If we look back at the last twenty years, examining large sectors like retail, ecommerce and entertainment, we see that all of these areas have undergone enormous, fundamental shifts as a result of rapid technological adoption.
There are many construction innovations that can be considered MMC.The UK’s Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently established a Joint Industry Working Group on MMC which proposed the following categorisation: 3D primary structural systems, 2D primary structural systems, Non-system components, Additive Manufacturing, Assemblies and sub-assemblies, Material and Product Innovations and Site Process Innovations.
This categorisation is quite diverse and includes a range of pre-manufactured and pre-assembled systems but also non-system components, site-based material innovations and process innovations..There is no fixed list of MMC methods in each category.There is great scope for the construction industry to innovate and develop new MMC methods to expand the toolkit and enhance the DfMA designer’s ability to achieve benefits on future construction projects..
Under the MHCLG categorisation, volumetric modular construction (known in Singapore as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction or PPVC and in Hong Kong as Modular Integrated Construction or MiC) is an example of a 3D primary structural system..In addition to volumetric solutions, many other different MMC methods including flat-pack and componentised systems are primarily prefabricated and are often grouped under the umbrella term “Offsite”..
The future of construction: not just components.
The MHCLG categorisation of MMC is comprehensive and includes the application of digital tools to drive productivity improvements both on site and in factories.Focusing on sustainability in design with passive design measures can help us rely less on mechanical systems.
When we do use them, it’s important to make sure they’re energy efficient — they need to be properly designed, set up and commissioned.. Construction technology: data and computer modelling.As time progresses and construction technology advances, the importance of data and computer modelling in sustainable design continues to grow.
A few years ago, we had only very basic computer modelling to help us understand what to expect from a building’s energy performance.These days, additional layers of data are being added in, so that our design decisions are really being driven by data now.
(Editor: Compact Grills)