The commercial construction industry, like any, has shortcomings in its approaches – shortcomings contractors and construction management companies alike have strived to overcome or otherwise minimize. Perhaps this is the reason for the field’s innovative spirit and its constantly shifting methodology.
And perhaps this is the reason for the rise of one of the latest industry trends: prefabrication.
Miller Architects & Builders, your Saint Cloud team of construction project management pros, is here with an overview of this innovation and our two cents on if it might be right for you.
What Is Prefabrication in Commercial Construction?
Prefabrication is a new approach to building, so to understand it, it’s necessary to understand the typical commercial process. Traditionally, materials are ordered and shipped to the building site, where a skilled crew of workers manipulates them into the final shape that is to be the building.
With prefabrication, on the other hand, materials are pre-cut and sometimes pre-assembled at a separate location before being shipped to the building location. Then, they are put together to complete the finished project.
A further subcategory of this commercial construction technique is modular construction, in which whole pieces of a building are put together away from the final site.
Is Prefabrication Right for Your Project?
The only one with the concrete answer to that question is your construction management company. Prefabrication, like anything in commercial construction, varies in usefulness depending on the project at hand.
Prefabrication may be a path to consider if the following conditions are met:
You Want to Combat Weather Worries
Minnesotan weather is chaotic, and nasty conditions can put responsible construction management companies behind as they endeavor to keep their workers safe. This problem can be avoided nearly entirely with prefabrication, though, as quite a bit of work can take place indoors.
You’re Interested in Sustainable Practices
Prefabrication often creates less waste than traditional construction approaches, though this depends on the commercial construction management company and the individual project. It also creates less environmental disturbance around the construction site itself, since less work actually takes place there, which can benefit local ecosystems.
Prefabrication isn’t the only green method of commercial construction, but it certainly is a notable one.
Miller Architects & Builders: Your Flexible Construction Project Management Team
Driven and adaptive, our Saint Cloud team of architects and construction managers is well-versed in many approaches and is ready to help find the perfect one for you. Give our construction project management office a call today at 321-251-4109.