What if businesses could protect themselves from floods and soil erosion? For many business owners in Singapore and other regions prone to natural disasters, intense rainfall and landslides pose real dangers that can cause devastating property damage.
GMI POST met with Hocklim Engineering, winner of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce’s Most Sustainable Award in 2021, to ask about the Geobarrier System (GBS), its latest innovation that prevents future slope failure and enhances livability through increased greenery.
GBS, jointly developed by the Housing Development Board (HDB) and Nanyang Technical University (NTU), is a climate-resilient solution that maintains slope strength during heavy rainfall. The difference in permeability in the distinct layers of the GBS allows rainwater infiltration to be directed away from the slope, preventing oversaturation of the ground.
“The science behind the GBS is quite special because it is designed to prevent rainwater from reaching the slope. It is separated in layers and the air within the particles is used to repel the water,” explained Hocklim Engineering CEO Yuan Shen Chua.
Established in 1988, Hocklim Engineering grew from a small company into a household name in Singapore. According to Chua, the company not only provides civil and geotechnical expertise, but also develops innovative construction solutions, such as automated flood barriers and controlled flood gates with detention drain systems.
For more information on the GBS and Hocklim Engineering, visit www.hocklim.com.
