Home tenure is a keystone of the great Australian vision, providing economic and emotive safety, and time and again signifying the major investment an individual will make. However, home buyers are gradually going for higher density habitants such as apartments, flats and townhouses. According to a survey, over the five years through 2015-16, industry revenue is projected to decline by an annualized 1.0% to total $40.6 billion. This includes the contraction of 2.4% during the current year, reflecting a declining number of dwelling commencements following strong growth in the previous two years.
In the midst of Australia’s housing affordability issue,
prefabricated homes offer a solution. Experts believe that prefab
housing is likely to decrease the cost of a new habitant by at least 10 per
cent (excluding the purchase cost of land). Case studies of UK show savings of up
to 10% to 15% in building costs and a 40% reduction in construction timelines.
Manufacturing is more efficient, and factories don’t lose time due to bad
weather.
Cost-effective
and regulatory changes are likely to push for prefabrication 1.0
The prefabricated
components, or let’s say “prefabrication 1.0” is a panelized system that
incorporates layers of sheathing, insulation, air barrier, and coating. The
components aren’t just confined to this. It can be modular construction
components as well, the six sided boxes built with flooring, a roof, and door
and among other HVAC features. Prefab boosts off-site manufacturing and the
assembling of components becomes much easier than onsite. Hence, prefabrication
1.0 can cut construction time by 30% and can save tons of material that of
on-site working.
The benefits of
prefabrication like reduced construction time, reduced site trouble, saving
from natural hazards are the common and most known. However, integrating it
with BIM gives you a wider scope of exploring other benefits of this method
Why you should BIM - cation
(BIM prefabrication):
BIM enables designers to
participate from the very onset of the project unlike that of an outdated
construction method. This aids in developing 3D BIM models that are used for virtual
illustrations, information storage and analyses for the concerned project. MEP or HVAC clash detection done prior to construction saves considerable time and
costs as well.
Incorporating all disciplines at the design stage enables
prefabricated construction. For major services like Plant room, chilled water
pipes, etc. can be fabricated beforehand off-site and just be brought on-site
for putting in the right place. Apart from saving the construction time, prefabrication
of MEP services lessens the threat of high labor force on site as all stakeholders
will bring together and produce service modules at the on-site and carrying it
to the construction site.
Designers can conduct
several building simultaneously to know the operability of the building prior to
construction. 4D simulations done using software such as Autodesk Navisworks
can assist the team in getting an improved insight into health and safety
challenges likely to happen across the building construction projects. It
becomes much easier to calculate Heating and cooling loads using the model than
old spreadsheet methods. Apart from this, HVAC duct sizing and pipe sizing can
too be calculated and distinct reports can be made for all computational
studies carried out using the model.
Prefabrication means what
to whom and why you should use it,
Architects:
You have the most influence during the design phase of the project in deducing
if the prefabrication is suitable or not. For you, prefabrication is a huge
takeaway, for it offers better project efficiency, generating more sustainable
structures and eventually growing ROI for the client as well as other members
of the project team.
General Contractors and
Construction Managers: Prefabrication delivers anticipated
results for your schedule and costs. Research and surveys have time and again shown
how prefabrication can decrease the buying and fitting costs of materials and
compress project plans. These issues can in the long run cut the budget and let
your firms be more competitive.
Owners: Given
the accuracy BIM provides, and the quality provided by latest materials and
manufacturing services, prefabrication construction offers the chance to attain
substantial outputs on your schemes.
Conclusion:
Prefabrication/modularization
has not been practiced consistently over quite a period of time. It has
fluctuated terribly according to wars and economic booms. Nonetheless,
industrial developments over the past two decades have grown greater than
before what prefabrication/modularization can attain in the construction
industry. BIM, along with urbane manufacturing abilities now bids major
productivity advances on projects.
With a construction
industry facing severe shortages for onsite skilled labor its high time we
adopt prefabrication/modular approach for better functioning and improved
solutions for the projects.
