, which
will clearly reflect the actual design intent.

(j) To facilitate the erection of precast components at site, the Consultant shall check the
weight of precast components against the tip load and the specifications of tower cranes.
The general guideline on the weight of precast components is as follows:

Solid columns (including 2-tier columns) and solid precast walls – not more than 6 tons;
Household shelter and double-window precast façade – not more than 8 tons.

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1.10 ROBUSTNESS

The Consultant shall ensure that his design satisfies the robustness requirement in SS CP 65.
The Consultant shall also design and analyse the building system against progressive collapse.
The building layout shall be checked to allow for the notional removal of one column or design for
catenary action against any possibility of progressive collapse.

1.11 STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENT FOR CARPARK (MSCP)

(a) For multi-storey car park (MSCP) where the column positions are not affected by the
structural system of the building blocks, the columns shall be placed at the peripheral of
the car parking deck so that the car parking space is free from obstruction by internal
columns.

(b) Wherever possible, the Consultant shall avoid designing any car parking lots directly
under the buildings footprint. Where there is any site or design constraint, the Consultant
shall explore all possible design alternatives and develop acceptable solution to
overcome such design constraints before seeking HDB’s direction or approval for
deviation.

(c) The following dead load shall be included in the design of MSCP:

(i) 1.2 kN/m2 for floor finish.

(ii) Additional slab thickness to form the slope or slab fall.

(d) The beam depth shall not be more than 500mm deep for floor height of 2.8m. Should
deeper beam be required structurally, the floor height shall be increased accordingly
which shall be equal or greater than the incremental depth of the beam.

(e) In the case where the beam width is wider than the column width, adequate links and
reinforcement bars shall be provided at joint between the beam and column so as to
develop a rigid frame joint which can effectively transfer the high moments induced in the
beam at the column support to the column.

(f) There shall be no overhead beam at the point where the ramp is turning upward and
downward. This is to ensure that there is no height clearance problem when a vehicle is
raised higher while turning up or down the ramp.

(g) Where columns are located at the peripheral of MSCP forming ends support of a long
span frame, they shall be designed for the axial load and high moment induced from the
long span beam. The main reinforcement bars of column shall be placed near to two
shorter sides of column as required to resist high bending moment. The reinforcement
bars provided at the faces of two longer sides of the column shall satisfy the minimum
reinforcement bar requirement for crack control in accordance with SS CP 65.

(h) Floor slabs shall be designed to comply with the following:

(i) Floor slab shall be precast planks with cast in-situ topping. HDB standard guide
drawings shall be used as a reference for the design and detail.

(ii) Precast prestressed concrete floor plank system shall be adopted for the design,
unless mechanised formwork is being proposed.

(iii) The ground floor flat slab shall be at least 300mm above the top surface of the
pilecap to facilitate routing of underground services.

(i) The Consultant shall submit a summary of civil and structural engineering design using
the checklist at Appendix A together with the plans submission to HDB. The Consultant
will be deemed to have complied with the HDB’s minimum technical requirements
stipulated in the design brief for civil and structural works if no deviation is highlighted in
the checklist.
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1.12 CONCEALED WIRING

(a) Where the design required the electrical wiring conduits to be concealed in the floor slab,
the minimum slab thickness shall be 150mm for typical floor slab and roof to allow laying
and concealment of 25mm diameter (maximum) PVC pipes. Should there be two PVC
pipes or more crossing each other, the thickness of slab shall be increased accordingly
to accommodate additional number of PVC pipes. The location where PVC pipes cross
each other shall be located near to mid span of the slab to avoid congestion of slab
reinforcement bars.

(b) For concealed wiring inside the household shelter slab, the minimum slab thickness shall
be 175mm thick.

1.13 DESIGN FOR MAINTAINABILITY

Avoid incorporating architectural features that are fixed at high level, roof level and /or overhung
from the façade, or building edge that are not easily accessible and create future maintenance
problem.

