Sarawak Allocates Land For UTHM To Set Up Peat Soil Research Station

SIBU, Oct 15(Bernama) -- The Sarawak government has allocated a site of two to four hectares here to the Univesiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia(UTHM) to set up its Peat Test Research Station (PTRS) to study peat soil.

UTHM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin said the station would be coordinated by its own research and development initiative or Recess ( Research Centre For Soft Soils).

It would be open to other local and international research institutions, he said at the opening of the two-day national-level Engineering Seminar on Peat 2009 here Thursday.

He said Johor, like Sibu, which has more than 550,000sq km of peat soil area, the biggest in the state, had its share fair of peat soil.

"As a matter of fact we are now building our main campus (in Johor) costing more than RM700million on peat soil.

As such, we are just as keen to learn how construction on peat soil can be done," he said.

He also said that the university was proud to be part of the team to explore engineering behaviours of peat soil and thus contribute to the better construction practice of engineering structures on peat soil.

He said peat soil in Malaysia covered about three million hectares or eight per cent of the country's land.

Although such areas were considered unfavourable sites for construction purposes, the country could not forever avoid developing them, he said.

Some 250 students, researchers and developers are attending the seminar jointly organised by Recess, UTHM, Sarawak PWD, United College Sibu, Institute of Engineers Malaysia Sarawak branch (Sibu region) and the Sibu Municipal Council.

Sumber: BERNAMA