Industrialised Building System Research Articles

Requirements for developing production planning and control systems for engineer-to-order industrialized building systems

Several efforts for industrializing construction have been made in different countries, and there has been a growing demand for engineer-to-order (ETO) industrialized building systems. In this context, products are unique for specific clients, as customer orders are placed at the design stage. There are many challenges for planning and controlling those building systems, due to the high level of complexity involved. The aim of this research is to propose a set of core requirements for production planning and control systems in ETO industrialized building systems. The methodological approach adopted in this investigation was design science research. It was based on a literature review on different planning and control models, and also on an empirical study carried out in a steel fabricator company. The proposed set of requirements is aligned with the management-as-organizing approach, challenging some traditional project management assumptions, including the use of metrics and practices that are not suitable for the high degree of complexity that exists in ETO environments. As a practical contribution, the requirements can be used by ETO construction supplier companies to support the conception and development of planning and control systems.

Identification of critical success factors for the adoption of Industrialized Building System (IBS) in Malaysian construction industry

As the global population continues to grow, efficient construction methods without compromising project quality are needed. This study identified the critical success factors (CSFs) required for adoption of Industrialized Building System (IBS) in Malaysian construction industry (MCI). Preliminary factors influencing adoption of IBS from previous studies were contextually adjusted using pilot study. These factors were categorized into five areas: stakeholder understanding, resource availability, process management, issues and perceptions, and future needs. Questionnaires were then administered to 314 IBS players within MCI followed by data analysis methods. Relative Importance Index (RII) ranked increasing skilled labor, introducing renovation capabilities, and removing negative social perception as the main CSFs for adoption of IBS in MCI. The results of this study will be a guide for construction stakeholders to improve efficiency in construction by introducing IBS in MCI.

Ergonomic and Economic Office Light Level Control

Light regulation systems in industrial or office buildings play an important role in minimizing the use of fossil energy resources, while providing both economic and ergonomic optimal functionality. Although industrial buildings resolve the problem of interaction or disturbance mitigation by providing constant light levels exclusively from artificial sources, office landscapes may benefit from up to a 20% decrease in costs if mixed light sources are optimized properly. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework based on model predictive control (MPC) to resolve a multi-system with strong dynamic interactions and multi-objective cost optimization. Centralized and distributed predictive control strategies are compared on various office landscaping structures and functionality conditions. Economic and ergonomic indexes are evaluated in a scaled laboratory setting.

A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the sustainability of industrialised building systems: A bibliographic review and analysis of case studies

The building construction has a significant impact on sustainability worldwide. However, industrialised building systems (IBS) might reduce these impacts compared to traditional building systems (TBS). Previous literature reviews have analysed IBS's sustainability, based primarily on environmental aspects and through qualitative indicators, disregarding a detailed quantitative comparison between both technologies and nor considering economic and social sustainability indicators. To fill this gap, this paper aims to evaluate vis-à-vis IBS's sustainability in relation to TBS, based on the quantitative and qualitative indicators studied in the literature. Thus, an exhaustive bibliographic review of IBS and TBS case studies was conducted. In total, 67 scientific papers were selected (papers, book chapters and reports), containing 86 case studies. Major findings indicated that IBS are more sustainable in almost all studied values – except construction costs. Nevertheless, this advantage depends on material design, prefabrication levels, transportation, work management and each author's methodological approaches. These factors are discussed to explain the reasons for IBS′ sustainability. Furthermore, main conclusions indicate that sustainability assessments have been unbalanced in literature, with few analyses of economic and social performance, and some indicators have been poorly studied (e.g., water and acidification potential), so their results are not yet representative. Similarly, reusability, prefabrication levels and the social indicators of IBS were insufficiently analysed in the reviewed case studies. Finally, the current review highlights IBS sustainability indicators that have been less studied in order to motivate new investigations in the broader field, exposing the IBS sustainability outlook and other research gaps.

Pertinent Internal and External Issues in Industrialised Building System (IBS) Construction Business in Malaysia

Industrialised Building System (IBS) construction business has emerged as one of the potential business ventures as the Malaysian construction industry is in a constant need to shift from conventional method of construction to IBS adoption aligning to Construction 4.0 Strategic Plan 2021-2025 and The National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030 (NEP 2030). In line with boosting the IBS implementation, a brief exploratory study has been conducted to validate several IBS construction business issues among IBS contractors in Malaysia, internally and externally. From selected online databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science, 397 articles were extracted from the “Industrialised Building System (IBS) Issues in Malaysia” keywords. A set of semi-structured questionnaires was developed and pre-tested before flowing it to 25 respondents from different backgrounds in construction business related to IBS. Internally, it is discovered that the easy access to cheap labours, substantial start-up capital and ineffective IBS knowledge transfer among construction players are internal challenges that IBS contractors must endure. Concurrently discovered, IBS contractors are externally challenged by heavy Chinese-led and big boys construction project monopoly, government’s weak push for IBS technology, securing smooth payment delivery, and the unstable political climate in the Malaysian political scenarios. This paper aims to validate and outreach the challenges IBS contractors face internally and externally to strategize the business plan systematically.
 Keywords: Industrialized Building System (IBS), Issues in IBS Construction Business, Construction Business Issues, IBS Issues, Exploratory Study

Analysis and design of cold-formed steel modular building frame with SCIA Engineer

The Industrialised Building System (IBS) is a well-known construction method with many advantages for future construction. However, IBS adoption in Malaysia remains low, particularly when coldformed steel (CFS) is used. A study on structural analysis and design of a CFS container module for the IBS system is conducted. The research is comprised of two parametric studies and one comparison study. The first parametric study was carried out to determine the cost-effective model from three parameters, including module with various layouts, the strength of steel, and the size of the CFS steel section. The analysis and design results from SCIA Engineer software of the chosen model are compared with manual calculations for validation. The second parametric study was carried out with the CFS container subjected to various angles of cable-lifting during transportation and installation. From the findings, an optimised CFS container module was selected from 64 models from the SCIA Engineer analysis result. Furthermore, it is found that certain cable-lifting angles would cause excessive stresses in the CFS container module that could lead to premature failure. Thus, it is recommended that professional measures are necessary while lifting the CFS container module.

Numerical evaluation of the seismic performance of thin reinforced concrete wall buildings representative of the industrialized building system

The industrialized building system has specific characteristics that set it apart from the conventional concrete wall system, namely, a reduced wall thickness, the use of electro-welded wire mesh, and a lack of boundary element confinement. These conditions have attracted the interest of researchers, who have developed various experimental programs to evaluate the behavior of these walls. However, evidence on the seismic performance of buildings remains scarce. In this study, the performance of 5-, 8- and 12-story buildings was evaluated by nonlinear chronological analysis. Numerical models were constructed using the Shell Layered element of the ETABS software and adjusted based on the results from tests of isolated walls and the periods of one of the buildings identified in an ambient vibration test. The findings suggest that these buildings may fail to meet the life safety performance level in high seismic hazard areas.

ERRATUM: Numerical evaluation of the seismic performance of thin reinforced concrete wall buildings representative of the industrialized building system

ERRATUM: Numerical evaluation of the seismic performance of thin reinforced concrete wall buildings representative of the industrialized building system

Assessing Site Waste Management Practices and Cost Between Conventional and Industrialised Building System (IBS) Projects in Malaysia

The Urban development and demands in the construction industry and the increasing population numbers have positively contributed to the rising waste generation. The growth and expansion of construction activities enhanced the problem of waste generation on construction sites. In the Malaysian construction industry, there is a pressing issue of minimising construction waste, which causes significant impacts on the environment. Malaysia is moving towards better construction waste management; however, there is still insufficient collection and improper construction waste disposal in projects site. Practices to reduce, reuse, or recycle waste have not yet achieved widespread implementation due to the cost incurred in handling and transporting the physical waste to the dumpsite. Thus, adopting an Industrialised Building System (IBS) has been one alternative to the conventional construction method to reduce construction waste. The research aim is to compare site waste management practices between conventional and IBS projects. The research examines the types of site waste generated from construction project activities, the types of site waste management practices, and the cost involved in managing site waste. The research methodology used qualitative research and used a case study approach. The data is gained from semi- structured interviews with conventional and IBS contractors in Malaysia. The analysis is based on cross-case analysis and pattern matching. Findings from semi-structured interviews based on six comparative case studies revealed that there are some differences between the types of site waste generate by the conventional and IBS projects due to some causes such as improper storage and wrong handling material. Adopting an IBS can greatly minimize construction waste, saving the cost of materials, and improve the environmental performance for overall site conditions. This research shows that the government should play an important role by encourage all the construction company to implement IBS as the new way in minimizing the construction waste.

Appraisal on Workforce Performance towards Industrialised Building System in Perak, Malaysia

The workforce has always been the backbone of the construction industry in the Industrialised Building System (IBS). Previous researchers often obtain data and opinions from the perspective of construction professionals and often neglect the labour workforce opinion. This study aims to investigate various factors that affect the workforce's productivity in IBS performance. The data collection amounts 60 targeted respondents. This study found a strong correlation between motivation, education, and workforce skill level that affects productivity in implementing IBS. The resolution is to propose an improvement of monetary incentive and academic level of the workforce. Keywords: Workforce; Industrialised Building System (IBS); Construction Industry; Malaysia eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3066

Industrialized Building System Evaluation Framework For Highway Construction In Malaysia

Sustainability and Industrial Building System (IBS) closely linked each other due to the unique characteristics of IBS that help promote sustainability in construction. IBS is a construction technique in which components are manufactured in a controlled environment, transported, positioned and assembled into a structure with minimal additional site work. IBS promoted by CIDB which most of the implementation on the IBS only assessed and evaluated on the buildings. In the new highway project development, the Government through implementing agency, Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) have set the requirement to the new highway project to achieve at least 20% of the IBS in the construction works and 70% of IBS’s component application in the structural works. Reviews of literature revealed that Malaysia is still lacking of a mechanism in determine the IBS’s component application in the structural works for highway. In view of this issue, this study is carried out to develop an IBS evaluation framework for structural works in highways construction. Also the existing level of IBS acceptance in the highway construction industry and IBS’s component used in the highways have been investigated and evaluated. The findings lead to establishment of the evaluation frameworks on the IBS’s components in the structural works for highway. The proposed of the evaluation framework enables the implementation on the IBS’s components in the structural works for highway more structured and organized towards enhancing the overall performance of highway construction in Malaysia.

Advantages of Using Hybrid System Method in Industrialised Building System (IBS)

Hybrid System method is one of the technology implements in Industrialised Building System (IBS). Methods has been acquaint in many ways in order to improve Industrialised Building System (IBS) in Malaysia. Other country such as United Kingdom also have used the term Hybrid for their concrete process known as Hybrid Concrete Construction (HCC). While in Malaysia, Hybrid System comes with a method that combines one component with two different method which are the precast component and cast-in situ method. This two combination method has called a Hybrid System method and started implements by Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) for mostly a government projects in Kedah state in Malaysia on 2017. Industrialised Building System has been well known as a fast completion, saving cost, and less labour needed in construction. However, the issues by using Hybrid System method has double up the time completion, splurging the cost, and enlarge the labour since it needs to cast-in situ the components, let the concrete cured and more material usage. The significance of study for this research is the new method of IBS Hybrid System is a pilot project in Kedah by JKR. Thus, this research is to control the delay involves in projects that apply IBS Hybrid System. Hence, this paper is to identify the advantages of using Hybrid System method in Industrialised Building System (IBS).

Towards the success of Building Information Modelling implementation: A fuzzy-based MCDM risk assessment tool

The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) brings numerous benefits to Industrialised Building System (IBS) construction projects. However, implementing new technologies in a complex environment involves several risks such as having insufficient information, an increase in short-term costs, and reluctance to share information. This research aims to develop a prototype risk assessment tool (PRAT) for identifying and evaluating the risk factors associated with implementing BIM in IBS construction projects. The “Fuzzy Delphi Method” was employed to identify the critical risk factors, while “DEMATEL” and the “Parsimonious-fuzzy analytic network process” were employed for data analyses. The novelty of this research is twofold: developing a risk assessment tool for BIM-based IBS projects and employing a hybrid, comprehensive, and efficient method for model development. PRAT consists of six main parts: instructions and opening window; modifiable database, pairwise comparison modules 1 and 2, calculation, and result window. After refining the risk factors, PRAT analyses the risk of BIM-based IBS projects considering thirty-two risk factors. The results of PRAT implementation show that it enables users to prioritise the risk factors, considering their importance and interdependencies, with an understandable procedure by the managers. Hence, it increases the possibility of successful BIM implementation for IBS construction companies.

Sound Performances of Partition Board from Waste Materials

This study is on the sound performances of a selected number of partition boards in Industrialised Building System (IBS) buildings. The proposed bespoke board were made from squandered or waste materials, namely, coconut shells and newspapers. Each board had been tested for six different distances from the speaker in four different levels of sound, changing the level of the sound frequency. Thereon, the results were analysed. The average result of each board with various distances from the sound source, starting from 0 cm to 220 cm, was combined into under one sound level. The percentage of the noise reduction coefficient is designated by the vertical line whereas the levels of the sound is designated by the horizontal line. Point 1 stands for the low frequency and low intensity test. Point 2 stands for low frequency and high intensity test. The board that is being made of 80% coconut shell, 15% cement and 5% newspaper has an average of noise reduction coefficient of 0.21 in low frequency and low intensity, 0.21 in low frequency and high intensity, 0.24 in high frequency, high intensity and 0.12 in high frequency low intensity.

Effects of Section Properties on Structural Behaviour and Failure Mode of Built-Up CFS Columns

Built-up CFS column is a type of structure that can be classified as an industrialized building system. This column has been widely used in the construction industry. It has relatively lightweight, easy to fabricate and provide efficient installation, thus suitable for the construction with difficulty inaccessibility. However, the main issue that arises from the built-up CFS column is its bearing capacity. The ultimate strength and displacement of the built-up CFS column are prominently governed by its section properties such as size and thickness. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the effects of section properties on the structural behaviour and failure mode of built-up CFS columns. The built-up CFS column was modelled in the three-dimensional using WELSIM, taking into account the nonlinearities of geometry, material criterion and contact surface. It was found that the built-up CFS column attains ultimate strength of 53.33 kN to 210.6 kN and displacement around 1.33 mm to 2.98 mm. When the size and thickness of square hollow sections are increased, the ultimate strength increases simultaneously but the displacement shows a decrement trend. Under compression force, it was observed that the built-up CFS column suffers distortional and flexural buckling as well as connector and stiffener failures.

Investigating Significant Issues of BIM Implementation in Industrialised Building System Design and Production Process

Industrialised Building System (IBS) has been considered a construction method to accelerate the development of the construction industry in attempt to boost the economic growth of Malaysia. With the slow uptake of IBS method in Malaysian construction industry, Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology was introduced as an IBS catalyst to improve IBSprocess in term of its productivity and efficacy. However, the advantages of BIM implementation are not fully acquired in IBS industry. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the issues encountered when BIM is implemented in IBS design and production process in Malaysia. The preliminary study adopted the concurrent triangulation mixed method approach where both semi-structured interview and qualitative survey are used as research technique. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted as qualitative survey with the industry experts who have more than 5 years of experience in both IBS and BIM fields to gain insight into the issues of BIM implementation in both IBS design and production process. The quantitative survey Likert scale of agreed level was indicated by the respondents simultaneously while investigating the issues of BIM implementation in IBS design and production process during the interview. The interview data was collected and analysed by measuring mean agreed level to issues of BIM implementation in IBS design and production process and identifying the most significant issues of BIM implementation in IBS process across responses from interview using excel tool and content analysis. The results showed that the most significant issues are encountered when BIM is implemented in IBS design process rather than in IBS production process. The most significant issue is the lack of early collaboration among IBS players in the beginning of IBS design stage in a BIM project. In addition, the lack of knowledge and understanding on IBS design and installation among the project stakeholder, especially consultants in the BIM integrated projects leads to the increase of IBS design time and causes the late confirmation of informed decision of the IBS component design. It can further affect the productivity of IBS production process. Therefore, the issues of BIM implementation in IBS design process should be tackled early to improve the BIM implementation in IBS industry in Malaysia.

The recent trends on prefabricated buildings with circular economy (CE) approach

In some countries, prefabricated or industrialized building systems (IBS) have often been described as potential solutions in the sustainable construction process, moreover with the integration with a circular economy. Despite the increasing number of publications on prefabricated buildings and the circular economy in the construction industry, there is an absence of research that discusses prefabricated buildings with the integration of circular economy (CE) and the future direction of this strategy. Therefore, this article will review the current literature on prefabricated building with a CE approach, and map the future trends of prefabricated building with circular economy (CE). A list of keywords (circular and prefabricated economy) related to the scope of this research was identified. In the second step, the keyword for studies in Scopus, WoS and Mendeley were searched, and a total of 36 papers were reviewed. A themed review was carried out, where five final themes were identified: assessment; building materials; technology; framework, and business model. The results suggest a new framework of research trends in the prefabricated buildings with a CE approach in the industry. This study will benefit future researchers that focus on prefabricated buildings with a CE approach.

A Comparative Study for Forced Ventilation Systems in Industrial Buildings to Improve the Workers’ Thermal Comfort

The appropriate ventilation for factory spaces with regard to volume flow rate and air velocity inside the factory is one of the most important factors in the improvement of the thermal comfort of workers and in the reduction of the percentage of pollution they are exposed to, which in turn helps to improve the work environment and increase productivity. It also could improve the performance of machines. Hence, overheating can cause various problems and malfunctions. In this study, three types of mechanical ventilation systems are compared: the wall fan extract ventilation system, the roof fan extract ventilation system, and the spot cooling system. The Ansys software has been used to conduct the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for the different cases and the ventilation effectiveness factor (VEF) has been used to compare the performances of the three systems. The ventilation factor notably relies on the temperature distribution produced through the modeling and the results show that the most optimal system that can be used for similar factory spaces is the forced ventilation system. Finally, it is also the best in terms of energy consumption, despite the increase in the initial cost of its installation.

Evaluate Workforce Perspective in Industrialised Building System

The workforce is essential in the construction sector for the Industrialised Building System (IBS). Previous researchers often obtain data and opinions from the perspective of construction professionals and often neglect the labour workforce opinion. The research is to study the perspective of IBS by evaluating workforce performances factors to improve IBS performance amongst the workforces. The data collection amounts 60 targeted respondents. This study found a strong correlation between motivation, education, and workforce skill level, affecting productivity in implementing IBS. Eventually, the resolution proposes an improvement of the workforce's monetary incentive and academic level.

Industrialized Building System (IBS): Challenges in Implementing Interlocking Mortarless Blocks (IMB) System for Housing Projects

The Malaysian government strongly encourage the application of new techniques in building construction such as the Industrialized Building System (IBS). With this new IBS technology, numerous advantages will be obtained and will directly raise the performance of the building. However, the acceptance of IBS in Malaysia is still low. There are many components of IBS. The objective of this paper is to describe the Interlocking Mortarless Blocks System (IMB) and to identify the challenges in the utilization of the mortarless blocks system in housing construction. This research was carried out in Ipoh, Perak, with a focus on housing construction projects. Questionnaire was provided for the respondents to answer. The data was analyzed using the descriptive analysis from the SPSS software. The result revealed that one of the challenges is contractors who tend to use traditional construction method rather than the Interlocking Mortarless Blocks system method. The usage of Interlocking Mortarless Blocks in Malaysian is still low as there is no specific standard on Interlocking Mortarless Blocks system. Therefore, the findings of this research can hopefully assist Malaysian contractors in making a decision on the component to be used in their projects. Additionally, the findings ensure that the government can take appropriate action to encourage the use of IBS, especially the Interlocking Mortarless Blocks