All sanitary waste stacks shall be accessible for maintenance. Access openings for inspection
and maintenance shall be provided if they are to be enclosed or boxed up within concrete duct or
brick works.

Necessary provision for fixing or attachment of maintenance equipment, such as gondola, etc to
facilitate the cyclical building maintenance work to the external walls shall also be incorporated
into the design.

The Consultant shall ensure that all parts of the building shall be accessible for future periodic
building inspection and maintenance works.

1.14 SERVICES COORDINATION

(a) The Consultant shall ensure that the services layout including the size and position of all
services openings to be formed in floor slabs and beams are indicated on the services
coordination drawings. The services coordination drawings shall be prepared in
conjunction with the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings. These
drawings shall include all services required in a building block such as electrical,
telephone, water, gas, TV, sanitary and air-conditioning.

(b) The services coordination drawings shall be prepared for each floor and shall show all
details necessary for fabrication works.

(c) No sanitary piping shall be cast inside the slab, beam, column and reinforced concrete
wall.

(d) The UPVC pipe sockets in toilet/kitchen must be cast into the slab for joining the vertical
stack.

(e) The reinforced concrete structure and piles shall not be used as lightning conductors or
earth electrodes. Lightning conductors shall not be embedded in the reinforced concrete
components of the building structure.

1.15 STEEL STRUCTURES AND CLADDINGS

(a) Metal roofing sheets shall not be used for high-rise buildings of more than 4-storey.

(b) S275 series steel sections shall be used for general structural steel members and the
design of steel members shall be in accordance with the relevant British Standards.

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(c) The design of allowable deflection for steel structures shall be in accordance to
recommendations in the code of practice.

(d) Steel members for large and long-span structures shall be hot dip galvanised.

(e) Steel members for light structures located on 4-storey or higher shall be hot dip
galvanised.

(f) Steel members used to support the cladding or external feature shall be hot dip
galvanised.

(g) Minimum gauge thickness of main steel sections for cladding or external features shall
be 4mm.

(h) For steel structures above main roof of building, the minimum gauge thickness of main
steel sections shall be 6mm.

(i) Minimum gauge thickness of purlin shall be 3mm.

(j) Minimum gauge thickness of main steel sections for linkways shall not be less than
4 mm.

(k) In the case where aluminum section is to be used, it shall not be less than 3mm.

(l) Lip-channels or other open steel sections shall be used as purlin for roofing panel or
supporting member for cladding panels so that the panel can be connected onto these
steel sections by bolts.

(m) Steel hollow section, if used, shall not be drilled for securing cladding or metal roofing
sheets. The steel plate, angel or cleats shall be used and welded to steel hollow sections
for connection of roofing or cladding panels.

(n) Steel purlins including angle cleats, sag rods and plates for fixing purlins shall be hot-
dipped galvanized. Bolts, nuts and washers shall be zinc-electroplated.

(o) Self-drilling screw or self-tapping screw used shall be stainless steel of minimum grade
316 or higher in compliance with Australian standard 3566 or approved equivalent. There
shall be minimum 3 threads protrusion beyond the plate surface.

(p) The technical specification of the self-drilling screw or self tapping screw that are used for
conformity in the design shall be included as part of design calculations.

(q) Self-drilling screw or self-tapping screws shall not be used for connection of structural
members.

(r) Where roofing sheets or claddings are designed by a specialist, the Consultant shall
check and ensure that the design satisfy safety, stability and durability requirements.

(s) Appropriate separator shall be used at the contact between two different metal materials
to prevent galvanic corrosion.

(t) Structural steel supports or stanchions shall not be embedded into the soil. They shall be
protected from corrosion by encasing in concrete stump of height at least 150mm above
ground level.

(u) All the bolt connection for the base plate of the steel column shall be on or above the
ground floor slab level.

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1.16 DESIGN FOR BUILDABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

For improve design buildability, prefabricated reinforcement shall be used. It shall consist of
prefabricated cages system for column and beams and welded wire meshes for the floor and wall
reinforcements.

