With much of the UK enduring a heatwave and drought in August, is more unpredictable and extreme weather another reason for the construction industry to adopt Modern Methods of Construction? Ian Atkinson of Womble Bond Dickinson takes a look
According to the Met Office, the UK heatwave is set to continue, with recent predictions stating that alongside warmer, drier conditions, heavy showers and thunderstorms are to be expected throughout August.
With more unpredictable and, arguably, unsafe weather conditions, is this another reason why the construction industry should be adopting the more consistent environment provided by Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)?
UK weather extends projects by up to 21%
Unpredictable weather has long impeded construction timelines, with research previously finding that UK weather extends projects by up to 21%. The study, carried out in 2018, harkens back to a time pre-covid, materials shortages, meteoric timber prices and Brexit.
In a sector that has seen challenge after challenge in recent years and strives to get back to pre-covid levels of productivity, the recent heat has been unwelcome, to say the least.
While there is currently no legal limit set on outside temperatures for work to continue, employers are bound by duty of care to their employees. Extreme heat and sun exposure can cause dehydration, dizziness, fainting, heat stroke and increase the risk of skin cancers.
Summer, previously thought of as the time for the construction sector to capitalise on drier conditions across the UK, is now called into question. Are we heading towards restrictions on outside temperatures? Some trade unions are saying that we should be.
The implications of not embracing MMC
Often, the benefits of MMC can be future focused and concentrated on the reduction of emissions due to less reliance on HGVs, geographical concentration of MMC workers within single or fewer sites, and a decrease in pollution and waste.
In an industry that has been marred by complex issues, waiting for benefits, however virtuous, can feel an impossible task when all that anyone wants to do is get back on track. Even so, the recent heatwave has shone a scorching light on the implications of not embracing MMC.
Staying safely on target
MMC can offer the sector efficiency, with the NHBC finding that 81% of developers agree that this is a key factor driving the adoption of MMC practices. With regard to building materials and process, its ability to keep climate and conditions consistent within factory-controlled environments means that the properties of materials do not change, eg timber doesn't swell due to moisture, cement and bonding agents are able to set, thus the manufacturing process is uninterrupted alongside a reduction in material waste.
At human level, wasted days on weather (rain, wind, snow and/or heat on any given day) can be written off and the safety implications of working outside are nullified, something which is likely to continue to be a talking point as temperatures rise.
As we adapt to an environment that will have colder winters, warmer summers, droughts and floods, it becomes more important that our buildings – and in particular our homes – are able to perform as originally designed. That brings into consideration the question of quality of workmanship; there is little point in an architect designing passive cooling or thermal efficiency processes if they require tolerances that are not met. Due to the manufacturing processes and, ultimately, better quality control, MMC has a further advantage in delivering a more predictable product with fewer defects.
Why the industry should embrace MMC now
As the sector seems to move from one challenge to the next, it's time to give due care and attention to MMC and the benefits it offers. It is true that MMC is not always the best solution for a project and there will always be a place for traditional building methods but we need to move away from "we should do this" and start to ask "what are the reasons for not doing this?". Before we run the risk of saying "we should have done this" if the challenges facing the sector become too hot to bear.
Source: PBC Today
