Latest innovations and products in the offsite sections of the construction industry.

Canadian Researchers develop Innovative Connection System for Modular Homes

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Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario Canada have reimagined the construction of modular homes with the development and testing of an innovative new design that allows the structures to be more easily relocated, reassembled and reconfigured in either urban or remote areas.

The design of the Structural Timber and Applied Research Team (START), located in Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering, uses cross-laminated timber (CLT) and a wall-to-floor connection with few bolts needed in each connection. Unlike traditional fasteners, the novel connector plate was intentionally designed for ease of disassembly and reassembly, ideal for multiple reuses and relocations.

The demand for flexible housing options — compounded by concerns about climate change and its impact on vulnerable communities — is spurring the need for inventive solutions that can expedite the deployment of safe, sustainable and affordable homes. The ability to reuse walls and other parts means fewer materials end up in landfills. The lightweight and durable CLT is ideal for modular housing in remote areas with limited road access. The system is conceived to be transported in a flat pack arrangement and be assembled using little to no heavy equipment.

“Our goal is to redefine how modular buildings are conceived and implemented,” said Dr. Daniel Lacroix, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Waterloo and lead on the project. “We are leveraging mass timber in combination with other lightweight and sustainable materials to create a system that can be assembled, disassembled and reassembled without compromising structural integrity or affordability.”

START’s connector runs counter to common design methodology as it is purposefully designed to allow for multiple reuses and relocations. Moving away from the use of multiple small fasteners closely spaced allowed the team to develop a connector that is practical for disassembly and reassembly.

The researchers tested the strength of their design by standing two CLT panels measuring 2 meters by 2.8 meters upright in a lateral design setup and pushing on it with 60 kN of force, which far exceeds the lateral forces each panel would usually experience. In testing, the novel wall-to-floor connection system proved fit for reuse following several cycles of loading, disassembly and reassembly.

“Reuse means less waste and fewer carbon emissions, so our design’s reusability is an important step forward in circular economy construction methods,” said Daniela Roscetti, who led the research as part of her master’s thesis under the supervision of Lacroix and Dr. Andrea Atkins, a professor in CEE.

START plans to refine their design and conduct rigorous testing in the next stage of development. The team is pursuing partnership and funding opportunities.

Source: University of Waterloo

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MMC: Cutting the Red Tape and Navigating the Politics

Modular construction faces many challenges on the path to help solve the housing crisis, MiTek

Offsite construction has been featured more frequently in the national media spotlight for its potential to help bridge the gap in the country’s housing supply shortage.

It’s popularity can only grow. According to the Modular Building Institute, only 5.5% of buildings were built using modular in 2021, with modular defined as the use of factory-made and assembled panels, walls, or entire housing units, that are transported to a job site where the rest of the assembly takes place.

Now, modular is trending for its potential to meet the need for additional housing supply with its efficiencies and lower cost.

Samantha Hill is the founder and managing principal of development consulting firm Design With Skill where many of her clients are attracted to offsite and modular construction for its many benefits—the majority interested in potential cost savings in today’s pricy environment.

And, while the benefits are many, there are an equal amount of challenges that are intimidating roadblocks for offsite construction to reach broad adoption.

Mark Lee is the senior vice president of global home building solutions at construction technology company MiTek and outlines the eight wastes of manufacturing as defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion and excessive processing.

The offsite manufacturing of housing is no different.

Removing Red Tape

First, offsite is stymied by bureaucratic limitations. As Hill has experienced in California, modular housing is regulated by a state agency, Housing and Community Development, that is responsible for processing and enforcing building permit approval of the modular housing components in a project, defined as “factory built housing.” The remaining onsite construction is regulated and enforced by another agency or authority based on the type of project.

“Unfortunately, this can be a very arduous and complicated process,” she said. “The management and navigation of this complex permitting system adds a significant amount of time, dedication, and often requires expertise from the design and development team, which adds costs to a project.”

She also has seen politics play a role in the development of modular construction policies, such as labor disputes like prevailing wage requirements, particularly when the modules are manufactured overseas.

“As with any heavily regulated industry, various agencies and regulatory bodies are often at odds with one another in an attempt to meet local versus state or regional needs,” Hill said. “Navigating these political challenges requires calculated strategies.”

In addition to these challenges, the modular permitting process can be extensive. Often a third party plan reviewer and an inspector will need to be hired for the modular scope. Since the onsite portion of modular is very different than conventional building, the inspectors need to bring a new level of expertise and experience so issues like fireproofing between units and structural tie downs are correct.

Labor Versus Productivity

“We don’t need more workers, we need to help the workers that exist to become more efficient and drive metrics,” Lee said as he presented at the recent Housing Innovation Alliance Summit. “It’s not about labor availability, it’s about labor productivity.”

Hill recognizes that there are some inherent overlaps when offsite goes to the job site that if avoided could streamline the process.

“Traditional onsite systems and utilities must connect,” she said. “For instance, fire sprinklers must be installed in the modular units in the factory, but must tie into the onsite circulation areas or other non-modular program areas.”

Since the overlap exists, project stakeholders have to be disciplined with clear communication of roles and responsibilities. Lee emphasizes that modular requires a new level of systems thinking that also demands collaborative innovation.

Nailing The Factory

Much of the success of modular hinges on building out the right systems, process, people and place for the offsite work, says Brent McPhail, offsite specialist and founder of Brave Structures.

“In site built, the product only needs to be within a half inch for a window installation, but if a machine is installing it, that machine needs to be accurately programmed for that tolerance,” he said. “We need to design product for manufacture and assembly.”

When set up, the factory has to have enough space for production lines, storage, and offices, while considering the concrete thickness of the building, hook height, service power, crane layout, product flow, and column spacing.

McPhail recommends hiring the right group of experts to have it all come together, including an electrical controls engineer, mechanical industrial engineer, production supervisor, quality analyst, process engineer, maintenance coordinator, and software specialist.

