SCI Monitors Modular Building in Wolverhampton
Vision Modular Structures and SCI are collaborating in the measurement of the productivity and sustainability benefits of off‑site steel construction, in this case modular construction. The project being studied is the World’s tallest modular building at 24 storeys, located in Wolverhampton. The site is adjacent to the main railway line and so tight that vehicle movements and deliveries are limited. During the winter months modules were installed at an average rate of 7.5 per day and the overall construction programme for the 25,000m2 project is an impressive 12 months (an estimated reduction of over 40% on in‑situ construction).
The average number of workers on site was a mere 55, including site management, and the productivity per worker was an impressive 10m2 of completed floor area per week. Even more impressive was that only a further 7 deliveries of materials were made per day, which reduced transport movements. Furthermore, only 2 skips of waste material were collected per week, which is an estimated reduction of over 90% relative to in‑situ construction.
A Case Study of the Wolverhampton project is being prepared, which will summarise these sustainability benefits. This data extends the BRE study of the Smart Life project: (Smart Life-: Lessons Learned, Report BR 500, 2008). In this study, Fusion’s light steel framing was compared to timber framing, insulated concrete and brick blockwork construction It was found that the cost of light steel framing was on average not only the lowest, but was also completed 20% faster with up to 50% less waste than traditional building.
For further information, please contact:
Mark Lawson
Professor of Construction Systems, SCI
Email: m.lawson@steel-sci.com
Tel: +44 (0)1344 631027