PRE FABRICATED CONSTRUCTION

Adam Hassan 1818011142

Lister Murwira 1818011101
Prefabrication, this is the practice of
assembling components of a structure or
building in a factory or any other
manufacturing area and transporting the
complete assemblies or sub-assemblies
to the construction site where
the structure is located hence erected.

This term is distinctively used to

differentiate this process of construction
from the more traditional and
conventional construction practice of
transporting the basic materials to the
site area where all the assembly is done.

Sections of walls, floors and roofs are all

prefabricated also including windows
and door frames, beams and columns.

All these components are lifted by cranes

and bolted together at the site.
 The theory on prefabricated construction.

The theory behind this process of construction is that time and expense is saved if similar
construction tasks can be grouped and the assembly line techniques can be attained in a
prefabrication location where skilled labour is present hence congestion that happens at the
assembly site, which wastes time can be reduced.

This method or process of construction finds application particularly where the building
structure is composed of repeating elements, units or forms. Also where multiple copies of the
same basic are constructed.

Restricting conditions of construction that might affect the more convectional practice of
construction like lack of power, water, the exposure to hash weather are avoided in this method.

However against these benefits of this method must be weighed the cost of transporting the
prefab sections and lifting them to place.
Three main steps

▪ Manufacturing components off- site ( in Off-site fabrication

factories)

▪ Transporting assembled components to the Transport to site

site

▪ Assembly at the site

Assembly on site
 Advantages
▪ Its Eco- friendly, commended for energy efficiency
and sustainable construction.

▪ Offers shorter time of construction.

▪ Prefabrication causes lesser noise and reduces site

disruption.

▪ Offers more safety to workers, environmental

impacts and constructability.

▪ Provides consistent and improved quality over on-

site construction.

▪ Offers flexibility in construction.

▪ Reduces site complexity.

▪ Reduction of the construction waste.

 Disadvantages

▪ Leaks in the joints.

▪ Cost of transportation high for prefab voluminous

structures.

▪ Heavy duty cranes required for large construction

jobs.

▪ Immense accuracy required in measurements and

while handling to place the prefab structure in
position.

▪ Large groups buildings from the same type of

prefab elements end up looking monotonous.

▪ Require skilled labour and experience.

Prefabricated components

▪ Walls

▪ Columns

▪ Beams

▪ Roofing's

▪ Flooring

▪ Staircase

▪ Slabs

▪ lintels
 Concrete

Basic
prefabricated Steel
materials

Wood/Timbet
 Flow of materials, components and prefabricated elements.

materials components elements assembly

Complete
o Cement o doors o walls structures
o Glass o windows o floors
o Bricks o Steel o foundatio o Volumetri o Erection
o Blocks frames ns c/ o Finishing
o Timber o hardware o Door sets modular o Foundatio
o Plaster o Plumbing o Joinery structures n
o Mortar fittings pads . o services
o Roof tiles o Laminated o Roof
o Insulation panels elements o Panellised
s
Processed/ Functional Structural structures
Off-site On-site
formulated components elements assembly assembly
materials o Hybrid
 Types of prefabricated buildings

There are two main types of prefabrication,

▪ Volumetric/ modular prefabrication.

▪ Panelised prefabrication.

Both of these types are constructed using timber, steel, concrete and fiberglass.

▪ Steel types are made of light galvanized steel

▪ Timber prefabricated buildings are the oldest and the traditional type and have timber studs and
sheathing.
▪ Panel buildings are comprised of fewer studs and are bonded together by a rigid insulation core and
outer sheathing to increase their strength.
▪ Fiberglass prefabricated buildings have foam core fiberglass walls and roofs.

However another prefabrication type is hybrid prefabrication system ( also termed as mixed modular and
panel systems).
These use both the three- and the two- dimensional components from modular and panel type
respectively to create a part or a whole building.
 Direct applications of the prefabrications

▪ Prefab is directly applied in construction

of modular standing alone houses. Sky
bridges
scrappers
▪ Also applied in the construction of
structures like bridges example like the
pat Tillman memorial bridge.

