Industrialised Building System in Malaysia

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Industrialised Building System (IBS) can be defined as all building components with the given specifications, standardized shapes, and

dimensions, which are massively produced either in a factory or at site factory and transported to the construction project site to be rearranged with certain standards, to form a building. It may also be defined as, all of the building components such as wall, floor slab, beam, column and staircase are mass produced under strict quality control and minimal on site activities (Rollet, 1986; Trikha, 1999). Perhaps the most in-depth definition of IBS was clarified by Junid (1986), in which he said that it is the process of the building components are conceived, planned, fabricated, transported and erected on site. The development of this IBS is not something new in the construction industry in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, the use of precast concrete elements as included implemented by IBS was introduced since 1996 when the government launched the construction of Tunku Abdul Rahman Flats in Kuala Lumpur. The survey conducted by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, showed that the level of usage of IBS in the local construction industry was only 15% in 2003 (CIDB, 2003a), although many government initiatives were introduced to encourage the use of IBS. 1

According to former Work and Transport Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed, (Bernama,2009) 70% of the RM9.6 billion allocated for

infrastructure projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan will be awarded to IBS component-based construction companies. The government had decided that IBS can provide added value to the national construction industry and stimulate the economic growth. This is because IBS can save up 35% of the construction cost and up to 50% of the construction time.

In Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia has positive feedback was given from the developers regarding the use of IBS in the construction industry....