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The four dimensions of industrialized construction

Written by Lauren | Jun 25, 2020 8:25:00 PM

Industrialized or manufactured construction is a familiar concept. We have been building with components and even whole wall panels for years. However, with a heightened focus on efficiency due to skilled labor shortages and tighter margins, industrialized construction is accelerating across the globe. As we noted in our first paper, “Technological advancements disrupting the global construction industry,” modular and prefabricated building accounted for approximately US $237b of construction activity in 2019.1,2 This industrialized (“prefabrication”, “prefab” or “modular”) approach shifts many activities away from the construction site and into a factory. Prefabricated building components are then shipped from the factory to the construction site for assembly. While this technique has been around for centuries, recent success stories have compelled developers and contractors to apply prefabrication to their projects. Utilizing this approach can present new opportunities, however, it introduces additional risks to consider as well.