He enforces the concept of “Design for Manufacture and Assembly – Refine for Automation,” that focuses on refining product design for smooth and cost effective automation. On top of that, the design should be optimized for better processes and lower costs, the design should be simplified by using standardized parts, and potential risks should be analyzed and mitigated.

A difficult challenge for a new factory is allowing for flexibility, or designing production lines to be adaptable to various products and demand changes. Many times when a line is set up it needs to stay that way for a set amount of time to have a significant return on investment.

Space also should be optimized to minimize the movement and handling of material, plus to have the right storage for raw materials, for work in progress, and for finished product before it is moved to the job site. At all these stages of completion, the product needs to be protected from the elements, adding another challenge into the mix.

Cracking the Code

Building code was written for onsite, stick-built structures. Since modular projects have a different process, new codes need to be created and approved by local jurisdictions.

Tom Hardiman, executive director at the Modular Building Institute and the Modular Home Builders Association, shared a host of examples from working on modular projects. Some of the feedback he heard from local officials included, “Our one agency staff person found a typo on page 13 of your submittal so we flagged it as a deviation and have to send the entire set back to you for resubmittal. By mail.”

He also was slowed down by feedback such as “Once your plans are approved by our agency, you also have to submit them to three other agencies for review.”

Another jurisdiction told him, “We want you to build the home here locally, and preferably using union labor.”

On top of these types of challenges, regulators struggle to divide inspections between the work happening in the factory and what happens on the construction site.

Hill explains that fire code has not taken into account the redundancy of walls on modular units. Plus, if the fire barrier is installed onsite during unit installation, it’s difficult to apply, but if the unit is transported with the fireproofing, then there is risk of damage.

Code compliance of the modular units is often not applicable or compliant in all states. This means that modular manufacturers must either design to the most restrictive and often most expensive code requirements, or limit the market to specific areas.

The current administration is working to simplify and streamline inspections and regulatory requirements. It invested in a $41.4 million grant for a mass timber modular demonstration factory in Portland, Oregon.

Trucking It

One of the most critical components of a modular project is transportation. The costs to get completed units from a factory location to a job site can add up quickly, so its necessary to lay out a cost-effective route, and limit the service area.

Not only does the transportation cost a lot, but it also puts design constraints on the product with specific height and weight limits. More constraints come into play during delivery of the modular components when trucks need the space to unload and then a crane needs access to put the module in place.

Ignorance And Education

So many contractors and pros are in the twilight of their career, so know nothing other than working onsite. Out of habit or misunderstanding, a traditional builder can use the wrong construction standards, instantly increasing costs and destroying schedules.

These misunderstandings, or knowledge shortages, can easily lead to over budgeting, an unfortunate and common contingency for unknown and unfamiliar risks.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the marketplace for modular construction is growing, which is good for competition to drive innovation, but bad for the industry’s reputation if some aren’t set up to deliver.

Common Misconceptions

“Modular construction is not necessarily cheaper than traditional construction methods,” Hill said. “The value lies in the reduced construction schedule. In some cases, up to eight months can be saved by going modular. However, the full development and construction team needs to collaborate early and effectively to ensure the reduced schedule is achieved.”

The labor involved also shifts from the field to the factory, raising economic impact issues around local union involvement and job creation.

Insurance coverage is another challenge.

“Professional services firms have a lot of trouble getting appropriate insurance coverage to assist in the design of modular,” Hill said. “Most insurance companies see modular as a product and not a service, very similar to car manufacturing.”

On top of that, there are misunderstandings in the financing of modular projects. Tyler Pullen, senior technical advisor at Terner Housing Innovation Labs, says there are lenders who don’t understand the modular model, which slows down the process of translating traditional mortgages to cover modular projects. This becomes an even greater challenge because with a modular project’s shorter time frame and pre-built nature, it requires more up-front investment.

Different Design Parameters

“Despite the replication and repetitious nature of modular, design only becomes more vital to its evolution and success,” Patrick Sisson wrote in The State of Housing Design recently published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. “Beyond the challenges of practicing architecture within these constraints, the overall design of delivery mechanisms—and systems that can be built to fit different lots and scenarios—creates an even greater and more complex task.”

Modular presents new challenges, such as fitting modules securely on a flatbed truck, and the need to make every major design decision in advance.

“Designers and projects that treat these constraints as advantages can find new ways to achieve replication and reliably cut costs,” Sisson added in the report. “Design can be a tool to unlock the potential of this process.”

Most modular projects are designed as whole units or a kit of parts, and each approach has unique advantages. Designing as a kit of parts requires additional onsite coordination, but is typically faster and easier to construct and transport. Whole units require less onsite coordination, but limit design flexibility and need more detailed offsite work.

Hill warns of a few design limitations for transportation to the site. Corridors and balconies often need to be constructed onsite, making installation more challenging. Plus, modular unit width has limitations, so if a larger space is need it may require two modular units to be joined together in the field, again adding costs. There also are more structural design limitations than traditional construction, such as reduced openings to meet shear and torsional requirements.

“Each modular company is unique in the design and elements they provide in their units,” she said. “Some offer the exterior envelope during installation. Some offer attached balconies. Some have local manufacturing facilities, while others have overseas manufacturing facilities. Overall, there is a lot of variation, unlike car manufacturing, which has been regulated for over 100 years, standardization of modular manufacturing is in its infancy.”

Despite the variability, modular production typically means higher quality and time savings. The Terner Center for Housing Innovation reported that modular can save between 10 and 30% of construction time. Sisson writes that these productivity gains could have exponential value as modular reaches economies of scale, such as more efficient factories, lower material costs, and more developed supply chains.

As modular is adopted on a broader scale, new factories that depend on a steady flow of projects also will have the opportunity to survive and thrive. It’s time to welcome the innovation.

By Jennifer Castenson

 

Source: Forbes

 

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CANADIAN RESEARCH – Modular Assembly

 

Off-site construction distinguishes itself from traditional construction by offering shorter project timelines and potentially reduced costs. Furthermore, prefabricating some or all components inside a factory, allows not only to spend less time on the construction site, but also tends to improve the quality of buildings. Elements are built under controlled conditions, sheltered from the vagaries of weather, and where quality control can be performed more easily.

