MMC 52pp M10 WEB

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article Are pods the future of construction? The UK construction industry is worth an estimated £100 billion to the UK economy each year. But tighter restrictions, increasing build costs and a lack of skilled labour are threatening the sector’s future growth. Thankfully, from hardship comes great opportunity and the sector has seen several innovative solutions come to the fore in recent years. This is particularly true when it comes to prefabrication and offsite construction products. Pods are one such innovation that is proving to be invaluable to the industry. They can now be found everywhere - spanning a diverse range of build projects, new and retrofit, in both the public and private sectors. And with increased backing from Government, (for housing in particular) we can expect them to become even more prevalent over coming years. Why offsite? So why are offsite solutions becoming more popular, and why does the Government seem so keen to back them? The answer to this is two-fold; they can allow large volume to be delivered at a level of quality that is consistent, and they also reduce lead times, meaning we can ultimately build faster when utilising offsite solutions such as pods. Currently the demand being placed on the construction industry continues to rise, but the number of projects completing on time and to budget continues to fall. This is not just due to tighter regulations and labour shortages, but other factors like the weather and delays in the supply of materials. Factor in housing shortages, an aging population, an increase in speciality housing needs, a lack of suitable student accommodation and an uptick in the number of build to let homes, and it’s clear to see why prefabricated solutions are being more widely used. Pre-fab pod solutions Modern pod solutions are proving to be a popular alternative method of construction due to them being able to be designed, manufactured and pre-assembled offsite, and then easily dropped into place for ease and speed in new build projects, without having to compromise on quality. Specialist manufacturers design and build tailored pods, to perfectly meet client specifications and these are simply delivered whole ready for installation and fitments or re-assembled onsite quickly and easily for refurbishment. Installation does not require skilled labour, significantly reducing time and costs. Bathrooms, showers and wetrooms are notoriously complex parts of a building to deliver and require a wide range of skilled labour, from designers and plumbers to electricians and tilers. Pre-fab pod solutions, on the other hand, can be completely bespoke 26 MMC Nov 2018 M10 and designed to fit into any space – whether a Grade II listed manor house, an office block, a refurbishment or a new-build. This greatly reduces costs, time, and the skill and labour involved in fitting. Sectional pods are perfect for anywhere that space is considered an issue, and designs can be completed from concept to delivery much quicker than when utilising more traditional building practices. A whole host of factors that can slow down the build, such as late delivery of materials, several contractors having to work together in confined spaces or work not being able to be completed until the work of other tradespeople has been completed, simply do not apply when opting to use pods. Pods promote health and wellbeing Health and safety is of course one of the highest priorities for contractors, and moving construction offsite into the better regulated environment of a factory has been proven time and time again to significantly decrease the risk of accident. Purpose built construction lines have been designed specifically for pod manufacture which almost entirely eliminate risk, and are unquestionably the safer environment in which to work. When pods are manufactured offsite, the onsite assembling process is far quicker and quieter with fewer people required, thereby reducing labour costs. Not only is this cleaner and safer, but it keeps disruption to a minimum – there are less materials and vehicles on site, making the site more efficient, less impactful on the surrounding environment and easier to manage. Environmentally-friendly Pod solutions also deliver on quality and efficiency. A traditional building site can be a source of wasted materials because of finishing, fixing and snagging errors. Prefabricated pods eliminate this; bespoke and resourceful design keeps wastage to a minimum, and their longevity (most come with a min 25-year guarantee) means they are a green alternative to traditional build materials. Often pod materials can be recyclable, reducing the carbon footprint of the build and providing a sustainable, quality assured building solution, for the future. The best quality pods are designed so that they do not even require sealant, yet are still 100% water tight and the materials used greatly reduce bacteria growth and therefore maintenance costs. Government-backed The Government continue to recognise the benefits of offsite construction. They have pledged to support building long term collaborations with the industry, exploiting digital technologies such as the adoption of offsite construction techniques on a wide scale. In addition, they have commented that they would “adopt a presumption in favour of offsite construction by 2019 across suitable capital programmes”, a true testament to the rising popularity of offsite modular construction. The future is offsite As more projects are completed and success stories spread until they are too prevalent to ignore, decision-makers within the industry will recognise that change is good and modular design can also be a commercially viable alternative to traditional methods. Sleek designs and high specifications mean they can be used from high-end projects such as hotels, right down to student accommodation, and still deliver a solid ROI. Indeed, the high specification, unrivalled quality, offsite checks and lower maintenance can extend the longevity of the bathroom environment way beyond those offered by traditional builds which often require ongoing maintenance. There isn’t anywhere deemed out of reach for a pod to be fitted. From sky-high city centre apartments to rugged rural surroundings, installations no longer need to be considered a logistical nightmare due to their location. From oil rigs to research centres in Antarctica, pods have been appearing in the unlikeliest of places. However, despite such overwhelming positivity surrounding pods and offsite construction overall, it still sadly accounts for less than 10% of total construction output at present. It is still early days, however a change is coming and as an industry we need to ride the crest of that change to success. The Government is on board, a growing number of construction managers are on board – are you?
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Page 1 and 2: MMC MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
Page 3 and 4: C P E S F ED RFO NCE C RMANCE M PA
Page 5 and 6: Industry welcomes abolition of cap
Page 7 and 8: PEEK WHY NOT T AKE A STRUCTURAL WAR
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Page 13 and 14: candle fires result in around 350 c
Page 16 and 17: Offsite see us at Offsite, stand no
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Page 20 and 21: article High Specification for a Hi
Page 22 and 23: Heating, Ventilation & Indoor Air Q
Page 24 and 25: article Light gauge steel solutions
Page 28 and 29: Modular & Volumetric Building Desig
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Page 32 and 33: product news OFFSITE SOLUTIONS AWAR
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