|
Prefabrication
is the practice of
manufacturing
the components of an assembly in one
location and assembling them in another.
This practice was widely used in the
construction of
prefabricated housing
during the 20th and 21st centuries. In
theory, using a product made in a
factory would save time on-site and
improve quality. However, prefabricated
housing and many other items acquired a
certain level of stigma because of
flimsy designs and low cost].
There has been a great improvement in
prefabricated housing over the past
decades and it is becoming a valid
alternative to traditional housing
History
Prefabrication has been used since
ancient times. For example, the world's
oldest known engineered
roadway,
the
Sweet Track,
was prefabricated in
England
in the
3800s BC.
The Crystal Palace,
erected in
London
in
1851,
was a highly visible example of iron and
glass prefabricated construction; it was
followed on a smaller scale by
Oxford Rewley Road railway station.
New Technologies
Prefabrication is not strictly reserved
to
Housing.
Other applications vastly influenced by
the engineering of "prefabrication" can
be witnessed in the globally popular
category of Furniture manufacturing
known as RTA [Ready-To-Assemble]. While
most are familiar with the "some
assembly required" label that comes with
all RTA furniture there has been little
development done on new technologies
designed to alleviate the now all too
often frustrating stigma that comes with
the 'some assembly required syndrome.
There is an emerging technology out of
Canada trademarked Qwikr™ hinges that
has proven itself to be a launching pad
for a whole new generation of NTR
[No-Tools-Required] and RTU
[Ready-To-Use] furniture. While this
technology's first incarnation resides
in furniture, it is demonstrating itself
as a promising technology easily
adaptable to Housing.
Current Uses
Prefabrication is used for many types of
constructions because it saves
engineering time on the construction
site. This can be vital to the success
of projects such as bridges and
avalanche galleries, where weather
conditions may only allow brief periods
of construction. Additionally, small,
commonly-used structures such as
concrete pylons
are in most cases prefabricated.
Radio towers for mobile
phone services in Germany often consist
of multiple prefabricated sections.
Modern lattice towers
and guyed masts are also commonly
assembled of prefabricated elements.
Advantages
-
Self-supporting ready-made
components are used, so the need for
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 is minimized.
-
Quality can be controlled while the
product is in production.
-
Less
waste is generated.
-
Molds
can be used several times.
|