This type of construction would however benefit from a more efficient assembly solution to facilitate and accelerate the installation of the prefabricated elements on site, especially when it comes to large buildings. To address this challenge, Laurence Picard undertook a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering within the Industrialized Construction Initiative at Laval University, in Quebec City, under the supervision of Pierre Blanchet and André Bégin-Drolet. The objective of her project? To develop a self-locking connector to quickly connect prefabricated modules together on the building site, to optimize the benefits of prefabrication, especially for multi-story light-frame modular construction.

Today, when such prefabricated modules are erected on site, workers must perform certain manual operations to secure the hardware required to assemble the prefabricated elements. In addition to the time required to perform for this step, it also necessitates leaving certain areas of the modules accessible, i.e. unfinished, to carry out these interventions. This research project was therefore launched with the aim of optimizing this stage by developing a device to speed up the fastening of prefabricated elements together.

An exhaustive list of functional and technical design specifications has been established by the project team. Among these, the locking mechanism had to be automated, had to follow a vertical movement and the device had to be easily manufactured in a factory. There had to be a visual or sound confirmation of the connection, while unlocking of the connecting device had to be possible and performed in less than 3 min. Furthermore, the connecting device had to be located inside the walls and floors to allow for module completion, also the building’s vertical-compressive load paths could not be affected by the connector. Finally, the tensile capacity had to be at least 200 kN, while the compressive capacity had to be at least 1000 kN and the shear capacity had to be at least 40 kN. These design requirements acted as guidelines for the connector’s iterative design process. Computer-aided designs were generated, and digital simulations were performed during the design iteration process. Parts were then 3D printed for functionality testing, and finally prototypes were manufactured for experimental testing; steps that allowed to select the final design.

This design process led to the development of a self-locking connector consisting of two main elements, the floor connector and the ceiling connector. The first one, attached to the main floor beams, comprises the automatic locking box. The second, attached to the ceiling beam, comprises a shaft which rises upwards. When assembling the modules, as the upper module descends onto the lower module, the shaft is guided into the cylindrical cavity of the floor connector. When the shaft strikes the release block at the bottom end of the hole, the latch mechanism is deployed, and the connection completed (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Overview of the developed connector a) its main components b) the connection in process and c) in its final locked position (Source: Laurence Picard)

Once the development was completed, and before being able to use these connectors on real size buildings, they have been tested in the lab to evaluate their tensile, compressive and shear capacities, as the connectors support these types of loads in a building and contributes to the building’s load path. Connectors have shown sufficient performance in the lab to allow further development. They were then tested in operation, on steel jigs in the lab, and finally a full-scale implementation was performed on a real building. A total of twelve connectors were tested in a two-story house comprising four modules and a concrete basement (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Images of the large-scale test carried out with the connector on a two-story house (photo credit: Circerb)

This full-scale experiment allowed to evaluate the connector efficiency and its impact prior and during the installation of the modules on site. Overall, the experiment led to promising results, the connector offered a simple means of efficiently connecting modules together at the construction site. However, as expected, further refinement of the connector and its installation is required to optimize its use and take better advantage of the time savings it can offer. Regarding the design requirements that needed to be encountered by the device, observations during on-site implementation led to several conclusions. Among the characteristics that were judged to be satisfactory, first the parallelism of the module with the ground was attainable and adequate to avoid interference during descent. The module flexibility was sufficient to compensate differences between ceiling and floor dimensions, leading to a smooth shaft insertion for all twelve connectors. The conic surface of the connectors allowed to guide the descent and positioning of the module for an easier and accurate connection process. Moreover, the lifting movements did not impact the module interior finish, i.e. no finish defects were observed inside the modules after installation.

On the other side, some challenges were observed on site, regarding the success of the connections and the sound indication, confirming the connections. The analysis of cameras footage and the visual observations of the workers confirmed that the shafts of the ceiling connector did enter smoothly in the floor connector for all twelve ACDs. However, the connection was incomplete for most connectors (2/12). This was attributed to missing vertical displacement leading to an incomplete shaft insertion in the connector and therefore impartial engagement of the grippers. These placement problems can be explained by the fact that the positioning prescribed in the production plans for the installation did not consider unpredictable dimensional variations caused by moisture content and creep when the modules were stored outside on trestles for a long period. We can expect that on a regular project, with a higher control of these elements, the dimensional changes would be less of a problem, leading to a higher rate of connection. Moreover, according to the scientific literature, the risk associated to incomplete connections is limited regarding the structural behaviour of the building, for instance during a seism. In other words, even if the connection is incomplete, the connector fulfils its role in connecting the modules, ensuring most of its structural functions.

Regarding the time saved using connectors on site, it was difficult to evaluate in this context of innovation. First, when implementing new practices, the novelty of the project contributes to longer realization times. Moreover, since it was carried out as part of a scientific study, many measurements and observations had to be done by the research team, thus slowing down operations. But because of their quick automated connection and because of the higher level of completion they allow, it is expected that they will allow to greatly reduce the building erection time when they become commonly used in prefab modular projects. However, in this full-scale project, because of the novelty of their use, their installation on the modules at the prefabrication plant took a considerable amount of time. It requires an extensive dimensional control for the accurate positioning of ceiling and floor connectors, so that the two parts can precisely be inserted into each other on site. It can be anticipated that the time required to install them in the plant will decrease with experience and with the development of more automated installation techniques.

Figure 3 Possible configurations for the automated connecting and lifting device (Source: Laurence Picard)

The use of the developed connectors as attachment points for modular handling and lifting was also investigated during this full-scale experiment to evaluate the pros and cons of combining connecting and lifting functions in a single device. Handling the modules on site presents its technical challenge, the assembly process must adhere to a safe and efficient lifting procedure, ensuring minimal deformation of the lifted module to preserve both its structural integrity and its aesthetics. Consequently, for the developed connector to have a lifting function as well, new pieces, such as lifting rods, eyebolt and plates, were added to the connector design (Figure 3).

