Innovative Construction Techniques and the 'Strategy for Sustainable
Construction'
The Government's proposed Strategy makes reference to Modern
Methods of Construction, or more specifically "Offsite Innovative
Construction Techniques" (ICT), as one of the ways to respond
to the sustainability imperative.
ICT embraces a range of technologies and processes, involving
various forms of supply chain specifications, prefabrication and
offsite assembly.
ICT also encompasses a range of terms, such as; 'Modular Constructions',
'Volumetric Construction', 'Light Steel Framing', et al, with
one term often being confused with another.
'Modular Construction' is a term often used for the factory production
of pre-engineered building units that are delivered to site and
assembled as large 'Volumetric Components', or as substantial
elements of a building.
The modular units may form complete rooms, parts of rooms, or
separate highly serviced units such as; toilets, plant rooms,
pipework 'cassettes', lifts, etc, and may be either completely
finished or needing further work on site.
So, 'Volumetric Construction' - also often referred to as 'Modular
Construction' - involves the production of three-dimensional units
in controlled factory conditions, prior to transportation to site.
The maximum size of a volumetric unit is only really determined/limited
by the practicalities of transportation, road and site access,
and installation planning.
The strength and rigidity of the modules are, however, very important
considerations and the design and construction must be such that
the modules can be first securely transported and then safely
craned into place on-site without being damaged.
Some would differentiate between 'Modular' and 'Volumetric' by,
for example, calling a pre-cast concrete staircase unit 'modular'
and a pre-engineered plant room 'volumetric', but those differentiations
are sometimes confusing and not particularly helpful.
The reason why the ICT agenda is advocated in the 'Strategy for
Sustainable Construction' is that the Government's Task Force
for preparing the Strategy believes that: "Greater use of
offsite construction techniques gives measured benefits and improvements".
These "benefits and improvements" include:-
- More effective use of materials, including the reduction of
waste and its disposal;
- Cost and time predictability, leading to improved overall
project timetables;
- Improved productivity, performance and quality in a controlled
environment, with less defects and operating uncertainty;
- High standards of design quality, promoted by the need to
plan really well 'up front' for guaranteed success on-site;
- Improved environmental performance of the final product, for
example because of reduced transportation requirements;
- Better management of available and often scarce resources,
not least labour and materials;
- Improved health and safety performance, both in the factory
and on-site;
- Flexibility: Changes to internal layouts can be easily achieved
using offsite techniques;
- Integration of services: Savings in space allocated to services;
- Productivity: Substantial improvement in overall task productivity.
Fostering of team working and manufacturing ethos;
Dimensional Accuracy: Computerised detailing and manufacture
improves tolerances and ensures dimensional accuracy of elements
and assemblies.
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