Prefabrication This is a manufacturing process involving the production of structural or building components under controlled factory conditions, followed by their transport to the building site for assembly. Prefabricated components may include, amongst other things, walls, floors, beams, service modules or entire sections of buildings.
This process improves the efficiency and precision of construction work, shortens project completion times and minimises the amount of waste on site. It enables high-quality workmanship to be achieved whilst reducing production costs and the negative environmental impact of the construction process.
Types of prefabrication
Depending on the form in which the components arrive at the building site, the following can be distinguished, amongst others:. modular and spatial prefabrication. The first involves the preparation of individual components or larger panels, whilst the second allows for the production of three-dimensional parts of a building. The degree of prefabrication may vary and is primarily due to the design and the technology used.
Prefabrication versus modular construction
The terms ‘prefabrication’ and ‘modular construction’ do not mean exactly the same thing. Prefabrication is a broader concept and may relate to individual structural elements, panels or entire modules. Modular construction Instead, it uses prefabricated spatial elements to construct the building.
