Singapore, 5 March 2021 – The Ministry of National Development announced several key initiatives during its committee of supply debate yesterday. These initiatives will further accelerate the transformation of the built environment sector and position the sector to emerge stronger and more resilient post-COVID-19. They include the introduction of a new growth and transformation scheme that adopts a value chain approach, the extension of the construction productivity and capability fund (CPCF), and the enhanced buildability framework.
ADOPTING VALUE CHAIN APPROACH
A new growth and transformation scheme (GTS), which adopts a value chain approach to industry transformation, will be introduced to support the formation of strategic alliances among progressive developers, builders and consultants across the construction value chain. Each alliance will need to develop a minimum three-year business and transformation plan outlining the strategies and initiatives to achieve transformation outcomes.
These outcomes include demonstrating how productivity savings will be reaped through the use of design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) and integrated digital delivery (IDD) technologies, and outlining how sustainability outcomes, capability building, workforce development, business growth and strategic collaboration will be delivered.
This value chain approach, in which alliance members will be collectively responsible for the transformation outcomes, is intended to help them forge long-term partnerships, reap mutual benefits, and build up capabilities through knowledge sharing and transfer.
ENTENDED FUNDING
The construction productivity and capability fund (CPCF) was first introduced in 2010. It offers various incentives to help firms adopt productive technologies and develop their workforce to raise construction productivity. About S$850 million was set aside for the CPCF, and BCA has disbursed close to two-thirds of the funding allocated to date.
Due to expire in March 2021, the CPCF will be extended for another year. This will provide continued support for the industry to transform as the industry recovers from COVID-19. A funding support of 80 per cent will also be maintained for the productivity innovation project (PIP) scheme from January 2021 until March 2022. Maintaining this higher level of support will encourage firms to pursue longer term transformation despite the current challenges due to COVID-19.
ENHANCED BUILDABILITY FRAMEWORK
Under the buildability framework, projects are required to meet minimum buildable design scores (B-scores) through the adoption of labour-efficient designs and technologies. BCA has enhanced these requirements periodically to champion the use of more productive technologies, such as DfMA.
To accelerate the adoption of DfMA technologies, BCA will raise the minimum B-scores for all industrial, commercial and institutional building projects with GFA of at least 25,000 square metres from April 2022. This follows BCA’s raising of the requirements for large non-landed residential buildings in 2019, and is part of BCA’s efforts to establish DfMA as the default building method for all large building projects, to promote more productive construction methods.
Following this, all large projects will effectively be required to adopt suitable DfMA technologies for their respective typologies. For example, to meet the raised minimum B-scores, industrial and institutional developments can adopt advanced precast concrete system (APCS) and commercial developments can adopt the structural steel system. The raised minimum B-scores will allow them to meet the 70 per cent DfMA adoption target by 2025 or earlier.
– Construction+ Online
Source: BCA
