Speech by SMS Tan Kiat How at the HDB PEAK Forum
Oct 23, 2024
A very good afternoon, everyone. I am happy to be back for our annual HDB PEAK Forum, where we reconnect with our partners and stakeholders from across the Built Environment sector - our architects, engineers, builders and solution providers, all of whom are quintessential in shaping Singapore’s homes and communities.
The Forum’s theme - “Designing for Life: Delivering Homes, Building Communities” is especially apt as we celebrate 60 years of homeownership this year.
Good Progress in Launching 100,000 flats by 2025
When looking at the slides, many of us will recall the challenges posed by COVID-19, which had severely impacted our construction sector due to supply disruptions and labour shortages, and the downstream effects which led to significant delay in BTO projects. Since then, HDB, together with your hard work, has been working steadily to catch up and to deliver the projects, without compromising on quality or safety.
Since 2023, we have completed about 34,500 BTO flats across some 43 housing projects. These include the first housing projects in Tengah, Plantation Acres and Plantation Grange, as well as Rivervale Shores in Sengkang, which is the largest BTO project launched to date and recipient of the HDB Design and Construction Awards at last night’s HDB Awards.
At the same time, HDB has ramped up BTO supply to support more Singaporeans in achieving their homeownership aspirations. Since 2021, we have launched close to 83,000 flats and remain on track to offer 100,000 flats by end-2025. As the COVID situation has stabilised, HDB has also stepped up efforts to deliver homes to buyers more quickly. With the latest sales exercise, we have launched over 2,800 Shorter Waiting Time flats this year. We will continue to launch about 2,000 to 3,000 Shorter Waiting Time flats every year, comprising more than 10% of our annual BTO supply. This will ensure that we can deliver homes faster, allowing more Singaporeans to realise their dreams of homeownership.
HDB’s Construction Productivity Efforts
None of this progress would have been possible without HDB’s constant drive for innovation in research and development. By adopting new construction methods and materials and designing new precast elements for automated production, HDB achieved a 25% improvement in site productivity in the last decade from 2010 to 2020. HDB aims to achieve 40% site improvement by 2030.
HDB has also strengthened its technical expertise over the years, developing its own approach to precast technology and components that is suited to Singapore’s environment and weather.
Leveraging Advanced Technology to Improve Construction Productivity
The Construction Transformation Project or CTP is HDB’s latest effort to pilot novel solutions to drive transformation in our Built Environment sector. For example, under CTP, HDB has partnered with Obayashi Singapore to pilot and adopt latest advanced construction technologies to design and build the Garden Waterfront I & II @ Tengah BTO project. These technologies will raise the bar to construct quality homes faster and safer, with less manpower. The productivity outcomes of CTP are being monitored closely, and key takeaways from this project will be studied for implementation in future BTO developments.
My colleagues have done a wonderful job to showcase these innovations in the PEAK Exhibition. Let me to touch on some of the exciting innovations that HDB is using in the fabrication and construction stages
Fabrication
- In the fabrication stage, we used a more efficient hybrid system including both 2D and 3D precast components to create a beamless flat plate system in all residential units. This provides residents with greater flexibility in the planning of design for their living spaces and configuration in their flat layout, compared to flats in a typical BTO project with beams, as you can see from the slide, giving homeowners much more flexibility for a bigger living space.
Construction
- We also adopted the latest cutting-edge technologies at the precast installation stage, to enhance precision and reduce the number of workers required on site. This allows for more efficient utilisation of manpower in off-site production and other critical areas. For example, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tower crane operations automates the bulk of the actual hoisting process, leaving final adjustments to the crane operator. This is used in tandem with a remote-controlled device called the SkyJuster®, which precisely orientates precast elements in mid-air lowering them into place – so workers no longer need to manually guide or adjust the components using guide wires.
Another innovation being piloted as part of CTP is Crane Machine Guidance technology for mobile cranes. This uses a suite of sensors, such as GPS and LiDaR, to guide mobile crane operations to safely manoeuvre and hoist building components for more accurate installation. Multiple cranes can operate simultaneously in close proximity to speed up construction time, without compromising on safety.
These innovations and technology are showcased at our PEAK exhibition and the various seminars. I encourage everyone to take a closer look at how they are transforming the way we build in the industry.
Future Plans on the Implementation of Robotics at HDB sites
Beyond these current initiatives, HDB is working with industry partners worldwide to explore useful Robotics & Automation (R&A) solutions. From 2025, approximately 50% of new BTO sites will progressively adopt robotics solutions.
For instance, starting from next year, we will progressively introduce the use of robotics solutions to carry out painting and skimming works in some BTO projects. To support our contractors who do not have much experience with these robotics solutions, HDB will partner suppliers to offer robots with painting and skimming functions at competitive prices via a term contract. We hope this will make advanced technologies more affordable for our contractors, and accelerate the process of identifying, onboarding, and deploying suitable robots at our BTO sites. Advancement and operationalisation of R&A solutions will further streamline construction processes and optimise resources without compromising on quality – soon, we could even see robots used for inspections and remote supervision, enabling our manpower to be trained for other higher order tasks. This is an exciting area with a lot of growth potential for the wider construction sector in Singapore, and I am eager to see how the industry comes together to provide even more R&A solutions.
Conclusion
Over the last 60 years, HDB has laid the foundation for what public housing in Singapore represents. What began as an effort to provide basic, hygienic shelter to people has grown into a cornerstone of national pride for Singaporeans today. Thanks to the hard work, tenacity and innovation of our staff, partners and stakeholders, HDB has been able to maximise efficiency with standardised components while ensuring each BTO project retain its unique identity through thoughtful design, and through this process, creating homes that Singaporeans are proud to call their own.
HDB’s efforts to deliver quality, affordable homes would not have been possible without the close collaboration with key industry partners within the Built Environment sector. So, I would like to thank everyone, for your hard work and close partnerships with HDB to build homes and communities that have stood the test of time.
So even as we look forward to exciting new technologies to transform the way we design and build, at the heart, we are building homes and communities, and technologies can never replace the human touch, the thoughtful designs, and the way we plan our spaces. We should use technology much more effectively to create better impact, and allow us to do our work safer, and ultimately, also transform our Built Environment sector, and create good jobs and careers for many Singaporeans.
So, thank you for being part of this journey, and I wish you all the very best and a fruitful and productive seminar. Thank you.