Is Prefabrication the future

of Sustainable housing?
Made by Dhairyashil Shinde
Gitesh Kulkarni
Pranav Baru

CONTENT: Prefabrication

INTRODUCTION
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling
components of a structure in a factory or
other manufacturing site, and transporting complete
assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site
where the structure is to be located.

PREFABRICATED HOUSING
"Prefabricated building is a type of building that

consists of several factory-built components or units

that are assembled on-site to complete the unit.
Prefabricated are built in:

Components (panels)
Modules (modular homes)
Transportable sections (manufactured homes)
Mobile homes (houses on wheels)

DIFFERENCES IN THE
CONSTRUCTION TYPES
Mobile and manufactured houses are constructed in accordance
with the HUD building codes in the U.S. while modular houses are
constructed in accordance with the IBC (International Building
Code).
Modular homes are created in sections, and then transported to
the home site for construction and installation.
Manufactured homes are built onto steel beams, and are
transported in complete sections to the home site, where they are
assembled.
Mobile homes built on wheels, which can be moved

CONSTRUCTION SITES
Mobile homes and manufactured
homes can be placed in mobile
home parks, and manufactured
homes can also be placed on private
land, providing the land is zoned for
manufactured homes.
McDonalds use prefabricated
structures for their buildings, and
set a record of constructing a
building and opening for business
within 13 hours .

THE HISTORY OF THE PREFABRICATED

BUILDINGS
Possibly the first advertised prefab house was the Manning
Portable Cottage. A London carpenter, H. Manning, constructed a
house that was built in components, then shipped and assembled
by British emigrants.
The peak year for the importation of portable buildings to Australia
was 1853, when several hundred arrived.These have been
identified as coming from Liverpool, Boston and Singapore (with
Chinese instructions for re-assembly).
In Barbados the Chattel house was a form of prefabricated building
which was developed by emancipated slaves who had limited
rights to build upon land they did not own. As the buildings were
moveable they were legally regarded as chattels.
Another interesting building was the prefabricated hospital that
the British Army deployed in 1855 during the Crimean War
designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with innovations in
sanitation, ventilation and a flushing toilet.

 The world's first prefabricated, pre-cast panelled

apartment blocks were pioneered in Liverpool.
Prefabricated housing was popular during World
War II due to the need for mass accommodation
for military personnel.
Many buildings were designed with a five-ten year
life span, but have far exceeded this, with a
number surviving today.

PREFABS AND THE MODERNIST

MOVEMENT
Architects are incorporating modern designs into the
prefabricated houses of today, prefab housing should no
longer be compared to a mobile home in terms of
appearance.
There has also been an increase in the use of "green"
materials in the construction of these prefab houses.
Since these homes are built in parts, it is easy for a home
owner to add additional rooms or even solar panels to the
roofs.

There is a zeitgeist in architectural circles and the spirit of the

age favors the small carbon footprint of "prefab.
Eminent amongst the new breed of off the shelf luxury
modernist products is the Perrine pod, which has found favor
worldwide for its green credentials and three day build time.

PREFABRICATED HOUSING:Industrialisation in Housing

Industrialisation in housing construction identified in the Encyclopaedia

of Housing refers to the production of large building elements made
in factories using sophisticated machines and equipment to reduce
labour, control waste, and improve quality.
These building products are generally made by companies
that specialize in their production and are specified for a particular
site or purchaser.

IMPORTANT TERMS
OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION (OSC)/
OFF-SITE MANUFACTURE (OSM)/
OFF-SITE PRODUCTION (OSP)
OSC, OSM and OSP largely coincident terms used widely
in the UK and European countries which refer to parts of the construction
process that are carried out away from the building site. The Construction
Industry Research and Information (CIRIA) defines offsite as follows:
A process rather than just a collection of technological solutions, which
incorporates prefabrication and preassembly.
The process involves the design and manufacture on units or modules,
usually remote from the work site, and their installation to form the
permanent works at the work site. In its fullest sense, it requires a
project strategy that will change the orientation of the project process
from construction to manufacture and installation.

