The evolution of prefabricated residential building systems in Hong Kong: A review of the public and the private sector
Jaillon, L. and Poon, CS
2009 Automation in Construction, Article in Press, Corrected Proof - Note to users
Evolution; High-rise building; Hong Kong; Innovation; Precast construction; Prefabrication
Jaillon, L. and Poon, CS, (2009), "The evolution of prefabricated residential building systems in Hong Kong: A review of the public and the private sector", Automation in Construction, Article in Press, Corrected Proof - Note to users.
Abstract:
Prefabricated building components have been adopted in Hong Kong for over two decades for high-rise buildings. In the public sector, prefabrication together with standard modular design was introduced in the Housing Authority's public housing projects in the mid-1980s. Over the years, precasting techniques have significantly evolved in public housing projects. In contrast, prefabrication has only recently been adopted in the private sector. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of precasting technology in high-rise residential developments in Hong Kong, and then explore the technological influences in both sectors. A database of 179 prefabricated residential buildings was developed and detailed case studies of five residential developments were conducted. The findings revealed that a greater extent of prefabrication use over the years, in terms of precasting percentage by volume and types of precast elements utilised. Major prefabrication innovations, in both sectors, influenced the technological advancement in prefabrication in Hong Kong.
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is a manufacturing process, generally conducted at a specialized facility, in which various materials are joined to form a component part of the final installation [1]. The manufacturing process may be undertaken in a factory environment (factory prefabrication) or under the open sky at the site (site-prefabrication) [2]. The term off-site fabrication is used when both prefabrication and pre-assembly are integrated [3]. Gibb [3] identified three categories of off-site fabrication such as, non-volumetric, volumetric and modular building, but argued that the line dividing each type is flexible. Prefabrication has been identified as the first degree of industrialisation, followed by mechanisation, automation, robotics and reproduction [4]. Prefabrication techniques have been progressively adopted in the construction industry in various countries. In Hong Kong, it was introduced with the outstanding development of the public housing programme [5]. This move constitutes one of the most extensive applications of prefabricated high-rise buildings in the world, and reflects a unique experience on the use of prefabrication strategy in dense urban environments.
Analogical model; Building Systems; Industrialization; Load-bearing service core; Performance criteria; Process-product interaction; Reproduction; Served and serving spaces
