Heritage Rehabilitation and Structural Upgrade to the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, a partnership between Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London, is founded with a vision of redefining medicine and transforming healthcare. Establishing its headquarters at 11 Mandalay Road, a building historically linked to the development of medicine was a showcase of its commitment to realize this vision. Originally known as Straits Settlements Mandalay Road Hostel, it was built in 1924 as a house for senior medical students to facilitate their access to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. In 1955 it was transferred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and became nurses’ quarters which it remained as such till 1995. With the relocation of the nurses’ hostel, the building served as an administration center till 1999, after which it remained largely unutilized.

The building has been restored and equipped with a 180-seat auditorium, a 60-seat seminar room, a board room and a medical library. As a conservation building, where several options with minor modifications to an existing structure are limited, FRP emerged as a suitable option to enhance existing concrete slabs to facilitate changes and cater to new loadings.

Structural engineers for the project approached Fibrwrap Construction Pte Ltd searching for possible options to strengthen slabs while minimizing major modifications to retain the bulk of the original structure. Upon detailed analysis of new loadings and existing capacities of slabs, the TYFO^® Fibrwrap^® Composite Systems were proved and provided adequate enhancement. The installation process was carried out efficiently and effectively at an early stage of the construction process, paving the way for subsequent modifications. The TYFO^® Fibrwrap^® Systems was an effective solution in enhancing building structural capacity while keeping its historical structure intact.