The Republic plans to release more land for complexes where building components can be put together in a factory environment, so as to reduce the need for manpower in the construction sector, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Lee Yi Shyan on Wednesday (Sep 23).
He was speaking at the opening of SEF SpaceHub, which is the first Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub (ICPH) to be built on land obtained from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) via public tender. Such complexes provide companies in the industry with a more consistent supply of quality precast concrete components for buildings.
SEF SpaceHub, which is located in the Kaki Bukit area, produces precast concrete components such as staircases and prefabricated bathrooms that are then stored at a fully-automated storage and retrieval facility. The five-storey complex is able to produce more than 25 types of components.
According to BCA, ICPHs allow for more efficient use of land and highly mechanised and automated systems. Such complexes also require around 50 to 70 per cent less manpower compared to the more traditional open-precast yards.
BCA has since launched three more land tenders for the development of ICPHs and it hopes to have 10 such facilities operational by 2020.
“Raising construction productivity is a long-term undertaking. We are pleased to note that our efforts are showing results,” said Mr Lee. “Site productivity has steadily improved at an average of 1.4 per cent per year over the last four years. Indeed, we have already achieved a 2 per cent improvement in 2014.”
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 23 Sep 2015