by Brianna Crandall — January 12, 2011—In response to the Singapore government’s call for higher productivity through wider adoption of the precast construction method, construction and engineering group Tiong Seng Holdings Limited recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Robin Village Developments Pte. Ltd is building a S$26 million Prefab Hub to supply precast concrete components.
Singapore considers the use of precast concrete to be a key means to raise construction productivity. Tiong Seng’s initiative of automating the precast concrete production is the first facility of its kind to receive funding under the country’s Building and Construction Authority’s (“BCA”) Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF), with a supportable funding amount of S$1 million.
The 19,000-square-meter Prefab Hub will feature advanced precasting facilities operating under mechanized factory conditions that will double its current annual output. Features include state-of-the-art automated production line equipment from Germany; automation for complex work processes such as marking-out of precise dimensions; automated pallet circuits; and a centralized computer system using computer-aided drawing (CAD) data files to control the entire manufacturing process as well as maintain production data and records.
A winner of BCA’s “Built Environment Leadership” and “Green and Gracious Builder” awards, the Prefab Hub will incorporate several green building features, including an eco-facade for the office block incorporating a vertical green wall, an extensive green roof to provide natural cooling, monsoon windows to improve air ventilation, and rainwater harvesting.
