Modern Methods
This term encompasses less traditional construction processes, such as off-site assembly and modular building and component manufacture. Traditionally, several trades do their own separate part of the construction building/installation on site, necessitating lots of trade and vehicle movements and overlapping effort. In contrast, parts of construction are put together and built away from site, in a manufacturing environment, and brought to site as ready assembled components, such as a complete packaged room.MMC is the term used to embrace a range of technologies and processes involving various forms of supply chain specifications, prefabrication and off-site assembly. MMC can help by:
- Making use of more effective materials
- Speeding up housing delivery
- Enabling high standards of design quality
- Helping to reduce resource consumption.
It is increasingly regarded as a means of improving quality, reducing time spent on site, improving on-site safety and overcoming skills shortages in the construction of housing. The English Partnerships are committed to high quality housing constructed in the most efficient way. The website has case studies and best practice examples
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/mmc.htm
Adoption of MMC has resulted in improved general quality, improved programme times (faster installations), improved health and safety (less trades/congestion on site), fewer vehicle movements, fewer people on site (minimising labour constraints) and generally improved productivity because sites and activities are better co-ordinated and managed.
Signposts for help
There are a number of organisations that have been involved in promoting the uptake of off site assembly and modular construction. See under Support Organisations. There is also the IMMPREST Tool (Interactive Method for Measuring PREassembly and STandardisation), which compares and contrasts the costs and benefits of offsite between two user-defined options www.IMMPREST.com
Support organisations
Mtech Group offers specialist support, advice and consultancy to assist with off site assembly
www.mtech-group.co.uk. Contact is Darren Richards.
The Housing Forum engage in strategic partnering in regeneration and refurbishment, many of which have been offsite initiatives
www.thehousingforum.org.uk and 0845 605 5556.
CIRIA is involved in Buildoffsite. This is an industry-wide campaign to promote greater use of offsite techniques by UK construction.
www.ciria.org.uk
BSRIA has undertaken research in off site assembly, assessing attitudes and take up. http://www.bsria.co.uk/bookshop/pages/pubdescrip.asp?ID=2078
Loughborough University has also undertaken research in MMC and is involved in Offsite technology.
www.offsite-at-lboro.com
