Yong Kwet Yew

Biography

Er Professor Yong Kwet Yew is Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and formerly Senior Vice President (Campus Infrastructure) at the National University of Singapore. In the latter university senior leadership position, he led the planning, sustainable development and management of university campus infrastructure including the completed S$1 billion University Town, one of the largest construction programmes undertaken in NUS. He also developed a road map for a Smart Safe and Sustainable (S3) Campus 2030 with 3 signature programmes – a carbon-neutral campus, cooling NUS by 4 degC and zero waste, all by 2030. He has held senior leadership positions including Head of Civil Engineering, Founding Director of the Centre for Soft Ground Engineering, Chairman of the NUS-MINDEF Centre for Protective Technology and Co-Chairman of the NUS-MINDEF Infrastructure Committee. He was elected Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore in 2001 and Life Fellow of the same institution in 2015, and was appointed Accredited Adjudicator, Singapore Mediation Centre in 2005.

Prof Yong’s research is a microcosm of the infrastructure development in Singapore. In the early 1980s during the tall buildings boom, his research was on the performance of pile foundations. Some of the findings were later incorporated into the Singapore Code for Pile Design. In the late 1980s, his research with several colleagues on coastal land reclamation led to an award-winning layered clay-sand scheme of reclamation using marine clay as an alternative to sand-only fill for reclamation. In the 1990s, several innovative methods of ground improvement including dynamic replacement and mixing, and inverted jet-grouted arch were developed to control movements associated with deep excavations and flood alleviation projects in urbanized Singapore and used widely in several reclamation and infrastructure projects in Indonesia and Malaysia. In the 2000s, with the rapid development of underground transportation, his focus was tunnelling and underground construction. The research group developed capabilities in 3D analyses of underground construction using GeoFEA and Plaxis programs that were used to predict the performance of tunnelling through challenging ground and site conditions including mixed-face tunnelling in several MRT projects. In the 2010s, the optimal use of land and underground space ranks high on the national agenda. Prof Yong was Co-Chair and Scientific Lead in the Ministry of National Development (MND)/National Research Foundation (NRF) National Innovation Challenge on Land & Livability that looked into space creation and optimization in land-scarce Singapore. He has published more than 200 technical publications and delivered over 30 keynote/guest lectures at international conferences.

Prof Yong is the past Chairman of the Association of Geotechnical Societies in Southeast Asia and the Past President of the Southeast Asia Geotechnical Society. He also chairs/chaired several boards and national committees in land transport and construction including the Land Transport Authority’s International Panel of Advisers, the Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety & Health for the Construction Industry (MOM), the Accredited Checkers Selection Panel (BCA) and MINDEF Supervisory Board for Land & Estates. He is a member of a high-level Development Projects Advisory Panel that reviews large public infrastructure projects for the Ministry of Finance. He served on the Board/Exco of Land Transport Authority and chaired LTA’s Independent Investigation Panel on Nicoll Highway Collapse in 2004 and was a member of the Expert Panel on Enhancing Flood Protection in Singapore, Ministry of Environment Water Resources (MEWR) in 2011/12. He was recently appointed Chairman, Coastal Protection Expert Panel, Public Utilities Board and Senior Fellow, URA Academy.

He received the Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award (1993, 1994 & 1996) and the Faculty Hall of Fame for Teaching Excellence (1997). His professional awards include commendations from the Ministry of Manpower in 2000 and the Ministry of Education in 2006, the Ministry of National Development Medallion for Distinguished Service in 2016, the Geotechnical Society of Singapore Outstanding Geotechnical Engineer in 2017 and the Institution of Civil Engineers, United Kingdom ICE200 Commemorative Medallion for distinguished service to civil engineering in 2018. He is also a recipient of 3 National Day Awards – Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2000, the Public Service Medal in 2004 and the Public Service Star in 2008 – for significant contributions to the University, construction safety and land transport respectively.

Employment history

1999-	Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NUS
1979-1998	Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Dept of Civil Engrg, NUS
2017-2021	Senior Vice President (Campus Infrastructure), NUS
2001-2017	Vice President (Campus Infrastructure), NUS
1998-2008	Chairman, NUS-MINDEF Centre for Protective Technology
1995-2000	Head, Department of Civil Engineering, NUS
1992-1995	Sub-Dean of Engineering
1991-1994	Founding Director, Centre for Soft Ground Engineering

Consulting / Patents

Educational Qualifications

Professional certification

National Awards

• 2008 Public Service Star, National Day Awards
• 2004 Public Service Medal, National Day Awards
• 2000 Public Administration Medal (Silver), National Day Awards

Professional Awards

• 2018 Institution of Civil Engineers, UK ICE200 Commemorative Medallion for distinguished service to civil engineering
• 2016 Outstanding Geotechnical Engineer Award from the Geotechnical Society of Singapore
• 2016 Distinguished Service Award for Chairing BCA Accredited Checkers Selection Panel, Ministry of National Development
• 2015 Dedicated Service Award for outstanding service to the Ministry of National Development (MND)
• 2013 Dedicated Service Award for outstanding service to the Ministry of National Development (MND)
• 2006 Certificate of Commendation, Ministry of Education
• 2000 Certificate of Commendation (Individual), Ministry of Manpower