PREFABRICATION, PREASSEMBLY,
MODULARISATION, AND OFF-SITE
FABRICATION (PPMOF)
CII (2002) defines the term of
PPMOF in the following manner:
Prefabrication
A manufacturing process, generally
taking place at a specialised facility
in which various materials are joined
to form a component part of a final
installation e.g. residential dwelling.
Preassembly
A process by which various materials,
prefabricated components and/
or equipment are joined together
at a remote location for subsequent
installation as a sub-unit. It is generally
focused on a systematic approach.

Module
A major section of a plant resulting
from a series of remote assembly
operations and may include
portions many of systems. It is
usually the largest transportable
unit or component of a facility.
Off-Site prefabrication
The practice or preassembly or
fabrication of components both off the
site and on-site at a location rather than
all at the final installation location.
It is increasingly common to adopt the
generic term IOP which refers to
industrialisation, offsite manufacture
and prefabrication.

 Prefabricated housing

Sustainable Housing

THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT : Sustainable development is proposed by - International
Union for Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in the World
Conservation Strategy (1980).
The most common definition given by World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED) as follows: Sustainable development:- The development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.

The commission argued that technology and social organisation can be

both managed and improved to make way for a new era of economic
growth.

This statement has direct relevance for the property industry.

Not a new Concept

The idea of sustainable development has been around a
long time
People used only the materials available in their region
to them to build housing
Warm climate: use mud bricks
Cooler forested area: use wood for your housing,
heating, and cooking.

Sustainable Design:
Sustainable design recognizes the interdependence of the built and
natural environments;
it seeks to harness natural energy flows and biological processes, eliminate
reliance on fossil fuels and toxic materials, and improve resources and
efficiency.
In the short run, the impact of these changes will reduce the
environmental impact of our designs.

In the long run, the goal is to create buildings that are not only not harmful
but actually part of natural systems and restorative of those systems.
Sustainable design is concerned with the quality of our environment as a
whole system

Goals:
Waste nothing
Adapt to place
Use free resources
Optimize rather than maximize
Create a livable environment
Everything we need to build a truly perfect
home of the future already exists. But we have
to figure out how to select the best of the best
and properly integrate it into building.

Financial Costs
Sustainable design is built to last longer
The materials used can be re-used or recycled
More energy efficient, which in the long term
saves on utility bills
Can benefit profit margins of builders

Other Countries
Germany: has green building codes- all
buildings are sustainable by law
Japan: Similar laws to Germany, also
requirements for large buildings
Denmark: uses windmills for energy
Brazil: Sugar Cane fuel

E-House

Preserved mature trees

Recycled demolition materials
High-efficiency doors and windows
Integrated central vacuum
Insulated chimney systems
High efficiency lighting-control systems
Uses wind power
Used local labor
Accounted for daylight and natural ventilation in
planning

Basic Initiative: Building

Sustainable Communities

Began in 1986
Assisted poor farmers in central mxico
First formal architecture training program: Late 1980s
Oregon and Washington were first U.S. based projects

Basic Initiative: Building

sustainable communities
The Katrina Furniture Project
focuses on developing culturally
sensitive, ecologically sustainable
building prototypes that will help
to guide the redevelopment
process;
as well as building the economic
and social capacity of those
neighborhoods in New Orleans
that experienced severe preKatrina economic and social
challenges through furniture
making workshops.

CASE STUDY 1:
Precast Construction
Development in Hong Kong
a) Public Housing Works
Precast construction has become mandatory since 1997.
Scope include facades, staircase, partition walls, beams and
refuse chutes.
Recently, scope has been extended to semi-precast slab plus
fabric reinforcement, and ground water tanks.
In near future, scope will further include volumetric bathroom.

b) Private Sector Buildings

Private sector developers adopted precast concrete
construction around 2002 when the gross floor area
(GFA) concession was included.
Recent measures implemented by the Government,
however, control the misuse of GFA concession and
the attractiveness of using precast facades might be
decreased.

Some developers are switching from using precast

facades to curtain wall. Nonetheless, more use of curtain
wall would increase greenhouse gas emission due to
thermal insulation.