The Consultant shall ensure that his design can attain the minimum Buildability Score of 80
points. The Consultant shall justify and request for waiver if the project cannot achieve the above
buildability score. The finalized design Buildability Score value shall be submitted to HDB within 1
month after the project has been tendered.

HDB is committed to adopt sustainable construction design. Reference shall be made to the
Guidelines for Sustainable Construction (Appendix C). The Consultant shall compute and submit
to BID the relevant information on the concrete reduction initiatives and the computation for the
concrete utilization index per unit of construction floor area (CUI) within one month after the
closing of the building tender. The allowable design CUI shall not exceed 0.40 m3/m2 for building
height 16 storey and below and 0.44 m3/m2 for building height exceeding 16 storey.

The concrete usage shall include all the structural elements, façade components and concrete
partition walls within the buildings. The concrete usage for the external works and at foundation
shall not be included.

1.17 PLAN SUBMISSION

The piling and structural plans including design calculations shall be submitted to HDB at least 3
months prior to commencement of the respective building foundation, sub-structure and super-
structural works.

The civil and structural plans shall be prepared in the layout as shown in the reference drawings.

1.18 SLOPE AND EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES

The Consultant shall ensure that all proposed slopes and earth retaining structures where
required, be designed to the relevant Codes of Practice and comply with the Specifications and
the requirements of the relevant authorities.

1.18.1 Slope

(a) For proposed slopes greater than 2.5m in height, the Consultant shall submit
slope stability and design calculations to show the stability of the slope. Slope
protection measures shall be taken to stabilise any slopes that fail to satisfy the
required factor of safety.

(b) For slope stability, a minimum factor of safety of 1.5 times must be complied
with.

1.18.2 Earth Retaining Wall

(a) For earth retaining structures over 1.0m in height, design calculations and
structural plans shall be submitted.

(b) The design shall comply with factor of safety recommended in the code of
practice or the following, whichever is greater,

(i) Factor of safety of 2 times for overturning and sliding stability;

(ii) Factor of safety of 3 times for allowable bearing pressures;

(iii) Factor of safety of 1.5 times for overall stability or slip circle failure;

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 (c) The design of earth retaining structures shall take into consideration the following
requirements.

(i) Ground water table conditions when considering water pressure acting on
the wall.

(ii) Cater for a surcharge of at least 10kN/m² or other construction or

incidental loads, whichever is higher.

(iii) Cater for a minimum unplanned excavation depth of 0.5m or 10% of the
total height of the earth retained, whichever is deeper.

(iv) Do not use net pressure method in stability analysis of wall.

1.19 SEWER WORKS

(a) The design of sewerage work shall comply with the latest edition of the Code of Practice
on Sewerage and Sanitary Works published by PUB and the requirements of the
relevant authorities.

(b) The Drawings shall show the layout of sewers to serve the proposed building
developments. It shall include positions of sewer manholes, size and gradient of sewer
lines, sanitary connections, foundation of manholes/sewer lines, etc. In designing sewer
capacity, minimum size of the minor sewers of 225mm diameter shall be used.

(c) The Consultant shall be responsible to hand over the sewers to PUB upon completion
and also to conduct the final handover to the Water Reclamation (Network), PUB, at the
end of the Defects Liability Period imposed by the PUB. In this respect, the Consultant is
to note that the house sewers (sanitary lines) are to be designed separate from the minor
sewers system. This is to demarcate clearly the extent of the minor sewers to be handed
over to the PUB.

1.20 DRIVEWAY AND SERVICE ROAD

The Consultant shall ensure that proposed driveway/service road be designed to LTA’s Street
Works Proposal Relating to Development Works, SCDF’s Fire Code, and other relevant Codes of
Practice and requirements of the relevant authorities.