Their use in this two-story residential home allowed to evaluate their performance in application. Beneficial and challenging elements have been identified. A first challenge was encounter when positioning these devices within the structure. Traditionally, temporary lifting threaded rods are installed at the plant, during the module manufacture, but once the module in place on site, they are un-screwed and removed from the structure. Therefore, their positioning is not critical. In the case of the permanent rods developed in this project, their presence has led to considerable constraints in the architectural and structural design because these lifting rods had to be hidden in the wall.

Once this positioning challenge was overcome, they did perform well on site. Researchers considered that the lifting activities were successful, while the workers did appreciate using this new method. Lifting by four eyebolts has proven to be very efficient and appreciated by the workers who considered that it is an easier attaching option, compared to traditional practices.

Nevertheless, because of their restrictive impact on the building design, because of the lower-than-expected time savings allowed by their use, compared to the traditional lifting method, and because of their higher prices since they cannot be reused in other projects just like traditional rods, the researchers concluded that this specific design is not recommended for future projects. Future research and development work could however optimize the device’s design to improve their balance sheet.

 

Conclusion

In summary, this research project led to the development of an innovant and promising connecting device for light frame modular buildings. As for any technology in development, work still needs to be done in order to optimize its use for the prefabrication industry. But it offers several advantages that motivate further development. The developed automated connector can boost efficiency increasing the module level of completion, reducing manual labor and potentially assembly time, while ensuring precise connections between modular elements. It however necessitates an initial investment and introduces complexities in dimensional control during off-site installation. Moreover, on-site perturbations, like fluctuations in moisture content and storage conditions, can affect the success rate of the connections. The industry will need to adapt its practices for the effective adoption of the connection, particularly for the dimensional control of modules.

Combining the connecting and lifting functions in a single device on its side led to the conclusion that the device should be mainly used for its connecting function. The connector itself has a limited impact on the architecture of the buildings as they are hidden in the flooring and ceiling systems with other mechanical components such as HVAC, electrical and plumbing elements. Conversely, implementing the lifting axes induced many additional design constraints in the project that impacted the feasibility of some floor layouts.

A patent has been obtained for the connector developed. It has been licensed for commercial use by a company.

Source: Canadian Architect

 

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Portakabin Completes Installation in just 19 Days

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Portakabin completes installation in just 19 days for a new state-of-the-art, 200-place special educational needs school in Leeds.

 

Portakabin, the UK’s market leader in modular construction, successfully installed a 70-module complex at the Cross Green Road site in Leeds earlier this year, with installation complete in under three weeks.

Following a successful bid to the Department for Education in 2019, Leeds City Council announced Co-op Academies Trust as the successful sponsor of the special educational needs free school. The DfE selected modular specialist, Portakabin, to deliver this project.

The school opened in temporary accommodation at another Co-op Academy Trust site, on time and welcomed 56 children in September 2022. The new building will welcome the second cohort of students, an additional 86 children in September 2024. Full capacity of 200 is expected to be reached the following year.

Portakabin precision-engineered the modules, that were designed specifically for Co-op Academies Trust project, at its manufacturing facility in York and transported them less than 35 miles away to the site in Leeds. Known as ‘Co-op Academy Brierley’, the new SEND school will host 200 students from the ages of 4-16 in Leeds. The school is set to have a primary and secondary provision and will become an essential part of the local community in East Leeds.

Constructed off site using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), the school was installed quickly and safely despite having to manage around periods of high wind, with all custom-built modules on-site in less than three weeks.

James Pearson, Divisional MD at Portakabin said:

“Co-op Academy Brierley is one of the projects awarded to us on the DfE’s MMC framework. Despite the inclement weather, we were able to successfully deliver and install 70 modules safely in just 19 days, maintaining the agreed contract programme.

Particular attention has been paid to preserving existing trees on site, despite the need for extensive sculpting of levels on the site, to achieve the gradients required for compliant access.

It’s a great pleasure to celebrate the first milestone in this project, which will become an important part of the local community.”

Alongside over 27 classrooms and dedicated teaching space, the completed school will boast extensive minibus drop-off facilities, approximately 130 car parking spaces for staff and visitors, an immersive technology room, therapy, and sensory rooms.

After starting on site in January, installation was completed on 18 February, with the project set to be handed over before the start of the new school year in September 2024.

Tim Leach, Contract Manager at Portakabin alongside Sarah Harridge, Headteacher at Co-op Academy Brierley

Sarah Harridge, Headteacher said:

“The pace that our new school was built was nothing short of spectacular, this new school will give children with special needs in Leeds a state of the art, custom built provision with their needs at the heart of every decision made in the build process.”

Vicki England, Co-op Academy Project Manager said:

“This project has been very smooth and has remained on budget throughout which is of course very important when we’re working with Department for Education budgets, the school looks fantastic so far and we look forward to welcoming all 142 children to their new facility in September.”

The planned opening date for Co-op Academy Brierley is September 2024.

 

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Offsite Expo Exceeds Expectations

Organisers of Offsite Expo have reported that the first day of the event exceeded expectations. After the leading offsite construction exhibition had to be called off in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, the team behind the event were determined to make every effort to ensure 2021 was a tremendous success.

Taking place at the Coventry Building Society Arena (Ricoh Arena) on 21 & 22 September 2021 – managing one of the first major construction events since lockdown does not come without risk and it was with some relief that Business Development Director Julie Williams said:

“I am delighted to report that more than 4,000 delegates prebooked tickets to attend and over 100 of the sector’s most influential innovators have been sharing their expertise in the CPD Accredited Masterclass sessions. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the exhibitors for putting their faith in us. The hall is full and packed with feature builds with everything from a transporter hauling a module and a new innovative ‘room in the roof’ system together with a double height and single-storey light steel frame exhibition stands and even a couple of two-storey apartments.

“After the challenges of the last year or so we wanted an event to celebrate the coming together of the offsite industry and one that will be remembered for years to come, for not only the highly informative content but importantly, the first time we could all get together for face-to-face business meetings.”

