UNIMAS Leads Effort to Develop National Standards for Peat Soil Testing
| Handout photo shows Ahmad Hata (front, centre) with the invited quests and UNIMAS representatives. |
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KOTA SAMARAHAN (Aug 7): Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), through its Research Centre for Construction on Peat and Problematic Soils (COPPS), has strengthened its collaboration with the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to advance peat soil construction research.
The cooperation was formalised with the presentation of an appointment letter for the Development of Standards for In-Situ Geotechnical Testing of Peat Soils (Phase 1) project during a ceremony at the university today.
The project is managed by Unimas Holdings Sdn Bhd (UHSB). Speaking at the event, Unimas vice-chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit hailed the project as being highly relevant in view of Sarawak having the largest peatland area in Malaysia, much of it located along the state’s coastal economic corridor.
He likened the challenge of building infrastructure on peat soil to treating a cancer patient, emphasising accurate diagnosis as ‘essential’ before any solution could be implemented.“Without precise geotechnical parameter testing, infrastructure designs tend to be overly conservative, which ultimately drives up construction costs significantly,” he said in a statement. According to Ahmad Hata, the initiative supports Sarawak’s Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 by promoting data-driven and sustainable infrastructure development.
“It also aligns with the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), the Malaysia Madani Agenda and Unimas’ Strategic Plan 2026-2030, which places greater emphasis on technological innovation for sustainable construction.” Meanwhile CREAM chief executive officer Syed Hazni Abd Gani said the first phase of the project would enhance the ‘Guidelines for Construction on Peat and Organic Soils in Malaysia’, published in 2019. “The project aims to shift geotechnical engineering practices away from relying on overseas empirical correlations towards direct field measurements using Piezocone (CPTu) and Piezoball testing, which are better suited to local ground conditions.”
Syed Hazni also expressed confidence in the expertise of the Unimas research team, particularly in applying numerical modelling to improve the interpretation of Piezocone and Piezoball test data in peat soil areas. “The pilot project is expected to lay the foundation for comprehensive national guidelines on in-situ peat soil testing, allowing geotechnical engineers to design safer and more cost-effective roads while reducing future public infrastructure costs,” he added.
Source : The Borneo Post |
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