Modelling of Pumping Station in Conjunction with Kuching Barrage, Malaysia for Flood Mitigation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mah, Darrien Yau Seng | Bateni, Norazlina | Putuhena, Frederik Josep | Lai, Sai Hin

Affiliations: Department of Civil Engineering (Water and Environment), Faculty of Engineering Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, km-17 Kuching Samarahan Expressway, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia | River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC) Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia E-mail: darrien.mah@gmail.com

Abstract: Singapore had amazed the engineering communities with the completion of Marina Barrage, particularly its pumping stations claimed to be the largest pumps in the world. This paper is an attempt of benchmarking the Marina Barrage's pumps to be applied in Kuching of Sarawak State, Malaysia. Kuching Barrage was deprived of a pumping station in its design, while Marina Barrage was equipped with seven pumps each with 40 m^3/s in pumping rate, 120 rpm in speed and 3.5 m in head. The modelling efforts had indicated that Kuching Barrage would need five times the number of Marina's pumps to drain out the historical January 2004 major flood volumes to bankful levels. For many years, the local communities cried foul to the authorities on the lacking of a pumping station. This inference had explained the dilemma of situation obviously.

Keywords: Barrage, flood, pumping station, river, tides

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 101-106, 2010