theceomagazine.com | 55“The IAMS project is the evidence of a successful project with the right key
ingredients. It is a project executed with the passionate involvement of JKSB and
the absolute commitment of GSB, driven by the common goal to see it succeed.”
- Dato’ Ir. Wan Razali Muda, Project Director, Gammerlite
the structure extends for 45 years
and includes duties such
as patrolling the bridge, which it
does with electric cars. Ashari expects
that the day-to-day operation of the
bridge will continue to occupy about
70 per cent of his role. “The time
I spend on it will be less when
compared to the time I was working
on the construction itself,” he
considers. “However, I want to keep
giving the same level of service to
the government.”
He describes recruitment as the
biggest challenge the bridge will face
going forward. One of the objectives
of building it was to boost the local
economy and to this end, local
workers and suppliers will be
involved in its ongoing operation
as much as possible.
The project has been
characterised by a high level of
forward planning, an important
aspect of a bridge which is expected
to be in use for the next 120 years.
“I always think two steps ahead
on the big issues,” Ashari confirms.
“A major part of my role is thinking
about what will come next. My
approach will continue to be
innovative and creative and I will
embrace new ways of thinking.”features mean the structure has the capacity to withstand
an earthquake up to 7.5 on the Richter Scale, which is far
more severe than any shock that has ever hit the area.
Another innovative feature incorporated into the bridge
is its Integrated Asset Management System. Ashari explains
the system includes modules that are part of the cables and
sensors which are installed in the bridge itself. “What we
have here is a first in the country,” he says. “We have
incorporated international expertise from Denmark and
Korea, to name just a few, into the system. It allows us to
plan for future maintenance.”
Ashari says managing the bridge involves balancing a
complex range of priorities, including easing congestion on
the First Penang Bridge and limiting the carbon footprint
of the project. “We also want to ensure there are favourable
working conditions for those involved in the project.”
Judging by the widespread industry acclaim the bridge
has won, these competing objectives have been well and
truly met. The project received the Brunel Medal from the
Institution of Civil Engineers, an award sometimes described
as the Oscars of the civil engineering world. The award
citation praised the bridge as “a vivid example of how civil
engineering can overcome the merciless forces of nature
and direct its resources to sustainable use”. It also won
a Global Road Achievement Award, a recognition of both
the technical feat of constructing the bridge and its use
of best practice risk management.
The bridge was even the subject of Megastructures, a
documentary series on the National Geographic Channel
that had previously featured iconic structures such as the
Hoover Dam and the Panama Canal.
Now that the bridge is operational, Jambatan Kedua’s
role is far from over. Its responsibility as concessionaire for
“ THERE WERE MANY
OBSTACLES DURING
THE EARLY STAGES AND
GETTING THE PROJECT
TO COMPLETION WAS
VERY CHALLENGING.”