WSP – Written evidence (OMC0014)

 

Author: Jane Richards, WSP Head of Structures

 

Introduction

WSP was invited to take part in the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee’s inquiry into off-site manufacture for construction. In anticipation of Jane Richards providing oral evidence to the Committee on 8th May, we are delighted to share a succinct piece of written evidence to help inform the inquiry, as well as background information on WSP.

 

About WSP

We are one of the world's leading engineering professional services consulting firms. We are technical experts and strategic advisors including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors and environmental specialists, as well as other design, programme and construction management professionals. With 37,000 talented people in more than 500 offices across 40 countries, we engineer projects that will help societies grow for lifetimes to come. Across the UK, we have 8,000 experts working on every aspect of the built and natural environment, from the Shard to Manchester’s Metrolink, and from HS2 to the Geological Disposal Facility.

 

About Jane Richards

Jane is a member of the Executive Leadership Team at WSP in the UK. She is also Head of the Building Structures business, which employs around 500 people, responsible for strategic growth, technical excellence and expertise of this discipline. Jane is involved in the delivery of some major multi-disciplinary projects, particularly those involving high-rise towers and deep basements with complex below-ground constraints, such as 150 Bishopsgate, Clapham Junction over-build and 40 Leadenhall Street. Jane is also actively involved in research & development and implementation of modular construction and is co-author of a paper titled ‘Modular Design of High-rise Buildings’.

 

Defining Off-site Construction

For purposes of clarity, we have opted to share our definition of Off-site construction, which we understand to cover all elements fabricated off-site and includes basic manufactured components up to complete building systems. The categories of off-site construction are summarised in the following table:

 

 

Question 1

Off-site manufacture for construction enables modules or elements of buildings to be constructed off-site under controlled factory conditions using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventional buildings, but in much reduced timescales and with better construction quality management, and in a safer environment than traditional sites.

 

For architects and clients, modular construction companies today can work with levels of design and construction sophistication that compare favourably with conventional construction. This means that designs can be developed with some flexibility to adopt off-site techniques without significant compromises to layouts or loss of area to the finished building.

 

Other factors which impact the decision to choose off-site construction will include the availability and certainty of supply. The off-site manufacturing companies have invested and grown over the last 10 years, but suffered significantly in the downturn of 2008-2012 and this checked progress. There is currently a significant R&D investment in off-site techniques, which is leading to new systems becoming available.

 

For example Berkeley Homes, one of the UK’s largest residential developers, is developing their own system to manufacture modular housing up to 20 storeys in height, which will be in production by 2020. Similarly Laing O’Rourke are extending their significant off-site capability to include volumetric modular housing of similar height. Vision Modular has enhanced their system to be capable of building over 40 storeys. A lot of this investment benefits from government sponsorship. As more off-site options become available and with sufficient flexibility to suit a range of construction projects, clients and supply chains are more likely to select them.

The following factors also tend to influence choice:

Perception of quality

Accreditation and attitude of mortgage lenders to new building techniques

Need to fix designs earlier to allow manufacture

Certainty of supply/capacity

Scale of development to leverage buying gains

Repeatability of cores systems designs like structures and services

 

Question 2

 

Evidence from the off-site modular projects that I have been directly involved in indicates the following.

 

The diagram below helps clarify:

 

Cost savings currently result primarily from the overall time-saving achieved. This can be from earlier return on outlay and/or reduced preliminaries and logistics costs on sites. However, in future. as off-site manufacture increases then the economies of scale will also be expected to bring down costs.

 

There are greater health and safety risks and hazards with onsite construction work that can be mitigated by offsite construction.

 

The evidence shows that modular off-site construction is currently primarily delivering housing in the private and social rented sector. The recently signed agreement between manufacturer-contractor Laing O’Rourke and the developer Stanhope is a good example of how off-site construction is being planned for the future delivery of large volumes of affordable housing. This Agreement aims for 10,000 residential units per year.

 

Reduction in materials waste through manufacturing efficiencies are also an important benefit to sustainability targets. The growing construction industry’s maturity in BIM and Digital Construction is a further complementary benefit.

 

Question 3

Some drawbacks are:

 

Question 4

WSP’s experience of the UNITE Modular Solution’s factory in Gloucestershire, on which we worked was that re-skilling was easily achieved and effective. The degree of automation and production line approach to the process was complemented by the labour involvement finishing the product within the factory. Skills required for this were lower than for an equivalent tradesperson on site, but still represented an opportunity to provide training and skills for a local workforce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 5

Whilst modular and off-site construction requires high standardisation within the architectural design, there is still opportunity for flexibility and creativity. Off-site/modular design should be viewed as a kit of parts and an approach. Design flair and creativity can then still flourish.

 

Question 6

There is an opportunity with off-site manufacture to make advances in our use of technology in construction. There are many separate R&D projects at the moment. These are being led by developer-manufacturers, developer-builders and academic institutions. An over-arching co-ordination of the advances being made would be interesting, but would need to reflect commercial confidentiality principles.

 

Question 7

The Construction Sector Deal focuses on three key areas:

 

As this is relatively recent, the detail of who, how and when are still crystallising, but WSP supports they key areas which are aligned with our own WSP global initiative of “Future Ready”.

 

Question 8

We welcome the fact that the Chancellor recently stated that major central Government Departments “will adopt a presumption in favour of off-site construction by 2019 across suitable capital programme, where it represents best value for money”. WSP believes this shows commitment to the opportunity, and looks forward to bringing forward real live examples and champions with both the private and public sector to gain traction.

 

WSP sees merit in using large regeneration projects to create opportunities to establish off-site local capabilities, which have legacy value. We also believe that constraints on public procurement process that result in low-innovation, low sustainability practises achieving winning scores need to be removed.

 

WSP advocates for the creation of clear procurement briefs and score matrices that truly reward innovation and highly sustainable design and construction. WSP would support an approach which engenders a culture of continual improvement and sharing of this knowledge as an industry as opposed to the opposite to try to obtain a competitive advantage.

 

25 April 2018