HDB launches new initiatives to boost construction productivity

All newly launched HDB flats will be fitted with bathroom units pre-assembled off-site by 2019. Complete with finishes such as copper piping, partial tiling, window frames, and a waterproofing system, the Prefabricated Bathroom Units (PBU) will be transported to the work site, and hoisted onto the blocks for installation. They will be implemented in 60 per cent of the flats launched in 2017.

Along with the adoption of PBUs, HDB will also implement the concrete Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method in 35 per cent of its projects by 2019. This method involves constructing and assembling three-dimensional (3D) prefabricated modular units with finishes in a controlled factory environment, where the 3D volumetric components are combined in different configurations (including bedrooms, living room, household shelter and kitchen) to create different flat layouts, and pre-fitted with floor and wall finishes, window frames and a preliminary coat of paint, before being transported to the construction site for installation.

Installing the PPVC rooms and bathrooms will improve project productivity—the amount of floor area completed per man day—by 50 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

The move—a departure from the conventional approach where workers need to work on the finishes at the construction site—will drive HDB’s construction productivity on a larger scale, setting it on track to achieve a productivity improvement of 25 per cent by 2020, compared with 2010. — Construction+ Online