Maxwell Chambers Suites
Formerly the Red Dot Traffic Building, the Maxwell Chamber Suites is a conservation building built in 1928 that has been repurposed as a global dispute resolution centre. KTP Consultants, a member of Surbana Jurong Group, is the civil & structural engineer for the restoration of Maxwell Chamber Suites which preserved the building’s heritage character while repurposing it for its modern commercial use today.
One key challenge that KTP faced was the construction of a 20-metre overhead bridge linking the Maxwell Chambers Suites to the Maxwell Chambers. As conventional structural strengthening methods would alter the facade of the buildings, these methods were not viable for the conservation buildings. To support the additional loading of the bridge without any modifications to the façade of the conserved buildings, KTP devised an innovative asymmetrical Z-brace solution. With this innovative strengthening done from the interior of the building safely, the entire external link bridge could be installed efficiently during off peak hours in a day, while the road below the bridge remained largely operational.
An additional challenge included having to lay the foundation within the confines of an existing and operational electrical substation. KTP implemented an innovative foundation strengthening solution within the live electrical substation, working within the tight working space of Maxwell Chambers. This was done by adding new micro-piles under the existing footing foundation. By making this careful modification, it safeguarded the integrity of the existing foundation that supports the weight of the existing building and directed the new incremental loads to be safely transferred to the new micro-piles. This also minimised disruption to existing operations at the Maxwell Chambers.
KTP’s rigorous engineering analysis with carefully considered loading scenarios and design of detailed construction sequences ensured high safety for the structural integrity of the newly integrated structures while maintaining the key historical building features intact. For its innovative engineering solutions, KTP was awarded the Building and Construction Authority Design and Engineering Safety Award – Excellence in 2020.
Photo credits: Maxwell Chambers Pte Ltd