1.20.1 Access Points of Ingress/Egress

(a) The Consultant shall design for additional access point if the proposed development
provides more than 600 carpark lots. The numbers and locations of vehicular
ingress/egress (access points) to or from driveways shall comply with LTA and other
relevant authorities’ requirements.

(b) The recommended width of a driveway at access point is 7.0m–8.0m. The

recommended kerb turning radius of an access point is 9.0m.

1.20.2 Geometric Design Guidelines and Pavement Design

(a) The recommended clear width of driveway/service road shall be as follows:

(i) one-way traffic flow = 4.5m

(ii) two-way traffic flow = 6.0m.

(b) The recommended kerb turning radius of driveway/service road shall be as follows:

(i) driveway/driveway or service road/service road = 6m

(ii) service road/Central Refuse Chute = 9m

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 (c) The setback from the column/wall of building structures and street lamp posts to the
edge of driveway/service road shall be of minimum 1000mm and 600mm respectively.

(d) Driveway/service road and fire engine access pavements shall be designed to
withstand traffic loading pattern and intensity of residential & commercial vehicles
such as refuse collection truck & fire engine.

1.20.3 Traffic Scheme

The traffic scheme within HDB precinct comprises of road markings, traffic signage, road
humps which are designed primarily to regulate traffic movement and ensure safety of
residents & pedestrians.

(a) Road markings and traffic signage shall be installed in compliance with the relevant
traffic Codes and requirements of the Authorities.

(b) Road humps shall be installed at strategic locations to curb speeding along
driveway/service road. Raised road hump shall be installed under a linkway across
the driveway/service for accessibility of handicapped and added safety to pedestrian
crossing the driveway.

1.21 DRIVEWAY AND SERVICE ROADS DRAINS

1.21.1 Water Catchment and Drainage System

The drainage catchment design and calculations shall comply with the latest edition of
the Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage published by PUB and the
requirements of the relevant authorities. Adequate drainage discharge outlets shall be
provided in accordance with the PUB’s Drainage Catchment Plan.

1.21.2 Driveway/Service road Drains

In designing drainage capacity the following parameters are recommended :

(a) Type of Drains – Reinforcement concrete covered drain sited within or outside
driveway/service road
(b) Type of culvert – RC box culvert
(c) Size of drains – Minimum 600 mm internal width.
(d) Drain summit clearance – Minimum 500mm deep.

1.21.3 To ensure no settlement of drains and culverts, the Consultant shall design appropriate
foundation system to support these structures.

1.21.4 For the provision of entrance culverts along public roads, the Consultant is required to
submit the culvert proposal to the relevant authorities for their approval before the
commencement of the works. Successful handing over of the entrance culverts to the
relevant authorities shall be the responsibility of the Consultant.

1.22 TEMPORARY SURFACE PARKING LOTS FOR CARS AND MOTORCYCLES

If the proposed development provides for surface parking lots for cars and motorcycles, the width
of temporary surface carpark access and size of car parking lots and motorcycle parking lots
shall be designed in according to LTA’s Handbook on Vehicle Parking Provision in Development
Proposals and other requirements of the relevant authorities.

1.23 ADDITIONAL SOIL INVESTIGATION & SOIL STABILISATION WORKS

(a) For sites where soft soil (peaty/ marine clay) is encountered, the Consultant shall carry
out additional soil investigation and necessary in-situ /laboratory tests to obtain index

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 properties, strength properties and consolidation parameters for determining ground
settlement.

(b) The objective of the soil stabilisation works is to achieve the necessary degree of
settlement under the specified imposed loading at the end of the project Defects Liability
Period (DLP). In this respect, the Consultant shall recommend suitable methods to
address the excessive ground settlement problem, if any. Possible methods to address
the ground settlement problem include but not limited to Liquefied Soil Cement Mix
(LSM) for treatment of peaty clay, and supported driveway (E-deck).

(c) The acceptance criteria for soil stabilisation works to the treated areas shall be that at
the end of the project Defects Liability Period (DLP), the degree of settlement achieved
due to primary consolidation under the imposed loadings shall be more than 90%.

