The Public Works Department Sarawak (PWD) announced the establishment of the Road Design and Civil Engineering division last year with the aim of enhancing infrastructure development and improving project efficiency.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Aidel Lariwoo said,the division will focus on conducting Front-End Engineering (FEE) works, which aim to expedite the preliminary design phase and streamline the project implementation process.
“FEE, also known as a desktop study, involves leveraging available engineering data and software such as Global Mappers, QGIS, or Google Earth,” said Aidel.
“The objective is to extract relevant information from past projects with similar characteristics and readily available sources. This advanced approach allows for a more accurate estimation of project costs and provides a clear scope of work.”
In response to questions by Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi during State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday, Aidel clarified that the scope of FEE extends beyond roads and bridges, including design work on other public infrastructure.
To enhance the effectiveness of FEE, PWD has incorporated fieldwork to verify the collected data from the project site’s immediate surroundings. This additional step involves survey works utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drones, traffic census, historical flood analysis, identification of site conditions, and mapping of existing public utilities.
“By merging data from various sources and employing cutting-edge technology, we can now expedite the preliminary design phase and provide more accurate project estimations. This will ultimately lead to enhanced project delivery and increased efficiency in addressing the needs of our constituents,” added Aidel.
