Open AccessOffsite Construction in the UK Housing Sector: Barriers and Challenges
Author(s) -
Peter Killian,
Mohammed Arif,
G. N. I. Wood,
Aditya Kaushik
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
modular and offsite construction (moc) summit proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2562-5438
DOI - 10.29173/mocs23
Subject(s) - affordable housing , business , quality (philosophy) , production (economics) , manufacturing sector , risk analysis (engineering) , engineering , civil engineering , economics , philosophy , epistemology , macroeconomics , international economics
Offsite construction (OSC) has been presented by researchers and practitioners all over the world as an efficient and effective way of delivering buildings. The benefits regarding time, cost and quality are well-documented. However, it has not been successfully implemented in housing, especially in the affordable housing sector. This paper uses the case study method from the affordable housing sector to document these challenges and proposes a way forward for the sector. Also, findings indicate that the high cost of production was identified as a major barrier to the proliferation of off-site housing in the UK. However, the research found that the effective implementation of processes and practices such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) could reduce the likelihood of cost escalation.