Off-site construction, a growing trend worlwide
Off-site construction is a growing trend, with many companies growing wise to the advantages of moving the building process away from the physical site and into a controlled factory environment. Here, we take a look at some of the reasons why off-site is continuing to drive construction innovation.
By building off-site, the process is the same every time, meaning that each time the process is performed, the time taken can decrease. Work can be guaranteed to be delivered on time and to the highest quality, as the mitigating circumstances such as bad weather do not delay the project.
The factory is a far more predictable setting than the physical construction site, which eliminates the variables of weather and visibility. Having the conditions be the same every time makes errors much less likely. Most of onsite construction’s most dangerous hazards: like fall from height and equipment accidents, are not an issue in the factory.
Off-site construction requires less heavy machinery and less energy. Transporting the finished product to the site also uses minimal vehicles, and waste is minimized, as material requirements can be more accurately calculated, allowing us to consolidate purchases. Steel further increases this sustainability factor as it is the most recycled product in the world.
Studies have shown that far less labor is required to construct a building in a factory setting. The Steel Construction Institute (SCI) has claimed that hands required could be reduced by as much as 75 percent on a four-story residential development, savings that are similarly large in other kinds of buildings as well. The roll forming technology we would utilize drives the same result. Less workers of course means less wage costs for the company.
While training to be an expert in onsite construction is a lengthy process, teaching workers to perform their role is an off-site build and factory environment is much simpler and faster. Transferring the construction process to a factory setting essentially turns building into a manufacturing process, and each worker need only learn their own small role in the production line. Less training means faster delivery and money saved.
An onsite build can severely test the patience of those unfortunate enough to live in the vicinity. Apart from the noise and air pollution of heavy machinery and equipment, construction and delivery vehicles travelling to and from the site can cause traffic delays and block parking spaces and access routes. This is a particular problem in constrained urban areas. Furthermore, construction works and cranes never look pretty and can be an eyesore for a long time. Moving construction away from the site and into a factory will be a great relief to local residents. There will also be less disruption to the site and surrounding land and landscape.
In off-site construction with full integration across the construction chain, we leverage technologically advanced and proven construction methods that have been around the world for more than a half-century to effectively improve productivity, build more sustainably, and build more efficiently, drive profitability and address the need for more affordable and attainable housing.
Using Scottsdale’s platform, you can completely integrate the concept, design and engineering of projects with highly automated manufacturing under factory-controlled conditions. All of the structural elements of a building whether completed modules or modular volumetric units, or prefabricated wall panels, floor panels, roof trusses, and all other relevant building materials are delivered to a job site for rapid onsite placement and assembly.
The overall process reduces direct framing cycle time as well as overall build time through process improvements that eliminate redundancies and address potential problems before they can happen. All of this in a safe, efficient factory-controlled manner.
Contact us today at sales@scottsdalesteelframes.com or call us at 1 (888) 406-2080 to discover how you can benefit from this innovative feature.