MMC – The Development Is In The Detail

In discussion with Philip Chambers, Business Development Manager (Modern Methods of Construction) at SFS...

Modern Methods of Construction (or Industrialised Construction as it's now becoming known as) have been a slow burn for the UK construction industry, with the ingrained working practices of traditional building techniques and the cost required for dynamic change often inhibiting the progress which many could see was essential to unleash productivity, safety and other improvements. 

After originally being cited as an aspiration by motor industry mogul Sir John Egan’s 1998 report – Rethinking Construction – the transformation of housebuilding in particular remained ‘stuck in the mud’ for a generation, but finally gained mainstream recognition and real traction when Construction 2025 saw the CLC agree a £400 million deal between the UK Government and industry to develop digital manufacturing and performance capabilities. This has progressed in tandem with establishing the Construction Innovation Hub: in essence, recognising that offsite manufacturing and an integrated approach to changing both procurement and installation practice were essential.

The contemporary challenge is not just to incrementally grow the use of factory fabricated panels and modular systems, but to substantially consolidate advancements in the way that new elements of the built environment are designed, manufactured and delivered. For MMC/IC today, there are still attitudes to be changed over how we develop housing, hotels and office complexes as well as education and healthcare infrastructure. By making the approach more standardised – working faster, more safely and to better tolerances - we can bequeath far lower environmental impacts.

Importantly, MMC/IC has the potential to ensure that the product knowledge endures with the building throughout its entire lifespan. And by utilising quality products with lower environmental impact – scrutinised using EPDs – can help make sure that the buildings constructed now are not only fit for purpose today, but that they will offer long design and working lives: cutting carbon and significantly reducing waste. The right decision today can even facilitate adaptability, such as increasing the potential for converting redundant industrial or commercial properties to residential use. 

It is, in fact, because SFS can offer well-engineered and fully tested – as well as often unique – product solutions that the company is now viewed as an ideal partner by many operators across the MMC/IC industry. Amongst the product categories encompassed by the portfolio are steel, timber and concrete fastening connections; fastening systems for metal roof and wall cladding; fastening systems for flat roofing; subframe systems for rainscreen applications; and fastening systems for internal floors; as well as ergonomic tools offering enhanced health & safety benefits.

In terms of productivity and long term as well as initial cost savings, the fixings range can avoid the need for pre-drilling and designs which will prevent them working loose due to thermal movement or vibration; while coping easily with multiple overlaps and different thicknesses of material which require clamping together. In addition, SFS Group can provide the design tools and technical advice to help specifiers satisfy NBS and BIM aspirations, while supporting this with access to supply chain management and service levels which will help guarantee the delivery of projects irrespective of their complexity.

It is also becoming clear that, amongst other impacts, the advent of the Building Safety Act is putting a new and positive focus on offsite manufacturing in its many manifestations. In particular, policymakers and regulators are looking for progress on carbon reduction from product manufacturers and their supply chains.

SFS has been fully proactive in this respect by acquiring additional EPDs and establishing the capability to provide a growing number of customers with ‘Carbon Neutral’ pallet deliveries.  This has included working as a supply chain partner to Reds10 on significant contracts such as the construction of a school in Sutton. There, SFS supplied the offsite innovator with system specific fixings for cladding modules, brick slips and secondary items like cement particleboard; primarily using its well established NVELOPE aluminium support rails. In fact, SFS has now obtained OEM compatible status with a large number of system suppliers where it is part of a fully warranted solution involving training and full technical support.

Ultimately, when the working lives of today’s structures are at an end, their legacy will be of even more importance. For what we build in the coming decades should not eventually pose a problem for future generations to deal with. We must therefore adopt transparency in reporting of data and knowledge – with reporting tools and EPDs serving as priceless adjuncts to MMC/IC, enabling the efficient reuse or recycling our products in responsible and potentially exciting new ways which we cannot currently imagine. 

For further information, call 0330 0555888 or visit https://uk.sfs.com