46 / 92
4 6
BUILDING CONNECTION
SUMMER 2016
WHAT IS OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION?
I
t seems the answers from contractors and builders as
to ‘why’ are basically the same all over the globe, with
responses in recent studies confirming similar trends in
most countries.
The number one reason given is the lack of skilled workers
with many companies struggling to find adequately trained
staff. The reasons for this vary, but obviously the lack of
interest in manual work by younger generations is a common
factor in our changing world, along with inadequate access
to training programs.
Another common reason given is the speed of
construction using prefabricated and pre-assembled
components, which overcomes the skilled labour shortage,
and also saves in overall cost with less activities that need
to be conducted on the building site.
Studies have also revealed that when the popularity of
offsite systems increase it has the effect of improving
outcomes from the method becoming better understood,
with factors such as maintaining strict construction
schedules, reducing waste, less local area disruption, and
familiarity with the system all helping to create even greater
cost savings.
In Australia we have adopted most of the offsite
construction techniques over the past decade, and they
can be defined as building systems or assemblies that are
manufactured or prefabricated away from the building site
prior to installation.
For decades the most common timber frame system in
use has been prefabricated truss roofs and wall frames,
with prefabricated floor cassettes now entering the market.
These are termed ‘open’ frame systems as they are purely
structural elements with the windows, cladding, insulation
and plasterboard all yet to be fixed manually on site.
The next stage for timber framing is ‘closed’ wall frame
systems which are supplied to site complete with windows,
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AROUND THE WORLD, AND NOW IN AUSTRALIA, IS STEADILY MOVING TO GREATER USE
OF OFFSITE SYSTEMS – BUT WHY, AND WHAT DOES OFFSITE REALLY MEAN?
KEVIN EZARD
EXPLAINS.
EZARD’S CONNECTION
KEVIN EZARD
ABOVE:
CLT construction is widely used in Europe for
housing and apartment buildings and is starting to make its
mark in Australia too.