PREFABRICATION: THE FUTURE OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

PREFABRICATION CONSTRUCTION:

In this electronic equipment culture, and fast-growing population, it’s essential to own new residential projects with lesser value as well as lower time. Prefabrication Construction technique reduces construction costs at a higher level and also reduces construction time. Forming of prefab structures takes place either at factories or at construction sites itself. These prefab components reach the sites and set up according to the plans.
“Prefabrication” is associated with the industrialized construction methodology wherein factory-made components are assembled into buildings with the help of cranes and different lifting and handling appliances. The work of building is applied in two stages as manufacturing of the elements in the manufacturing plant or workshop, and erection on the positioning. Ready-Made structural elements fabricated from concrete square measure brought up as “Precast units” (“Precast members” or formed elements” terms alternatively used), signifying that they get forged before and given time to harden and acquire strength before being taken to the particular construction website for erection.

Aim of Prefabrication

• Cut down construction costs
• Manufacture components under controlled conditions
• Reduce the construction time
• Increase the overall efficiency of construction projects
• Maintain a higher degree of safety

Prefabrication Techniques

Prefab consists of the following types:

• Large Panel Prefabrication
• Frame System Prefabrication
• Lift-slab Prefabrication
• Beam-slab joints Prefabrication

1. Large Panel Prefabrication

Large-panel structures are one in every of the first progressive industrial sorts of structural components. In trendy construction, construction of housing homes, public and industrial buildings, roads, airfields, dams, and canals utilizes this technique. The housing and civil construction industry also use this technique most widely than the other ones. This panel prefabrication technique reduces construction time up to 1.1 to 1.5 times as compared to conventional construction techniques (construction using bricks). The calculable price of a square measure of housing area is 12–15 % less than in brick buildings.

2. Frame System Prefabrication

This prefabricated construction system uses linear components to build up a single frame and hence the number of frames. The workers then place the beams once formed by this method on the corbels of pillars hinged with joints and fills up the bones with some concrete at the time of construction.

3. Lift-slab Prefabrication

In a lift-slab system, the pillars are precast at the prefabrication plant itself and slabs are precast at the site. The workers construct pieces one upon the other on the ground and elevate each slab one by one to the story to place them placed for further construction of the building. As a matter of fact, using this prefabrication technique, it is possible to construct pillar of maximum 5 story and a structure of 30 stories. This system makes use of specially designed joints.

4. Beam-slab Joints Prefabrication

This prefabrication technique comprises of solid wall panels and hollow core slabs. A solid slab is stable due to bearing walls and beams. The bearing walls are much cheaper than for slabs with shorter spans and light loads. The construction of hotels and building with uniform spacing uses this technique.

Merits of Prefabrication:

• Construction using prefab systems consumes less time
• The technique is cost-effective to a greater extent
• High production quality
• Control of parts is feasible due to closely situated factories

Demerits of Prefabrication:

• The prefab components need to be handled carefully
• Special care must be taken against a failure of the components by maintaining their strength levels
• At the joints of the precast elements, leaks may form
• Large-sized prefab components require heavy-duty transport vehicles like cranes
• Special care must be taken while positioning the ready-made components at the time of construction as to avoid accidents at the site.

General applications of Prefab

Prefab proves to be useful in the development of:

• Factories
• Workshops
• Showrooms
• Schools
• Industrial Sheds
• Cold storages
• Office buildings
• Warehouses
• Multistoried buildings
• Fuel stations
• Parking sheds

Final thoughts

The construction sector has got many challenges and ‘Growing construction Productivity Must be Top Priority in Future‘. With the continued quality of ready-made construction, it’s possible that it’ll solely still grow in class. Customers who select this feature are ready to get pleasure from top quality, quicker, efficient, as well as an eco-friendly construction technique. Moreover, construction firms could shortly increase their investment in standard construction processes, benefiting each their business and client relationships. Prefabrication techniques are also proving to be a very viable choice, and as producing technology continues to enhance, expect to ascertain its edges and blessings rise within the future.