(d) Only designated areas which are unsuspended (e.g. driveway, service road, etc) shall be
treated. Provisions for soil stabilization, if required, shall be included in the building
tender for treatment of soft soil. Areas under buildings which are founded on piles will not
be treated.

1.24 REFERENCE DRAWINGS

The HDB standard guide drawings shall be used as a reference for the design and detailing of
building structures. The Consultant shall ensure and satisfy himself that the design and detailing
of foundation and structures comply with the minimum member size and reinforcement
requirements as indicated in the HDB standard reference drawings. These shall not relieve the
Consultant’s duty and responsibility to ensure adequacy of design and details necessary for the
strength, stability, integrity, safety and serviceability of building foundation and structures in
compliance with the Codes of Practice and regulatory requirements.

In addition, the Consultant shall also make reference to good detailing and practices shown in
the following Guide Drawings for Civil and Structural Engineering Works.

Should there be any deviation in the details between the reference guide drawings and the
standard detailing manual, the details in reference drawings shall be used.

1.25 SPECIFICATIONS FOR CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL WORKS

The latest HDB standard specifications shall be used as a reference for preparation of
specifications for civil and structural works. They are as follows:

(i) The HDB Standard Specifications for Building Work and Other Installation.

(ii) The HDB Standard Specifications for Civil Engineering Works.

The Consultant shall ensure that the specifications prepared by him/her comply with the
minimum requirements on the performance standard of materials, construction quality control on
the supply, manufacturing, production, installation, procurement of materials and suppliers from
the HDB approved list and necessary testing as stipulated in these HDB Standard Specifications.
This shall not relieve the Consultant from his/her responsibility to satisfy himself/herself that the
specifications are appropriate and adequate to ensure the safety, integrity and quality of building
structures.

1.26 SUMMARY OF CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DESIGN

The Consultant shall submit a summary of civil and structural engineering design using the
checklist at Appendix A as part of plan submission to the HDB. The Consultant will be deemed to
have complied with the HDB’s minimum technical requirements stipulated in the design brief for
civil and structural works if no deviation is highlighted in the checklist.

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 Appendix A
SUMMARY OF CIVIL AND STRUCTURE DESIGN

Contract Name:

Architect QP
Engineer QP

S/N Building Components Proposed Design Description for any

deviation from HDB’s
requirement
A Multi-storey Car park
1. Brief description of building structural
system (indicating any roof top garden or
other facilities at the roof deck)

2. Foundation
a. Foundation type
b. Concrete grade of pile
c. Concrete grade of pilecap

3. Ground Floor

a. Structural floor system adopted

b. Concrete grade
c. Minimum slab thickness
4. Typical Floor

a. Structural floor system adopted

b. Concrete grade
c. Minimum slab thickness
d. Beam size
5. Roof

a. Structural roof slab system adopted

b. Concrete grade
c. Minimum slab thickness
d. Beam size
6. Other Precast Building Components
Used (E.g. parapet barricade and others)

B Construction method
(E.g. Use of metal formwork, tunnel and
table formwork, precast concrete
formwork cell as permanent formwork,
prefabricated method or other methods)

Multi-Storey carpark

C Civil Engineering Works

a. Earth Retaining Structures / Slopes
b. Minor Sewers Systems
c. Drainage Systems
d. Service Roads / Driveways
e. Soil improvement work

Note:
1. The Consultant shall provide a complete summary of civil and structural design information including construction
methods for all items listed in the above table and submit them together with plan submission.

2. The Consultant shall be deemed to have complied with HDB requirement as specified in the Special Conditions on Civil
and Structural Design if he has not highlighted any deviation in his submission. The Consultant’s proposed design must be functional,
durable, maintainable and structurally safe.

