When you think about Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) or Prefabricated construction (prefab) it’s easy to just imagine small-scale buildings like schools in remote areas or personal homes. However, the benefits of IBS construction are actually the most visible on large-scale projects. The ability to complete a project faster will greatly accelerate revenue generation of commercial projects which can be translated to massive savings for the developer.

One great example would be the LRT 3 line that is planned from Bandar Utama to Klang. After some political turmoil, the completion of this project has now been delayed to Q1 of 2024 as opposed to its initial 2021 date. According to sources, the 37 km line will serve 67,000 commuters daily. Can you imagine the loss in revenue that comes from this delay?

Of course, the delay of this project was not construction-related but rather a result of some political issues in the country. However, it is a good example to illustrate how a longer construction time can cost a developer more.

In fact, the LRT 3 line is actually built using IBS construction as well. If you thought that IBS construction was only limited to housing projects, this will change your mind. The prefabricated part comes from the massive U-Trough Girders that will sit on top of the giant pillars and serve as the tracks for the trains. These girders are built in a fabrication yard and then transported to the relevant sites. There will be about 400 of these units used and they weigh approximately 165 tonnes each!

This is just one of the examples of the many buildings and projects in Malaysia that are already relying on IBS construction technology. And this number is only set to grow as we become an even more developed nation.