Drivers for use of

Prefabrication
a) Project Schedule
Prefabrication might not significantly shorten the
construction time. In HA construction, 6-days cycle has
been an optimum.
Nonetheless, prefabrication can ascertain the stability of
project progress as the construction will not be affected
by adverse weather conditions or other site constraints.

b) Reduction in Manpower Demand

Prefabrication can help reduce the demand for manpower
since works can be done by specially trained
labourers supported with machinery in precast factories.
This can help alleviate the shortage of local skilled labourers,
particularly in the trades of formwork and bar bending, and
the acute aging of the construction workforce.

c) Cost
Due to less reliance on increasingly scarce skilled
labourers, the use of prefabricated components can
reduce labour cost.
Due to the use of standardized precast products, it helps
generate economies of scale .
Recycling and reuse of moulds can reduce cost and
minimize material waste.

 d) Quality Assurance
The use of robust steel moulds and in a well controlled
work environment can better guarantee the quality and
workmanship of the end products.
The method of construction, such as casting in windows
into faades can resist water penetration and leakage
through exterior walls.
Proper workmanship and least maintenance can much
extend the service life of buildings

 e) Site Safety
Reduction in accident rate is attributed to the reducing
need for workers to conduct work-at-height activities
such as scaffolding works.
Labourers can be trained and work at precast factories
and on ground under an environment of high familiarity.

f) Transportation and Storage

Due to the close proximity between Hong Kong and the
Pearl River Region where many precast factories are
located, the highly efficient road network can facilitate
transportation of precast components.

Storage area of precast products on site are often

minimal because majority of transportation are planned
to be just in time and products stacked on detachable
truck trailers.

 Prerequisites of Wider
Implementation of Prefabrication
a) Design Approach

Prefabrication is better included in contracts through

engineers design and cleared with Building Designs
submission well before building tender.
The design period could be absorbed in the foundation
construction period.
Contractors design after building contract award may be
critical because lead time has to be allowed for fabricating
steel moulds prior to manufacture of precast units.
Collaboration and freezing of design layout has to be
achieved amongst project team to enable engineers design to
proceed.

 b) Buildability Considerations
Even at the design stage, consideration of tower crane

disposition, circulation of trucks/trailers around the perimeter of the

footprint, weights of precast components, connections of precast vs
precast and precast vs insitu elements all need to be addressed.
Standardization and/or minimizing the precast types all help ease
the manufacture and erection processes.

c) Quality Assurance
Since most precast factories are located in Mainland,
local employers and developers need to engage consultants to full
time supervise the workmanship and production of precast
concrete products.
This is however not uncommon because nowadays many
prestigious projects with prefabrication in Mainland such as
steelwork adopt the same approach.
For developers with continuous precasting works, they can engage
consultants for the same on a longer term basis.

c) Quality Assurance (contd)

HA has been employing consultants for full time supervision
on a two-year term consultancy basis.
In addition, a scoring system has been established which is
used for reference for tendering eligibility.
Other assurance measures, such as laboratory tests in
HK, factory audits and breaking up upon delivery to sites
have also been used.

Characteristics of Public Housing

Construction in Hong Kong
A. Standardization

B. Prefabrication
C. Mechanized Construction

Standardization to Flat
Designs
Taking the benefit of mass flat
production, but bearing in mind
the impact of prototype blocks,
we target for standardization of
flat units only.
This has replaced the standard
block designs which we have
adopted in the past three
decades.

Standardization to
Modular Flat
Designs (contd)
Building skeleton
components such as
facades, slabs, staircases,
partition walls and beams
are standardized to form
modular flat units.
Building fabric
components such as
windows, bathroom
and kitchen fittings,
doors, metal gatesets are
standardized for factory
manufacture.

Standardization to Modular
Flat Designs (contd)
Blocks are assembled using
these modular flat units within
Layout.

 Prefabrication
Prefabrication of concrete
components is essentially
the construction method
which transfers some of the
difficult insitu reinforced
concrete construction from
working floor to factory.
The transfer is also from
elevated construction on site
to construction on ground in
factory.

 For elevated construction, it is

often difficult to handle complicated
component profiles or locations which
are difficult to access. Substantial
falsework and working platforms may
be required.
In case timber formwork is used,
the workmanship may be
deteriorated after repetitive
construction.
For factory fabrication
on ground, steel moulds can be used
which facilitates horizontal casting of
concrete and steel
fixing.

