CASE STUDY 13 SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY AND CAPABILITY FUND (CPCF)

Singapore has a proactive approach to building regulations and driving innovation. The Building Control Authority (BCA) works with industry to raise construction productivity and fundamentally change the design and construction processes, encouraging the adoption of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) and, in particular, the use of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). From 1 November 2014 it became mandatory for selected non-landed residential Government Land Sale (GLS) sites as per the Code of Practice on Build-ability 2015.

In 2016 the BCA also introduced a S$250-million Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF) comprising incentive schemes that focus on workforce development, technology adoption and capability development in Singapore's built environment. BCA has enhanced the CPCF alongside other workforce development and tax credit schemes administered by other agencies to provide stronger support to the industry in raising productivity and building up capabilities.

The Singapore government defines Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC)" as a construction method whereby free-standing volumetric modules (complete with finishes for walls, floors and ceilings) are:

a.  constructed and assembled; or

b.  manufactured and assembled,

- in an accredited fabrication facility, in accordance with any accredited fabrication method, and then installed in a building under building works.

The BCA website states that: "PPVC is one of the game changing technologies that support the DfMA concept to significantly speed up construction. It can potentially achieve a productivity improvement of up to 50% in terms of manpower and time savings, depending on the complexity of the projects. Furthermore, dust and noise pollution can be minimised as more activities are done off-site. With the bulk of the installation activities and manpower moved off-site to a factory controlled environment, site safety will also improve."

In line with Singaporean regulations, Dragages Singapore (a local subsidiary of Bouygues Construction) announced in 2016 that its €100million condominium development for United Venture Development will use a modular construction system based on a reinforced concrete structure. Designed by ADDP Architects, the complex has two 140-metre, 40-storey towerblocks. This will enable the condominiums to meet the Singapore authorities' stipulation that 65% of the superstructure of the towers must employ PPVC (Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction).