iv
OPTIMIZING PRODUCTION LINE OF IBS BY USING
SIMULATION MODEL
ALI MOHAMMED ALASHWAL
A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the Degree of
Master of Science (Construction Management)
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
November 2006
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA
BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESISƇ
OPTIMIZING PRODUCTION LINE OF (IBS) BY USING
SIMULATION MODEL.
JUDUL:
SESI PENGAJIAN: 2005/2006
ALI MOHAMMED MOHAMMED ALASHWAL.
Saya:
(HURUF BESAR)
Mengaku membenarkan tesis (PSM/Sarjana/Doktor Falsafah)* ini disimpan di perpustakaan Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:1.
2.
3.
4.
Tesis adalah hakmilik Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Perpustakaan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia dibenarkan membuat salinan untuk tujuan pengajian
sahaja.
Perpustakaan dibenarkan membuat salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian
tinggi.
**Sila tandakan (¥)
¥
SULIT
(Mengandungi maklumat berdarjah keselamatan atau
kepentingan Malaysia seperti yang termaktub di dalam
AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972)
TERHAD
(Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan
oleh organisasi/badan dimana penyelidikan dijalankan
TIDAK TERHAD
Disahkan oleh
(TANDATANGAN PENULIS)
ALAMAT TETAP:
(TANDATANGAN PENYELIA)
PROF. MADYA DR. ABDUL KADIR
Yahsob School St. – Yareem – Ibb –
Republic of Yemen. (Phone +9674501550).
MARSONO
NAMA PENYELIA
TARIKH:
TARIKH:
NOVEMBER 2006
NOVEMBER 2006
CATATAN:
* Potong yang tidak berkenaan.
** Jika tesis ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa /organisasi
erkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh tesis ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai
SULIT atau TERHAD.

Tesis dimaksudkan sebagai tesis bagi Ijazah Doktor Falsafah dan Sarjana secara penyelidikan,
atau disertasi bagi pengajian secara kerja kursus dan penyelidikan, atau Laporan Projek Sarjana
Muda (PSM).
Status Declaration Letter
Date: November, 2006
Librarian
Perpustakaan Sultanah Zanariah
UTM, Skudai
Johor
Sir,
CLASSIFICATION OF THESIS AS RESTRICTED
OPTIMIZING PRODUCTION LINE OF IBS BY USING
SIMULATION MODEL
ALI MOHAMMED ALASHWAL
Please be informed that the above mentioned thesis entitled “OPTIMIZING
PRODUCTION LINE OF IBS BY USING SIMULATION MODEL” be classified as
RESTRICTED for a period of three (3) years from the date of this letter. The reasons for
this classification are
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
COMMERCIALIZATION OF RESEARCH PRODUCT
NEGOTIATION STAGE WITH UTSB SDN. BHD. AS BUSINESS
CONSULTANT
NICHE IBS PRODUCT COMPONENTS ARE WAITING TO BE
MANUFACTURED
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
ASSOC. PROF. DR. ABDUL KADIR MARSONO
M46-238
07-5531606
013-7257737
iii
“We hereby declare that I have read this project and in my opinion this project is
sufficient in terms of scope and quality for the award of the degree of Master of Science
(Construction Management) by taught course.”
Signature
: …………………………………….
Name of Supervisor I
:
ASSOC. PROF. DR. ABDUL KADIR
MARSONO
Date
:
November 2006
Signature
:
Name of Supervisor II
:
ASSOC. PROF. DR. MASINE MD. TAP
Date
:
November 2006
Signature
: ………………………………………..
……………………………………
Name of Supervisor II : ASSOC. PROF. DR. AHMAD MAHIR
MAKHTAR
Date
:
November 2006
v
“I declared that this project report entitled “OPTIMIZING PRODUCTION LINE OF IBS
BY USING SIMULATION MODEL” is the result of my own research except as cited in
references. This report has not been accepted for any degree and is not concurrently
submitted in candidature of any degree”.
Signature
Name
:
:
……………………………………
ALI MOHAMMED ALASHWAL
Date
:
November 2006
vi
Especially dedicated to my beloved family
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to all who have helped
directly or indirectly in his Masters Project research work. The first gratitude is to Allah
for his prosperity and guidance. A big thank is to the project supervisor, Associate
Professor Dr. Abdul Kadir Bin Marsono, for his passionate assistance, and concern. With
his invaluable advices and superb directions, the author has successfully completed his
Masters Project. It is indeed a true honor and privilege for being able to work under the
supervision of such a dedicated and enthusiastic lecturer.
Special thanks are due to Associate Professor Dr. Masine Md Tap for her close
guidance and assistance throughout the process of carrying out the research work.
Besides, the author would like to thank Associate Professor Dr. Ahmad Mahir Makhtar
for his helpful and concern. A particular grateful is due to my cousin Hani Tahir
Alashwal for his unlimited helpful, support, and assistance.
Last but not least, the author would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to his
family members and friends for their utmost support and motivation throughout this
research work. My thanks to them all.
viii
ABSTRACT
Even though IBS has the ability to offer intensive production elements, the rapid
increasing demands of providing a shelter for every citizen is enforced enhancing the
productivity and the delivery time of IBS. That may obtained by improving the
production line layout of the manufacture plant, enhancing production time, and
resources utilization. Recently, simulation has begun to be applied in construction
industry sector. In this study, “Witness 2001” program has been testified to be able to
build a simulation model for the production line of pre-cast concrete columns and beams.
This simulation model offers the alternatives to modify the production line attributes as
the capacity of elements treatment area, number of re-useable moulds and labour,
breakdown of activities and so on. In fact, that imitates a real plant production line. The
model provides the opportunity to identify the optimum production line of the suggested
layout. This research presents the results of two simulation models either for columns and
beams. The results involve basically on the selection of the appropriate production layout,
the required time to produce the assumed amount of columns and beams. Finally, the
effect of machineries breakdown and the required resources has been determined in this
research.
ix
ABSTRAK
Walaupun IBS berupaya menawarkan elemen-elemen yang dihasilkan secara
intensif, namun peningkatan terhadap permintaan yang begitu mendadak untuk
menyediakan tempat perlindungan bagi setiap penduduk memerlukan peningkatan
produktiviti dan masa yang lebih singkat. Ianya boleh dicapai dengan memperbaiki susun
atur loji pengeluar bahagian pengeluaran, mengurangkan masa pengeluaran, dan
penggunaan sumber-sumber secara efisyen. Simulasi project ini diuji untuk dalam sektor
industri pembinaan. Dengan pevisian “Witness 2001”, ujikaji bagi menunjukkan
keupayaannya dalam membina model simulasi yang digunakan oleh bahagian
pengeluaran rasuk dan tiang konkrit IBS. Model simulasi yang dimanipulasikan
menawarkan alternatif untuk mengubahsuai ciri-ciri bahagian pengeluaran seperti
kapasiti kawasan yang diperlukan untuk pengawalan pengeluaran, bilangan pekerja dan
bahan yang perlu digunakan, pecahan aktiviti-aktiviti dan sebagainya. Hakikatnya, ianya
menggambarkan keadaan sebenar sesuatu bahagian pengeluaran kilang IBS Sebenarnya,
model yang dihasilkan memberikan peluang untuk mengenalpasti penggunaan susun atur
yang optimum dalam bahagian pengeluaran bagi susun atur yang dicadangkan. Kajian ini
memberikan hasil simulasi dua model iaitu bagi penghasilan tiang dan rasuk. Hasil kajian
secara asasnya melibatkan pemilihan susun atur pengeluaran yang bersesuaian, serta
masa yang diperlukan bagi menghasilkan sebilangan jumlah tiang dan rasuk. Akhir
sekali, kesan kerosakan jentera yang digunakan serta sumber-sumber yang diperlukan
juga telah ditentukan di dalam kajian ini.
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
CHAPTER 1
Description
Page
TITLE
i
DECLARATION
ii
DEDICATION
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
vii
ABTRACT
viii
ABSTRAK
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
x
LIST OF TABLES
xiv
LIST OF FIGURES
xvi
LIST OF CHART
xviii
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
1
1.2
Problem Statement
3
1.3
Aim and Objectives of Study
3
1.4
Scope of Study
4
1.5
Significance of Study
5
xi
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Introduction
6
2.2
Industrialised Building System (IBS)
7
2.2.1
The Definition of IBS
7
2.2.2
The Feature of IBS
7
2.2.3
The Benefits and Limitation of IBS
8
2.2.4
IBS Components
9
2.2.5
IBS in Malaysia
10
2.3
2.4
2.5
Pre-cast Concrete
11
2.3.1
The Definition of Pre-cast Concrete
11
2.3.2
Advantages of Using Pre-cast Concrete
12
2.3.3
Pre-cast Concrete Production Stages
13
2.3.4
Stage (1): Preparation
14
2.3.5
Stage (2): Casting
15
2.3.6
Stage (3): Curing
19
2.3.7
Stage (4): Stripping and Demoulding
22
2.3.8
Stage (5): In-process Check
23
2.3.9
Stage (6): Lifting and Handling
23
Work Organization
24
2.4.1
All-purpose Team Method
25
2.4.2
Workstation Method
26
Production Line Layout
2.5.1
2.6
27
Flow Analysis and Activities
Analysis of Layout
28
2.5.2
Types of Flow Patterns
29
2.5.3
Types of Layout
31
Simulation
32
2.6.1
32
Simulation Definition
xii
2.7
2.6.2
Importance of Simulation
33
2.6.3
Advantages of Using Simulation
33
2.6.4
Disadvantages of Using Simulation
34
2.6.5
Simulation Software
35
Witness 2001 Software
2.7.1
Building a Simulation Model in
Witness 2001
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
36
36
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
37
3.2 Production Stages Determination
37
3.3 Data Collection
39
3.4 Modelling and Simulation
40
3.5 Data Analysis and Discussion
41
3.6 Research Methodology Flowchart
41
DATA COLLECTION
4.1 Introduction
43
4.2 Data Collection
44
4.3 The Production Line
44
4.4
4.3.1 Preparation Stage Data
45
4.3.2
Casting Stage Data
48
4.3.3
Treatment Stage Data
48
Production Plant Layout
4.5 Working Shifts
51
52
xiii
4.6
Witness 2001 Software
4.7 Applying Data
CHAPTER 5
53
54
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Introduction
56
5.2 Columns Production Line
56
5.2.1
Trial One
56
5.2.2
Trial Two
58
5.2.3
Trial Three
59
5.2.4
Trial Four (Increasing the Number
of Moulds
5.2.5
60
Trial Five (Increasing The Labour
and Machines
61
5.3
Columns Production Line and Working Shifts
63
5.4
Activities Breakdown
63
5.5
Beam Production Line
66
5.6
Beam Production Time and Working Shifts
70
5.7
Beam Production Line Breakdown
70
5.8
Production Lines Resources
72
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1
Conclusion
75
6.2
Recommendations
77
REFERENCES
78
APPENDIXES
80
xiv
LIST OF TABLES
Table No.
4.1
Title
Page
The preparation of cement and raw
materials data
45
4.2
The preparation of steel reinforcement data
46
4.3
Mould preparation data
47
4.4
Placing steel cage and cleaning data
48
4.5
The casting stage data
48
4.6
Treatment stage data
49
4.7
The stages of concrete pre-cast
production elements
50
5.1
First trial results (columns production line)
57
5.2
Second trial results (columns production line)
58
5.3
Third trial results (columns production line)
59
5.4
Fourth trial results (columns production line)
61
5.5
Fifth trial results (columns production line)
62
xv
5.6
Columns production line attributes and the obtained time
(250 columns)
5.7
63
Comparison between times required to
produce Columns and times after breakdown
65
5.8
First trial results (beams production line)
67
5. 9
Second trial results (beams production line)
68
5.10
Third trial results (beams production line)
68
5.11
Fourth trial results (beams production line)
68
5.12
Fifth trial results (beams production line)
69
5.13
Sixth trial results (beams production line)
69
5.14
Beam production line attributes and the obtained time
(two production lines - 750 beams)
5.15
Comparison between the times required to produce
beams and time after breakdown
5.16
71
One shift work to produce 1000 columns and beams
in 50.5 days
5.17
70
73
Two shifts work to produce 1000 columns and beams
in 25.3 days
74
xvi
5.18
Two shifts work to produce 1000 columns and beams
in 16.8 days
74
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No.
Title
Page
1.1
Pre-cast concrete beam and column
5
2.1
The fabricated reinforcement steel cage
14
2.2
Fixing the steel cage to the steel useable mould
15
2.3
All-purpose team work method
25
2.4
The workstation method
26
2.5
Communication links among product, process, schedule
and layout design
27
2.6
Basic flow pattern
30
2.7
Vertical flow pattern
30
2.8
Model building steps in Witness 2001
36
3.1
The flowchart of the stages of production pre-cast
concrete elements
38
xvii
3.2
The production line to be developed in the research
39
3.3
Research methodology flowchart
42
4.1
Concrete pre-cast columns and beams production
line layout
51
4.2
The start up window of Witness 2001 software
53
4.3
The six elements used to build the model
55
5.1
Columns production line simulation model
57
5.2
Breakdown window in Witness 2001 software
64
5.3
Beams production line simulation model
67
xviii
LIST OF CHARTS
Chart No.
Title
Page
2.1
The growth of Malaysian economy and [GDP]
11
5.1
The production line time for the trials one, two, and three
60
5.2
A comparison between trials three, four, and five
62
5.3
Effect of the activities breakdown on columns
production line time
5.4
65
Effect of the activities breakdown on beams
production line time
71
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Introduction
The improvement of productivity and quality in building construction can be
attained only through intensive industrialization and building system process
development. The industrialization of building is most effective when as many as
possible of the building components are prefabricated in a plant with appropriate
equipment and efficient technological and managerial methods. Comprehensive
prefabricated elements that produced in the plant considerably reduce both the amount of
work onsite and dependence on the skill of available labour, on the weather, and on
various local constraints.
Historically, the industrial revolution affected the building sector in many ways.
Perhaps its most important affects were the introduction of structural steel and reinforced
concrete as main building materials in the second half of the 19th century. In addition,
reinforced concrete established itself as one of the major building materials because it
had some distinctive advantages over other prevalent material. Its production process was
2
relatively simple; it could be moulded into any shape and with proper processing yield an
attractive exterior surface.
One of the first applications of pre-cast concrete components was by W.H.
Lascelles in England in1878. Lascelles employed thin pre-cast concrete plates attached to
timber posts for use in walls and attached to concrete joints for use in floors of residential
cottages (Warszawski, 1999).
In Malaysia IBS started with the establishment of the Ministry of Local
Government and Housing in 1964. The Ministry focused then on the need to provide low
cost houses for the low income group. Towards this, housing programmes for the low
income people was launched and by 1966 the Ministry has launched two pilot projects in
two major cities namely Kuala Lumpur and Penang (AbdulRahim S., 2004).
During the five years of the Seventh Malaysian Plan, Malaysia built an amazing
one million dwelling, which constantly amazes visiting building professionals. The
Malaysian housing industry mass-produces more houses on per capita basis than any
other countries in the world. However, we must come to terms with harsh reality that
Malaysia is stuck at the bottom rung of the building technology ladder.
The information revolution started in the second part of the 20th century draws
from the use of computer for storing, processing, and transmitting information of
industrialized processes. The information revolution had a considerable effect on design
work in building and on some aspects of its administration and control in manufacturing
plant.
Actually, the applications of simulation in manufacturing and industrialized
building system are increasing rapidly. Consequently, simulation is a unique ability to
accurately predict the performance of complex processes which makes it ideally suited
for systems planning. In addition, simulation is emerging as an important developed tool
to enhance the production process performance of IBS.
3
Overall, a highly processing planning and an accurate layout of manufacturing
production lines are required to enrich the production activities of industrialized building
system elements.
1.2
Problem Statement
The production of Industrialized Building System elements at the prefabrication
plant involves many stages. One of the most important stages of IBS is the production
stage, especially if we talk about the pre-cast production as a part of IBS. In fact, this
stage is considered as one of the longest stages in term of time, processes, and activities.
The requirements of providing the appropriate shelter for every citizen enforced
multiple efforts to cover that increasing requirements and to enhance once again the
productivity of IBS elements. It is essential to reduce time and plan the resources and the
activities of the whole production processes. The need to adopt an optimized production
layout is essential to enhance the productivity, reduces the lead time and eliminates the
resources involved in the plant.
1.3
Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of this study is to improve the performance of the production process at a
manufacturing plant to produce some of the pre-cast concrete elements as a part of IBS.
The word improvement involves reducing the production time, selecting the accurate
amount of resources, and identifying the optimum production line according to a specific
layout.
There are some specific objectives of this study, which are:
4
x
Propose an optimized layout of preparing raw materials and moulds, casting the
concrete, and curing the elements processes.
x
Estimate based on simulation test, the lead time, this is the time required to
produce IBS elements.
x
Determine the accurate number of resources such as labour and machineries
involved in manufacturing plant.
1.4
Scope of Study
The scope of this study is limited to the pre-cast concrete elements as a part of
IBS components production. The suggestion here is to produce 1,000 pre-cast concrete
elements namely: 750 beams and 250 columns. While the number of reusable steel
moulds is limited by 50 steel moulds to produce all the elements.
Accelerators admixtures are adopted in this research. The admixtures have been
assumed to be added during the concrete mixing process in order to hasting the hardening
of those elements, shortage the duration of the production process, and reducing the
number of moulds used.
Besides, using simulation software namely ‘Witness 2001’ program to build a
simulation model represent a production line of pre-cast concrete columns and beam.
Activities breakdown has been considered in this research. The effect of two
machines breakdown has been studied. These two machines are concrete compactor table
and concrete mixer.
Finally, there are some assumptions made in this study such as the production will
not to be interrupted due to lack of labours or insufficient supply of raw materials or
parts. The following figure shows the elements of IBS which are beam and column
5
produced by a pre-cast plant to build a typical house consist of 100 % prefabricated
components.
© EBS 2005
Figure 1.1: Pre-cast concrete beam and column.
1.5
x
Significance of Study
The proposed simulation model in this study can be applied in the planning of IBS
plants especially the production line of concrete pre-cast and the treatment areas.
x
Propose a way to ease the determination of the period time required to produce
and delivery of IBS elements to the erection site.
x
Propose a suggestion to determine the resources in the fabrication plant such as
labours, machineries and equipments involved.
x
Propose an economical production line by reducing the steel moulds used and the
production time.
x
The cost of the production line can be calculated from the proposed model.
6
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Introduction
This chapter exposes the literature related to Industrialized Building System
(IBS), the production of concrete pre-cast processes, work organization method, and the
manufacturing layout. It also depicts the simulation and Witness 2001 simulation
program in some details. This chapter is divided into three parts: the first part defines and
describes IBS and its features, benefits, limitations, and its components. This section also
gives an overview of IBS in Malaysia. The second section talks about the pre-cast
concrete; and it focuses on the production of pre-cast processes which is divided into six
processes: preparation, casting, curing, demoulding, handling and check process. Also
this part provides an overview about the manufacturing layout. The last part is about the
simulation which has been commented in some details and it starts with the definition of
the simulation, its purpose, advantages and disadvantages, and finally, the simulation
software.
7
2.2
Industrialized Building System (IBS)
2.2.1
The Definition of IBS
Industrialized Building System means any of components which is wholly or in
substantial part fabricated in or off site manufacturing facility for installation or assembly
on a permanent foundation at the building site.
Another definition of IBS in the construction industry includes the industrialized
process by which components of building are conceived, planning, fabricated, transported
and erected on site (Thanoon & others (2), 2003).
Warszawski, (1999) defined the building system as a set of interrelated elements
that act together to enable the designated performance of a building.
2.2.2
The Features of IBS
The main features of an industrialized building system are as follows:
(Warszawski, 1999).
1.
As many of the building elements are prefabricated offsite, at a central facility,
where specialized equipment and organization can be established for this purpose.
2.
The various building works are incorporated into large prefabricated assemblies
with minimum erection, jointing and finishing work onsite.
3.
Materials and component handling onsite is extensively mechanized; in concrete
work, large standard steel forms, ready-mixed concrete, and concrete pumps are
used.
4.
Design, production, and erection onsite are strongly interrelated. They must be
viewed therefore as parts of an integrated process which has to be planned and
coordinated accordingly.
