Enabling Factors for Adopting Industrial Building System into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia construction industry has experienced a significant increase in new projects in the past decades. With the economy slow down for the last couple of years, there are still significant needs in infrastructure and housing projects. Fulfilling those needs will be difficult if the construction industry still uses the conventional construction method. Industrialised Building System (IBS) was the approach adopted by many countries that experienced similar challenges. It is the implementation of manufacturing methods to construction-related activities in order to improve quality, reduce cost and shorten project duration. The paper discusses the enablers for adopting IBS into the KSA construction industry. Interviews with the construction industry key stakeholders were conducted to assess the current practices of utilizing industrialized building system in the KSA, as well as to identify the enablers for adopting such system. Furthermore, the identified enablers from interview result were verified by the survey questionnaire that spread among stakeholders in the KSA construction industry. The study found that IBS has been adopted in the KSA construction industry to some extent. The adoption of such system for housing projects is limited to the non-volumetric pre-assembly in the structural concrete element and building facade area. Residential housing projects with repetitive design and having a substantial number of housing units perceive the benefit of this system. Education, awareness campaign, and easily modify precast house system by giving design options to end users are considered the main enablers for adopting Industrial Building System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The other enablers include: government involvement, improved communication among construction project stakeholders, improved transportation infrastructure, improved capabilities of manufacturers, having a pilot project, and having building regulation and standard guideline on the use of IBS.