Offsite Connect

The Offsite Connect business forum offers a structured, highly effective way for buyers and specifiers to meet with new and existing offsite industry suppliers exhibiting at Offsite Expo. The last forum was a major success and this year the uptake was said to be exceptional. With over 80 buyers taking part including high-profile housing developers such as Barret and Persimmon, as well as main contractors Kier and Morgan Sindall. In Covid-safe surroundings over 330 business meetings are planned – many of which have taken place.

Offsite Awards

Day one of Offsite Expo will culminate in the Offsite Awards, co-located at the event. As the finalists nervously await the outcome 400 places have been booked to attend this hotly contested awards event. Details of the winners will be announced tomorrow. For more information on the finalists visit: www.offsiteawards.co.uk

Last-Minute Opportunity

Time is running out but there is still a last-minute opportunity to attend day two of Offsite Expo where prominent speakers will deliver CPD Accredited Masterclass sessions and over 100 exhibitors will be showcasing advanced offsite technologies. Tickets are free – to register go to: www.offsite-expo.co.uk

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£9.8m Hospital Project Awarded to Premier Modular

Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite construction specialists, has been awarded a £9.8m project for Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to build a 62-bed Priority Assessment Unit at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

 Main contractor Premier will be supported by strategic delivery partner Claritas Group. Due for completion by summer 2021, this fast-track building project will reduce the programme by up to nine months compared to in-situ construction. The speed of offsite manufacturing and fitting out will allow earlier occupation to support the increased demand for emergency care.

Designed by BDP and delivery architects P+HS, the two-storey scheme will provide a new Priority Assessment Unit. It will be linked to the Emergency Department and will accommodate 62 patient bays, nurse stations, staff rooms, seminar rooms, laundry, clean utilities, and kitchenettes. The new unit will be fitted with medical gases, datacomms, security systems, CCTV, nurse call systems, and fully integrated with the main hospital.

Andrew Grimes, Assistant Director of Property and Capital Development, said, “This project forms part of the Trust’s emergency pathway redevelopment programme, which is now underway, and responds to the urgent national need to increase capacity in emergency care.”

“Offsite construction means less time on site and therefore much less disruption to patient care, which is a priority for the Trust. The Premier solution met the technical constraints of this site, particularly to provide seamless connections at two levels to maintain patient flows between the existing Emergency Department. Premier has demonstrated the flexibility and design capabilities to engineer a bespoke solution for this challenging site, with all the speed, quality and value benefits of offsite construction. We look forward to the successful delivery of this much needed new unit.”

Akshay Khera, Architecture Director at BDP, said, “This project is an example of how striking and unique architectural design, that is also in keeping with its surroundings, can be successfully married with delivery via offsite construction, bringing many benefits including speed, quality and efficiency.”

Dan Allison, Director of Premier Modular, said, “This scheme is ideally suited to offsite construction. It allows the Trust to meet an urgent need to expand capacity for emergency care and the development of a very constrained site. The new building will be located in a courtyard and close to the Emergency Department which will require careful logistical planning. We will be maximising construction and fitout work offsite to radically reduce disruption to patient care. This means we will only be on site for just over six months.”

The offsite solution has been engineered to maintain patient flows between the existing facilities and the new unit, with continuous level floors throughout. Externally, the assessment unit will be finished in vertical rainscreen cladding in shades of grey and brickwork to complement adjacent buildings.

The building envelope has been designed to be highly thermally efficient to reduce running costs and carbon emissions, and the picture windows will have solar control glass and integral brise soleil sunshading. A building energy management system (BeMS) will optimise energy use.

The project was procured through the Crown Commercial Service framework.

Premier develops bespoke building solutions for highly constrained hospital sites which may be completely inaccessible for in-situ construction. Existing facilities can also be expanded rapidly and cost effectively, both vertically and horizontally. Its specialist healthcare teams have the expertise to provide purpose-designed facilities for primary care, acute services, and mental healthcare.

Premier uses advanced offsite technology to construct fast-track healthcare schemes of the highest quality, with less disruption to staff and patients, improved quality, shorter build programmes, and greater assurance of completion on time and on budget.

For further information, visit www.premiermodular.co.uk, call 0800 316 0888 or email info@premiermodular.co.uk.

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Wernick Group’s new head office has ‘wow factor’

New office pushes the limits of modular construction

“Visitors’ reaction to the building is just ‘wow’. And they can’t believe that it’s a modular building.” That was a comment from one of Wernick’s staff, Naomi Parratt, whose office is in the new building.

Designed by Wernick’s in-house architectural team, the new building aims to push the limits of offsite construction and uses its new Swiftplan® system. It features a high-quality external and internal finish and is packed with sustainable features with the building achieving an EPC rating of ‘A’ and BREEAM rating of excellent.

Using the latest in modular offsite technologies, the building is made up of 28 modules which were constructed at Wernick’s dedicated manufacturing facility in South Wales, then transported to site via lorry and installed by the Wickford team.

Wernick Buildings Director, Andy King, whose team designed the new offices, commented; ‘Modular ‘offsite’ construction delivers shorter project times and reduces costs when compared to traditional construction methods. The fact that much of the work is done ‘offsite’ in a controlled factory environment means the whole building programme is greatly reduced, saving on costs and greatly reducing waste – the percentage of waste recycled and diverted from landfill for this project was 98%!”

The modern external design is covered in Trespa external wall cladding plus a very striking timber Brise Soleil. This is complemented by an attractive two-story glass entrance.

When you enter the building, you are immediately dazzled by the double-height lobby which has an exposed CLT ceiling and porcelain tiled floor. Here, receptionists can answer and transfer calls on-screen using the new telephone software.

 

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Over the two floors of the building you can find glass partitioned open-plan office areas, meeting rooms, staff welfare facilities (including a shower) and the new canteen with state-of-the-art catering facilities. Set up for client and staff presentations, the large board room also impresses with its large mahogany table, leather chairs and 85” TV.

