The approach of building a polder is new to Singapore but has been used for 400 years in the Netherlands. It involves constructing a dyke around the area to be reclaimed and draining the water from it. This allows the reclaimed area to be built at a lower level and hence significantly reduces the amount of sand needed compared to raising the ground to above sea level.
The polder is designed by Royal HaskoningDHV with local partner Surbana Jurong. The team carried out the detailed study and engineering design with Singapore’s Housing & Development Board. The studies and design were carried out together with Professor Kees d'Angremond as an expert adviser and Deltares as a specialist consultant.
Mark van Zanten, senior project manager at Royal HaskoningDHV said: “The polder approach has been used in the Netherlands for many centuries, but is still in its infancy in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. This approach significantly reduces the volume of sand required as compared to the traditional method of land reclamation, and will ultimately result in savings on upfront construction costs.”
Loh Yan Hui, deputy CEO for infrastructure at Surbana Jurong, added: “Innovative and cost-effective reclamation solutions are needed to help countries tackle the challenge of rising sea levels as a result of global warming. This partnership with Royal HaskoningDHV is the first of its kind in this region. Royal HaskoningDHV’s global experience in polder reclamation combined with Surbana Jurong’s coastal engineering experience and knowledge of the local environment in Asia puts us in a unique position to offer innovative and cost effective reclamation solutions to clients in Singapore and the region.”
This project is estimated to begin at the end of 2017 and complete in 2022.
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