HDB to improve construction productivity of public housing by 25% by 2020

The Housing and Development Board hopes to improve the construction productivity of public housing by 25 percent by 2020. 

Senior Minister of State for National Development, Lee Yi Shyan, announced this at the inaugural HDB Professional Engagement And Knowledge-sharing Forum (PEAK) today.

Mr Lee said HDB wants to fundamentally review the ways in which the design and construction of public housing has been approached. 

It also wants to kick-start a serious discussion between the industry and the HDB. 

To achieve its productivity target, HDB has launched a Construction Productivity Framework.

The framework covers two aspects - the use of innovative construction methods and optimising work processes and systems. 

This includes promoting mechanisation at HDB work sites, and looking to encourage automation at pre-fabrication plants. 

HDB is also promoting the use of a three-dimensional modelling technology called Building Information Modelling or BIM to optimise processes.

For one, the technology eliminates the need for manual two-dimensional drawings. 

Project submissions to HDB will be required to be in this BIM format from 2015. 

At the forum, Mr Lee also launched a showcase of new plans for Punggol at the HDB Hub.

HDB announced it will be embarking on Phase 2 of development for Punggol at the HDB awards last night.

The showcase seeks to collect feedback from the public about its plans. 

So far, HDB has completed 26,000 public housing units in Punggol Town. 

Another 16,000 units are under construction, along with some 6,000 units of private housing.

Half of the town will be built up by 2016. 

By the time it is completed, Punggol will be one of the largest HDB towns -- about twice the size of Ang Mo Kio.