Prefab or Prefabricated construction is the process of manufacturing different components of a structure in a factory or manufacturing facility away from site and then transporting the complete set of components to the construction site for assembly of the structure. This is all referred to as Offsite Construction. Prefabricated construction solves several problems related to cramped, busy and dense urban environment construction sites. Transportation of material and equipment in the site area as well as on the site premises can be very troublesome, that would result in increased costs and extended timelines. Prefab construction is a perfect solution for all these problems. Offsite construction provides better provisions for planning and manufacturing building components in another place.
Prefabricated construction has changed the face of construction in the last few decades. Prefabricated materials are strong, financially viable and environmentally friendly. Prefabricated construction materials and products have better quality than in situ manufactured components. Prefabricated Construction has great design, high performance actions and quality controlled manufacturing procedures. Prefab construction is carried out in two main steps, manufacturing and transportation to sites for erection. In the first step, prefabricated materials are manufactured in the offsite factories or prefab construction units and in the second step, prefabricated materials are used in erection of the structure on site.
Benefits of Prefabricated Construction
Prefabricated construction is not only being used for huge structures but also for several other construction functions, that are:
Challenges in using Prefab Construction Materials
As the prefabrication construction is still in its developing stage, using it can present some challenges and disadvantages, which are:
Though there are challenges that arise when using prefabricated construction materials, these disadvantages can be reduced or eliminated with the help of research and development of innovative properties and functions. Ways must be devised to overcome hurdles associated with using prefabricated construction processes for all small and large scale projects.
Prefabricated Construction in India
The prefabricated production in India was pioneered by government run Hindustan Housing Factory, which changed its name to Hindustan Prefab Limited(HPL) due the diversity of its prefab operations. Prefabricated Construction in India is majorly being used for large scale projects. In the last few decades the Indian Infrastructure and Construction sector has grown exponentially. Consequently the focus has moved from cost efficiency to time and capability. Many government construction schemes have assigned mass usage of prefabricated materials for cost efficiency and rapid construction. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna(PMAY) aims to build 20 million houses for the urban poor. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development along with the GOI has adopted many innovative prefab construction systems developed indigenously to accomplish this enormous task. Prefabricated construction cost in India is less than the traditional methods of construction in case of large scale projects and sometimes cost efficient in case of small scale projects.
Common Prefab Systems
Prefabricated materials consist of not only concrete and steel components but also different material systems. Some of the commonly used prefab systems are:
Prefabricated construction offers benefits like time saving, site safety, sustainability and superior quality construction. Other benefits include site safety, waste reduction, improved air quality, quality management, etc. Prefab construction does have several benefits, but only for huge volumes of construction.
Prefabricated construction components need to be transported to construction sites at specific points scheduled to avoid delay in any as well as avoid space consumption by the components if transported earlier than required. This process can be easily monitored and directed using Powerplay application. Powerplay is one of the most recently developed construction management tools that provide a unique management experience for services related to construction sites.