The addition of air-con in all the rooms enhances the comfort and productivity of staff – who can adjust settings using a mobile app. Interior finish is complemented perfectly with brand new furniture which gives a consistent, corporate look whilst creating an inviting work environment for the entire Head Office team.

The BREEAM excellence rating was achieved with sustainable additions such as 10kw of photovoltaics (PV) panels on roof of building, electric car charging points and aptly some nesting boxes for Swifts (bird).

Wernick’s Chairman, David Wernick commented; ‘‘We believe our Swiftplan® system will help change the perception that modular buildings are a temporary solution. The new offices show what can be achieved, and we welcome visitors to come and see this building for themselves. I would like to thank all our staff who were involved in this project. A job well done!”’

The two-storey structure was part of a £3 million redevelopment which also included a new modular building for Wernick’s local Buildings and Hire teams, who moved into their new surroundings sited opposite in March 2019.

 

About the Wernick Group of Companies:

The Wernick Group is the oldest modular and portable company in the United Kingdom and has been family owned and run for over 80 years. The Group has been headquartered at Wickford since 1980 and the business is made up of five divisions, with over 700 employees operating out of 32 locations.

 

To learn more about the company, please visit: www.wernick.co.uk.

 

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Modular construction – top 3 health and safety benefits

In recent years, there have been major improvements to health and safety in the construction industry. However, the industry still accounts for a high percentage of fatal and major injuries.

 

Health and safety of staff and visitors is one of the most crucial factors on any construction project, but it can often be overlooked.

 

Matthew Goff, managing director at Thurston Group, believes that modular construction can help to improve health and safety onsite – he shares his top three health and safety benefits of using modular volumetric construction.

 

  1. Buildings are manufactured in a quality-controlled environment

Buildings on a traditional construction site pose many health and safety risks to workers, from falls from height to equipment accidents.

 

But with modular buildings, the majority of the manufacturing process is carried out offsite using specialist machinery in a quality-controlled factory environment, which in turn, reduces waste and increases quality control, leading to a lower environmental impact.

 

Modular units are then delivered to site pre-fitted with electrics, plumbing, heating, doors and windows and in some cases fixtures and fittings, therefore reducing the time spent onsite and accelerating the overall construction process. In addition, risks can be easily managed in one setting, resulting in enhanced health and safety on site.

 

  1. Reduction in waste

Modular buildings production ensure that materials are used more efficiently and accurately. On average, 67% less energy is required to produce a modular building and up to 50% less time[2] is spent onsite when compared with traditional methods, resulting in up to 90% fewer vehicle movements around the project which in turn, reduces CO2 emissions.

 

 

The impact on the local environment is also reduced, as there is less noise, packaging and emissions. These matters will have been addressed and resolved in the factory, which allows for greater efficiencies in environmental control measures and materials.

 

In addition, when a modular building is built to comply with specific sustainability standards, such as BREEAM, buildings can use resources more efficiently and may see a reduction in energy consumption and operational costs.

 

  1. Offsite can provide safer working conditions

Modular construction provides safer working conditions. The factory-based conditions of offsite enable safety requirements to be more easily met and policed, which leads to better build quality through improved quality control procedures.

 

Not only is there a reduced risk of slips, trips and falls – particularly as work at height is reduced – but there is also a reduction in onsite activity, thus ensuring health and safety always remains a top priority from start to finish.

 

Furthermore, if necessary, factory operations can continue 24/7 with less risk of noise and disruption to workers. Work is also unaffected by the weather and other environmental delays, which could result in the project being turned around even quicker.

 

To find out more about Thurston Group, contact the team on 0333 577 0883 or visit www.thurstongroup.co.uk

 

[1] http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/key-points.htm

[2] https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Modular_vs_traditional_construction

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A SIPS APPROACH TO OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION

Following increasing calls for the industry to modernise its approach, off-site and modular construction has become a big topic, with more developers and contractors favouring off-site and modular methods over the more traditional. Here, Rod McLachlan, SIPS Category Manager at Marley Modular Systems, discusses the increasing role of Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPS) within the housing sector and how they have helped to innovate off-site construction.

 

With an estimated 340,000 homes needed to be built every year between now and 2031 in order to satisfy the demand for social, private and affordable housing1, it is no surprise that offsite and modular construction are often dubbed as a potential solution. Indeed, the modern methods carry many benefits; with perhaps the primary one being the ability to save valuable time on site, with large portions of the structure pre-assembled in a controlled factory environment and less likelihood for delays caused by poor weather. Indeed, projects that implement off-site construction can be completed between 30% and 50% faster than other, more traditional methods2.

As a result of this change in approach, architects and contractors are increasingly embracing new products and materials that offer a more efficient, adaptable and modern way of working – one of those being SIPS.

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While the concept of SIPS was first developed in the US in 1930’s, since then the technology has fast evolved, and it is now a well-established building method. Indeed, the use of SIPS in the UK continues to grow at an exponential rate – no doubt driven by the modern offsite approach and the urgent need for high-quality housing to be built quickly and efficiently.

A Structural Insulated Panel is perhaps one of the most energy efficient and advanced modern building materials. Constructed from an insulated core, sandwiched between Oriented Strand Boards (OSB), the panels offer a well-established alternative to traditional building techniques. As well as providing a high-strength and lightweight building solution, the systems also offer excellent inherent fabric performance and airtightness, alongside thermal and acoustic properties, to deliver a simple and streamlined construction programme, with the insulation already built in.

What’s more, many reputable SIPS manufacturers will provide the option of specifying either standalone panels or panelised walls suitable for volumetric construction, ready for on-site assembly. For example, Marley Modular System’s SIPS, which is both BBA and NHBC certified, can be supplied in prefabricated wall or roof sections, all of which are complete with structural openings for doors and windows, allowing for ease of assembly. Manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory, the panels are fabricated to exact customer dimensions for each project, allowing the overall building to be easily assembled on site, with less likelihood of snags occurring or re-work being required.

