 ... 2012 The IndIan ConCreTe Journal Precast Concrete A qualitative study of precast plants in Malaysia M.N.A. Azman, M.S.S. Ahamad, T.A. Majid and M.H. Hanafi Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) in Malaysia represent the prefabrication or offsite manufacturing of concrete building components. This paper reports the results of a study conducted on 25 Malaysian precast manufacturers registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). The study identiies two precast manufacturing types-mobile and permanent. The factors considered decisive in setting up precast manufacturing plants are also discussed. Introduction In line with the current housing technology trends in the global market, the construction industry in Malaysia has shifted its focus from the conventional methods of construction to mass production and assembly of standardised building components such as columns and beams using the precast technology. This strategy has prompted the Malaysian construction industry to study the construction industry in other countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong that have implemented prefabricated technology. 1,2,3,4,5 The prefabrication technology in Malaysia is known as industrialised building system (IBS). It is a system that deines a complete process of construction works where almost all the structural components are manufactured onsite or offsite. In onsite prefabrication, the structural components are cast at the construction site. While the offsite prefabrication describes the components manufactured or assembled remote from a building site prior to installation in their inal position. The product is transported to site and installed using structural connections or joints; this results in high quality works, and also accelerates the completion time of the projects. The IBS has started to replace the traditional wet construction method with such systems as precast component system, formworks system, steel framing system, prefabricated timber framing system, block work system and innovative system. A study of the United Kingdom’s construction industry reveals that a mixed approach to construction, involving both precast concrete and cast-in-situ concrete in structural work alongwith steel, timber, and masonry, has transformed the construction sector there. 6 So IBS technology should not be seen as a threat to traditional methods, but rather that both methods should be able to work in tandem and improve their processes. The sharing of best practices between the two approaches is essential for the continued successful development of both the construction sectors. IBS has been promoted in Malaysia since the 1960s. 7 Nevertheless, the construction industry is still using the conventional method. This has a negative impact, Indian Concrete Journal 86 (10), 47 2012