A more sustainable method of construction, offsite construction, also called pre-manufacturing, involves the manufacture and assembly of building components away from the construction site. In recent years, timber frame manufacturing has become increasingly popular.
A growing demand for housing, coupled with shortfalls in sustainable housing, has builders exploring new options to speed up the construction process. It is for this reason that this method of construction is becoming more popular.
In this article, we look at some of the benefits of offsite construction:
Saves time
By controlling delivery and planning properly, pre-manufactured products can reduce on-site days by approximately 20%. In many cases, timber products such as spandrel panels and floor cassettes are manufactured off-site and then lifted into position and secured on-site. It eliminates the need to split joist packs, read drawings, work out angles, and physically build the spandrels or floors. It has already been done for you!
Factory work can be scheduled to start at the same time as the site is being prepared, so the two processes can take place at the same time, resulting in quicker build times.
No storage needed
As products are manufactured and delivered from the factory to the site when needed, it doesn’t require any space on site for storage. Usually, the lorries are equipped with lifting slings so that they can be craned directly onto the site. To ensure efficiency, we work closely with our customers to develop accurate delivery schedules in advance.
Less labour required
A popular benefit of the process is that less labour is needed on-site, which reduces costs. Since the material is pre-manufactured, installation times are shortened. In the case of gables and party walls, prefabricated spandrel panels eliminate the need for blockwork.
Accidents reduced
Since prefabricated products such as floor cassettes are craned into place on site, they comply better with building regulations because risks associated with working at height are reduced. We move the construction process away from muddy sites with unpredictable weather and into a controlled environment within our factory. As a result a windproof and watertight build can be achieved quickly and safely.
Less waste
Off-site construction has many environmental benefits such as less waste, cleaner manufacturing and allows for the recycling of unused materials. Our environmental and social impact is important to us, which is why we constantly review our manufacturing procedures to limit waste.
We recycle 100% of our waste material and encourage our suppliers to adopt our principles.
If you would like to find out how offsite manufacturing could benefit your project, get in touch today.