Of course, as well as considering the speed and ease of assembly, it is also important to ensure that the houses being constructed are of sound build and high-quality, providing their occupants with a comfortable space in which to live. This is another area that SIPS can exceed in, being incredibly versatile in terms of design and capable of easily meeting the Part L requirements of the Building Regulations. Passing the SAP calculation is also greatly simplified, due to the panels’ avoidance of linear heat losses at junctions. Indeed, Marley’s factory-assembled bespoke wall and ceiling panels can be produced with foam filled joints to help further improve the thermal performance of a building, in turn translating into lower energy bills for occupants and end-users.

A building’s acoustic performance is also an equally important concern, with nuisance noise being a major problem in the built and urban environment. As a result of its multi-density make-up, high-quality SIPS can help to cut sound transmission by 38dB – a significant reduction.

SIPS are also an extremely cost-effective choice. While savings will ultimately vary depending on client specification, the completed cost of the project can be as much as 30% less than those employing traditional construction methods, making SIPS a particularly good building material for local councils and authorities, where budgets may be tight.

If it’s a cost effective, versatile and efficient building solution that you need, then SIPS are the perfect option. The benefits of specifying the offsite, factory-produced system are clear, enabling it to be delivered to site as and when required, saving on valuable site space, as well as being quick to assemble, with virtually no waste and minimal re-work required, a result of it being fabricated to specific customer requirements.

 

www.marleysips.co.uk

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Controlling Flow in a Digital River

Faced with the problem of having to explain a complicated notion it is sometimes helpful to draw on an analogy. The conundrum of how to capture the golden thread of information through a design and build cycle to properly support effective operation and maintenance of a residential development could rightly be considered one such complicated notion.

In many cases, drawing on an analogy with a natural phenomenon is particularly useful if an audience already has some semblance of understanding of the physical entity, and can therefore easily link related concepts. In this instance, I am going to employ the idea of a river as the natural phenomenon that has parallels with the task of capturing the golden thread of information.

In terms of relevant characteristics of rivers, it is worth highlighting certain features which will hopefully assist in bringing the analogy to life. As the graphic below shows, such features contribute to the overall eco-system of a river and can include the following: sources of water; water flow; the concept of a water course; tributaries; a channel; a meander; a watershed; volume and velocity; and a delta.

Consider how, with a river, the volume and velocity of the body of water at the mouth forming the delta is directly influenced by the sources that contributed to the initial flow, plus any further rainfall that might have occurred as the body of water gradually builds over the entire water course. The sources of a river typically flow through independent tributaries before combining at points over the water course to form the main body of water flow.

Consider also that a river does not typically follow a linear path in travelling from sources to destination: it meanders contingent upon the topography of the land it traverses over, but is largely directed to flowing in channels between watersheds that have become defined over time due to effects such as erosion. Since some water is always lost to factors such as evaporation and spillage to flood plains, the volume and velocity of the body of water at the mouth of the river only comprises the water that needs to form the delta before spilling into an ocean.

Capturing the golden thread

The challenges associated with creating a complete and accurate digital record for a new residential development from conception, through the design and build cycle to practical completion, are typically pernicious. As with the analogy, the golden thread of information for a residential development emerges from multiple sources and there are many potential points across the design and build cycle where this information can be amended or embellished, or indeed where new information can be created.

Like a river, these multiple sources and additional downstream activities have the effect of causing the body of information to steadily grow. Accordingly, the complexity of capturing the golden thread of information for a residential development can be likened to controlling flow in a digital river. Often, the initial sources of the golden thread of information are manifold, comprising inputs from the manufacturers of raw materials, components and equipment (i.e. assets) that might be incorporated in a residential development. Subsequent activity facilitates ever-increasing definition of product comprising these assets and also elaboration of build logic which further enhances the body of information forming the golden thread, with the volume and velocity of information generation increasing with time. Again, as with the analogy, a typical design and build cycle does not follow a linear path and is often highly iterative in nature, much like the meandering of a river.

Unlike the case with the physical entity, topography in the human-made landscape is actually defined using artificial constructs such as model inter-operability scheme, execution plans, stipulations relating to organisational information requirements, and information management maps. Additionally, a framework such as the RIBA Plan of Work which helps define broad stages of the design and build cycle to practical completion from Stage 0 (Strategic Definition) to Stage 6 (Handover and Close Out) is usually employed to help maintain design and build activity within the confines of boundaries. These multiple artificial constructs are often configured to be bespoke to individual organisations, or indeed projects within the same organisation, and can be considered similar to the concept of channelling a river between watersheds.

In recent times, there have been advances in technology such as digital design software solutions and common data environments that can be used to help create a complete and accurate digital record for a residential development. These tools can be considered to represent additional artificial constructs that can help facilitate control of information flow, so in a sense they are also akin to the concept of channelling a river between watersheds. But equally, there have been important changes in the way parties engaged on a project work together which are also yielding influence. Furthermore, we have seen the emergence of new standards and codes of practice associated with the likes of naming conventions, common language definition, data exchange and building of information models, all of which also constitute artificial constructs which are intended to make the process of capturing the golden thread easier. This wealth of change in working practice is equivalent to adaptations in topography in the analogy.

Under normal circumstances, it is easy to comprehend how the fragmented nature of conventional construction approaches cause complexity in terms of information authoring and liability, and subsequent revision control, which acts to thwart and frustrate the process of capturing the golden thread of information to properly support effective operation and maintenance of a completed residential development. This complexity might arise due to a lack of foresight regarding the need to capture and manage information from potential sources ab initio, or from a lack of application of the artificial constructs required to control information flow over the design and build cycle. In contrast to the re-generative nature of a river eco-system which essentially constitutes a closed loop system, it is often the case that the lack of application or even inappropriate artificial constructs can lead to the evolution of a form of extractive process which is overly linear with many disconnects and embedded wasteful logic reflecting an ineffective approach to capturing the golden thread.

