MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
COVID-19 PANDEMIC TO SUPERCHARGE THE USE OF MMC IN COMMERCIAL PROJECTS Modern methods of construction (MMC) represents the future of the industry and has never been more vital – COVID-19 has impacted the industry and its prospects, while productivity, lagging before the pandemic, must be ramped up. The UK is also targeting ambitious sustainability targets, with construction playing a key role in driving emissions down. MMC is key to both our post-pandemic recovery and success in meeting sustainability goals, explains Mark Lowry, CEO at The McAvoy Group. THE MCAVOY GROUP
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he Government has been a vocal proponent for the increased use of MMC, but more policy direction is needed in order to deliver the transformation we need in the commercial sector. The public sector – particularly education and healthcare – has adopted MMC more readily and on a much greater scale, with a large proportion of new buildings now delivered wholly offsite or in part. In contrast, commercial projects have seen a much slower adoption of MMC. Often, lenders and investors take a conservative approach to building techniques, conjuring a misguided and incorrect correlation between the speed of delivery and quality. There is a huge amount of innovation and R&D taking place within the offsite sector – the industry is constantly pushing the boundaries on what is possible, honing existing processes and improving new techniques, supported by cutting-edge digital tools and technology. Our business is focused heavily on supporting innovation and collaborating on learnings, even with competitors. The Seismic Consortium is an excellent example of what can be achieved via collaboration and sharing of expertise – the first project
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transformed the way education projects are delivered; learnings which can now be applied to commercial projects. The fact is, countless commercial projects could be delivered more efficiently, more quickly and at less cost – and to the same standard of design and build – using offsite techniques. Yet, while the benefits of offsite are proven, it is often still considered a radical approach. There is undoubtedly a job to be done in making sure that offsite is at least considered for every project – even if traditional methods are subsequently deemed more appropriate. While the pandemic has created significant difficulties for the construction industry, resulting in site closures and increased build timelines due to social distancing and workforce pressures, I expect that the recovery process will support the MMC agenda, with growing uptake in offsite for commercial projects.
