Question 1:

The client is keen to explore the options for off-site manufacturing on the project to reduce
time and improve quality.
Appraise the merits of this approach given the age and condition of the building and
illustrate areas where this approach would be appropriate.

Answer 1:
Introduction
This section gives an opinion of the value of off-site manufacturing. It outlines the definition
and application of off-site manufacturing, advantages and disadvantages, details of areas
where it can be applied in the given scenario. Finally, a conclusion is drawn with respect to a
recommended course of action for the client in adopting the construction method.

Off-site manufacturing – Definition

The client is keen to explore the options for off-site manufacturing on the project to reduce
time and improve quality. It is necessary to at first define off-site manufacturing within the
context of construction.
Off-site manufacturing (OSM) for construction is a type of modern method of construction
(MMC). Off-site manufacturing, also known as offsite construction, refers to a method of
construction where the design fabrication and assembly of components of a building is done
at a location away from their final site (NHBC Foundation, 2018). This is done to increase
the efficiency and speed of the construction of a permanent structure.
The fabrication may be done at a separate location within the site and transported to the final
location. Similarly, the fabrication of the building elements may be prefabricated at a separate
prefabrication yard or factory and transported and assembled at the site. Also, elements of a
building such as bathroom pods, floor panels and so on may be manufactured in a factory,
assembled off-site and then transported to the site.
Offsite construction is aimed at increasing efficiency. Efficiency and productivity in the
construction industry have been defined in two broad ways:
i) Reduction of wastage of construction resources
ii) Minimizing the time, cost and labour resources (Kenley, 2014).
In this regard, offsite manufacturing is often done under controlled conditions, with an
optimized supply chain strategy. This minimizes the wastage of construction resources and
raw materials. In terms of time and labour resources, construction time can be minimized as
most of the work is done off-site. Off-site construction also reduces the number of workers
required on site. (Science and Technology Select Committee, 2018)

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Other terms used to refer to offsite manufacturing are modular construction, off-site
fabrication and off-site production. These terms are often used interchangeably. However, it
is noteworthy that there are some minor distinctions between these terms in the manner of
application with regards to construction.
Flowing from the above description, construction seems like a plausible construction method
for the renovation of the former dwelling into a Country Club with the features described in
the client’s brief.
Merits of off-site manufacturing
For this particular scenario, the client wishes to develop a Country Club, which entails the
renovation of a substantial dwelling which was formerly owned by a factory owner in the
mid-19th Century.
From the information given in the brief, off-site manufacturing can come in handy in such a
case.

 Speedy Construction

Off-site construction has the benefit that several activities can run concurrently.
(Kawecki, 2010). This can effectively shorten the time taken to complete a project by
up to 40%. This is less than the time taken in “traditional” methods of construction.
For the case of the Country Club Development by the client, time is of the essence. It
is reported that the building is in danger of being lost if an alternative use for it cannot
be found. As such, off-site construction will quicken the construction process and put
the building to its new use.

 Cost-Effective

Research by the Construction Industry Institute (2011) has shown that construction
costs are reduced by 10% - 25% when off-site construction is implemented. This cost
reduction is caused by reduced material transport, the efficiency of erection of pre-
assembled elements, and standardised design procedure.
For the client’s case in the Country Club Development project, the costs of
construction can be minimized. Manufacture of specific elements done offsite will cut
down on costs. For example, formwork for concrete columns and beams can be
reused from previous projects and used in future projects.

 Mitigates the effects of adverse weather

Fabricating elements of the building off-site and then transporting them to the site will
be beneficial in terms of mitigating the impact of adverse weather.

It is noted in the client’s survey report that some parts of the roof are largely
consumed by the fire. It is, therefore, possible that parts of the interior of the building

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 are still exposed to the elements of weather. Fabrication of the interior elements off-
site under factory conditions will protect them from the weather until it is appropriate
to transport them to the site.

 Increased Safety

Based on the proposed floor plans, of the proposed Country Club the plinth area is
about 500m2 (estimated). This is a large square area and therefore it implies that the
site is considerably large. There are bound to be several workers on site.
Whenever a construction site has numerous workers, there are negative implications
to the safety of personnel. Increased activities are bound to threaten the workers’
safety. Some studies suggest that off-site construction results in a decrease in the
number of safety incidents.

If the client adopts off-site construction, the likelihood of occurrence of safety

incidents due to personnel and equipment crowding will reduce.

 Quality Control

With off-site construction, the control of quality is done under a manufacturing

environment with multiple checkpoints (Durdyev & Ismail, 2017). It is easier to
manipulate conformance with appropriate codes and standards.
Since the building is being refurbished and renovated into a Country Club, quality
may be a paramount aspect that the client is looking at. Adopting off-site construction
will be an advantage.

 Environmentally Friendly

Construction waste has always been a challenge in the construction industry. In the
recent past, many organizations have debated on means of minimizing the
construction waste that is generated by “traditional” methods of construction.
(Higuchi, 2014).
In terms of waste generation, off-site construction has been shown to generate less
waste than traditional construction. Many of the components such as formwork, bolts
and fasteners can be re-used. The volume of waste is thus reduced.

Demerits of off-site manufacturing

Despite the above advantages, off-site manufacturing has some disadvantages.

