Tuas Port, Singapore - Applying Whole-of-Life Thinking to Material Selection

Tuas Port in Singapore provides a useful example of how whole-of-life (WOL) considerations can influence material selection decisions in port infrastructure. As one of the world's largest port development programs, the project demonstrates the difference between evaluating materials solely on point-of-delivery cost and embodied carbon, versus considering their performance across the entire asset lifecycle.

Traditional procurement approaches often prioritize lowest upfront capital cost and immediate construction outcomes. In marine environments, however, this can overlook the long-term consequences of material degradation, maintenance requirements, operational disruption, and future rehabilitation or replacement. Port assets such as quay walls, berths and container yards are continuously exposed to aggressive conditions including chloride attack, abrasion, and cyclic wetting and drying. As a result, materials with lower initial costs may not provide the lowest whole-of-life cost or environmental impact over an asset life that can exceed 50 years (PIANC, 2019; ISO, 2006a; ISO, 2006b).

For the development of Tuas Port Phase One, PSA Corporation and its suppliers adopted several measures aimed at reducing lifecycle environmental impacts. In February 2023, Pan-United announced it would supply approximately 360,000 m³ of carbon dioxide (CO₂)-mineralized concrete, combined with low-clinker "green cement", for use in the port's berths and stacking yards. According to Pan-United, the material selection was expected to prevent more than 113.8 million kg of CO₂ emissions compared with conventional alternatives, while providing a durable construction material for critical port infrastructure (Pan-United Corporation Ltd., 2023a).

The significance of this example is not simply the reduction in upfront embodied carbon. Rather, it illustrates how material choices made during design can influence performance over decades of operation. Concrete mixtures designed for enhanced durability in aggressive marine environments can reduce deterioration rates, lowering the frequency of maintenance interventions and major rehabilitation works. This is particularly relevant for port assets where repair activities may require marine plant mobilization, operational disruptions, material replacement, and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

From a point-of-delivery perspective, advanced concrete mixes and supplementary cementitious materials may appear less attractive because they can increase initial project costs compared with conventional materials. A WOL assessment, however, examines whether those higher upfront costs are offset through lower maintenance expenditure, reduced operational disruption, extended service life, and reduced cumulative environmental impacts. Tuas Port demonstrates how project proponents can use material selection decisions at the design stage to influence lifecycle outcomes rather than focusing solely on construction-phase metrics. (Pan-United Corporation Ltd., 2023a and 2023b).

While the ultimate lifecycle performance of the materials used at Tuas Port will only be confirmed through long-term operation, the project highlights a key principle of sustainable port design: decisions based on whole-of-life value can support lower cumulative costs and environmental impacts than decisions based solely on upfront capital expenditure.