Prefabrication is a construction system included in industrialized building, based on the design and production of components and subsystems produced in series in a factory outside their final location and which are brought to their final position to assemble the building after a simple, precise and non-laborious assembly phase. So much so that, when a building is prefabricated, the operations on the ground are essentially assembly, and not manufacturing. A good reference to know the degree of prefabrication of a building is to assess the amount of waste generated in the work; The greater the amount of debris and dirt, the less prefabrication index the property has.
The term prefabrication continues to have a derogatory connotation, which was already advanced by the self-taught designer and architect Jean Prouvé, when he said that what is classified as prefabricated ends up being assimilated to a provisional building. However, prefabrication entails, in most cases, an increase in quality, reduction of waste, perfection and safety.
History
Very interesting historical examples have been found. Perhaps the first precedent for modular prefabrication dates back to the 19th century, when Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to plan a series of new cities in the Loire region. His approach, masterful and shocking for its modernity, consisted of establishing, in the center and origin of each city, a factory of basic elements that would allow a wide range of buildings to be formed around it; These constructions had been previously designed by him to generate, in a fluid and flexible way, a great diversity of building typologies with a minimum of common construction elements.
Another example is what happened in that same century during the war between the French and English, where the army of Francis I and Henry II planned the battles against England by building prefabricated wooden pavilions to house their soldiers during the offensive. Easily transported by boat, they were quickly set up and dismantled by the soldiers themselves, so that the camps were, in addition to being resistant and comfortable, agile in their movements. Following a very similar technique, in 1578 a prefabricated wooden house that had been built in England was also built in Baffin Land (Canada). Likewise, in 1624, the Great House, a paneled and modular wooden house, built by Edward Winslow in England, was moved and assembled in Massachusetts, on the other side of the Atlantic.
Prefabrication (Origins)
Introduction
Prefabrication is a construction system included in industrialized building, based on the design and production of components and subsystems produced in series in a factory outside their final location and which are brought to their final position to assemble the building after a simple, precise and non-laborious assembly phase. So much so that, when a building is prefabricated, the operations on the ground are essentially assembly, and not manufacturing. A good reference to know the degree of prefabrication of a building is to assess the amount of waste generated in the work; The greater the amount of debris and dirt, the less prefabrication index the property has.
The term prefabrication continues to have a derogatory connotation, which was already advanced by the self-taught designer and architect Jean Prouvé, when he said that what is classified as prefabricated ends up being assimilated to a provisional building. However, prefabrication entails, in most cases, an increase in quality, reduction of waste, perfection and safety.
History
Very interesting historical examples have been found. Perhaps the first precedent for modular prefabrication dates back to the 19th century, when Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to plan a series of new cities in the Loire region. His approach, masterful and shocking for its modernity, consisted of establishing, in the center and origin of each city, a factory of basic elements that would allow a wide range of buildings to be formed around it; These constructions had been previously designed by him to generate, in a fluid and flexible way, a great diversity of building typologies with a minimum of common construction elements.
Another example is what happened in that same century during the war between the French and English, where the army of Francis I and Henry II planned the battles against England by building prefabricated wooden pavilions to house their soldiers during the offensive. Easily transported by boat, they were quickly set up and dismantled by the soldiers themselves, so that the camps were, in addition to being resistant and comfortable, agile in their movements. Following a very similar technique, in 1578 a prefabricated wooden house that had been built in England was also built in Baffin Land (Canada). Likewise, in 1624, the Great House, a paneled and modular wooden house, built by Edward Winslow in England, was moved and assembled in Massachusetts, on the other side of the Atlantic.
Although these last two examples cannot be considered prefabrication in its purest form, since the construction of elements was not in series but designed for singular buildings, a valuable change of mentality applied to construction can be seen. It would not be until the end of the century, this starting in 1840 with the arrival of the first industrial revolution, it was then that the possibility of industrializing construction began to be glimpsed; in Europe, through the construction of bridges and roofs with cast iron, a material that would later be applied to the construction of pillars and beams of buildings; and at the same time, in the United States, through the construction of Balloon Frame buildings, made up of wooden slats from the factory and assembled using industrially manufactured nails.
It would be necessary to wait until the end of the century for the use of concrete to be rediscovered (which had hardly been used since the Romans) which, applied together with wire frameworks, constituted an ideal raw material for prefabricated elements. So much so that in 1891 the first reinforced concrete beams were prefabricated for the construction of the Biarritz Casino. Curiously, a couple of years earlier, in 1889, the first patent for a prefabricated building using three-dimensional modules in the shape of a stackable “box” appeared in the United States, devised by Edward Potter.
Already in 2006, the use of the prefabricated system for the construction of homes and commercial areas began to develop and spread exponentially throughout the world, due to the massive use of companies such as McDonald's and Burger King for their franchises. Currently, there is a wide variety of ranges and qualities of prefabricated commercial and habitable buildings.
Technology applied in prefabrication
The application of technology has been fundamental in the great advance that the prefabrication industry has experienced in recent decades. As a consequence, new concepts have emerged that provide alternative prefabricated construction possibilities and options that challenge traditional perspectives, offering new solutions to old problems or challenges.[1].
This occurs especially in two aspects: the use of 3D modeling technology and the robotization of prefabricated construction processes.[2] In the last decade, more than £7.7 billion has been invested in innovative technology for the construction sector.[3].
3D Modeling: The ability to design and create 3D graphics and images, using digital systems, has transformed the world of modern construction, especially thanks to BIM (Building Information Modeling) digital work technology, becoming a fundamental part of the construction of houses and prefabricated buildings.[4][5].
Robotics for construction: The possibility of using robotic manufacturing has various benefits such as efficiency and reduction of time spent and improvement in the quality-price ratio. This has been achieved thanks to the use of digital information systems, such as the use of 3D model processes, and the automation of construction processes. Robotization can be used both in the manufacturing of components and modules and in the assembly and installation of parts.[6].
Although these last two examples cannot be considered prefabrication in its purest form, since the construction of elements was not in series but designed for singular buildings, a valuable change of mentality applied to construction can be seen. It would not be until the end of the century, this starting in 1840 with the arrival of the first industrial revolution, it was then that the possibility of industrializing construction began to be glimpsed; in Europe, through the construction of bridges and roofs with cast iron, a material that would later be applied to the construction of pillars and beams of buildings; and at the same time, in the United States, through the construction of Balloon Frame buildings, made up of wooden slats from the factory and assembled using industrially manufactured nails.
It would be necessary to wait until the end of the century for the use of concrete to be rediscovered (which had hardly been used since the Romans) which, applied together with wire frameworks, constituted an ideal raw material for prefabricated elements. So much so that in 1891 the first reinforced concrete beams were prefabricated for the construction of the Biarritz Casino. Curiously, a couple of years earlier, in 1889, the first patent for a prefabricated building using three-dimensional modules in the shape of a stackable “box” appeared in the United States, devised by Edward Potter.
Already in 2006, the use of the prefabricated system for the construction of homes and commercial areas began to develop and spread exponentially throughout the world, due to the massive use of companies such as McDonald's and Burger King for their franchises. Currently, there is a wide variety of ranges and qualities of prefabricated commercial and habitable buildings.
Technology applied in prefabrication
The application of technology has been fundamental in the great advance that the prefabrication industry has experienced in recent decades. As a consequence, new concepts have emerged that provide alternative prefabricated construction possibilities and options that challenge traditional perspectives, offering new solutions to old problems or challenges.[1].
This occurs especially in two aspects: the use of 3D modeling technology and the robotization of prefabricated construction processes.[2] In the last decade, more than £7.7 billion has been invested in innovative technology for the construction sector.[3].
3D Modeling: The ability to design and create 3D graphics and images, using digital systems, has transformed the world of modern construction, especially thanks to BIM (Building Information Modeling) digital work technology, becoming a fundamental part of the construction of houses and prefabricated buildings.[4][5].
Robotics for construction: The possibility of using robotic manufacturing has various benefits such as efficiency and reduction of time spent and improvement in the quality-price ratio. This has been achieved thanks to the use of digital information systems, such as the use of 3D model processes, and the automation of construction processes. Robotization can be used both in the manufacturing of components and modules and in the assembly and installation of parts.[6].