SINGAPORE : Things are looking up for flat dwellers as the HDB devises more innovative ways to put lifts on every floor. One of them is the use of steel lift shaft over the conventional concrete variety.
Going home will no longer be an uphill task for Nordin Ahmad Sudi and his neighbours at Jurong East.
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The 46-year-old moved in a month ago and the installation of the new lift is one of the reasons why he bought a flat here.
"They are upgrading the lifts, so I'm happy because I don't have to take the steps. It's good for old people," said Nordin, a resident at Jurong East.
Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said the use of steel lift shaft would also help cut costs.
The HDB expects some 20 percent, or S$230 million, in cost savings on its lift upgrading programme by harnessing new technology.
This translates to a lower share of the cost for the residents as well.
At just one-tenth the weight of concrete lift shaft, the steel alternative can be installed in a day, compared to 12 days for the conventional one.
This will in turn trim lift construction time for each block from 7.5 months to 6 months.
By adopting steel, dependency on sand is reduced as the amount of concrete used is cut by 90 per cent.
"Steel is a general commodity and there are multiple sources. Once we are able to bring it in bulk, we can have economies of scale. Hopefully, with that material being more readily demanded and available in Singapore, the general cost will come down," said Ms Fu.
So far, seven blocks in Jurong East, Marsiling and Yishun have benefited from the use of steel in lifts.
Looking ahead, the HDB expects to tap on new technologies to add lifts to another 700 blocks.
This will include shaft-less lifts, reconfiguration of lift access for non-standard blocks and home lifts for low-rise blocks with fewer units.
Currently, nine blocks have been fitted with the home lift, which takes about four people each time.
They can be found in estates at Bukit Panjang, Tampines, Sembawang and Jurong among others, while construction of the shaftless lift at Owen Road is set to start by the end of the year.
HDB says three blocks in Tampines Street 81 have also polled successfully for the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) which required a reconfiguration of the lift access.
In total, some 5,000 HDB blocks have been identified for the LUP since 2001.
Of these, some 3,000 of them have either been completed or are in the midst of implementation, while the rest have yet to be announced.
Ms Fu is also confident that the HDB's target of having direct lift access on every floor by 2014 can be met.
The HDB will also release findings and recommendations from its HDB Heartware Forum on August 15.
The public dialogue covered wide-ranging issues and was aimed at getting residents involved in shaping their community. - CNA
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