Finally, I changed the conversion costs for each scale based upon rules of thumb factors.. M. ore batches.

3D modules also occupy large amounts of factory floor space and therefore absorb a high proportion of factory overheads..If these additional modular construction costs can be offset by large improvements in construction site efficiency, for example by relocating wet trades or complex specialist trades away from the site, a 3D module might make sense.

But, with modular construction, it’s often the case that prefabricating comparatively simple parts of a building as 3D modules adds cost and complexity, especially if the required trades need to be present on-site anyway..The problems found in modular construction are only compounded by inefficient factory working.The cost of any prefabricated component (indeed, any component of any building) can be divided into materials and labour.

If we ignore the cost of the labour that has gone into making the component, we only have material costs left, resulting in limited opportunities to add value.Manufacturers have understood this for decades and spent a great deal of effort developing highly productive assembly routines that enabled the mass production, automation and commoditisation that fuelled the consumer age.. Too often factories are treated as ‘construction sites in a shed' producing bespoke, custom components with overlapping trades and poor works sequencing, causing reduced value and the same inefficiencies that are often found on construction sites.

We want the factories that produce components for the construction industry to be more like the best factories making consumer goods; highly efficient, controlled and focused on achieving the highest throughput for the lowest cost, without compromising on quality..

In short, we want factories to be less like construction sites.. Construction Platforms: our MMC approach to achieving the best mix of on-site and off-site construction.Our approach to master planning is collaborative, and iterative.

Collaborative because there is usually no one person who understands every element of the situation (we bring together the right people to combine their knowledge and experience).Iterative because the problem is unwrapped and understood gradually, by identifying potential solutions, analysing them and feeding the outcome back into the continuously evolving problem statement.

The team evaluates the outcome, revises their understanding of the problem (if required), and goes around the loop again, with new, adjusted or more developed solutions..The key principles of our master planning approach are: to adopt a common language that can be understood by all involved; to use clear visualisations rather than words as much as possible, as this aids general understanding; to be clear and explicit about any and all assumptions, and; to capture as much data and information as possible from as many sources as possible, so that no knowledge goes to waste..