The construction of low cost houses in Malaysia in general is not favored by many housing developers and contractors. This is mainly due to the fact that such projects can yield only a small return on their investment, or in some cases may not yield any profits at all.
Development of the Fast Track Wall System (FTW) by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) can be seen as a solution that will assist housing contractors not only to increase their profit margin, but also to produce quality housing.
Dean of the Construction Research Alliance (RA), Prof. Dr. Muhd Zaimi Abdul Majid said that FTW is “… a mould system that reduces the need for skilled labor to construct a house. This is a fast system that revolutionized the housing construction method”.
“The frame is made from plastic and steel. It has been categorized as a green technology as it replaces the use of timber,” Prof. Zaimi further added.
The wall has been designed to be a shear wall, cast together with door and window frames. The foundation is replaced by a ground floor which acts as a raft foundation and the roof system uses standardized steel.
“No wall plastering is required. It is replaced by skim coating. The construction of a 2 or 3 bedroom house using this technique takes less than a month with only 5 to 6 workers. FTW also significantly minimizes construction wastage,” he said.
FTW reduces construction time by more than 30 percent, labor time by more than 50 percent and  wastage by more than 50 percent.
“More than 10 units of affordable house have been built using this system. Currently several developers have shown interest in using this system and home owners have enjoyed the benefit of more quality houses built within a short duration,” he said