Modern Methods Construction

…are characterised (with a few exceptions) by

manufacture off-site.
The Housing Corporation has classified the various
methods into groupings:
1. Off-site manufactured - volumetric. Factory-
produced three-dimensional units
2. Off-site manufactured - panellised . Factory-
produced flat panel units
3. Off-site manufactured — hybrid
4. Off-site manufactured - sub-assemblies and
components. Factory-produced items to replace
parts of the structure normally fabricated on site.
contd.
4. Non off-site manufactured modern methods of
construction Innovative site-based forms of
construction. eg. Tunnelform
4. Non off-site manufactured modern methods of
construction Innovative site-based forms of
construction. eg. ICF ~ Insulated Concrete
Formwork
Modern Methods of Construction(MMC)
….are driven by:
• The need for greater output of domestic and
commercial properties required by the
increasing demand for homes and business
growth……more-and-faster!
• Greater profitability demanded by developers
and contractors to be achieved by:
– providing products which attract new
customers and retain existing ones
– products for which a ‘premium’ can be
charged
 MMC~ Meeting the need for…
greater output & greater profitability
How can this be done?
By having products with customer appeal
– products which are competitively priced
– products which are less expensive to operate
and/or maintain; whole-life costs
By reducing construction costs …..
– directly by reducing labour/materials costs
– indirectly by new ways of doing things, both in
an organisational sense and technological
– reducing wastes of time, material and labour
There are also….
• the benefits of off-site construction and pre-
fabrication
• better quality products
• components made to tighter tolerances for
a better fit
• minimising site time
• avoiding problems with the weather
• better control of materials, storage, use and
waste
There is also….
• the need to adopt methods and materials which
are sustainable and environmentally acceptable
• minimising site-generated waste
• minimising the need for traditional specialised
labour on site
• minimising site-generated errors and mistakes
• speedier construction with less opportunities for
delays
In additional to problems with the modern
methods of construction themselves…
…the National Audit Office also found that…
• Because planning consent can be a lengthy and
uncertain process, it mitigates against the use
of MMC where the production of off-site
elements has to start well in advance of the
actual start of construction on site
• Planning committees can be reluctant to
embrace MMC as they perceive that they
produce poor quality homes with a short life
span.
contd
• Housebuilders may favour traditional
construction methods which are more able to
accommodate late design changes in a way that
MMC, with their long lead times, may not.
• Housebuilders and buyers need to be certain
that completed MMC properties are
mortgageable and insurable
 The Energy Saving Trust
….studied MMC and concluded that:
• high levels of energy efficiency are readily
achievable with a range of modern methods.
• Although costs vary widely between schemes,
the range is in line with current costs for new-
build housing indicating that using modern
methods of construction can deliver higher
energy efficiency standards, whilst still remaining
cost competitive.
 Example: Unite Modular Solutions

Manufactured off-site not constructed off-site

Uses cold rolled steel sections
Production line ~ one module every 38 minutes,
fully fitted inc. furniture, carpets and electrics
Stacked one upon another
One of the greatest problems:
Getting architect to realise that they have to stick
to module dimensions
 Greatest
Advances in
Construction
 Prefabrication and off-site construction
The concept of "getting it right first time, every time" has
always been a major challenge in the construction industry.
But prefabrication and off-site construction is starting to
turn this around. We are now seeing previously unheard
levels of quality and consistency in finished products and
with it, huge gains in efficiency, cost and client satisfaction.
By shifting more of the tricky and complex processes away
from the mud, rain, snow and wind of the construction site
and into the controlled environment of a factory, we have
seen big gains in industry performance.
So whether it is pre-fabricated and rolled reinforcement
mats instead of hand-fixed rebar, precast concrete units
instead of in-situ pours, the future of consistent, efficient
and quality construction will increasingly be driven by these
modern methods of construction.
You may find this website of use and interest:
www.buildoffsite.com
Finally:
…the National Audit Office and the industry felt
that defining MMC in terms of the method of
construction was too limiting.
They have proposed a model against which any
method and process of construction can be
rated in order to decide between them and find
which is best in any situation
The rating is against three parameters:
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
National Audit Office ~ June 2007~ Homebuilding: Measuring Construction Performance
 Construction stage Completed Property
Duration of Construction • How much time is
• How predictable it is spent dealing with
• What it actually is defects
• Predicted life span
Cost of Construction • Predicted whole life
• How predictable it is costs
• What it actually is
Quality measures • Quality of
• Number of defects workmanship
• Health and Safety • Customer satisfaction
• Environmental efficiency • Environmental impact