A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON CONSTRUCTION 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN SINGAPORE'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Construction 3D printing is a relatively new technology in the construction sector as compared to their manufacturing counterparts. There is little knowledge data available in the construction industry pertaining to this technology. There is a lack of diversification in 3DP research and most of the completed studies are mainly focused on the technology development and application. There is no existing study with regards to management in construction 3D printing in the industry today. As the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) has identified construction 3D printing as a Tier 2 technology in the Research and Development Roadmap in March 2016, there is a rising interest in construction 3D printing technology in Singapore. Thus, there is a demand to examine the technology readiness through understanding how industry practitioners perceive and adopt it. This study is part of a feasibility study research to determine the most feasible construction 3D printing application in Singapore. This study is focused on the technology readiness of Singapore's construction industry to adopt 3D printing technology, through Technology Readiness Index (TRI) framework adopted from Parasuraman. A structured interview and a rigorous set of questionnaire was done to gather opinion from industry professionals from various background. It revealed that although people are relatively positive towards adopting 3D printing technology, there is still a certain degree of discomfort and insecurity that hinders them from doing so. The level of TRI score also varies amongst different respondents' groups.