Better. Faster. Cheaper. The construction industry is being pressed like never before to create and find value for clients and owners. Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the vertical design and construction world and other three- and four-dimension modeling used in the heavy civil world are changing the way projects are conceived and delivered. As these software systems see broader adoption, it will be more and more common to have the same multidimensional project model used by planners, designers, engineers, fabricators, quantity surveyors, construction managers, and general and specialty contractors. These programs allow for precision that was impossible to achieve in the past. This precision, carried through to module fabrication and manufacturing, materials management, scheduling and conflict identification ultimately results in significant savings in time and materials and also produces less construction waste. 

It is essential that owners are convinced of the benefits of modularization and prefabrication. Whether it is the architect, engineer, construction management firm or contractor that has the primary relationship with the owner, great effort must go into showing owners that they can end up with a project delivered at less cost and in less time with higher quality. Proving this to owners can be accomplished best by showing them similar projects on which savings and quality were well-documented.

How do you start? Start with the owners. Convince them of the benefits of a modular approach. Then, make sure architects are aware of the possibilities of prefabricated modules. Introduce architects to engineers who have worked with prefabricated modules as well as to the manufacturers of these modules. Have them tour the plant and other projects that are using prefabricated modules. Prefabricated modules often can only be used in a project if they are designed and included from the start. This is a crucial point in the entire value chain – make sure the use of prefabricated modules is explored early in the process so that your options are not limited right from the start of the project.

Get the engineers involved in designing the modules. With the right materials and design, it is often possible to use lighter materials that are more easily transported and installed. Engineers are in the best position to extol the structural benefits of modules manufactured to precise tolerances in controlled environments. Walls, roofs, floors, concrete spans, superstructures – all of these are being prefabricated, and engineers are in the best place to evaluate their applicability to specific projects.

Early collaboration between engineers and architects allows for the highest chance that significant cost and schedule savings will be derived from prefabricated modules. Architects and engineers need to be evangelists and extol the virtues of using prefabricated modules with both the owners and with the other parties involved in project delivery. The more architects and engineers are convinced of the benefits, the more likely it is that owners will be comfortable using prefabricated materials and contractors will embrace new installation methods and new project delivery schedules. Architects and engineers will need to take on a greater coordination role in the overall construction process. Since the design and material choices must be made early, with little room for adjustment at later points in the process, and because these choices will dictate how and when much of the sub-sequent manufacturing and installation work will take place, engineers and architects need to bring all parties together early in the process to get buy-in and alignment around these choices. Finally, engineers and architects will need to design projects and systems as they have always done, but also will need to broaden their role to evaluate and integrate components, modules and materials designed and manufactured by others.

Where architects and engineers are interested in the overall design and the best application of materials, contractors and construction managers are interested in project delivery – time and money. In fact, contractors and construction managers are probably in the best position to benefit from the use of prefabricated modules. Since manufactured modules do not lend themselves well to construction site modification, they have to be conceived well and designed and manufactured to tight tolerances. In many cases, this requires additional design time and expense to ensure that modules are designed and fabricated correctly. The big payoff of this early effort is often realized in the concurrent work that can be accomplished at the construction site while the modules are being fabricated at a nearby facility. This concurrent work, coupled with the ability to erect and connect modules on-site in an expedited manner, leads to signifi cant schedule compression. Contractors who use a modular approach to construction can also save significant costs associated with site labor and equipment rental.  

Perhaps more than other contractors, specialty contractors have already embraced prefabrication for mechanical and electrical systems. Their experience base can help them to remain competitive and differentiate themselves from competitors who are not using prefabricated components. In addition, specialty contractors can help speed the adoption of prefabricated modular methodologies in other parts of the project, by being vocal about the benefits they have experienced with prefabricated systems. Said another way, their positive experiences with prefabrication and modularization in the context of mechanical and electrical systems can help shape the way owners, general contractors and construction managers implement prefabricated components in the broader project context.

Contractors should work to gain experience with prefabrication and modular construction. Small jobs lead to bigger jobs. Familiarity and experience with the use of modular construction will allow contractors to build the advantages of these approaches into their bids and allow them to incorporate the benefits into schedule and pre-construction planning sessions. Time and money. A project delivered faster through the use of prefabricated modules is not exposed to as many weather delays, can be of higher quality, can result in significantly less construction waste, and can allow the ultimate owner to begin utilizing the project sooner.

Source: FMI Corporation