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 Appendix B

DESIGN CHECKLIST FOR PRECAST FAÇADE/ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

Compliance
Requirements Yes Waiver NA Remarks
required
1 General
i) No bulky and enlarged beam on facades/Gable end walls.
ii) Cast in Windows incorporated in the precast façade design (state %). ___ %
iii) Full height window frame are cast into façade.
iv) Number of precast façade types. ___ no.
v) Minimum 100 repetitions achievable for all precast façade types.
vi) No irregular shapes or profiles or multiple curvatures external façade envelope.
vii) Consistent cross section in panels.
viii) Avoid large openings and open ended facades (C or U).
ix) Precast panels are rigid and stiff for handling and installation.
x) No tiny concrete strips, nibs, bands (<100 mm minimum).
xi) No tiles, exposed aggregates or pebble surface finish on facades.
xii) Achieved minimum % of precast implementation (70% of overall concrete volume). ___ % achieved
xiii) Achieved minimum buildable score (79 points). ___ pts achieved

2 Design
i) Precast facades are all enclosed with linking elements.
ii) Groove lines are self contained within precast façade/edge borders.
iii) Provision for adjustment for construction tolerances between adjacent panels.
(such as to break off the mismatch between nibs or grooves between panels)
iv) Precast facades designed for water-tightness, eg. no water retention points or
gaps that can trap water.
v) Window ledges sloped outwards at angle (according to HDB Guidelines)
to avoid placement of objects (state angle in degrees). ___ degree
vi) Sloping angle of window ledges/canopies are standardised.
vii) No canopy/beam with sloping soffit that may cause rain water to drain backward
and into unit.
viii) Precast façade profiles and dimensions at the topmost storey to be identical
to the typical storey façades.

3 Joints Connections
i)Design of the joints and standardised, simple and economical.
ii)External joints are well designed and detailed to ensure water-tightness.
iii)Intermediate joints between precast columns has been checked for handling
stresses.
iv) No concealment of services conduits/casing within precast joints.
v) No large cast insitu pour at external surface that required plastering.

4 Maintainability
i) Services stack pipes are fully accessible for maintenance.
ii) No sloping inwards canopies sopphits that may to channel rainwater into the
dwelling unit.
iii) Drips are provided at underside of RC canopy above windows.
iv) Construction safety has been considered. No structures above roof level that
projected/protruded far from building line that can pose construction
and maintenance problems.
v) Provision for attachement for maintenance equipment (gondola).
vi) No excessive protrusion/obstruction to maintenance path of gondola.
vii) No metalic sunbreakers/architectural cladding features attached to external facades.
viii) No architectural features fixed at high/roof level and/or overhanging from
long structural projection from the building edge that pose safety concern or
difficulty to access for maintenance.

I confirm and declare that :

a) I am the QP for *Architectural/Structural work in respect of the above mentioned building works.
b) Items in the checklist have been checked and are in order.

____________________________________
Name and Signature of Qualified Person

Date : _______________

*Architectural/Structural QP shall submit checklist individually.

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 Appendix C

Design Guidelines For Sustainable Construction

The below are only serving as guidelines to achieve sustainable construction and reduce concrete
usage, Consultant may propose alternative design or construction materials to be adopted:

i. Structural System

 In the design of the concrete mix, to allow replacement of a maximum of 30% of natural
sand with granite fines. However, shall ensure that the design mix can meet the
performance in terms of strength, workability and durability in addition to regulatory
requirements.

ii. Foundation

 Steel H-piles may be used where soil condition permits.

iii. Architectural items

 RC canopies or ledges, if required, shall be provided for functional purposes and of

minimum sizes. Long and thick RC fins projection or ledges to be used as decorative
features shall be avoided.
 Precinct structures - Use metal roofs and steel supports for linkways, link-building, drop
off porches and etc.
 Pedestrian access ramp and footpaths – may use “eco-concrete”/ interlocking paving
blocks / ferrocement / premixed ramps.

 Internal partition - use “Ferrolite” or any HDB approved partition wall system for the
dwelling units.

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