NEA is leading the inter-agency efforts to conduct a field trial on the use of treated IBA for road construction starting mid-2020 as a step towards creating NEWSand.
Singapore, 25 November 2019 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) has awarded the tender to conduct a field trial on the use of treated incineration bottom ash (IBA), one of the possible forms of NEWSand, as a road base or sub-base material in road construction projects. The field trial will be conducted at a stretch of Tanah Merah Coast Road starting mid-2020, to assess the in-situ environmental performance of the treated IBA and gather data for review of the provisional environmental standards for NEWSand. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, shared this in his opening address at the Year Towards Zero Waste appreciation lunch event today. He also announced that a form of NEWSand has been developed from “slag”, the by-product of the gasification of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). This form of NEWSand has already been used to construct a footpath at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) as well as a 3D-printed concrete bench which was unveiled at the event (refer to Annex B for pictures of the bench). A second footpath will be constructed in front of the Environment Building in early 2020 demonstrating the use of a higher percentage of MSW slag in concrete footpaths.
Field trial on the use of treated IBA for road construction
2 NEA has awarded the tender for the field trial to three companies: Inashco B.V., REMEX Mineral Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Zerowaste Asia Pte. Ltd. These companies will be collecting and treating around 3,000 tonnes of IBA generated from the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Plants in Singapore for use as a road base or sub-base material in road construction projects.
3 The data gathered from the field trial will be used to review the provisional environmental standards to regulate the use of NEWSand (refer to Annex A for details). As two-thirds of Singapore are designated as water catchment areas, the environmental standards for NEWSand have to be sufficiently stringent to ensure that the material can be used in any location in Singapore without compromising our water resources and the environment. NEA will announce more details on the field trial of the treated IBA in due course.
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) slag
4 At the Nanyang Technological University’s Waste-to-Energy Research Facility, which is supported by the NEA, MSW is gasified at high temperatures of up to 1,600°C into a vitrified, glass-like slag. This MSW slag has been validated to meet the provisional environmental standards for NEWSand and is already being put into use by the industry to partially replace conventional fine aggregates in concrete.
5 The first local technical demonstration on the use of the MSW slag is carried out at Our Tampines Hub (OTH), where MSW slag was used to construct a temporary concrete footpath of 105-metre long linking OTH to the Darul Ghufran Mosque (refer to Annex B for photos of the footpath outside OTH). A second footpath of 24 metres long will also be constructed in front of the Environment Building in early 2020 to demonstrate the use of a higher percentage of MSW slag in concrete footpaths. To further prove the versatility of MSW slag as NEWSand, NEA has also collaborated with one of our local industry players – Pan-United Corporation to design and produce a 3D-printed concrete bench that was unveiled at the Year Towards Zero Waste appreciation lunch event.
6 Chief Executive Officer of NEA, Mr Tan Meng Dui, said, “The technical demonstrations on the use of NEWSand and upcoming field trials are a culmination of efforts over the years to turn trash into resources and close the waste loop. Through these efforts, we hope to extend the lifespan of Semakau landfill beyond 2035 and keep it running for as long as possible. The successful implementation and use of NEWSand marks a key step in Singapore’s drive towards becoming a Zero Waste Nation.”
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ANNEX A
Overview of Approach for the Development of Environmental Standards for NEWSand
1 In developing the environmental standards for the use of NEWSand, the general approach is to ensure that any potential impact on the environment and public health is kept to a minimum.
2 NEA, together with partner agencies, studied overseas standards on the use of Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA) for similar proposed applications, in order to identify parameters of concern that should be included in the provisional environmental standard. Since the majority of the land in Singapore are water catchment areas, additional parameters are also included to safeguard the quality of our water resources.
3 Samples of conventional construction materials, such as sand and granite, which are already being used in the proposed applications in Singapore were tested against the identified parameters to determine the baseline limits. Together with the parameters of concern, these limits formed the provisional environmental standard developed in June 2018.
ANNEX B
Trials on the use of Municipal Solid Waste Slag
The completed footpath opposite Our Tampines Hub which links to the Darul Ghufran Mosque, is made from concrete incorporated with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) slag
A bench made out of municipal solid waste slag measuring 80cm by 105cm by 60cm and weighing about 560 kg