SYNOPSYS

Due to its well-tried record in Malaysia construction scene Bamboo Grid Frame-Geotextile Buoyant System coinedas ‘GEOBAMTILE’ has gradually become an acceptable green and sustainable ground treatment method among publicand private sectors for application in heavy construction over deep soft subgrade consists of materials like peat,marine clays, mangrove swamp, ex-mining slimes etc. Objectively, any expedient ground treatment method deemssatisfactory for soft ground must fulfil, among others, must effectively refrain the development of significant post-construction settlements; may it be of total and/or differential nature. Principle-wise ‘GEOBAMTILE’ relies on itsgreat minimisation of possible vertical stress that may otherwise be applied onto the soft subgrade below throughthe creation of large plane area inexpensively. Buoyancy effect derivable from large number of bamboo culmsdeployed in soft subgrade usually of high moisture content would help in further stress reduction. As a result, weaksoft subgrade would be in a better position to sustain the significantly reduced vertically stresses which can becaused by high concentrated load. Additionally, effective distribution of stress applied via large plane surface areacreated would result in smaller stress difference shown between any two points. This in practice would meanminimisation of differential settlement produced. It should be realised that any construction may it be buildingplatform and embankment etc. that build directly over soft subgrade represents a pure geotechnical problem whereit depends solely on the mechanical properties of subgrade for support and the settlement that might entail which isin compliance with Terzaghi’s 1-dimensional consolidation theory in arriving at its primary consolidation stage. Whilethe amount of settlement is an important issue but it is found in practice that the real problem facing constructionover soft ground lies in its heavy time dependency nature of achieving the expected settlement in subgrade. In thecase of GEOBAMTILE technique it is found that by interfacing/interlayering the soft subgrade below and heavyconstruction above by one or more tiers/layers of bamboo-grid-frame/geotextile i.e. ‘GEOBAMTILE’ it wouldinstantly transform the problem from that of pure geotechnical to that of soil-structure interaction type. The maindisparity is the latter no longer succumb to time-dependency limitation. Instead, being a soil- structure interactionproblem it would comply to Newton’s First Law where the settlement caused by vertical load applied uponGEOBAMTILE and the subgrade in contact with it would at any time occur immediately without delay and will ceasewhen action due to load applied equals to the reaction provided by GEOBAMTILE and soft subgrade combined i.e.when an equilibrium state is reached. In fact it is the non-time dependency which constitutes a most desirablerequirement for construction over soft ground has often rendered GEOBAMTILE an attractive method for adoption.Apart from great time-saving, simplicity in construction technique and process coupled with the use of naturalmaterials like bamboo and industrial wastes have all make it a very cost effective, green and sustainable approachvery receptive within construction industry in Malaysia. Moreover, the use of large quantity of bamboos hasinadvertently impart significant positive social impart by offering direct financial benefit to rural and indigenouspopulation who harvest the materials.

SPEAKER BIODATA

Ir. Dr. Low Kaw Sai

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1954, Ir. Dr. Low Kaw Sai has been a Professional Engineer over the past 30years. He is also a Fellow of Institution of Engineers Malaysia, a member of American Society of Civil Engineers andASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer. After having received his B.Sc.(Hons.) and Ph.D. degrees in CivilEngineering from University of Sunderland, U.K. he worked in the UK for a period of time before returned toMalaysia in 1986 where he assumed a myriad of positions in construction, consultancy and research organizations inboth private and public sectors alike where he has acquired a wealth of engineering experiences in excess of 40years in a number of fields ranging from highway, structural to geotechnical, just to name a few. In 1989 Heattended a Post-doctoral attachment at Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England under the British CouncilFellowship programme. Thereafter, he continued with his engineering practice till 2006. In between he was elected amember of International Who’s Who Professionals, USA in 2001. Memberships- wise, he is a member of StandardsInstitution, Creativity & Innovation Association, Senior Scientists Association, an Editor, Reviewer, Technical Expertand Assessor, etc. in Malaysia.

In 2006, he joined Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman(UTAR) as an academic with theappointment of Associate Professor to teach and conduct R&D with an aim to provide green, sustainable and costeffective solution(s) for contemporary engineering problems. During his tenure a number of Masters/Ph.D.postgraduates were successfully supervised. On publication, some 28 technical papers were published while at least11 National and International awards are accrued to date. Additionally, he has created 5 patented-inventions and atrademarked product with some of them being successfully commercialized e.g. Bamboo Grid-frame Geotextilesystem (or GEOBAMTILE) for soft ground treatment, scrapped tyres wall for earth retaining etc. and have impartedsome positive contributions towards Malaysian construction industry and society in general. At present, a modestplan is drawn up with the hope to introduce those proven invented systems of construction of Malaysia origin toventure out beyond Malaysian shore.