Sanfield – Gammon Construction Joint Venture Company Limited was awarded the 2020 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) Gold Award (Construction Industry) for the Sai Sha Road Widening Works at Shap Sze Heung, Sai Kung.

The Sai Sha Road Widening Project involves a two-km long road with active traffic and with works carried out in close collaboration with various stakeholders. The aim is to successfully complete works with as little disturbance to the traffic and environment as possible.

Holistic tree management was carried out digitally, using tree-health sensors onsite, and – in a Hong Kong first – a 180-tonne giant twin tree was also relocated using remote controlled twin bogies, reducing transplanting time and increasing the chance of survival. Meanwhile, comprehensive digital tree management has been achieved through the development of an app and use of wireless sensors that manage the stability and health of more than 1,600 trees.

The overall carbon footprint was reduced through early site electrification, using a design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) approach for drainage construction and installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Sustainable construction was further enhanced through the use of a Hybrid Reality Platform (HRP) and 3D visualisations, which enabled better planning, engineering solutions development and environmental risk identification.

In another first for Hong Kong, a 49kWp solar PV system with feed-in tariff (FiT), contributed to decarbonisation of Hong Kong’s electricity supply.

Other sustainable, eco-friendly measures adopted for the project involved harvesting and reusing well water and rainwater for toilet flushing, haul-road watering and irrigation, as well as reducing concrete and rebar waste and saving some 45 tonnes of carbon dioxide by adopting a design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) approach for drainage construction.