STEEL MOULDS USED FOR FACTORY FABRICATION ON GROUND :

Mechanized
Construction
Mechanized construction
comprise primarily the use of
tower crane to move around
steel formwork, concrete skips
and precast components.
The transportation is between
ground and working floor and
between different wings of
working floors.

Mechanized
Construction (contd)
Large panel steel wall
forms are used which
replace timber formwork.
Large panel formwork
was mandatorily
introduced .
It was a pioneer
environmental initiative
to reduce the use of
timber.

Mechanized
Construction (contd)
Precast components are
transferred from ground
to working floor upon
delivery to site.

Using Prefabrication to Slash

Construction Time
The HA domestic block construction is currently
adopting 6 days cycle for structural frame construction.
The application of finishes, both external and internal,
will follow a few floors behind.
The overall construction of superstructure is around
two years for a typical forty-storey building.
The relatively fast rate of construction is facilitated by the
following :-

a) Standardized modular flat with prefabricated components.

b) Rotational use of large panel steel formwork.

Using Prefabrication to Slash

Construction Time (contd)
c) Fair face off-form finishes with paint to
exterior and tiles/paint to interior.

Using Prefabrication to Slash

Construction Time (contd)
d) Minimization of wet
trade on site through:(i) prefabrication and
pre-installation at
factory (i.e. tiling to
bathroom, utilities
installation, etc.).
(ii) use of precast
partition walls
instead of blockwork partition.

Saving in construction cost :a) Fair face off-form finishes minimizes touching up and repair,
which is very frequent for timber construction.
(e.g. slab soffit and wall finishes)
b) Labour cost in precast factory is much lower than that for
In situ construction, first because cost is cheaper in Mainland
China and second semi-skilled labour in factory instead of skilled
labour at working floor is required.

c) Insitu architectural wet trade, such as block works

partitioning, tiling, plastering, etc. are substantially reduced,
mostly transferred to factory or eliminated through off form.
d) Mechanized construction demands much less labour than
those of conventional timber construction, particularly in terms
of carpentry and temporary works.

Saving in maintenance cost :a) In 2010, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to assess the
expected working life of our public housing blocks.
b) They selected eight standard prototype blocks, out of 250
blocks we have constructed in the past 15 years, some near
the coast and some up the hills.
c) It was established that the working life could be over 100
years, without the need for Test Results major repairs. (NOTE : In
normal international design codes, the design life is 50 years for
domestic buildings).

d)The main reasons contributing to a long working

life are :(i) Mechanization using steel formwork, ready mix concrete and
tower crane can largely reduce the amount of labour intensive
type of construction, thus minimizing human workmanship errors.
(ii) Prefabrication in factory can change the mode of construction
from elevated positions to ground floor line production. The
construction difficulty is hence substantially reduced and better
workmanship can be assured.
(iii) Workmanship contributes significantly to the quality of built
products, such as the maintaining of consistent concrete cover to
reinforcement. Corrosion to reinforcement is the major factor
which leads to deterioration of reinforced concrete structures and
substantially reduces the working life of buildings.

Prefabrication for High Rise

Construction
There are several important
considerations to facilitate use of
prefabrication in high rise construction: Symmetry in Layout Design

a) If the layout can be designed to be

symmetric, or as far as possible
symmetric, the prefabricated steel
formwork can be rotated from one
wing to another, thus avoiding the
transfer of formwork to ground level.
b) The no. of types of precast
elements could also be largely
reduced, hence more repetitive use
of steel moulds and simplify
logistics.

Prefabrication for High Rise

Construction (contd)

Use of Tower Crane

a) Tower crane contributes a

significant cost to construction.
If the crane capacity could be
reduced, it saves the overall
construction cost.

b) If the weight of precast

components could be minimized,
such as the use of
planar facades or facades with
less complicated profiles, the
capacity of tower cranes could
be smaller.

