A Safety Guideline for Hill-Site Development of Penang, Malaysia: Challenges and a Way Forward

Abstract

A safety guideline for hillsite developments of a state government has been developed with the aim of mitigating landslides and saving lives. Landslides often occur in areas with steep hills especially hills with activities such as developments for residents and commercial or agricultural purposes. The risk to lives and properties is higher in hillsite developments for residents and commercial purposes. This paper describes the initiatives taken by a state government in Malaysia to improve the practice of engineering on slopes for new developments. This safety guideline was developed for a more transparent and clearer practice on what needs to be done by main stakeholders, namely developers and their consultants, contractors and the local authority. The Guideline starts with a simple slope classification based on gradient for planning approval. The design requirements for a hillsite development are based on the hazard levels. The required expertise to ensure safety of slopes with gradient steeper than 25° and above is specified. It also requires an independent audit of the design and regular inspection of the site to check the compliance of construction. The qualifications of submission engineers for a proposed development and its independent checker on slopes greater than 25° are specified to ensure competent geotechnical engineers with relevant experience to undertake the design and supervision and independent checking works. The Guideline also details the submission requirements needed for a proposed development including the formats of geotechnical design and independent checker reports.