Collaboration to Accelerate Smart and Energy Efficient Infrastructure Globally
July 21, 2025Innovation in Action:
Meinhardt Automation Tools Engineering a Digital Leap Forward
Technology
Throughout history, technological progress has been the bedrock of human advancement, fuelling productivity, economic growth, and global development. From the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, mechanical inventions and systemised workflows transformed human labour into amplified output, helping expand access to goods, services, and opportunity. The resulting social shift – most notably the rise of the middle class – set the foundation for modern prosperity.
Today, we stand at the threshold of another transformative era. Digital technologies are disrupting traditional business models and reshaping the very fabric of organisations –altering how we design, collaborate, and deliver value. Once the domain of manufacturing and IT, digitalisation is now sweeping through all industries, including engineering and construction, with profound implications for how built environments are conceived and realised.
For structural engineers, the digital shift is revolutionising the core of design processes. Where once it took days or weeks to model complex structures or conduct iterative analysis, new technologies now enable real-time collaboration, rapid prototyping, and data-rich simulations. Advanced software tools can instantly ingest and analyse vast amounts of design information, from architectural geometry to structural form, enabling faster, smarter, and more sustainable outcomes. Designs are now optimised early in the project lifecycle –reducing waste, lowering material usage, improving environmental performance, and enhancing commercial returns.
This paradigm shift is not purely driven by off-the-shelf tools. At Meinhardt, we believe that true innovation stems from within, by rethinking not just what we do, but how we do it.
As part of Meinhardt’s internal R&D efforts, a pioneering team of engineers in Singapore led by Dr Philip Pham, Director at Meinhardt Singapore, re-imagined traditional workflows and created a breakthrough suite of proprietary digital tools for engineering analysis with new digital workflows to allow rapid parametric analysis, known as Meinhardt Automation Tools (MAT). Developed under the Meinhardt Singapore Programming Workgroup (PWG), MAT marks a bold step forward in automating, streamlining, and optimising the structural design process across the firm.
Streamlining Structural Design and Enhancing Productivity
MAT was designed with a single goal in mind – to streamline and improve the workflow of Meinhardt’s structural engineers. By automating tedious and repetitive tasks, MAT allows engineers to focus on the more critical aspects of their work, such as structural analysis and design optimisation. As a result, engineers can achieve faster and more accurate results, significantly improving productivity.
"The power of MAT lies in its ability to automate the early stages of structural design, particularly when we are dealing with complex geometry. The tools enable our engineers to quickly build a structural model and link it to spreadsheets, generating results in minutes rather than hours. This shift allows our team to allocate more time to investigating the behaviour of the structure and optimising it for performance and cost,” said Dr Pham.
“The MAT suite integrates seamlessly with industry-standard software such as Etabs, SAP 2000, and SAFE, enabling a smooth workflow from concept to completion. The tool's capabilities include modeling complex geometry, managing project files, and automating data collection, all while ensuring that confidentiality and data integrity are preserved.
The MAT suite integrates seamlessly with industry-standard software such as Etabs, SAP 2000, and SAFE, enabling a smooth workflow from concept to completion. The tool's capabilities include modeling complex geometry, managing project files, and automating data collection, all while ensuring that confidentiality and data integrity are preserved.
Faster Modeling and Complex Geometry Handling
One of the most impressive features of MAT is its ability to handle complex geometry with ease. For example, in the structural modelling required for the design of the control tower of an international airport terminal, the project involved highly complex geometry that would typically take weeks or even months to model manually. With MAT, the team was able to generate the structural models in just a single day.
Notably, the latter half of this innovation is built around linear analyses, making it ideal for non-seismic zones, where soil movement is relatively predictable. The digitalised mapping of the underground in the former half can be applied to general conditions.
The control tower presented significant challenges due to its unique geometry. However, by utilising MAT, we were able to build the model quickly and accurately. This efficiency was crucial in form-finding and in exploring various options to identify the most efficient structural system. As the client placed strong emphasis on technical capability, we were able to demonstrate our ability to deliver innovative solutions at an early stage, which perhaps contributed to winning the project,
Efficiency in Document Management and Collaboration
Another core feature of MAT is its ability to manage project files and documentation effortlessly. Engineering teams often need to handle hundreds of drawings, reports and spreadsheets. MAT automates the process of creating and organising these documents, enabling engineers to manage workloads efficiently.
“As engineers, we often have to input design data into various files and then compile them into reports for the quantity surveyor or contractor. MAT simplifies this process by allowing us to manage these inputs in a fraction of the time. The tool enables us to automate tasks that were traditionally time-consuming such as compiling hundreds of work files into PDFs or generating a table of contents for a set of drawings, making project management far more efficient. Additionally, MAT helps engineers to identify potential design issues early on, enabling them to address problems before they become costly or time-consuming to fix,” said Mr John McGuire, Regional CEO of Meinhardt ANZ and Deputy Head of the Meinhardt Group Innovation Committee
Moreover, MAT supports seamless collaboration among team members, allowing them to input project data without disrupting the workflow if someone leaves the team. With just a few clicks, the tool can replace project numbers across multiple files, ensuring continuity and reducing the risk of errors.
Sustainability and Cost Efficiency Through Automation
MAT also plays a pivotal role in helping Meinhardt to lighten its carbon footprint and drive sustainability. By running multiple iterations of a design, engineers can identify the most efficient and cost-effective solutions.
Through the use of MAT, we are able to optimise designs by minimising material use without compromising structural integrity. This capability is particularly important in the context of sustainability as it helps us to reduce construction waste and, in turn, lower the carbon footprint of our projects,
Meinhardt's Commitment to Continuous Innovation
The development and implementation of MAT reflects Meinhardt's commitment to continuous innovation and its efforts to stay at the forefront of technological advancements in engineering. The Meinhardt Singapore Programming Workgroup, consisting of a small but dedicated team of engineers, was instrumental in creating MAT. The team’s journey was inspiring, and their perseverance paid off in the form of a proprietary and one-of-a-kind tool that significantly improves productivity and enhances project delivery.
"We had to teach ourselves programming and learn from online platforms to develop MAT. It was a challenging process but it has been incredibly rewarding to see how our efforts have transformed the way we work,” said Mr Pham.
MAT will be rolled out across Meinhardt’s global offices, beginning with Meinhardt ANZ. The success of the tool in Singapore has laid the foundation for its wider adoption, allowing Meinhardt to go beyond the boundaries of engineering innovation.
Case Study: Keppel South Central Project
The Keppel South Central project is a prime example of how MAT has been used in real-world applications to deliver exceptional results. Located in Singapore’s bustling central business district, the Keppel South Central is a next-generation, super low-energy commercial tower that combines sustainability, energy efficiency, and cutting-edge design.
Meinhardt's involvement in the project was pivotal in delivering the structural engineering services for this high-performance building. MAT played a crucial role in designing the canopy structure and optimising the building’s performance, ensuring that it met the stringent requirements for sustainability while maintaining cost-efficiency.
The use of MAT enabled the team to enhance the structural design for the building's complex geometry which included advanced green features such as a photovoltaic canopy for energy generation and an environmental veil to reduce heat gain. The integration of MAT into the project allowed the team to manage design complexities and deliver solutions that aligned with the client’s commitment to sustainable urban renewal.
Transforming the Future of Structural Engineering
The Meinhardt Automation Tools (MAT) represent a significant leap forward in the structural engineering industry, offering a powerful suite of tools that boost productivity and efficiency, and trim costs. By leveraging these tools, Meinhardt is not only strengthening its internal processes but also delivering smarter and more sustainable infrastructure solutions for clients around the world.
