HEALTHCARE
MMC SUPPORTS THE GOVERNMENT’S DRIVE TO ‘BUILD BACK BETTER’ David Hartley, Managing Director at MTX Contracts – the MMC building specialist, shares more about how modular construction can fast-track healthcare projects, increase efficiency and heighten safety on site, whilst also delivering quality, fit-for-purpose buildings. Government’s drive to T he‘build back better’ has increasingly shone a light on the need for more efficiencies and speed in the construction industry, particularly given the recent pressures and demands on the healthcare sector. Modern methods of construction (MMC) offers a number of benefits to both the public and private healthcare sector, and these typically fall into three main categories – speed, cost and efficiency. The availability of highquality modular buildings has provided an effective solution for a healthcare sector faced with increased pressure on funding whilst urgently needing additional facilities. Dependent on the various factors at play, using MMC can cut build times by as much as 50%, when compared to the slower process of traditional construction. A prime example of the speed of delivery was a recent project at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. What would have typically
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been a three-year project was compressed into just one, even in the midst of a global pandemic, when disruption was at an all-time high. Despite the fact that overall construction costs are similar when using either a traditional approach or MMC, the speed of delivery provides additional cost benefits. The reduction in build time and the subsequent financial savings associated with that are substantial. The build accuracy and the ability to control more factors with pre-manufactured solutions mean that there is an increased level of cost predictability with MMC, which, particularly in the public sector, means projects can be delivered on budget and in line with funding demands. The nature of volumetric modular construction greatly improves the cost certainty as the superstructure is built up from repeatable steel frames. This type of construction is also inherently lower in carbon, and the efficiency of
offsite construction reduces travel requirements to and from site. The time savings not only make MMC a more efficient option, but also a less disruptive one. Time spent on site is dramatically reduced as the majority of the construction process is done off site, and the first-fix M&E works can also be carried out in the factory. This is particularly beneficial for sites that are based in the heart of a city centre, or for builds that are connecting to existing infrastructure as there is minimal disruption. This is both in terms of the size of the construction site and deliveries to and from the location, as these can be restricted around peak traffic flow times. Given the recent increase in demands on the NHS, this was particularly important of late as it meant they can continue to serve their patients and provide them with the care that they need.
For healthcare sites with limited available ground space, modular construction also offers opportunities that traditional construction simply does not. Modular can offer innovative solutions, with our revolutionary rooftop ward extension at Glenfield Hospital being a prime example. A bespoke, offsite solution ensured the hospital was able to deliver the new wards they needed, without taking up any further ground space. Built on a roof directly above live wards and within a concealed courtyard, inaccessible through the hospital, an engineeringexcellence choice via onsite volumetric construction was the only feasible method. As all-encompassing facilities remained operational throughout the whole construction period, MTX had to ensure minimal disruption to the existing estate infrastructure. Safety is another element of modular that should be taken into account when assessing