Notwithstanding, it is reasonable to take a perspective of end-state requirements and attempt to categorise the information that should constitute a complete and accurate digital record for a new residential development. Such end-state requirements would be somewhat akin to the body of water that needs to form a delta being directly influenced by all sources that contributed to the flow. At high level, these requirements should include:

  • Why was it built?
  • What was actually built?
  • When was it built?
  • Who played a part in the design and build process?
  • How was it built?

This information, constituting a definition of end-state requirements, is captured on the graphic below, along with a rough mapping of the RIBA Plan of Work stages through to practical completion. This definition of requirements provides useful insight insofar as it cements a really important concept regarding information which will provide the basis of the golden thread cannot be created in a single moment in time ex nihilo towards the end of the design and build cycle.

Indeed, it is plainly the case that since information is continuously authored from the very outset of a project and evolves progressively through the design and build cycle, there are manifold problems to overcome associated with managing currency, relevance, accuracy and robustness of the same from conception to practical completion and handover.
Starting at the source

The fact is that despite all the technology improvements, and the significant cultural shift towards more collaborative working, conventional construction approaches are still largely inefficient, and frequently flawed in terms of capturing the golden thread. It is interesting to note that even today there are many organisations across the construction sector involved in residential development who adopt a default position of employing junior level resource towards the end of a project to try to collect and collate relevant information falling in the categories referred above.

Whilst such a position is admirable in the sense it at least represents an attempt to capture the golden thread, it is common that this sort of approach can result in critical information being missed or lost, akin with the concepts of evaporation and spillage to flood plains in the analogy. Of course, it could be argued that these organisations do not really comprehend what creating a complete and accurate digital record implies, because what it should definitely not mean is curating a plethora of scanned drawings and other relevant project documentation that cannot properly support effective operation and maintenance.

Much is being made at present of the importance of the construction sector finding ways to leverage productivity, and organisations involved in residential development are not exempt from this challenge. There have been numerous publications, including material from central Government that sets out the aspiration to transform performance with more focus to be brought to bear on leveraging productivity, driving innovation and developing and training new talent. In the simplest terms, the productivity problem can actually be characterised as either generating higher levels of output using the same levels of input, or generating the same levels of output using reduced levels of input.

Nothing in the typical, conventional construction approach to capturing the golden thread of information is helping to yield improved productivity. This is because the resource typically being employed to collect and collate relevant information are not authoring information, nor are they really managing the same, and often the task is deemed to be unglamorous, so at best they could be considered to represent additional input cost which has limited likelihood of generating the required quality of output from fragmented input sources.
Charting a unique course

At Berkeley Modular, we have sought to examine everything from first principles. We are a business focused on the offsite manufacture, as opposed to offsite construction, of three-dimensional primary structural product (i.e. Category 1 in accordance with the recently published MMC definition framework). We have been afforded the luxury of time to conceive how we can apply lean thinking to information authoring, capturing and revision control, as well as to our manufacturing and assembly logic.

The result of this thinking time has yielded a transformative methodology for creating digital connectivity compared to conventional construction approaches. The work we have undertaken to create a Digitally Enabled Agile Manufacturing (DEAM) platform has focused on how technology can help resolve the conundrum of capturing the golden thread of information from the very start of the development process to the point of practical completion and handover. This DEAM platform we have developed has been configured to encompass the following:

  • Digital capture of information from source – We have deployed certain options from the coBuilder suite of software to configure the DEAM platform to facilitate a single source of truth for all assets to be incorporated in a residential development. These options represent the tributaries that allow information to be authored by manufacturers’, and subsequently filtered and fed to other components of the DEAM platform
  • Digital creation of design information – With the help of Majenta, we have deployed certain options from the Autodesk suite of software to configure the DEAM platform to facilitate a product lifecycle management tool wherein digital geometries and build logic definition are automatically linked to asset information in a common data environment. These options represent the topography that allow Berkeley Modular to author design and build definition, and subsequently filter and feed to other components of the DEAM platform
  • Digital creation of manufacturing instruction – Working with DAS, we have deployed computational rule-based logic to obtain high levels of design automation to support the efficient creation of data-rich, fully federated digital models and related manufacturing machine code. This logic represents watersheds that afford authoring of automated build definition by Berkeley Modular, which can be filtered and fed to other components of the DEAM platform
  • Digital management of supply chain, operations and finance activity – We have deployed certain options from the Oracle Fusion suite of software to configure the DEAM platform with an ERP environment which facilitates a single source of truth for all aspects of operational activity at Berkeley Modular comprising a design and build cycle. This environment represents further topography that allows capture of all transactional information authored by Berkeley Modular, and subsequent filtering and feeding to other components of the DEAM platform
  • Digital instruction of manufacturing and assembly activity – We have deployed certain options from the Siemens suite of software to configure the DEAM platform with an MES environment which facilitates a single source of truth for organising and communicating all facets of physical activity performed by Berkeley Modular. These options represent final elements of topography that afford capture of work instruction to both machine and human resource across all factory and site operations, which can be filtered and fed to other components of the DEAM platform

The challenge of creating a productive business operation whilst simultaneously addressing the conundrum of how to capture the golden thread of information has required us to think carefully about digitisation in general, but in particular about responsibility and liability for information authoring, and subsequent revision control. The technological platform outlined above represents certain of the artificial constructs we needed to configure, but in reality this platform is actually supplemented with a combination of other industry-standard and customised constructs that help shape the topography to allow the channelling and progressive capture of information in an efficient, lean manner.

There are plentiful example initiatives from across the construction sector wherein investment has been made into new technological platforms with an expectation that the same will readily yield increased productivity and capture of the golden thread, Despite these examples being many in number, it is somehow still common for expectation associated with the investment to be inflated, yet finding the right solution is not easy and often people easily become disenchanted and disillusioned which impacts the intended outcome. Hopefully the insights presented here regarding the complexity of creating a complete and accurate digital record to properly support effective operation and maintenance of a residential development being likened to controlling flow in a digital river represent a useful contribution to the field and will help steer future initiatives towards more successful and rewarding outcomes.

For more information please visit www.berkeley-modular.co.uk

Written by Graham Cleland, director at Berkeley Modular

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