Melaka River Beautification Project, Melaka, Malaysia

Melaka is a very popular destination for Malaysian and foreign tourists alike. The history and beauty of the city was legendary. However, over the years there had been unauthorised building and unwanted dumping of waste into the Melaka River from residents and industries alike. The Government could not advertise and utilise the river as part of its promotion anymore. It was decided to clean up the river and allow larger tourist boats to venture up the river as well as providing pedestrians with an unhindered walking access along the river’s edge for more than 5km from the river mouth. This also ran hand in hand with a major clean up of the waste that was being dumped in the river and an education programme for the citizens and local industry. They knew it was no good making a new development if old habits turned it back into an eyesore and health risk and people didn’t want to use it.

In 2005 Pesona Metro Sdn Bhd came to ESC asking for assistance in the designing, manufacturing and installation for a bold new plan to clean up the Melaka River and make it more conducive to tourists and local residents alike. The designs and the long term goal had to take into consideration a 50 year design life and the fact that the new sewage lines that were going hand in hand with the beautification could be accommodated within the scope of the structure if necessary. Piles were galvanised in some sections and painted in others according to the requirements.

The Government of Melaka awarded the very prestigious project to Pesona Metro Sdn Bhd based on their combined experience and particular expertise that they brought to the table with ESC and Consultants SMHB of Malaysia. All parties worked very closely together for a period of more than 4 years from design stage right through to the implementation and completion stage. Sheet pile profiles varied from section to section other the many stages of the project.

The sheet pile was designed strictly as an aesthetic river frontage in most of the sections as the walkways were predominately supported by reinforced concrete piles thus enabling the structure to require no loading to be taken by the sheet piling. More than 3,000 tons of sheet piles were used in the project over the 4 year period.

Figure 1 One of the three different sheet pile profiles used over the course of the project

Figure 2 Some of the different cross section designs decided on for the first stage of the project

Figure 3 Stage 1 finished and ready for use

Figure 4 The town area was significantly improved after the sheet piling was completed

Figure 5 The river at night never looked so good

Figure 6 Added tourist attractions also helped the beautification and image of the river and city

Figure 7 A perfect place now for a quiet walk. Previously no access was possible. Only the street was available to pedestrians and tourists.

Figure 8 The river lights up at night.

Figure 9 A new image is portrayed and illustrates what a little work can do to beautify a river.

Figure 10 Even the back of peoples houses and shop lots are made to look nice after the sheet piling and associated works

Figure 11 Sunrise greets the river

Figure 12 Property image and values were significantly improved with the sheet piling and associated works