In the Design, Make, Build (DMB) approach to construction, we’ve focused on the importance of collaboration. By bringing together the component manufacturers (CMs) and trades with the designers and architects early in the Design phase, they can provide feedback on what is possible around off-site construction methods. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering and construction often accounts for more than 40 percent of a total building project cost. Bringing all the MEP trades in early in the Design phase of the process enables them to provide input on the best way to put the building together from a MEP perspective.
By engaging with the architects and trades during the Make phase, the CMs are better able to sequence products based on when and how they’re going to be used on the job site and schedule deliveries efficiently.
If all parties work together and do their part in the first two phases, it sets everyone up for success in the Build phase, and the payoff is a building that has used off-site construction methods and has gone up in the field faster, at a reduced cost, and with fewer safety concerns.
Faster
If all parties are on the same page from the start, Brian McCormick, SVP, Offsite Building Solutions at MiTek, said it allows for some work to happen simultaneously.
“You’ve got the site work happening concurrently with the manufacturing work,” McCormick said. “The structure’s coming together as the site work is coming together, and that’s going to drive some real cycle-time reduction.”
This also raises the stakes on accuracy and coordination.
Scott Reichensperger, VP, Client Engagement for MiTek’s Homebuilder Solutions team, points to the precision needed when laying the foundation of a home. If one part of the process is off, key pieces like walls, floors, and roofs won’t fit together.
McCormick echoes this idea for commercial construction.
“There’s a much higher level of coordination that’s required at this point, and this just raises all sorts of opportunities for technology coordination and collaboration between the players to sync up, get on the same page, and ensure success,” McCormick said.
Efficient scheduling is one of the biggest benefits of coordination and collaboration, Reichensperger said. Missed windows can cause delays on the jobsite, bottlenecking of deliveries to the site, and the risk of products being left out in the elements and creating clutter.
“With all of those products arriving on time when they’re required, you can dry in a home in a day,” Reichensperger said. “What that means is you’re taking weather out of the equation. Your schedule gets tighter and more compact, and you can finish that home or building faster than you would if you just showed up.”
Adopting off-site construction techniques along with the coordinated scheduling of sequentially stacked products makes for a highly streamlined Build phase. Traffic flow in key arteries to the build site is dramatically improved thanks to fewer deliveries.
“Here we are at the last stage of the process, but it’s fundamentally tied to the decisions and insights that were established at the beginning of the process and the collaboration that was required throughout,” McCormick said. “At the time those components were manufactured, they had to know early on exactly what order they had to be produced in and then how they were going to be delivered to the job site.”
While there are many advantages, there are also a few things to consider that may not be as necessary with on-site construction like coordinating with the city, the local department of transportation, and even the utilities companies.
A great example of these things all coming together to deliver excellent results for all parties is a development in Oakland, California called Project One.
After breaking ground on a traditional multi-use project in the fall of 2019, Gurnet Point, Clavalo Construction, and DCI Engineers were on the brink of walking away. However, the team pivoted their approach, which opened the door for MiTek to step in and introduce a product that fit their need.
Site constraints like vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic as well as powerlines and no on-site storage or dumpster led to a heavy focus on off-site manufacturing. Using prefabricated wall panels increased quality, decreased waste, reduced onsite labor, and made scheduling deliveries easier.
The hands-on collaboration between MiTek, Gurnet Point and the city led to the project being approved by the city of Oakland in three days, and the ease of installing the MiTek product, combined with leveraging mass plywood panels for the floor and prefabricated wall panels, helped Gurnet Point shave two months off the project schedule, ultimately leading to a 34 percent financial savings.
Safety
The DMB approach allows for safety to be engineered into the process.
“We’re seeing handrails pre-installed on wall panels or above wall panels,” McCormick said. “We’re seeing tie-off points pre-engineered, pre-designed, and placed inside of a roof cassette or a floor cassette.”
McCormick said these features are going to make a big difference for the automatic adoption of safety. Additionally, he said there’s benefit to having fewer larger components show up on the job site.
For Reichensperger, the lack of cutting on the jobsite is a major bonus when it comes to safety. He said by reducing the amount of cutting or sawing that must happen in the field, the job site becomes a safer place to work.
The benefits of coordination and collaboration are clear. The DMB approach to construction improves communication, offers smooth transitions, and creates greater opportunities for success along the way. McCormick believes to grow modular construction we must take a holistic approach to enabling the industry and addressing some of the regulatory challenges that are really holding us back from achieving this DMB vision.