▪ Aswell in construction of normal

residential buildings, commercial oriented Modular
buildings, office buildings, industrial houses
structures and even sky scrapers like the
mini sky city with 57 stories.
• Whole circle/ flow process from modular prefabricated structure stacked on top of each other
to the final out product of the whole house
 Case study 1

Name: The Taft House

Project Architects: Skylab Architects
Area: 3930sq/ft
Location: Portland USA
Year: 2013
 • With this case study the Skylab architects
joined with HOMB, a prefabrication structure
company. The system uses 100 square foot
triangle modules designed to be site adaptable
Click to add text
which fasten together to create endless form
possibilities. Modules are stacked and
assembled to meet the height and square
footage requirements for each unique project.
• The Taft house Composed of 28
triangle modules for the Taft House was
erected and assembled in one day.

• The two modular levels were delivered

in 6 units and consists of 4 bedrooms,
3.5 bathrooms and an accessory
dwelling unit for a total of 3,930 square
feet. HOMB has a super-insulated
building skin which is estimated to save
40% energy over code, utilizing warm
floors connected to a solar powered
efficient mechanical system and water
conservation features. This prefab
design minimizes waste and recycling at
the factory by creating an efficient
assembly line and sources sustainable
materials using low-voc processes.
 Case study 2

Name: Social interest housing

Project Architects: Bjarke ingles group
Area: 6800 sq/m
Location: Denmark
Year: 2018
Dortheavej takes its name from the street where it is located in the northwestern part of the city
of Copenhagen, a tribute to the traditional suburban neighborhood characterized by the massive
presence of mechanical workshops, warehouses and industrial buildings from the 1930s to
1950s. For the development of the project, BIG was hired in 2013 by the Danish social housing
association, a non-profit institution conceived by the Danish urban planner Jan Gehl. BIG's
architects were challenged to develop a social housing project that would also include public
spaces that are so urgent in the area, integrating them with the sidewalks and the adjacent green
area.
• Social housing projects are challenging due to their budget
constraints. We seek to incorporate modular construction
techniques with simple materials in order to create generous
spaces both on an urban scale and within the units.

• These prefabricated elements were then stacked to create

extra space between them, providing an extra meter of
ceiling height in the room, making common spaces
surprisingly spacious. The movement of the façade makes
each of the modules of the living areas open more towards
the patio, incorporating a new front patio as it moves away
from the street to expand the public walkway that becomes a
square. Economic constraints are often synonymous with
scarcity - in Dortheavej.
The stacked modules follow the curved space of the square to the limits of the street, reaching the height
of the neighboring buildings. This stacking creates additional space for each apartment, allowing each
resident to have their own small terrace, providing a healthy and sustainable living environment. Along
the sunny south facade, the balconies retract and add depth to the building's volume, while on the north
side the facade is flat. Wooden boards line the four facades of the building, highlighting the structure of
each of the modules and alternating with glass facades to enhance the checkered pattern of the facade.

Large floor-to-ceiling openings allow for ample natural lighting inside the units as well as providing views
of the courtyard or neighborhood. The size of the apartments varies from 60 to 115 m2 and the materials
used are quite simple: wood, concrete and a palette of light colors.

The small square created by the building's setback was conceived as a cherry blossom garden, with spaces
for bicycle parking – the main means of transportation in the city.
The small square created by the
building's setback was conceived as a
cherry blossom garden, with spaces
for bicycle parking – the main means
of transportation in the city.
Dortheavej's characteristic square module results
from a very simple prefabricated
structure. Conceived as a wall of solids and voids,
the building curves smoothly in its center,
welcoming a new public square next to the access
road on the south side and a welcoming green patio
next to the north facade. On the ground floor, the
building opens up allowing both residents and
passers-by to freely cross the square and access the
back garden.

The stacked modules follow the curved space of the

square to the limits of the street, reaching the height
of the neighboring buildings. This stacking creates
additional space for each apartment, allowing each
resident to have their own small terrace, providing a
healthy and sustainable living environment. Along
the sunny south facade, the balconies retract and
add depth to the building's volume, while on the
north side the facade is flat. Wooden boards line the
four facades of the building, highlighting the
structure of each of the modules and alternating
with glass facades to enhance the checkered pattern
of the facade.
The small square created by the building's
setback was conceived as a cherry blossom
garden, with spaces for bicycle parking – the
main means of transportation in the city.