University

• 1997 Faculty of Engineering Hall of Fame for Teaching Excellence
• 1996,1994,1993 Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award
• 1990 Institution of Engineers, Singapore, Inaugural Innovation Award (Merit) for innovative land reclamation techniques
• Visiting Scientist/Professor-Kyoto University, MIT, Cambridge

Selected Professional Activities

• Chairman, PUB Coastal Protection Expert Panel, MSE, Apr 2022 –
• Chairman, International Panel of Advisors (IPA) to Land Transport Authority 2006 – 2021
• Chairman, Technical Committee and Scientific Lead, Land & Liveability Program, National Innovation Challenge (L2 NIC), MND/NRF 2013 – 2018
• Member, Ministry of National Development Scientific Panel 2018 –
• President, Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society
• Chairman, Committee for Fundamental Examination (Civil & Structural), Professional Engineers Board, Singapore
• Chairman, Independent Investigation Panel on Nicoll Highway Collapse, LTA 2004
• Chairman, Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety & Health for the Construction Industry, Ministry of Manpower
• Chairman, Accredited Checkers Selection Panel, MND
• Chairman, Engineering Advisory Panel, Land Transport Authority
• Council Member and Chairman of Projects & Development Committee, Town Council of Sembawang
• Board and Exco Member, Land Transport Authority, Singapore

Teaching Areas

• Geotechnical Engineering
• Foundation Engineering

Research Interests

• Large-scale infrastructure systems
• Underground spaces and construction
• Coastal protection and climate change
• Sustainable development

Selected Publications

Selected Publications in Land Reclamation:

1. Lee, S L, G P Karunaratne, K Y Yong and V Ganeshan, Layered clay-sand scheme of land reclamation. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 113, no. 9 (1987): 984-996 (United States).
2. Lee, S L, G P Karunaratne, K Y Yong, Y K Chow and S H Chew, Consolidation of dredged clay in reclamations. Soils and Foundations, 28, no. 2(1988): 13-25 (Japan).
3. Tan, T S, K Y Yong, E C Leong and S L Lee, Sedimentation of clayey slurry. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 116, no. 6 (June 1990): 885-898 (United States).
4. Yong, K Y, G P Karunaratne and S L Lee, Recent developments in soft clay engineering in Singapore. In Proceedings of the Kansai International Geotechnical Forum, 11-12 October 1990, Osaka, Japan, pp. 3-10. Japan: Japanese Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (Kansai Branch), 1990 (Guest Lecture).
5. Yong, K Y, S L Lee and G P Karunaratne, Coastal reclamation in Singapore: a review. In Proceedings, Urban Coastal Area Management: The experience of Singapore, November 1987, edited by L S Chia and L M Chou, compiled by ICLARM Philippines, pp. 59-67. Singapore, 1991.

Selected Publications in Ground Improvement:

1. Chow, Y K, D M Yong, K Y Yong and S L Lee, Dynamic compaction analysis. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 118, No. 8 (August 1992): 11s41-1157 (United States).
2. Yong, K Y, Control of ground movements in deep excavation in soft clay by grouting. Invited Lecture. Proceedings of International Seminar on Soft Ground and Environmental Geotechnology, 22 Mar 1995, Port and Harbour Research Inst., Yokosuka, Japan, pp. 1-24.
3. Yong, K Y and S L Lee, Time-dependent behaviour and grouting of deep excavation in soft clay. Proceedings of Regional Symposium on Infra-structure development in Civil Engineering, 19-20 December 1995, Bangkok, Thailand, edited by Kasetsart University and Tokyo Institute of Technology, pp. 314-336.

Selected Publications in Deep Excavation:

1. Yong, K Y, F H Lee, U Parnploy and S L Lee, Elasto-plastic consolidation analysis for strutted excavation in clay. Computers and Geotechnics, 8 (1989): 311-328.
2. Yong, K Y, S L Lee and U Parnploy, Time-dependent behaviour of excavation in soft clay. In Proceedings of the Ninth Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 9-13 December 1991, Imperial Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, Vol. 2, pp. 15-18. Netherlands: A A Balkema Publishers, 1991 (Panellist Paper).
3. Lee, S L and K Y Yong, Grouting in substructure construction. In Proceedings of the Ninth Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 2, pp. 41-49, The Netherlands: A A Balkema Publishers, 1991 (paper presented at Ninth Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (9 SEAGC), 9-13 December 1991, Imperial Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand). (Guest Lecture).
4. Yong, K Y, Control of ground movements in deep excavation in soft clay by grouting – Invited Lecture. In Proceedings of International Seminar on Soft Ground and Environmental Geotechnology, 22 March 1995, Port and Harbour Research Institute, Yokosuka, Yokohama City, Japan, compiled by Port and Harbour Research Institute, pp. 1-24. Yokohama: Port and Harbour Research Inst., Yokosuka, 1995.
5. Yong, K Y, F H Lee and K X Liu, Three-dimensional finite element analysis of deep excavation in marine clay. In Proc. of the 12th Southeast Asian Geotechnical Conference, May 1996, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, IEM and Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society p. 435-440.
6. Lee, F H, K Y Yong, K C N Quan and K T Chee, Effects of corners in strutted excavations – field monitoring and case histories. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 124, No. 4 pp 339 – 349 (April 1998) (United States).