Connecting modular and portable building industries

Richard Hipkiss, Development Director of the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), considers the progress of modular construction in the commercial sector.

The underlying challenges of the housing shortage are much more complex and political than simply finding a quicker way to build. Manufacturing facilities require a substantial investment of time and money to set up and need a constant throughput of work to provide a return on that investment. The stop-start nature of residential construction is not conducive to keeping a factory running at capacity all the time. For innovative construction methods to become a preferred alternative to traditional methods, strategic alignment between modular producers and construction clients – particularly in the public sector – is needed.

Pre-manufactured value (PMV) is a core metric for measuring the level of modern methods of construction (MMC) in a project and is central to the UK government’s procurement programmes. To secure a contract, suppliers are required to show that pre-manufacturing will account for at least 70% of their construction cost, which plays to the strength of a volumetric modular approach.

The benefits of modular buildings come from the industrialisation of key construction tasks. MPBA members aim to standardise, streamline and automate major parts of the chain. To get that right, modular companies need best-in-class manufacturing capabilities, including sophisticated digital design platforms and lean, efficient production lines. Investment in digital technologies – such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing – is happening at pace. It is standard practice for building information modelling (BIM) to be embedded into the design and advanced manufacturing processes involved in modular construction.

Since 2016, the BIM mandate has required UK public sector construction projects to use BIM technology. This has helped speed up the pace of adoption during the design and construction phases. It has been predicted that government intervention around the Golden Thread will accelerate things further. Central to the concept is guaranteeing the traceability and availability of project data and all decisions relating to the design, construction, safety performance and maintenance of the building.

With traditional construction often key information such as product specification and maintenance details are not complete or accurate at the point of client handover. As an established method of sharing building life-cycle data, BIM is also regarded as integral to achieving a Golden Thread. With volumetric modular construction all data can be validated and co-ordinated as part of a structured process, which helps provide accurate and reliable information for clients at the point of handover. It also means it is easier to identify what products and material specifications were used on previous projects.

Modular construction could be key for the commercial sector if there’s investment to set up advanced manufacturing facilities. Production lines work best when demand is steady, but as we all know construction is an unpredictable business – particularly in the housing sector.

The MPBA plays a key role in the connecting of sectors in the modular and portable building industry. The association collaborates with specialist technical advisors to enhance the design and manufacture of modular buildings.

For more information, visit mpba.biz

Image credit | Premier Modular