Introduction

Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a

structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete
assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be
located. The term is used to distinguish this process from the more conventional
construction practice of transporting the basic materials to the construction site
where all assembly is carried out. The term prefabrication also applies to the
manufacturing of things other than structures at a fixed site. It is frequently used
when fabrication of a section of a machine or any movable structure is shifted
from the main manufacturing site to another location, and the section is supplied
assembled and ready to fit. It is not generally used to refer to electrical or
electronic components of a machine, or mechanical parts such as pumps,
gearboxes and compressors which are usually supplied as separate items, but to
sections of the body of the machine which in the past were fabricated with the
whole machine. Prefabricated parts of the body of the machine may be called
'sub-assemblies' to distinguish them from the other components. Prefabrication is
the method of construction which includes assembling components of a structure
in a manufacturing or production site, transporting complete assemblies or
partial assemblies to the site where the structure is to be located. It is
combination of good design with modern high performance components and
quality controlled manufacturing procedures. This work is carried out in two
stages, manufacturing of components in a place other than final location and their
erection in position. Prefabricated sections are produced in large quantities in a
factory and then shipped to various construction sites. This procedure may allow
work to continue despite poor weather conditions and should reduce any waste in
time and material at the site. Precast concrete units are cast and hardened before
being used for construction. Sometimes builders cast components at the building
site and hoist them into place after they harden. This technique permits the
speedy erection of structures.

1
 Aims of Prefabricated Construction
1) To effect economy in cost

2) To improve in quality as the compo controlled conditions.

3) To speed up construction since no curing is necessary.
4) To use locally available materials with required characteristics.
5) To use the materials which possess their innate charracteristics
like lightweight, easy workability,therma insulation and
combustibility etc.

Characteristics of Prefabricated Construction

1) Easy availability.
2) Light weight for easy handling and transport and to economies on section
and size of foundation.
3) Thermal insulation property.
4) Easy workability.
5) Durability in all weather conditions.
6) Non-combustibility.
7) Economy in cost.
8) Sound insulation.

Materials Used
Prefabricated building materials are used for buildings that are
manufactured off site and shipped later to assemble at the final location some of
the commonly used prefabricated building. The materials used in the
2
prefabricated components are many. The modern trend is to use concrete steel,
treated wood, aluminium cellular concrete, light weight concrete, ceramic
products etc. While choosing the materials for prefabrication the following
special characteristics are to be considered
i. Light weight for easy handling and transport and to economic an
sections and sizes of foundations.
ii. Thermal insulation property.
iii. Easy workability.
iv. Durability in all weather conditions.
v. Non combustibility.
vi. Economy in cost.
vii. Sound insulation.
Materials used for prefabricated systems are Aluminium, Steel, Wood,
Fiberglass and Concrete. Prefabricated metal buildings use galvanized steel and
galvalume as the chief materials for building. Galvalume is a form of steel coated
with aluminium zinc. This is to protect the building against corruption rust and
fire. It also provides a study and protective covering to the prefabricated building.
Almost all the components of a metal building such as beams, frames columns
wall & roofs are made of steel. Most fabricated military buildings use steel or
aluminium frames. [Synthetic materials are used for the walls & roofs. To
provide enhanced security a combination of both metal and cloth materials are
used plastic flooring materials can be quickly assembled and are very durable]
Prefabricated building materials used for small prefabricated buildings are steel,
wood, fibre glass plastic or aluminium materials. These materials are cheaper
than regular brick and concrete buildings. Materials like steel, fibre glass, wood
and aluminium are used as prefabricated building materials for sports buildings.
These materials provide flexibility and are preferred for making structures and
accessories like stands and seats for stadium and gyms. For making low cost
houses prefabricated materials like straw bale, Ferro cement consists of a cement
matrix reinforced with a mesh of closely spaced iron rods or wires. In this type of
construction the techniques used are simple & quick. Using prefabricated
material one can make durable, water and fire resistant and cheap prefabricated
buildings Most of the prefabricated building materials are eco-friendly &
affordable.

3
Types Of Precast Components in a Building
The figure below shows the basic precast structure. The numbers of
different types of components in these structures over the years have become
very large. But following figure shows the major types of precast components in
a building.

Precast Beams
There are two main catagories of beams:
1. Internal Beams: where floor loading is approximately symmetrical.
2. External Beams: where floor loading is predominantly non symmetrical.

Precast Columns
For structures of five storeys or less, each column will normally be continuous
to the full height of the building. For structures greater than five storeys two or
more columns are spliced together.
The main types of precast columns are :
1. Edge Columns: symmetrical in one direction.
2. Internal Columns: symmetrical in all direction.
3. Corner Columns: not symmetrical at all.

Precast Floor Slabs

1.Used for floor and roof decks.
4
2.Deeper elements (toward the right below) span further than those that are
shallower (toward the left).
3.Right: Hollow core slabs stacked at the precasting plant.

Joints and Assembly

The design of joints shall be made in the light of their assessment with respect
to the following considerations:
a) Feasibility The feasibility of a joint shall be determined by its load
carrying capacity in the particular situation in which the joint is to function
b) Practicability Practicability of joint shall be determined by the amount and
type of material required in construction; cost of material, fabrication and
erection and the time for fabrication and erection.
c) Serviceability Serviceability shall be determined by the joints/expected
behavior to repeated or possible overloading and exposure to climatic or
chemical conditions.
d)Fire rating The fire rating for joints of precast components shall be higher
or at least equal to connecting members.
e) Appearance The appearance of precast components joint shall merge with
architectural aesthetic appearance and shall not be physically prominent
compared to other parts of structural components.
The following are the requirements of a structural joint:
a) It shall be capable of being designed to transfer the imposed load and
moments with a known margin of safety;
b) It shall occur at logical locations in the structure and at points which may be
most readily analyzed and easily reinforced;
c) It shall accept the loads without marked displacement or rotation and avoid
high local stresses;
d) It shall accommodate tolerances in elements;
5
e) It shall require little temporary support, permit adjustment and demand only a
few distinct operations to make;
f) It shall permit effective inspection and rectification;
g) It shall be reliable in service with other parts of the building; and
h) It shall enable the structure to absorb sufficient energy during earthquakes so
as to avoid sudden failure of the structure.

Precast structures may have continuous or hinged connections subject to

providing sufficient rigidity to withstand horizontal loading. When only
compressive forces are to be taken, hinged joints may be adopted. In case of
prefabricated concrete elements, load is transmitted via the concrete. When both
compressive force and bending moment are to be taken, rigid or welded joints
may be adopted; the shearing force is usually small in the column and can be
taken up by the friction resistance of the joint. Here load transmission is
accomplished by steel inserted parts together with concrete.

When considering thermal shrinkage and heat effects, provision of freedom of

movement or introduction of restraint may be considered.

Following connections and jointing techniques/ materials may be employed:

a) Welding of cleats or projecting steel,
b) Overlapping reinforcement, loops and linking steel grouted by concrete,
c) Reinforced concrete ties all round a slab,
d) Prestressing,
e) Epoxy grouting,
f) Cement/Lime grout with non-shrink additive,
g) Polymer slurry grouting at dowel cast joint bolts and nuts connection,

6
h) Rebar fastener, chemical fastener and expansion fastener,
i) Reinforcement coupler,
j) A combination of the above, and
k) Any other method proven by test.

Assembling Procedure:

Column-to-Column Connection
Metal bearing plates and embedded anchor bolts are cast into the ends of the
columns. After the columns are mechanically joined, the connection is grouted to
provide full bearing between elements and protect the metal components from
fire and corrosion.

Beam-to-Column
Connection Beams are set on bearing pads on the column corbels.Steel angles
are welded to metal plates cast into the beams and columns and the joint is
grouted solid.

Slab-to-Beam
Connection Hollow core slabs are set on bearing pads on precast beams.Steel
reinforcing bars are in inserted into the slab keyways to span the joint.The joint is
grouted solid.The slab may remain untopped as shown, or topped with several
inches of cast in place concrete.

USES OF PREFABRICATION

7
 1. The most widely used form of prefabrication building and civil engineering is
the use of prefabrication concrete & prefabricated steel sections in structures
where a particular part or form is repeated many times.
2. Pouring concrete sections in a factory brings the advantages of being able to
re-use moulds and the concrete can be mixed on the spot without having to be
transported to and pumped wet on a congested construction site.
3. Prefabricating steel sections reduces on-site cutting and welding costs as well
as the associated hazards.
4. Prefabrication techniques are used in the construction of apartment blocks
and housing developments with repeated housing units.
5. The technique is also used in office blocks, warehouses and factory buildings.
6. Prefabricated steel and glass section are widely used for the exterior of large
buildings.
7. Prefabricated bridge elements and systems offer bridge designers &
contractors significant advantages in terms of construction time safety
environmental impact constructability and cost.
8. Prefabrication can also help minimize the impact on transfer load from bridge
building.
9. Radio towers for mobile phone and other services often consist of multiple
prefabricated sections.
10. Prefabricated has become widely used in the assembly of aircraft and space
craft with component such as wings and fuselage sections often being
manufactured in different countries or states from the final assembly site.

ADVANTAGE OF PREFABRICATION
1. Self supporting readymade components are used so the need for formwork
shuttering and scaffolding is greatly reduced.
2.Construction time is reduced and buildings are completed sooner allowing on
earlier return of the capital invested.
8
3. On-site construction and congestion is minimized. Quality control can be
easier in a factory assembly line setting than a construction site setting.
4. Prefabrication can be located where skilled labour, power materials space and
overheads are lower.
5.Time spent in bad weather or hazardous environments at the construction site is
minimized.
6.Materials for scaffolding is stored partly or in full and used.
7.Availability of precise structure and expect workmanship.
8.Work time is reduced.
9.Fewer expansion joints are required.
10.Interruptions in connecting can be omitted.
11.Work is done with a better technology.
12. Fewer workers are needed.
13. Members can be used again.

DISADVANTAGES OF PREFABRICATION
1. Careful handling of prefabricated components such as concrete panels
or steel and glass panels is required.
2.Attention has to be paid to the strength and corrosionresistance of the
joining of prefabricated sections to avoid failure of the joint.
3.Similarly leaks can form at joints in prefabricated components.
4.Transportation costs may be higher for voluminous prefabricated
sections than for the materials of which they are made which can often
be packed more efficiently.
5.Large prefabricated structures require heavy-duty cranes & precision
measurement and handling to place in position.
9
6.Large groups of buildings from the same type of prefabricated
elements tend to look drab and monotonous.
7.Local Jobs are lost.

Reasons to choose Precast construction method over conventional

In Situ method

1. Economy in large scale project with high degree of repetition in work

execution.
2. Special architectural requirement in finishing
3. Consistency in structural quality control
4. Fast speed of construction
5. Constraints in availability of site resources (e.g. materials & labour)
6. Other space & environmental constraints
7. Overall assessment of some or all of the above factors which points to the
superiority of adopting precast construction over conventional method.

The following details give the cost implications of precast construction &
conventional in-situ method.

Benefits of Prefabricated Manufacturing

10
There are many potential benefits associated when producing and constructing
homes by prefabrication. The following sections have been broken down under
two headings in order to logically present these ideas. The construction /
assembly benefits section will primarily consider improvements associated with
the actual assembly of prefab systems, whereas the manufacturing benefits
section will examine the advantages arising from the production of these systems
in a controlled factory setting. Site-built construction is used as a base of
comparison among methods, and qualitative/quantitative data from the industry
is included to support the rationale.

Construction & Assembly Benefits

In relation to the conventional method of site-built construction, prefab

systems offer construction companies many opportunities to shave costs and
improve on their bottom line.

Construction & Assembly:-

Construction companies have many opportunities to save costs and improve on

their bottom line. Since the 2007 housing crisis, North Americans have come to
witness a deflated housing Market. The inability to secure financing for home
buyers has driven down housing starts, and consequently, the need for a large
portion of the residential construction industry. With this sudden increase in
market competition, many contracting outfits and construction companies have
come to rely on prefab housing components as a means for increasing their profit
margins. As you will see in subsequent sections, prefab manufacturing can
reduce on-site labour and reduce the overall raw material waste provided in
constructing a residential home.
Reduced Labour Hours
11
 One of the largest conveniences with constructing and assembling homes with
prefabricated components is the ability to reduce the number of on-site labour
hours. For many construction firms this is crucial because every extra hour you
remain on the worksite your liability, overhead costs, and workers compensation
increases. The following table was adapted from a study performed by the Wood
Truss Council of America (WTCA) and the Building Systems Council of the
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) (2008). It provides a
comparison in the labour hours required to construct two identical 2,600 sq. ft.
homes, one framed with prefabricated components and the other framed
conventionally on-site. constructing and assembling site-built homes can require
a substantial amount of labour hours, as compared to the prefab alternative. A
similar study performed by FP Innovations Forintek Division (2007), on two
3,100 sq. ft. triplexes, found that prefab was able to construct the building to lock
up stage in 395 man hours, compared to its conventional sitebuilt counterpart at
551 man hours. This significant reduction in labour provides construction
companies with the opportunity to cut direct labour costs, and any residual
overhead that may result from sitting idle at the worksite. This decrease in
assembly time is not just a benefit for the contracted companies, but an important
aspect for homeowners who value quick building times as well.

Reduced Material Waste

Studies show that in the actual manufacture of identical homes, prefab systems
typically utilize a similar level of materials as site-built construction. The FP
Innovations Forintek (2007) study demonstrates that prefab penalizations used
2.3% more lumber but 1.8% less OSB sheathing than the site-built approach.
Although total material consumption may be similar, prefab homes provide far
less on-site waste in contrast to conventional home construction. The table
below illustrates

Manufacturing Benefits
Whether the prefabrication system is modular, panellized or some combination,
manufacturing residential housing components in a controlled facility provides
12
several opportunities compared to building entirely on-site. The following two
sections will describe these manufacturing efficiencies and explain what benefits
they provide to the prefab housing sector.

Enclosed Work Environment

Ask any construction company in lower mainland area, and they will likely
agree that weather interruptions cause the greatest delay in building times.
Manufacturing a large portion of the home in a controlled environment
eliminates many headaches that you may encounter on the job site. For instance,
because panelized and modular construction takes place in an enclosed facility,
building materials are less prone to weather degradation. In the construction of
the 3,600 sq. ft. triplexes, Forintek recorded that site-built manufacturing
accounted for 551 hours of total building time (FP Innovations - Forintek
Division 2007). This works out to be between 11 and 13 weeks that the building
is subject to any weather damage that may develop over that period. In most
cases the damage is not so obvious to recognize right away but will later become
more evident in the form of checking, decay, and even mold. A higher measure
of quality control is another important feature commonly attributed to
manufacturing components in a factory setting. In comparison to most site-built
construction, prefab companies are more likely to have qualitycontrol programs
implemented into their manufacturing process (Phil Mitchell 2009). Enclosed
buildings provide a more comfortable work environment for their employees as
well, potentially improving efficiency and productivity of the manual labour.
Figure 7 is a photograph of two workers installing floor joists in an enclosed
prefab facility. As we will see in the next section, facilities also provide an ideal
setting for computer optimized equipment.

Limitations of Prefabricated Home Manufacturing

Although there are many benefits associated with constructing and

manufacturing homes using prefabricated systems, several limitations can also
13
exist. Most of the concerns arise from transportation issues faced by the prefab
home industry. The following section will address some of these potential
concerns.

Transportation Limitations
Prefab manufacturers ship their elements by semi-truck and trailer to the job site.
Depending on the nature of the prefab system and location of the site, certain
complications can arise in transport for this method of home manufacturing.
Because of the inherent differences in the level of completion of modular and
panellized homes, shipping limitations will vary. Modular homes are typically
shipped from the facility with drywall, electrical Hundegger SC-3 automated
component saw (Hundegger USA 2010) fixtures, plumbing, carpet and cabinet
work already installed. Panellized manufacturers on the other hand, generally
ship singular, unconnected, structural components. The wall panels, floor
sections, and roof trusses are shipped separately with a bulk of the hardware
being installed on site.

Shipping Constraints
Shipping constraints are likely the largest limitation facing the prefab housing
sector. The average prefab home typically ships within 250-400 miles as a
maximum tolerable distance from the facility (Peter J. Cameron 2007). Anything
over this distance is deemed impractical due to the federal/regional road
restrictions. Difficulties faced throughout the shipping process include:
dimensional constraints, load constraints, and any potential delays due to permit
Authorizations or customs issues. In the United States, it is not uncommon for
transport vehicles to deal with as many as three separate governmental agencies
while travelling through a single state (Peter J. Cameron 2007). Size and load
restrictions will vary internationally and between states and provinces. That
being said, typical maximum dimensions are 13 in height (including trailer),
15 in width, and 50 in length (Peter J. Cameron 2007). These limitations are
of particular concern to the modular prefab industry because they transport a
large portion of their home packages as preassembled units. In order to satisfy
14
these conditions, modular facilities may standardize their product dimensions,
eliminating many potential design freedoms for architects and homebuyers.
Panellized prefab companies are affected by these dimensional restrictions but to
a lesser extent. They are only partly affected because they do not preassemble
their units to the degree of modular home systems. Nevertheless, manufacturers
of panellized components are still confined in their product dimensions, mostly
by height restrictions. In terms of material transportation, conventional site-built
construction fairs quite well compared to prefab manufacturing. Given that 90%
of the manufacturing takes place on site and that raw material packages have
become developed in standardized sizes, sitebuilt fabrication is able to eliminate
many shipping headaches.

Transportation Costs
Transportation can be a costly expenditure for prefab manufacturers and
homebuyers. The actual shipping cost is based on several important factors.
Transport distance, permit Allocation, and the number of trailers can all affect the
cost structure of transporting a prefab home. Transportation distance from the
facility to the final building site is usually the single most important factor in
shipping prefabricated homes. Whether or not they will require any permit is
determined by the motor vehicle jurisdiction in which they travel through. In an
ideal circumstance transportation permits cost the manufacturer little to no
expense. However, when the truck is deemed over-capacity, costs become
unavoidable. In many cases, state law will require police escorts during the night
time to avoid obstructing local traffic (Peter J. Cameron 2007) .

15