HISTEEL: A New Standard in High-Rise Construction

Project Title: Innovative High Strength Steel for Economy and Productivity (HISTEEL)

At the heart of the redeveloped Newport Plaza lies a Singapore first—kingposts made from S690 high-strength steel, developed through SIT’s Construction Technology Innovation Laboratory. 

Almost twice as strong as conventional steel, S690 reduces material use by 40% while enhancing strength and sustainability. 

Researchers at SIT created a breakthrough welding protocol, enabling this once-unusable material to be formed into construction-ready sections. Deployed in major projects like Marina View Residences, HISTEEL sets a new productivity benchmark for urban high-rise construction.

Driving Real-World Change Through Collaboration 

The project brought together the expertise of SIT researchers with industry leaders, including JTC, Meinhardt Singapore Pte Ltd, Woh Hup (Private) Limited, and international collaborators from Chongqing University, China and its impact is already felt in Singapore’s construction landscape. 

Compared to the original design, new designs adopting S690 king post sections require less material to build and are stronger and lighter. Since they use about 40% less tonnage compared to conventional S355 steel, they are a more sustainable option. HISTEEL also addresses the space issue that comes with urbanisation – because they are lighter, smaller cranes can be used to lift them, making them ideal for construction in crowded city areas with reduced reliance on onsite manual labour. 

Till date, over 4,000 tonnes of king posts adopting S690 high strength steel have been deployed in multiple project sites in Singapore, setting a new productivity standard for urban top-down construction.