OMC0043 - Evidence on Off-site manufacture for construction

DIRTT Environmental Solutions – Written evidence (OMC0043)

DIRTT – an acronym for Doing It Right This Time – is a Canadian company which provides an innovative construction process utilising 3D, video game technology and in-house manufacturing to build customised interiors, rapidly, cost-effectively and sustainably. DIRTT has worked with 7000 clients internationally in commercial, residential, healthcare and education sectors (and retail, hospitality etc). We have worked with nearly 200 of the Fortune 500.

DIRTT now has an office and team in London and would be pleased to provide more information.

Responses

1. What are the opportunities offered by offsite manufacture for construction? What are the likely drawbacks? What factors are likely to influence clients, architects, design engineers, contractors and the supply chain in deciding whether to choose offsite manufacture?

Benefits
Safer working conditions	Controlled environment of a manufacturing facility Eliminates variables like weather and visibility and key hazards of traditional construction—i.e. equipment accidents, falls from heights, etc.
Efficiency	Using machinery to create components minimises the likelihood of human error Replicable, mechanised process minimises error and optimises efficiency
Speed	Reliable timeline because of replicable process with small margin of error
Quality assurance	Quality of work can be guaranteed by applying machinery and minimising opportunity for human error. Quality assurance will not affect timeline.
Faster Installation	Significantly less onsite assembly; components arrive to site with elements preinstalled (electrics, insulation, plumbing), only connections and plug-and-play to happen onsite.
Less labour required	Fewer skilled labourers required onsite = cost savings Simplification of installation process = less training required for labourers compared to traditional construction
Less disruption	Speed of installation means clients/residents can move in faster less downtime for businesses Minimised noise and air pollution, traffic Less disruption for local residents
Sustainability, less waste	Reusable components result in less material going to landfills when reconfiguration is required Less heavy machinery and energy required than traditional onsite construction More accurate understanding of materials required means less waste and opportunity for cost savings by buying in bulk Increased opportunity to use recycled materials within construction of components—cost effectiveness of buying in bulk
Cost certainty	Clear understanding of materials, overhead and labour means exact costs can be provided immediately without
Design Flexibility	Adaptable components which can be updated, changed and reconfigured as needed Technology and utilities, including electrical, plumbing and HVAC, can be easily integrated
Significantly reduced margin of human error	Software is able to identify problem areas so they can be addressed immediately Ability to “walk through” the space in virtual or mixed reality gives client better understanding of final product and ability to make changes before manufacture Communicates directly with machinery so nothing gets “lost in translation” Minimises rework and eliminates the need for change orders

2. It is often claimed that offsite manufacture can lead to: lower costs, faster delivery and increase quality; increase productivity; improved health and safety; and greater provision of new, affordable housing. What is the evidence for this?

Increased ability to reuse components rather than buying new. (I.E. DIRTT’s proprietary ICE software contains a feature called ICE cycle, which allows a designer to input any DIRTT components and use them in creating a new space.) This results in cost savings over the lifecycle of a space as older components will always be able to fit with newer components
Controlled facilities allow us to eliminate variables like weather and visibility. It also minimises some of the main safety issues like the potential of falling from heights, heavy machinery and crowded workspaces
Digitising construction and building offsite streamlines the process and minimises the margin of human error to provide reliable processes, costs, timelines and outcomes
Virtual and mixed reality applications (like DIRTT’s ICE VR) allow the space to be experienced at every step of the design process. Changes can be made before components are manufactured, this eliminates rework/change orders and streamlines the process.
High quality spaces can consistently be delivered under tight timelines. The speed of manufacture and installation eliminates costly delays that come as part and parcel of traditional construction. These delays severely inflate project costs resulting in final numbers being several times that of the original estimate/budget.
A better understanding of the materials and quantity that are required to build each component in offsite allows manufacturers to buy in bulk for increased cost savings.

3. What are the drawbacks to offsite manufacture for construction?

The main drawback to offsite is the lack of knowledge and limited number of experts that exist in the field to take a project from start to finish. Because of the general resistance within the construction industry to move toward a new method, we have a lot of adjustments to make in training experts and educating the wider industry on positive impact of offsite.

Since most of the process occurs in a controlled facility rather than onsite for all to see there is an apprehension about whether the end result will happen on time or even if it will meet expectations. If seeing is believing, it will require offsite manufacturers and main contractors to successfully deliver projects on a consistent basis in order to rewrite that apprehension and make it the new norm. Until the industry has successfully mitigated this fear of a new and relatively unknown process, there is likely going to be resistance to offsite as a whole.

4. What re-skilling of the construction workforce is required to facilitate a change to more off-site manufacture for construction?

There will need to be certification schemes to train installers in specific manufacturer installation processes or labourers will need to go to work directly with the manufacturers. It will likely require a reappropriation of the labour force. Equally, certified installers are likely to be a requirement on each jobsite for insurance and warranty purposes, as is the case with DIRTT.

5. Can the benefits of standardisation and factory manufacture be realised without hampering architectural ambition? If so, how?

If anything, offsite construction allows for a higher degree of precision and is increasing the scope of what is possible in construction. DIRTT’s proprietary software, ICE, supports a high degree of customisation—from dimensions to aesthetics. For example, DIRTT walls are highly customisable tiles that snap into an aluminium frame. While there are physical limitations on the maximum tile size, all tiles and cabinetry can be customised to fractions of a millimetre. Additionally, interchangeable components allow for endless combinations and finishes. DIRTT in the US and Canada is now manufacturing timber structures. If anything, the high degree of precision made possible by mechanising the process allows highly complicated structures to be assembled quickly and with minimal labour. Additionally, custom cut mirrors or glass (in traditional construction would be done onsite and be costly) can be done quickly and easily in a controlled manufacturing facility.

DIRTT was consulted for Mark Farmer’s Modernise or Die Report. As Farmer indicates, “If you buy a new car, you expect it to have been built in a factory to exacting standards, to be delivered on time, to an agreed price and to a predetermined quality. This needs to happen more in construction, so that the investors, developers or building owners hiring construction firms increasingly dictate the use of modern methods of delivery and invest appropriately in the skills agenda to grow this part of the industry…” This is a similar line of thinking to DIRTT’s ethos. DIRTT’s technologically-focused process is akin to a car assembly line – but is much more conducive to customisation.

26 April 2018