A Mobile System for the On-Site Assembly of Timber Frame Components: The Development of an Agile, Low-Cost Alternative to Offsite Prefabrication

Gee, Stuart and Brown, Andre ORCID: 0000-0002-0576-5112 (2022) A Mobile System for the On-Site Assembly of Timber Frame Components: The Development of an Agile, Low-Cost Alternative to Offsite Prefabrication. SUSTAINABILITY, 14 (2). p. 651.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14020651

Abstract

<jats:p>Prefabricated timber component-based systems are the most prevalent industrialised system used to build housing. Along with many other countries, the UK has invested in different types of factory-based prefabrication systems as a means of increasing productivity and enhancing quality. In more recent decades, prefabrication has become part of a series of ‘modern methods of construction’ employed for, and aimed at, delivering sustainable and efficient construction. However, certain pragmatic issues remain. The industry is cyclical, and during periods of declining resources, skills and technical development can be lost. Additionally, factory-based prefabrication requires substantial initial investment and an appropriate local workforce. To help address these issues, this paper presents the concept of an alternative method of production and assembly that takes a different approach to traditional industrialised systems that involve large investments and fixed-location factories. The proposition presented in this paper is that it is possible to design and develop a small, low cost, portable micro-factory that can be taken to a temporary location or construction site, where it can then be used to construct prefabricated closed panels. We describe the development of a working prototype, effectively a micro-factory, along with its potential advantages over a fixed facility.</jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	mobile factory, timber frame, on-site assembly, lean, prefabrication, sustainable construction, modern methods, construction skills, economic sustainability
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of the Arts
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	12 Jan 2022 15:33
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2024 13:19
DOI:	10.3390/su14020651
Open Access URL:	https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/651
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3146616