Comparative Study between Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) and IBS 2D: A Case Study of School Extension Project in Malaysia

Abstract Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) is a modular construction system that adopts modern practices in the construction industry. It is an innovative approach introduced to increase construction productivity and reduce high reliance on on-site manpower. PPVC uses prefabricated technology whereby the production of 3-dimensional (3D) modules complete with building finishes and fittings is carried out under controlled conditions at the factory before being brought and installed at the construction site. However, lack of study has been done to see whether this system could be implemented in Malaysia. Therefore, this study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of PPVC method in the construction industry in Malaysia. The objective of this study is to make a comparison, in terms of time and cost, between PPVC method and the conventional Industrialized Building System (IBS) 2D method. The results shows that the PPVC method was able to shorten the construction period up to 34.9% compared to when using IBS 2D. However, the construction cost per classroom using PPVC method was increases up to 10.5% higher.