US based analytics company Dodge Data & Analytics has published a landmark study that may well provide the most compelling insight yet for the future of prefabrication and modular construction.
It’s called The Prefabrication and Modular Construction 2020 SmartMarket Report and was published with the support of Bradley Corp., the Modular Building Institute, Pinnacle Infotech, MCAA and Skender. It takes a forensic look at the critical drivers, obstacles and benefits of using these methods, based on insight from architects, engineers and contractors already utilising them.
The report demonstrates that architects, engineers and contractors that have adopted modular construction methodologies plan to significantly increase their engagement with prefabrication, particularly for healthcare facilities, hotels and motels, multi-residential projects, and college buildings and dormitories. These repeatable buildings are the frontline of modular construction. Critical trends in the construction industry, such as shorter project schedules and workforce shortages, are several drivers of wider use of these methods, and technology – like building information modeling (BIM).
In order to better understand the critical drivers and obstacles for using these methods and the benefits achieved, the study focuses on the architects, engineers and contractors that are already using them.
“It comes as no surprise to us that more developers and GCs plan to use modular construction over the next few years,” said Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute. “The lack of adequate housing and the shortage of skilled labour, coupled with chronic cost and schedule overruns are leading more people towards this process.”
“Dodge’s research clearly shows that prefabrication and modular construction are providing significant improvements and efficiencies, and charting a new course in our industry,” says Jon Dommisse, Director of Strategy and Corporate Development for Bradley Corp. “Throughout our almost 100 years, Bradley has kept a close eye on emerging trends that impact our business and customers. We appreciate the partnership with Dodge in helping us examine innovative opportunities to hone our business strategy.”
The use of building information modeling (BIM) is also tied to the experience of those benefits. Among those using BIM on the majority of their projects, 60% credit it with improving the schedule performance of their prefabricated or modular projects, and 50% with improving budget performance. “BIM improves the prefabrication and modular process by providing the means to accelerate the design early enough to take advantage of these approaches and then offering certainty during the entire process,” says Steve Jones, senior director of industry insights at Dodge Data and Analytics. “Having these tools helps enable the industry to invest more in the use of multi-trade assemblies and volumetric construction in particular, and may be contributing to the strong growth expected in these areas.”
The greatest growth in the use of these methods will be in building types in which they are already well established, such as healthcare facilities, hotels and motels, multifamily and college buildings and dormitories. However, a sizeable percentage also expect low-rise offices, K-12 schools (kindergarten to 12th grade), public buildings and commercial warehouse to experience a high frequency of use of prefabrication or modular construction. The Prefabrication and Modular Construction 2020 SmartMarket Report is available for free download at https://www.construction.com/toolkit/reports/prefabrication-modular-construction-2020.
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