CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF UNDERGROUND WAREHOUSE AND LOGISTICS IN SINGAPORE

Singapore is an island city state of 710 sq km, with a population of 5.1 million people. To meet multiple land use demands within a small land size. Singapore has made use of strategies like land reclamation as well as compact and high-density development in order to expand and optimize the use of its limited land. Going underground is another promising option for Singapore to further expand its land and space capacity. As part of an Underground Rock Cavern (URC) usage feasibility study performed by SintefTritech-Multiconsult (STM) Consortium for the Singapore Government, the feasibility of putting warehousing and logistics uses in rock caverns was explored. In developing the conceptual design, the study team took into account feedback from industrial operators, site visits to local industrial facilities, Singapore's local geology and rock conditions, as well as existing URC projects in other countries. The benefits of putting warehousing and logistics uses in a URC include greater security for the stored material, the possibility for expansion without claiming more land, better control of emissions and reduced solar gain. The conceptual design principle of an underground logistical facility is to allow the provision of a flexible underground space which can be adapted to meet the different requirements of logistics operations. The majority of potential issues relating to warehousing are the same for both above-ground and underground facilities. The underground warehouse will involve the same layout and operations as an equivalent above-ground facility. Staff may however be exposed to greater risks around loading and unloading areas due to the confined nature of an underground development, although ventilation and segregation should maintain a safe level of air quality. In general, the design of emergency egress is a key issue that differs between underground and above-ground logistical facilities.