Volumetric Modular Construction is not the answer ............. unless there is volume, industry-wide standardisation, a clear pipeline of projects and it is the cheapest and most efficient way to deliver a project.
What is Volumetric Modular Construction ( VMC )?
VMC is a technique in which a building is assembled away from the actual site in a factory environment as complete 3D units (individual rooms or a group of rooms), and then transported to the site for final assembly.
VMC advantages
Efficiency: VMC can significantly reduce construction time by allowing multiple modules to be built simultaneously in a controlled environment.
Quality Control: Constructing modules in a factory setting enables better quality control as construction is not subject to weather conditions or other external factors.
Sustainability: This approach can be more sustainable as it typically produces less waste and is often more energy-efficient than traditional construction methods.
Cost-Effective: Although there may be initial costs involved in establishing a modular construction facility, the overall savings in terms of labour and time can be significant.
VMC challenges
Expensive Transportation: Moving modules from factory to site incurs high costs, impacting budgets and promised savings.
Initial Factory Investment: Setting up a factory requires a significant upfront investment, limiting scalability.
Dependency on Project Continuity: Relies on a consistent demand; disruptions can idle resources and reduce productivity.
Complex Approval Process: Navigating regulatory requirements and building codes can lead to delays and unforeseen expenses.
Upfront Payments: Requires a substantial upfront payment, straining cash flow and deterring adoption.
Additional Costs and Material Duplication: Prefabrication may lead to extra expenses and duplication of materials.
The automotive industry comparison.
For a considerable period, comparisons have been drawn between the automotive sector and VMC.
The automotive industry has been at the forefront of pioneering innovative assembly methods, meticulously designing and coordinating vehicles before assembling them using a set of pre-fabricated components delivered through a reliable supply chain in a controlled factory environment.
The automotive sector sets itself apart from the VMC industry by completing the assembly process to produce a product that is ready for use. Car manufacturers have full control over the assembly, testing, and quality assurance processes to product handover. In contrast, after leaving the factory VMC projects rely on additional assembly, third-party trades, transportation logistics, and are vulnerable to weather conditions or damage during assembly.
Furthermore, the automotive industry is not constrained by a fixed location. In the event of a project sale falling through, a vehicle can be effortlessly moved to another site without any issues. This adaptability contrasts with volumetric modular units, which are typically tailored for a specific site or project.
Industrialised construction - a kit of parts.
Instead of using VMC, industrialized construction method entails constructing buildings by piecing together a kit of pre-fabricated parts customized to meet the specific needs of the project. A significant benefit of utilizing a kit of parts in construction is the convenience of transportation.
Speed and Efficiency of Assembly
Framed buildings are a prime example of how industrialized construction methods can revolutionize the building process. With framed construction ( timber or cold rolled steel), low-rise buildings can be watertight within a week of assembly, significantly reducing construction timelines compared to traditional methods. This speed of assembly not only benefits developers by reducing construction time but also minimizes disruptions to the surrounding community. Once a building is watertight a construction project can adopt factory processes and efficiencies in fitting out a project on-site.
As with the automotive industry, this requires meticulous design and coordination before assembling on-site (including mechanical and electrical installations) in a 3d virtual environment using industry-available software and building information modelling.
Embracing Innovation in Construction
As the demand for sustainable and cost-effective building solutions continues to grow, industrialized construction offers a promising alternative to volumetric modular construction. By embracing the concept of a kit of parts, the construction industry can unlock new levels of efficiency, quality, and sustainability in building projects and strive to change our earlier statement about the automotive industry to read? :
'The (automotive) construction industry (has been) is at the forefront of pioneering innovative assembly methods, meticulously designing and coordinating (vehicles) buildings before assembling them using a set of pre-fabricated components delivered through a reliable supply chain in a controlled (factory) site environment.'
At Creu Cartref, using 9 room design modules for our dwellings and apartments, we are developing a kit of parts for delivery adopting the principles of industrialised construction for wall panels, floor cassettes, roofs, windows, doors, bathrooms, shower rooms, kitchens etc.
Only when there is volume, industry-wide standardisation, a clear pipeline of projects and it is the cheapest and most efficient way to deliver a project should our kit of parts then, in the future, be assembled as Volumetric Modular Construction in a factory.
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