Investigation on Prefabricated Building System Skilled Component Installers

In the face of an increasingly challenging era of globalization, skills and new equipments which includes prefabricated building components, known as Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been introduced towards achievement of sustainable construction. IBS is a construction system in which the components are manufactured in a factory, on or off site, positioned and assembled into complete structures with minimal additional site work. IBS requires high construction precision and needs a higher skill level of workers. Compared to the conventional construction method, the skill level of IBS workers is more demanding. Although there are a lot benefits in implementing IBS, the construction industry still not rapidly implementing IBS. The IBS method still considered new and even though there are a lot of benefits it still faces barriers. In an IBS construction, the role of the contractor is shifted from a builder to an assembler on the site. Therefore, this requires the contractor to be prepared technologically with IBS knowledge and skills. It is generally perceived that the number of skilled IBS installers in Malaysia is still low even though the system has been implemented for a long time. This research is carried out to find out whether the existing number of IBS installer is sufficient. Primary data was collected by carrying out interviews with the contractors at the IBS construction site in Penang Island in order to get the contractor’s feedback regarding this issue. Meanwhile, the secondary data was collected from government agencies to get the number of existing IBS installer and the number of IBS projects done in government projects. The results from this study indicated that not all categories of skill workers are in shortage. However, the number of precast concrete installer is in a critical shortage