Cost and time are the two most important assets in the construction sector. Most projects in their initial stage tend to confront potential delays and high costs, primarily due to on-site fabrication endeavours. This is where prefabricated construction comes into play. It involves creating various building components offsite and transporting them to the project’s site for final assembly. Unlike traditional fabrication, this method is remarkably efficient in terms of time, quality, and cost. When combined with advanced BIM modeling, prefabrication contributes to seamless construction and improved time-saving. Although not a new technology, prefabricated construction is re-emerging thanks to the rise of BIM and green initiatives. This blog explores why prefabrication technology serves as a boon for the construction industry, detailing its potential benefits.
Benefits of Prefabricated Construction
1. Access to Advanced Design Tools
With constant advancement and use of BIM (Building Information Modeling), prefabrication and modularization have emerged as keys to cost-effective and eco-friendly construction. BIM enables stakeholders to have a detailed view of the project’s scope, material differences, time required, and cost involvement. Before project initiation, stakeholders can use BIM to ascertain these parameters, alleviating the possibility of costly reworks and errors.
However, not all BIM services are alike. Prefabrication facilities seeking cutting-edge BIM services must consider professionalism, experience, and technological know-how as fundamental parameters when scouting an ideal partner. A renowned firm like J&F is a staple choice for diverse BIM requirements. With over two decades of experience, J&F renders top-tier BIM services to diverse clientele globally.
2. Better Safety & Security
Construction is a risk-prone endeavor, no matter how diligent the work environment is. Among all activities, on-site fabrication tends to cause more damage to the workers’ safety and health. However, that is not the case with prefabricated building construction, as it is carried out in factory-controlled environments wherein safety parameters are relatively high. It also reduces the risk of being hampered by bad weather or physical injuries caused by materials scattered across the project site.
3. Cost-effectiveness
Even the most explicitly planned project can invite higher costs, primarily in terms of materials and laborers. The BIM-powered prefabrication can resolve this gap by providing timely and cost-effective production of building sub-assemblies. One of the biggest challenges with on-site fabrication is that the material, labor, and project management can go awry, primarily due to bad planning and weather. Prefabricated construction can overcome this issue by streamlining the fabrication process, which typically constitutes 60% of the project’s work.
One of the shining examples of prefabrication construction is the Marriot’s AC NoMad Hotel in Manhattan, New York. This 26-story establishment has incurred a cost of $70 million, saving 30% of the budget compared to establishments built via traditional fabrication practices.
4. Consistency & Quality Control
Prefabrication facilities are backed by strict quality and safety standards, reinforcing a hassle-free working environment that boosts productivity. Unlike on-site projects wherein management is awry, these facilities provide an explicit approach towards prefabrication endeavors, be it a matter of design or production. Sub-assemblies produced in these facilities are of the highest quality and adhere to strict engineering standards. This paves the way for robust construction that lasts for years.
5. Flexibility
Besides quality production, prefabrication facilities allow for a seamless mobilization of assemblies to different sites, ensuring the supply chain stays intact regardless of workload. Any error conceded during production can be rectified in real-time so that the entire batch of components doesn’t have to undergo costly rework. Also, design adjustments can be made if required, which otherwise is impractical if not impossible with onsite endeavors.
6. Green Construction
Prefabricated and modular buildings are best known for their long-lasting design and eco-friendliness. Unlike traditional constructions that incite resource depletion and amplify waste, prefabricated building construction is remarkably eco-friendly thanks to the use of recyclable materials. It is practically impossible to curb waste onsite or prevent waste mobilization to landfills. Prefabrication facilities negate such anomalies by providing a factory-controlled environment wherein waste generation is barely noticeable.
7. Saving Time and Accelerating Construction Process
Since prefabrication units have dedicated equipment and manpower, producing a batch of components and sub-assemblies is a matter of a few days. Unlike an on-site environment wherein production can go haywire with compromised quality, prefabrication ensures utmost control over the production as well as time management. Also, these units stay unaffected by daunting weather conditions or on-site conflict. Prefabrications empower stakeholders to keep their goals aligned while having seamless control over various variables.
Prefabricated Construction Vs. On-site Fabrication: A Quick Overview
| Aspect | Prefabrication | On-Site Fabrication |
| Definition | An offsite facility is leveraged to produce fabrication components, which are installed onsite. | The project site is utilized to complete the construction and assembly endeavors. |
| Cost-effectiveness | Ensure hassle-free production of components without any delay, ensuring timely installation onsite. This benefit translates to cost and waste minimization. | The project sites are disorganized with compromised safety protocols and weather disruptions, leading to prolonged activities, increased waste, etc. |
| Time Efficiency | Expedited project workflow as there is no need to produce components onsite. | Factors like bad weather, compromised supply chain, and lack of equipment can cause unexpected delays. |
| Quality Control | Since prefabrication involves manufacturing components in a factory-controlled environment, the outputs are of the highest quality, adhering to strict engineering standards. | Quality may vary since stakeholders follow an unplanned roadmap with low consideration for quality. |
| Safety and Security | Safety is on point thanks to controlled environments optimized to mitigate possible hazards. | Project sites are prone to safety issues originating from scattered materials. |
| Environmental Impact | Prefabrication facilities are eco-friendly and thus emphasize the use of recyclable materials. | Since project sites lack apt management, no protocol is employed to minimize waste generation which leads to resource depletion. |
| Flexibility | Effective control and advanced machinery at the prefabrication unit ensure real-time design adjustment regardless of workload. | Mismanaged operation within onsite premises does not encourage timely adjustment. Stakeholders need more time to adapt to changes due to the lack of resources. |
| Weather Dependency | Stays unaffected by varied weather conditions, ensuring production remains seamless throughout the project. | Onsite premises are susceptible to weather-related delays and quality issues. |
| BIM Integration | Leverages Building Information Modeling (BIM) to amplify production, planning, and quality. | Largely relies on manual undertakings, leading to costly errors and reworks. |
Conclusion
Prefabricated building construction has brought transformative changes in the construction landscape. From negating fundamental barriers like design flaws and awry production to manpower issues, prefabrication leads from the front, enabling stakeholders to ensure hassle-free project execution with the utmost budget control. Besides, prefabricated construction can pave the way to innovation, allowing stakeholders to access the uncharted territory of design, production, and quality.