Minimising Risks of Wastage in Modular Construction

Rapid growth of the construction industry has resulted an increase amount of waste generation. Modular construction on Industrialised Building System (IBS) has emerged as a significant innovation in the construction industry, offering numerous benefits such as reduced construction time, improved quality control, and enhanced sustainability. Despite these advantages, the industry still faces challenges related to material wastage, which not only impacts the environment but also contributes to cost overruns. Minimising the risk of wastage in modular construction requires a strategic approach encompassing efficient design, meticulous planning, and the adoption of advanced technologies. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate and compare strategies to minimise wastage in modular construction by achieving the following objectives: identifying types of wastage, examining factors that contribute to wastage, and proposing methods to reduce wastage effectively. This research aims to identify synergies and opportunities for integration among these approaches to optimise material usage, reduce waste, and improve overall efficiency in modular construction in Malaysia. Preliminary interviews were carried out with 5 participants in Klang Valley, focusing on Petaling district to gather data for this pilot study. In addition, a thorough literature review was also performed to identify the common waste in modular construction. The findings highlight the types of waste, influencing factors and mitigation plans to minimise the risk of wastage in modular construction. Adopting AI, BIM and IoT in modular construction projects in Malaysia offers significant potential to minimise waste by enhancing design precision, enabling real-time process monitoring, and predicting inefficiencies before they occur. Thus, the implications and potential impact of this research on the construction industry lie in identifying issues related to wastage in IBS and encouraging construction management to address waste concerns, particularly those arising from component defects in building projects.