Site investigation role in
development
The Star
18/06/2003 By Thomas Huong
A SEMINAR on site investigation practice was
organised recently by the Malaysian Site Investigators Association (MSIA)
at the Armada Hotel in Petaling Jaya.
Officially opened by Datuk Hamzah Hasan, CEO of the
Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), the seminar focused on how
site investigation has played an important role in Malaysia’s development.
“Safe and cost effective designs and construction of
mega infrastructure projects such as the North South Highway and Kuala
Lumpur International Airport would not have been possible without proper
site investigation,” said Hamzah.
He also stressed on the need for a good knowledge and
understanding of sub-surface conditions as a prerequisite for site
investigation.
“Besides the expertise to design and construct, it is
equally important to obtain reliable information of the soil before an
optimum solution can be obtained,” he said.
However, the seminar also highlighted the fact that
site investigations in Malaysia have received unfavourable remarks
recently.
Dr Ooi Lean Hock said: “The authorities and the client
play a very significant role in the improvement of the quality of site
investigation.”
He also pointed out that the cost of site investigation
is borne by everyone, from property buyers to developers, whether it was
carried out or not.
“This cost is included in the building expenditure. The
consequential cost without site investigation could be even higher,
possibly due to cost overrun, delays and failures,” Dr Ooi said.
It was suggested at the seminar that authorities could
enforce the relevant standards and allow only accredited personnel to
carry out the works.
“In future, only certified site investigation
contractors are allowed to carry out the work,” Dr Ooi said.
Steps taken so far by CIDB in improving site
investigation, with MSIA taking a proactive role, included conducting SI
awareness seminars on the preparation of skills standards, code of
practice and training modules for the SI industry. |