ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF ADOPTING MASS ENGINEERED TIMBER FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Adopting MET for construction projects has been gaining traction globally. MET is a form of modular construction which can improve construction productivity and it is also a renewable material. It is beneficial for Singapore as productivity has been a major concern and there is a need to reduce carbon emission. Despite the benefits it brings, there is a lack of developments that actively adopt MET. This may imply that there are several constraints preventing adoption of MET in Singapore. Thus, this research aims to investigate the constraints in the context of Singapore and to propose some mitigation strategies available to reduce the barriers of MET adoption. In addition, there is a lack of assessment framework that can assist organisations in making informed decisions on whether to adopt MET for their projects. As such, decision-making factors (DMFs) to adopt MET will also be investigated and used to develop a Knowledge-Based-Decision Support System (KBDSS) for MET Adoption Decision-Making. Constraints, mitigation strategies and DMFs were identified through a comprehensive literature review, and the findings were validated through pilot interviews. Then, a survey questionnaire including the findings were developed and sent out to industry professionals to gather their perceptions of the significant differences between MET and conventional construction methods (CCM), challenges of adopting MET, mitigation strategies of adopting MET and DMFs of adopting MET. The analysis results indicated that all the identified constraints, mitigation strategies and DMFs are statistically significant, with the top three most significant constraints related to lack of experience using MET, lack of highly skilled labour and the need for additional planning and coordination of activities. The top three mitigation strategies are selecting MET supplier early, sending project teams and workers to MET-related courses, and conducting sharing sessions about MET with end users, while the top five most significant DMFs relate to familiarity with MET, the need to improve overall project productivity, achieving higher quality, reducing neighbourhood disruption and noise, and reducing the amount of waste to be dumped. The analysis findings also suggested that the construction industry is generally unfamiliar with MET and thus the adopt of MET in Singapore may improve if the construction industry familiarises with the technology. The analysis findings had also been used to develop the KBDSS, and depending on the assessment score obtained from the system, different sets of recommendations are provided to the organisation to assist them in their decision and to guide them in adopting MET successfully for their projects. This research has contributed to the literature by identifying and analysing significant constraints, mitigation strategies and DMFs that are relevant to the Singapore construction industry. Furthermore, it has contributed to the industry by developing a KBDSS assessment framework to support them in their decision to adopt MET.