 Space Requirements:
The transportation and stockage of completed pre-fabricated elements or building
sections require a lot of space. The client for the Country Club will have to take into

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 account stockage requirements (both off-site after fabrication and on-site before
erection).
 Transportation Restrictions:
There is also the problem of capacity imposed by transportation that limits the size of
each unit. For example, only beams of a certain size can be transported by road. It is
also possible that certain roads have axle-load limits. This can affect the material
supply schedule.

The client’s brief has not detailed any transport restrictions to the site. However, it is
normal to expect these within any construction. The client should take the matter of
transport restrictions into account.

 Technical Capacity:
While off-site methods of construction have been in existence for a while, they have
only become popular in the recent past. A wide range of technical planning and
capacity-building in terms of skills is required for off-site manufacture in
construction.

Construction personnel require integration and training at higher levels to adapt to off-
site manufacturing. Industry personnel should now focus on logistics and assembly as
opposed to trades coming on to the site for finishing. Construction managers, too,
require to manage a larger number of teams and operational variables for the smooth
running of the site.

 Construction industry culture:

Modern methods of construction such as off-site construction have not been fully
absorbed and accepted into the market. Many people are hesitant to move to new
methods of construction. This could be the case for the renovation of the residential
dwelling into a Country Club.

Areas where off-site construction would be appropriate

Traditional methods of construction have been shown to have low productivity, fragmented
quality and financial fragility. On the other hand, off-site construction has several benefits
that can counter these disadvantages. Building elements made of different construction
materials such as steel, concrete and timber are adaptable to off-site manufacture. With this in
mind, the client could adopt various elements of off-site construction for the Country Club.
Specifically, concrete elements can be prefabricated offsite and transported to the site. This
includes beams, slabs and concrete panels for walls. As compared to in situ construction, this
is a flexible method of construction. It allows a broader range of structural design
opportunities. For example, prefabricated concrete could be pre-stressed to offer higher
strength to the structures.

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Timber floors too can be manufactured off-site and delivered to the site. Many manufacturers
prepare timber cassette floors for residential and commercial buildings. The flooring is
constructed in a controlled environment and wastage is minimized. In this age of sustainable
development, this can be a good idea.
The survey report recommends that a personal lift needs to be incorporated into the proposals
for renovation. Often in construction, the provision of mechanical facilities such as elevators
and lifts are assigned to specialist subcontractors. In this case, the fabrication and supply of
the lift will be assigned to the subcontractor who will then retrofit it into the design based on
the drawings. The entire unit will be designed, fabricated, assembled off-site to be installed
upon completion of the civil works.
The survey report proposes a fire escape strategy. Ordinarily, a fire escape would be made of
wrought iron or galvanized steel. The entire elements of the fire escape could be fabricated
off-site and transported to the site for erection and fastening.
A covered walkway is also another suitable candidate for off-site fabrication. Depending on
the choice of material the client selects, this can be assembled away from the site and
transported to the site for erection and fastening.
Other elements that are suitable for off-site manufacture are the ornate interiors, the windows
and the roof trust.
As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the fabrication of all these items can run
simultaneously. This is an advantage over traditional methods of construction where one
work item has to be completed before the next one starts.
On the other hand, it would be impractical to carry out off-site construction for certain
elements like the blonde sandstone on the external walls. Another impractical case would be
the refurbishment of the stone walls. For these instances, the Contractor may consider the
traditional onsite approach.

Conclusion
An appraisal of off-site construction techniques has been done in this report. The merits and
demerits were discussed to enable the client to reach a suitable decision.
This kind of construction requires a special kind of expertise and many decisions must be
taken early in the procurement process. It is also advisable to have the design finalized before
procurement begins.
It has been shown that numerous benefits of off-site construction apply to this scenario. It
offers time savings, increased quality and cost-saving benefits in comparison to traditional
methods of construction. It is also associated with the health and safety benefits of personnel
on-site.
There also exist disadvantages such as construction industry culture, space restrictions and
transport restrictions. Overall, off-site construction will be beneficial to the client. It is

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recommended that the client adopts this method of construction for the renovation residential
dwelling into a Country Club.

References

Construction Industry Institute (CII), 2011. Transforming modular construction for the
competitive advantage through the adaptation of shipbuilding production processes to
construction, United Kingdom: CII.
Durdyev, S. & Ismail, S., 2017. The build-operate-transfer model as an infrastructure
privatisation strategy. Utility policy, Volume 48, pp. 195-200.
Higuchi, T., 2014. Development of new ecological concrete with CO2 emissions below zero.
Construction and Building Materials, Volume 67, p. 338–343.
Kawecki, L. R., 2010. “Environmental performance of modular fabrication: calculating the
carbon footprint of energy used in the construction of a modular home" PhD Thesis.
s.l.:Arizona State University.
Kenley, R., 2014. Productivity improvement in the construction. Construction Management
and Economics, 32(6), pp. 489-494.
NHBC Foundation, 2018. Modern methods of Construction Who's Doing What, Glasgow:
NHBC Foundation.
Science and Technology Select Committee, 2018. Off-site manufacture for construction:
Building for Change, House of Lords: Science and Technology Select Committee.