In order to improve their efficiency on a global scale, Singapore developers will be required to adopt productive technologies for selected Government Land Sale (GLS) sites by 2H2014, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) and reported in the media.
These include the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) for low and medium-rise buildings, as well as prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) for hotels and residences.
Developers will also have to use prefabricated bathroom units (PBUs) for all GLS residential sites, while a minimum level of prefabrication will be mandated for industrial sites. In addition, non-compliant projects will be issued with a stop-work order by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The initial adoption of these technologies could mean higher costs for developers, said BCA Chief Executive John Keung. But these methods can reduce the risk of on-site accidents, speed up building completions, slash manpower requirements by about 60 percent and alleviate the inconveniences caused by construction, such as dust and noise.
“The cost savings are expected to be marginal as there is a trade-off between manpower savings and material and mechanisation costs,” added Paul Chain, Chief Executive of Nanyang Technological University’s Development & Facilities Management.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Lee Yi Shyan said in Parliament yesterday that the government will allocate an additional $30 million for the five-year Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPC Fund).
“We will explore a second five-year tranche of funding to continue our support to firms to raise construction productivity,” explained Lee. The CPC Fund has helped 4,000 firms since its launch in 2010 with an initial capital of $250 million.
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
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