February_1970 — Page 11

Telephone building uses precast floor and wall units

FACED with a very congested site and a tight building programme for the Singapore Telephone Exchange and Engineering Centre, the architects instigated investigations at the design stage into the feasibility of having some of the building elements precast away from the site.

It was thought likely that a system of precast concrete floor and wall units would be appropriate for the building, provided it could be achieved within the budget allowed. A series of experiments using timber, steel and fibreglass showed that 4ft. x 4ft. floor units of a satisfactory finish could be produced by fibreglass moulds which would withstand 40 uses without dis-

tress.

The 4ft. module was adopted and became the basis for determining sizes of various other structural elements and internal partitions.

The floors and wall panels were

SINGAPORE TELEPHONE BOARD

DESIGN PARTNERSHIP (in succession to Malayan Architects Co-partnership)

WILLIAM S.W. LIM GAN ENG OON

DR. Y.S. LAU

PREECE, CARDEW & RIDER (S.E.A.)

CONTRACT SERVICES GROUP

precast and assembled with all joints clearly articulated. In contrast, all in- situ concrete work was left fair-face.

The brief

The exchange building was com- missioned by the Singapore Telephone Board to provide telephone services to the Orchard Road area which is rapid- ly growing into an important business and commercial centre with many offices, hotels and shopping com- plexes.

clients

architects

architects-in-charge

civil and structural engineer

mechanical and electrical engineers

quantity surveyors

It will provide 10,000 lines initial- ly, using the latest cross bar telephone exchange equipment, and will ulti- mately accommodate 50,000 lines. The area required was 40,000 sq.ft., including circulation areas on each floor having unobstructed space free from permanent elements such as lifts and staircases.

In line with the board's decen- tralisation programme, various en- gineering and administrative depart- ments will be moved into the building.

Section A-A

ACCOLEITS DERARTI

||||TAS & CLERK

TEST & CONTROL SECTION

COMPLAINTS RECORD RECORD

SECTION

SECTION

EXCHANGE

CONTROL

LABORATORY

EXCHANGE CONTROL POWER BAY BATTERY

CONFERENCE

SALES DEPARTMENT PUBLIC FOYER

Far East BUILDER, February 1970

STORES SECTION STOCK

ROOF

SIXTH FLOOR

FIFTH FLOOR

FOURTH FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

STORE

exeter rood'

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