SINGAPORE: A construction company and three men were charged on Friday (Nov 21) over alleged lapses in a deep tunnel sewerage project that led to a depression and a sinkhole in the Farrer Road area in November 2022.
A depression appeared along a slip road in Farrer Road on Nov 8, 2022, followed by a sinkhole that was 8m by 4m by 3.5m deep on Nov 15, 2022.
National water agency PUB had to carry out urgent repair works along the slip road from Holland Road to Farrer Road. The sinkhole resulted in the closure of the slip road and two lanes along a section of Farrer Underpass.
On Friday, Nishimatsu Construction, which was appointed by PUB at the time to carry out building works for the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 - Contract T-10, was given five charges under the Building Control Act.
Three qualified persons the company appointed for various aspects of the work were also charged: Kam Mun Wai, 58, Ko Luan Bock, 67, and Kho Chza Main, 55.
The three Singaporean men were appointed to prepare plans of geotechnical building works, supervise structural works for sewer tunnels and supervise certain aspects of geotechnical works, respectively.
Kam is accused of failing to assess the monitoring results and site conditions as the project was underway, and failing to adjust the design to suit the actual ground conditions.
This resulted in a road depression and the sinkhole, his charge read.
Ko is accused of failing to comply with conditions of the permit to carry out structural works by approving certain works despite the soil condition and other circumstances.
Kho - who faces three charges - is accused of failing to assess the ground conditions at the site and the construction of the tunnel, and to review the performance and results of instrumentation and monitoring of the tunnel works to ensure that the geotechnical aspects were within the design at every critical stage.
He is also accused of other failures, such as failing to continuously monitor and review key tunnelling operational parameters in order to maintain a safe and stable tunnelling face at all times, resulting in excessive soil settlement and a road depression.
The builder Nishimatsu is accused of failing to comply with the conditions of its permit to carry out structural works.
This includes conducting flushing when the tunnelling works were high-risk works as the locations were situated in mixed-face rocks, or soil with up to 80 per cent rock content.
The company is also accused of deviating in a material way from the approved plans of the building works.
If convicted, the company faces maximum fines for each charge of between S$20,000 and $200,000.
The three men each face up to 12 months' jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both per charge.
The cases were adjourned to January for further mentions.
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A depression appeared along a slip road in Farrer Road on Nov 8, 2022, followed by a sinkhole that was 8m by 4m by 3.5m deep on Nov 15, 2022.
National water agency PUB had to carry out urgent repair works along the slip road from Holland Road to Farrer Road. The sinkhole resulted in the closure of the slip road and two lanes along a section of Farrer Underpass.
On Friday, Nishimatsu Construction, which was appointed by PUB at the time to carry out building works for the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 - Contract T-10, was given five charges under the Building Control Act.
Three qualified persons the company appointed for various aspects of the work were also charged: Kam Mun Wai, 58, Ko Luan Bock, 67, and Kho Chza Main, 55.
The three Singaporean men were appointed to prepare plans of geotechnical building works, supervise structural works for sewer tunnels and supervise certain aspects of geotechnical works, respectively.
Kam is accused of failing to assess the monitoring results and site conditions as the project was underway, and failing to adjust the design to suit the actual ground conditions.
This resulted in a road depression and the sinkhole, his charge read.
Ko is accused of failing to comply with conditions of the permit to carry out structural works by approving certain works despite the soil condition and other circumstances.
Kho - who faces three charges - is accused of failing to assess the ground conditions at the site and the construction of the tunnel, and to review the performance and results of instrumentation and monitoring of the tunnel works to ensure that the geotechnical aspects were within the design at every critical stage.
He is also accused of other failures, such as failing to continuously monitor and review key tunnelling operational parameters in order to maintain a safe and stable tunnelling face at all times, resulting in excessive soil settlement and a road depression.
The builder Nishimatsu is accused of failing to comply with the conditions of its permit to carry out structural works.
This includes conducting flushing when the tunnelling works were high-risk works as the locations were situated in mixed-face rocks, or soil with up to 80 per cent rock content.
The company is also accused of deviating in a material way from the approved plans of the building works.
If convicted, the company faces maximum fines for each charge of between S$20,000 and $200,000.
The three men each face up to 12 months' jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both per charge.
The cases were adjourned to January for further mentions.
Continue reading...