Prefabrication for High Rise

Construction (contd)
Dimensional Accuracy of precast elements
a) Precast construction calls for high precision; otherwise it
cannot fit into and interface with insitu construction as
formwork is also prefabricated.
b) Where precast is connecting to precast, such as non-wind
resisting elements, accuracy is also important.

c)Generally, a maximum of 4mm tolerance between each

connection is allowed.

Prefabrication for High Rise

Construction (contd)
Transportation from Factory to Site
a) Width of precast element has to be
limited to less than 2.5m for truck
transportation.

b) Transportation is preferably by
road, and just in time to minimize
storage on site.

Practical Consideration in Sustainable

housing.

CASE STUDY 2:
AMAZING FACT !! A project by Richa Industries Ltd.
10-storey building built in 48 hours in Mohali (Punjab):In just 48 hours, an entrepreneur has
constructed a 10-floor building in
Mohali, a suburban town in Punjab.
The red and grey facade building-

Instacon stood tall on an industrial

plot in Mohali, 10 kilometres from
Chandigarh.
Within 48 hours, all the 10 floors of the
building were in place even though the
glass-panes on the windows and other
fittings inside were still being put by the

workers and engineers.

The building used pre-fabricated

material, including 200 tones of
steel.

This is the first building of its kind

in the country to be built in just 48
hours. The model has been
cleared for Zone-V seismic area,
the highest risk area (for
earthquakes).
The material being used was
manufactured in the past two
months.
"No bricks and sand has been
used. The outer wall is a doubleskinned PUF panel. The cost is
almost the same as of
conventional construction
material. It saves a lot of time that
goes into construction otherwise.

Case Study 3- Prefab Engineering in Multistory

buildings in China:China erect a 30 Storey Pre-fabricated Hotel in Just 15 Days

A construction company in china, has

broken

their

previous

record

of

constructing a 15 storey building in

one week with their latest project in
Hunan Province. Not only did the
construction company get the T30
Hotel up in 15 days or 360 hours (with
the

help

of

construction
company

200

super

workers),

claims

that

speedy

but
their

the
17,000

square meter tower is 5 times more

energy efficient than the traditional and

generates a fraction of the waste. It is

also said to have the capacity to
withstand an earthquake that measures
up to 9 on the Richter Magnitude Scale.

PreFab Projects in India.

Advantages of Prefab Construction.

THERMALLY INSULATED & ENERGY EFFICIENT: Tiny air pores and
thermal mass of blocks provide excellent thermal insulation, thus
reducing heating and air conditioning costs of a building.
LIGHTWEIGHT: 3-4 times lighter than traditional bricks, therefore,
reduces the dead load of the building.
EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT: Lightweight blocks reduce mass of a
structure, thus decreasing the impact of an earthquake on a building.

COST EFFECTIVE: It reduces operating cost by 30% to 40%. It also

reduces overall construction cost by 2.5% as it requires less jointing and
reduces need for cement and steel.
FASTER CONSTRUCTION: It reduces construction time by 20%.
Different sizes of blocks help reduce the number of joints in wall masonry.
It is easy to install and sets and hardens quickly.

Sustainable Design
It includes following points:-

Energy conservation features

Solar energy utilization
Water conservation features
Incorporation of recycled materials
Low emitting material

Reduced building construction waste

Less environmentally destructive site
development

What can the construction industry do

for sustainable housing?
1.Re-use existing building assets.
2.Design for minimum
3.Aim for Lean Construction
4.Minimise energy in construction

5.Minimise energy in use

6.Do not pollute
7.Conserve water sources

WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE?

Water
You should consider:
Use of water saving devices
Sub-metering (to allow identification and monitoring
of high demand facilities)
Leak detection (to facilitate prompt maintenance)
Opportunities for grey water recycling and use

Rainwater collection and use; and

Use of sustainable drainage systems.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE?

Waste
Significant reductions in waste can be achieved through
good design, improved logistics, better onsite
construction practices and re-use/recycling wherever
possible.
A hierarchy of waste management should be adopted:
Reduce design out waste
Re-use look for opportunities to re-use materials on site

landfill also reduces transport movements.

Recycle
Recover (energy)

WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE?

Biodiversity
Construction does not have to reduce the ecological value of a site in
many cases it can be used to enhance it.

