Private sector asked to help out in R&D on ways to construct on peat soil

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Fadillah (third right) witnessing Zuhairi (second right) and Ismail (third left) exchanging the signed MoA while CIDB chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali (right) and others look on. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: Private companies have been called on to come forward and work together with the Centre of Research Excellence on Peat Soils (CoPS) in carrying out research and development (R&D) on solutions to construction on peat soil.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this was in view that the country’s construction sector, particularly in Sarawak, faced problems and difficulties in carrying out projects on peat soil as there were no basic construction guidelines for such situation.

“This has caused contractors and developers to face challenges in carrying out quality construction in addition to incurring extra cost on the project for the government,” he said prior to witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) and Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) at a hotel here yesterday.

As an example, the Petra Jaya MP said roads constructed on peat soil tended to be bumpy, creating a negative perception among the people that the projects were done below standard.

“Sarawak faces a serious problem as the state has vast lands of peat soil specifically in Sibu Division and many a time, the contractors lament over the challenges they were facing.

“I hope that more private companies will share their experiences to come up with the best solutions in addressing the issues concerning construction on peat soil because if we can rectify this, then we can solve the construction problems in Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole.”

He also noted that despite the setbacks faced in constructing on peal soil areas, the government remained committed to ensure that the country’s construction sector would continue to progress and contribute to the national economy.

On the MoA, which is for a research project entitled ‘Development of Foam Concrete (FC) and Eco Raft Pile (ERP) Road Construction on Peat Soils’, Fadillah said the project would take two years to complete and would be relevant to the construction of roads and highways in Malaysia, taking into account the need to find the best method that’s cost-effective and time-saving.

“I hope that this research will be fully utilised by LLM and those in the construction industry so as to make Malaysia the best example to other countries on the alternative methods of construction on peat soil particularly for roads and highways,” he remarked.

The MoA was signed by CREAM chief executive officer Dr Zuhairi Abdul Hamid and LLM director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh.

The project will involve a technical team comprising the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Public Works Department (JKR), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

Meanwhile, Fadillah also witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CREAM/CoPS and Geo Crete Specialist Sdn Bhd, a local company with expertise in the technology and innovation of road construction as well as soil stabilisation.