Which are the top 50 engineering feats here?

A contest to identify Singapore's top 50 engineering feats started yesterday. People taking part nominate projects completed in the past 50 years that they think have had the greatest impact on Singapore.

They can nominate buildings, products and other engineering achievements of any scale between Aug 21 and Nov 30, although they will have to get some details and consent from the projects' managers. The contest was launched yesterday at the official opening of the World Engineers Summit on Climate Change.

Judges from the public and private sector will review the submissions and make a selection for a public vote from March to May next year. The Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES), organiser of the contest and summit, will announce the 50 projects with the most votes in July next year.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was the guest of honour at the opening of the summit yesterday. He presented certificates to Singapore's first batch of 41 Chartered Engineers, who worked in sectors such as aerospace, chemical and process, and marine and offshore.

One of them was Mr Lee Chuan Seng, 60, emeritus chairman of engineering consultancy firm Beca Asia. He helped design Bugis Junction and the National Library Building. He said: "If you stand in the library's atrium, there is always a breeze because the building is designed like a giant chimney. As hot air rises... it sucks in air from its surroundings. You don't need air-conditioning in the atrium because engineering has already made it comfortable."

About 800 engineers, climate change experts and professionals from 35 countries are slated to attend the four-day summit, which began on Tuesday, at the Suntec Singapore convention centre.

zengkun@sph.com.sg

To learn more about the engineering feats contest, go to https://ies.org.sg/sg50/home/engineering-feats/

This article was first published on July 23, 2015.
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