Examples of appropriate actions for wildlife include:

Protecting parts of the site and its surroundings that are important
for wildlife from damage during the construction process.
Planting tree species which occur, or could occur, naturally at the
site.
Leaving some large grass areas uncut for the benefit of wildlife
rather than keeping large lawns.
Minimising the use of herbicides and use biodegradable products.
Using environmentally friendly ways of controlling unwanted pests.
Protecting and enhancing existing ecological features (wildlife,
trees, hedges, water courses).

WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE?

Transport (for the construction process)
Transport has significant impact on sustainability through the
consumption of fuel. Reducing transport reduces environmental impacts
and can save money. Careful planning can significantly REDUCE
TRANSPORT IMPACTS :
Minimising the transport distances of materials
Transport of personnel (promote green travel plans to construction site
for site employees, car sharing, minibuses etc.)
Fuel type used for transport (use of cleaner fuels)
Local transport infrastructure (ease of access, public transport, car
parking)

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF PREFAB :

Reduction of material waste and construction waste:
Reduction in on-site pollution:
Increased use of recycled material:
Better energy efficiency:
The reduction of energy consumption in a pre-fabricated property development is due to
less energy use in transportation and on-site works.

SOCIAL EFFECTS OF PREFAB :

Reduced accidents and illness:
IOP (Industrial offsite production) transfers much of the construction
process to inside a plant with improved safety and environmental
efficiencies.
Further more a considerable amount of prefabricated components can be
integrated, jointed and assembled relying on computer controlled and
autonomous mechanical operations which can reduce hazards to workers.

Potential to improve job conditions and wage levels:

Most of the works in IOP construction processes are conducted away
from building sites in an arguably stable and safer factory environment.
Workers in IOP construction sites are often task specific semi-skilled and
skilled workers who have higher earning capacity than traditional
labourers.

The answer to the Topics question That

Is Prefabrication the future of sustainable housing ?
YES !! Because:
Prefab or modular homes can be produced and erected more
efficiently, consume less energy and generate less waste than the
construction of conventional homes.
The surprising thing is that today's prefab housing is also beautiful,
customizable and designed to fit naturally into its surroundings. In
the past decade, prefab housing has transformed itself from ugly,
concrete, cookie-cutter sub-divisions into elegant, sleek and stylish
homes where sustainability is a natural part of the construction
process.

 Prefab homeowners will likely pay less for heating and cooling costs
over the life of the home because the structures tend to be more
energy efficient with less leakage.
Sustainable prefab houses can cost about the same as a conventional
home to construct but the quality and efficiency of the finished
product is typically better because more of the investment is put into
materials and technology rather than on-site construction crews.
Increased awareness about the sustainable nature of prefab housing
in recent years has led to the availability of a more diverse set of
materials, and design system and construction techniques.

This gives homeowners a broader selection of features and options

while offering builders greater opportunities to improve designs and
cut costs.

THANK YOU !!!

Lean construction is a way to design

production systems to minimize waste of
materials, time, and effort in order to generate
the maximum possible amount of value,"

Reduction of material waste and construction waste:

IOP manufactured productions are performed under monitored quality
control and assurance procedures in a factory environment. For example this includes
accurate cutting, aligning, screwing, nailing, painting and handling which drastically
decrease the amount of material wastage. Since the IOP method contributes to less
onsite plastering and timber works, the average of construction waste reduction level
in IOP high-rise residential building reduced by 52% with a reduction of 70% of
timber
formwork achieved.

Reduction in on-site pollution:

With less on-site activities and all factory-finished interior works completed in
advance,
households in high-rise residential developments suffer fewer problems such as poor
indoor air quality, noise, dust and litter caused by traditional construction methods.

Increased use of recycled material:

The concept of IOP is also referred to as cradle to cradle and based on a lean
construction principle which is analogous to manufacturing. This approach differs
from the cradle to grave process for traditional property developers. Integrated IOP
construction is considered to be an initiative solution based on reusing and recycling
components and materials in building construction.

Better energy efficiency:

The reduction of energy consumption in a pre-fabricated property development is
due to less energy use in transportation and on-site works.