Sustainable Building Benefits of Off-Site Construction
- Modular construction
- Shortened Schedule
- Minimal On Site Disturbance
- Less On Site Vehicular Traffic
- Improved Construction Quality
- Better Safety and Security
Pre-fab. Off-site. These terms all describe a building method that due to its very nature comes with many sustainable benefits. We are all looking to be more environmentally responsible. To leave a smaller carbon foot print. To be different. To build outside the box. What better way than to choose a more effective method to build? Some of these benefits seem small and even obvious, but when you add them up, there’s no denying that offsite construction makes sense when sustainability, greener building practices and making better environmental decisions are part of your project planning process.
Because your project is built off site in a controlled environment, there will be no weather delays to wreak havoc on the construction schedule. All materials are ordered and stored in a dry warehouse so there is no material loss due to on-site damage or theft. The biggest contributing factor for the shortened construction schedule is that the site development occurs simultaneously while the building is being constructed at the plant, cutting down the time to complete your project by as much as 50%. The retail market is a great example of how important it is to have the doors open faster, giving businesses access to revenues sooner.
Having your building arrive on site up to 90% complete, will result in fewer construction pollutants and better protection of the surrounding green space. Reduced on-site activity also allows for a greater reduction in disruption to your ongoing business, and to the surrounding neighborhood.
Building off-site brings greater “control” of many factors. There are fewer small material deliveries to site because commodities can be ordered by the truckload and then stored in a warehouse until they are needed at the plant. Running multiple “construction projects” at the same time in one plant location significantly reduces workforce time and travel and when the building does arrive at the site, it’s about 90% complete so travel to the site location is further reduced.
There`s no better way to ensure the quality of construction than to build in a clean controlled environment with stringent QA/QC programs.
Compared to on-site construction, the reduced time and activity that occurs as a result of the shortened construction schedule, and the fact that modules arrive on site up to 90% complete, naturally improves site safety and security.