KUALA LUMPUR: Construction Research Institute of Malaysia, a unit of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, and YTL Cement Bhd, will partner to encourage construction excellence and promote sustainable construction practices in the wider sector.

The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this purpose, which will focus on three key areas – human resources development, research and development (R&D) and supporting the industry’s transition to sustainable construction.

“We had a meeting with YTL Cement and we find that they are very serious in promoting sustainability through the use of materials as one of these aspects. We realise the use of key materials to achieve sustainability in the construction industry.

“This is how we decided to collaborate – to promote the use of international standards and technology in the construction industry with the hopes of levelling up the industry,” CIDB chief executive Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid said at a briefing.

One of the areas of collaboration would also see both parties using YTL Cement’s lab and testing facilities for the certification of industry players.

“Cement is a product that needs to be certified by CIDB before it can be used in the market.

“We are hoping to use the lab together through this partnership for this certification – any cement manufacturer can use this facility to test and get an accreditation from the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia. We will use this facility to do the necessary tests to ensure standards are complied with,” he said.

Meanwhile, YTL Cement managing director Datuk Seri Michael Yeoh said that establishing best practices standards for the industry is made more relevant now as buildings and structures are getting taller and more advanced.

“There is an increasing need for a qualified workforce within the construction industry and greater demand for innovation and bespoke solutions. Another area that is of growing importance is environmental, social and governance.

“As Malaysia’s oldest and largest homegrown building materials group, we are actively promoting sustainability in our operations, offerings and activities. These are areas that we want to work with CIDB through this MoU,” he added.

Yeoh also noted that one of the key features of sustainable construction is the durability and safety of structures built and constructed with good building materials.

“Like all other businesses, the construction industry has not been spared from escalating input costs. As a result, fly ash is being used extensively by small-site batching plant operators.

“There is a need for regulation and monitoring to ensure that the fly ash used and the concrete produced are compliant to standards to ensure that the strength, durability and safety of buildings are guaranteed in the long term,” he said.

Other areas of collaboration include CIDB and YTL Cement jointly designing training programmes for youths to be certified as concrete technicians and developing the training syllabus for accreditation programmes of qualified personnel in operations.