8
2.2.3
The Benefits and Limitations of IBS
The benefits of Industrialized Building System are:
1.
Saving in manual labour onsite (up to 40-50 % of the input in conventional
construction), especially in skilled trades such as formwork, masonry, plastering,
carpentry, tiling, and pipelaying (electrical and water supply).
2.
Faster construction process, that is, earlier completion of building projects.
3.
Higher quality of components attainable through careful choice of materials, use
of better production tools – in batching and casting – and strict quality control.
Despite these benefits, the share of industrialized building in the total output is not
increasing in most countries, as expected, mainly due to the following reasons:
1.
Volatility of the building market and a general decline in demand for large public
housing projects.
2.
The excessive tendency toward repetitiveness and standardization in public
projects, where industrialization was most widely applied, resulted in monotonous
complexes that very often turned into dilapidated slums within several years.
3.
Industrialized systems were considered very rigid with respect to changes, which
might be required in the building over its economic life.
4.
The technology, organization, and design of prefabrication building systems never
became an integral part of the professional knowledge of engineers and architect,
obtained as other subjects through a regular academic education (Warszawski,
1999).
9
2.2.4
IBS Components
Building Systems can be classified in different ways, depending on the particular
interest of their users or producers. A frequent basis for such classification is the
construction technology. In this manner four major groups can be distinguished: systems
with (1) timber, (2) steel, (3) cast in situ concrete, and (4) pre-cast concrete as their main
structural and space-enclosing material (Warszawski, 1999).
The IBS classifications in Malaysia are expounded by Thanoon & others (1),
(2003). The IBS generally divided into four categories, namely: (1) system formwork –
table and half-tunnel form, (2) frame system – pre-cast concrete and pre-cast steel, (3)
panel system – sandwich panel, half slabs, hollow core slabs and solid concrete panel,
and (4) block system – interlocking block, hollow block, solid block and lightweight
block.
Warszawski, (1999) emphasized on the pre-cast concrete systems and listed three
groups of building systems as the following:
1.
Linear or skeleton (beam and column) systems;
2.
Planar or panel systems;
3.
Three-dimensional or box systems.
Linear systems use as their main structural elements columns, beams, frame, or
trusses made of plain or prestressed concrete. Their important feature is the capacity to
transfer heavy loads over large spans. Probably the most widely used type of
prefabricated are those employing planar or panel shaped elements for floor slabs,
vertical supports, partitions, and exterior walls. The three-dimensional systems use, as
their main building element, box units that contain concrete walls and floors. The units
can be either cast in boxlike molds or assembled in the plant from panel elements.
10
2.2.5
IBS in Malaysia
The idea of using IBS in Malaysia was first mooted during the early sixties when
the Minister of Housing and Local Government visited several European countries and
evaluated their building systems performance. Then, in 1964, the government took a
brave decision to try two pilot projects using IBS concept. The first pilot project was
constructed on 22.7 acres of land along Jalan Pekeliling, which included the construction
of 7 blocks of 17 storey flats, and 4 blocks of 4 storey flats comprising about 3,000 units
of low cost flats and 40 storey shop lots. The project was awarded to the Gammon/Larsen
Nielsen using the Danish System of large panel industrialized prefabricated system.
Meanwhile, the second pilot project was built in Penang with the construction of 6 blocks
of 17 storey flats and 3 blocks of 18 storey flats comprising 3,699 units and 66 shop lots
along Jalan Rifle Range. The project was awarded to Hochtief/Chee Seng using the
French Estiot System. (Thanoon & others (1), 2003).
Rao & Naik, (1991) stated that the first large scale project of constructing
prefabricated residential buildings was awarded to the Japanese team of Marubeni Taisei,
who developed the Shah Alam Area, capital of the state of Selangor, about 25 km from
Kuala Lumpur. This trigerred off a chain of developments in large panel pre-cast concrete
construction.
The construction industry in Malaysia has contributed significantly to the
economic growth, it contributing about 24% of the country's Gross Domestic Product
[GDP]. Over the last 20 years, the industry has been consistently contributing between
3% to 5% of GDP (Sumadi & others, 2003)& (Abd. Hamid & Sarshar, 2003).
The following chart shows the growth of Malaysian economy and Gross
Domestic Product [GDP]: