Astrid Madsen
The construction sector in the UK and Ireland are pushing for modular construction, or the process of building homes off site and assembling them on site within a matter of days or weeks, delegates at the 2021 Digital Construction Summit heard.
Building this way is more efficient for developers as it’s quicker and has eight times more quality checks, as well as reducing waste by 80 per cent and being five times safer.
Currently, off site construction represents seven to 10 per cent of the UK and Irish construction industry, said Paul Carty, director of construction in Ireland for Ballymore.
He said the issue to date has been keeping the factories open, as they need orders coming in on a regular basis to be profitable. “While the private sector will have fits and starts, the public sector needs to fill these low troughs to keep the modular buildings going,” he told delegates at the event organised by the Construction Industry Federation.
English