PREFABRICATION

A prefabricated structure or building is a structure that has several factory-built components that are
assembled on a site. These pre-made components can consist of panels, modules or transportable
sections. In precast also known as prefabricated construction, the majority of structural components
are standardized and manufactured in dedicated facilities by industrial methods based on mass
production. These are then transported to the site and by suitable handling and erection schemes
they are assembled like building blocks.

Prefabricated construction is a new technique and is desirable for large scale housing programmers,
yet this has to take a firm hold in the country

Prefabrication is defined as the offsite preparation of the building components and making use of it
in the onsite construction.

HISTORY OF PREFABRICATION BUILDINGS

Buildings have been built in one place and reassembled in another throughout history. Possibly the
first advertised prefab house was the Manning Portable Cottage. A London carpenter, Henry
Manning, constructed a house that was built in components, then shipped and assembled by British
emigrants. This was published at the time (advertisement, South Australian Record, 1837) and a
few still stand in Australia. One such is the “Friends Meeting House, Adelaide”. The peak year for
the importation of portable buildings to Australia was 1853, when several hundred arrived. These
have been identified as coming from Liverpool, Boston and Singapore (with Chinese instructions for
reassembly). In Barbados the Chattel house was a form of prefabricated building which was
developed by emancipated slaves who had limited rights to build upon land they did not own. As
the buildings were moveable they were legally regarded as chattels.

AIMS OF PREFABRICATION CONSTRUCTION

Prefabrication is used to effect economy in cost. Components manufactured under controlled conditions.
The speed of construction is increased since no curing period is necessary. Prefabrication helps in the use of
locally available materials with required characteristics like

light-weight
easy workability
thermal insulation
non- combustibility