Module 5

Prefabricated construction

Dr. Saladi SV Subbarao

 Prefabrication
• Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components
of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site,
and transporting the complete assemblies or sub-
assemblies to the construction site where the structure
is to be located.

• In order to build in remote locations, deliver buildings

more quickly or to build in mass quantity, society is
using prefabrication
 History
• Prefabrication has been used since ancient times. It is
claimed that the Sweet Track constructed around 3800 BC,
employed prefabricated timber.
• Sinhalese kings of ancient Sri Lanka have used prefabricated
buildings technology to erect giant structures, which dates
back as far as 2000 years.
• In 19th century, Australia imported a large number of
prefabricated houses from the United Kingdom.
• The method was widely used in the 20th century, the United
Kingdom to replace houses bombed during World War II.
 History
• Possibly the first advertised prefab house was the Manning
Portable Cottage.
• A London carpenter, Henry Manning, constructed a house
that was built in components, then shipped and assembled
by British emigrants.
• This was published and a few still stand in Australia.
 Scope of prefabrication
• The structural elements are prefabricated and
assembled in a factory, they usually comprise a frame
of metal, metal and timber or concrete.
• Concrete Units may be monolithic or may include joined
panels, in some cases, prefabricated composite panels
are part of the load bearing structure.
• Floors may be prefabricated, installed or, in the case of
concrete, cast in-site.
• Building Units may be supplied with varying degrees of
completion
 Advantages of prefabrication
• Speeds up construction time, resulting in lower labor costs.
• Allows for year-round construction, not affected by weather
delays (related to excessive cold, heat, rain, snow, etc.).
• The mechanization used here ensures precise conformity to
building code standards and greater quality assurance.
• Less wasted materials than in site-built construction.
• Worker safety and comfort level are higher than in site-built
construction.
• Computerization of the production process permits a high
degree of customization, at an affordable cost.
• Quality control and factory sealing and design can ensure
high energy efficiency.
 Disadvantages
• Design and construction of modular buildings, require high
levels of collaboration among project parties, especially
architect, structural engineer and manufacturer.
• The requirement to transport manufactured homes or
modules to the site can mean that prefabrication potential
may be limited for infill projects in inner city areas
• Increased production volume is required to ensure
affordability through prefabrication.
• Prefabricated buildings typically depreciates more quickly
than traditional site-built housing because of its shorter
economic life.
 Types of Prefabricated Systems
• Elemental Systems
– Linear or 2D components in the form of assemblies
of structural frames and wall panels
– This type of construction can be useful in building
houses that do not work neatly as modules
– It can be just as structurally sound as other types of
prefabricated building.
– It is also much less expensive to transport a building
in panels than in modules if it is large enough.
Elemental system
 Types of Prefabricated Systems
• Volumetric Systems
– Volumetric or modular construction units could be
manufactured from 2D wall panels and floor
cassettes
– They are assembled into load-bearing ‘boxes’ or ‘3d
sections’ which are fitted out and transported to the
construction site.
– The primary disadvantage of this system is
‘transportation constraints’ that limit the width and
height of the unit.
Volumetric systems
 Types of Prefabricated Systems
• Complete Buildings Systems
– This system comprise modular components, and are
essentially fully finished before delivery to site.
– These systems do not tend to age well, they are
susceptible to maintenance issues
– These are generally considered to be lowest type of
home to live in, so they mostly used as a temporary
shelter.
Complete buildings system
 Joints in prefabricated buildings
• Joints are evaluated with respect to the following criteria:
– Stability and Strength: The stability of joint shall be
determined by its loads-carrying capacity in the
particular situation in which the joints is to function.
– Practicability: Determined by the amount and type of
Material, and the time for fabrication and erection.
– Resistance: Determined by the joints expected behavior
to possible overloading and exposure to climatic or
chemical conditions, or to fire.
– Appearance: Some aesthetic aspects might be taken in
consideration when designing exposed joists
Joints in prefabricated buildings
 Transportation of prefab structures
• Prefab buildings are commonly shipped by trucks or
railways, but sometimes ships are used for delivering
prefab homes.
• Studies have shown that shipping modules becomes cost
prohibitive when they must travel more than 150 to 200
miles from factory to site.
• The industry generally recognizes 125 miles as the
maximum practical distance modules should need to
travel from factory to site.
Transportation of prefab structures
 Prefab case studies
• Habitat ’67, Montreal, Canada.
• This project designed by architect Moshe Safdie at the
World Exposition of 1967
• Safdie explored the possibilities of prefabricated
modular units to reduce housing costs and allow for a
new housing typology.
• Habitat’ 67 was constructed from 354 identical and
completely prefabricated modules or boxes stacked in
various combinations and connected by steel cables.
 Prefab case studies
• Nakagin capsule tower, 1972, Japan
• It is a mixed-use residential and office tower designed by
architect Kisho Kurokawa, this project utilized a
prefabrication system called clip-on system,
• These capsules were delivered by railroad vehicle.
• After being transported to the building site, they were
hoisted by crane and fastened to the concrete shafts
starting from the bottom up.
• Each capsule was installed independently and cantilevered
from the shaft so that ideally any capsule could be removed
without affecting others.
• The entire construction took only a year.
 Prefab case studies
• Plug-in city, 1962
• It is a conceptual project designed by Archigram
Architects in 1962
• This project had an infrastructure with rail-mounted
cranes that would install and replace prefabricated
housing, office, and shop modules planned for
obsolescence
• so, people could pick up their pods using one of several
communal cranes and plug them into the common
infrastructure anywhere
 Advantages of Prefabrication
• Self supporting readymade components are used. The need
for work shuttering and scaffolding is greatly reduced.
• Construction time is reduced and buildings are completed
sooner allowing an earlier return of the capital invested.
• On site construction and congestion is limited
• Quality control can be easier in a factory assembly line
setting than a construction site setting.
• Prefabrication can be located where skilled labour is more
readily available and costs of labour, power, materials, space
and overheads are lower.
• Time spend in bad weather or hazardous environments at the
construction site is minimized.
 Disadvantages of Prefabrication
• Careful handling of Prefabricated components such as
concrete panels or steel and glass panels is required.
• Attention has to be paid to the strength and corrosion-
resistance of the joining of prefabricated sections
• Leaks can form at joints in prefabricated components.
• Transportation costs may be higher.
• Large Prefabricated Structures require heavy-duty cranes &
Precision measurement and handling to place in position.
• Large group of buildings from the same type of
prefabricated elements tend to look drab and monotonous.
• Local jobs are last.
 Prefabrication vs conventional method

• Economy in large scale project with high degree of

repetition in work execution.
• Special architectural requirement in finishing.
• Consistency in structural quality control.
• Fast speed of construction.
• Constraints in availability of site resources i.e.
materials, labour, etc.
• Other space & environmental constraints.
 Prefabricated elements
• Flooring / Roofing system.

• Precast Beams

• Precast Columns

• Precast walk panels.

• Precast Stabs.
 Transportation
• Truck cranes
• Gantry cranes
• Mast cranes
• Derrick cranes
• Twinned mast cranes
 Truck cranes
• Truck cranes consists of chasis including pivoting upper
part.
• These cranes are mobile and an travel on their own
needs.
• Different features are:
– Weight of the crane while travelling is 31.8 tonnes
– Maximum height of hoisting hook is 36.6 m
– Crane can rotate through 360º.
• Disadvantages
– Needs firm and compact soil
Truck cranes
 Gantry cranes
• These cranes are used mainly to serve the operation of
manufacturing and storing areas in prefabrication
plants.
• Capacity 5T, Total weight 4.5T
• Horizontal distance between 2 tracks is 7.8m
• Maximum height is up to 11m
• Mast height 10.9m and it can hoist up to 20 tonnes in
operation.
Gantry cranes
 Mast cranes
• These are wide spread hoisting devices, simple and
cheap.
• Operation requires great skill and practice.
• Useful in hoisting prefabricates in vertical direction.
• Suspension load can be slightly moved forward by
slackening the rear staying cable.
• Hoisting load is done by a winch.
Mast cranes
 Twinned mast cranes
• It is used for hoisting member to great height.
• It consists of two steel column assembled from sections
and connected at top by bridging structure.
• Hoisting capacity using two cranes each of 35-70T
• Operation of the crane required minimum 16 workers.
• The crane can be transferred but takes 1-2 days and is
suitable for high lifting but difficult to operate.
• These are now a days replaced by 30T mast cranes
hinged in 2 directions
 Derrick cranes
• Highly efficient lifting machines
• It is stable or movable
• Capacity 20-40T
• Suitable for prefabrication halls
• These cranes have booms which can move in
horizontal directions.
Derrick cranes
 Erection of structures
• Prefabricated structures are erected in convenient
sections which when fixed correctly should be
sufficiently rigid in all directions.
• Normal sequence of erection is
– Structure units - external load bearing walls,
columns, etc
– Non structure units - internal walls, partition walls,
etc
– Floor panels, balconies, stair units
– Specialized prefabricated units- chimney flumes.
Ventilators, sanitary installation.
 Erection of buildings
• If the external walls are hand laid from small blocks or
bricks, all necessary materials should be hoisted by crane
and stacked near the ultimate position.
• The masonry work is begun after the floor immediately
above is laid.
• The tolerances are comparatively strict and are normally
compiled with the use of a skilled erection gang.
• The distance between the walls are measured with the steel
tape and the thickness of joint with rule having mm scale.
• The accuracy is verified by means of surveying instruments
after all joints are connected or erected.
 Methods of prefabrication
• Site prefabrication
• The RC members are produced at the site in the open air
chiefly in the open air or in the temporary sheds
• The difficulties in construction in general are felt in this
mechanization can cease.
• Mechanization can not be of such high degree as site PF is
done for smaller duration of time.
• When the pre fabricates are of large size it is difficult to
transport the pre fabricates to the site.
• In comparison with plant prefabrication transportation of the
members are not needed.
• As large members are not transported the design and weight
of the prefabricates are not limited.
 Methods of prefabrication
• Plant prefabrication
• The members produced are to be transported to the place of
construction
• This accounts for about 10-15% of the cost of production and
assembling.
• Certain restriction is made in the dimension of prefabrication
leading to restraint in the design and development of
prefabrication.
• Prefabrication is appropriate for mass production for
manufacture of standardized members.
• Needs costly materials for batching and production.
• This method is most suited in the case of small prefabricates
which are to be prefabricated in very large number.