Page 12 - MASHRAE 35th Anniversary

This article was published in ASHRAE Journal, November 2020. Copyright 2020 ASHRAE. Posted at www.ashrae.org. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE. For more information about ASHRAE Journal, www.ashrae.org.
As Industry 4.0 concepts such as digital twins, off-site fabrication and building information modelling (BIM) are increasing in use, these concepts can tie together.
working with that mindset, the contractor has to either redesign the job or it limits the team’s efficiency within the project. It is imperative that the designer is engaged with the construction partner with the same mindset toward off- site fabrication using a lean construction methodology. Engineers should not feel threatened about allowing someone else to design key elements of a building, such as a modular chiller plant. The engineer is still responsible for the design and should remain engaged, but they should not feel threatened by modular construction because the engineer’s ethical duty is to rep- resent the owner’s best interest. Off-site construction is often in the owner’s best interest in several ways such as cost, schedule, safety and quality.
Another challenge is working with other trades. In prefabrication warehouses or shops, the ability to bring all trades together and coordinate to be efficient is key. The schedule, process and workflow for this requires communication between a number of trades that could include plumbers, insulators, electricians and more.
Working with other trades also means respecting all trades. This can be a challenge because different trades and teams are paid by different stakeholders; one team is paid by the building owner through the architect, and another team is paid through the general contractor. People are influenced by how they get paid.
The HVAC&R industry has not evolved to the point where off-site fabrication is a standard way of building. Working within that evolution can be challenging, as different companies are in different parts of the learning and adoption processes.
Cost is another challenge. For a small company, these tools, and some of the facilities that prefabricate, are expensive. Once companies get their capabilities running, the capital cost will pay for itself, but for smaller contractors and smaller engineering firms, the cost can continue to be an obstacle.
Evolving Industry
Regardless of the cost barriers and challenges, the industry is heading in this direction.
Not choosing to adopt this strategy now could negatively affect a business in the future. Similar to previous evolutions, the industry has always evolved. As Industry 4.0 concepts such as digital twins, off-site fabrication and building information modelling (BIM) are increasing in use, these concepts can tie together. BIM is a pre- requisite to modular construction, and digital twins use the BIM model downstream.
If smaller firms do not have the ability to invest in a large-scale manufacturing facility, they can still adopt the off-site fabrication mentality. They can look at their existing processes and construction techniques and see how they can make those leaner or coordinate with other trades. They have to be forward thinking to attempt to coordinate to that next level.
For example, PVC piping that will be used in sanitary systems can be cut before being sent to the construction site. Cutting the PVC piping off- site saves time on the jobsite and decreases installation time. Small contractors can use this method and work on assemblies in their shop, so all they have to do on the jobsite is put the pieces together like Legos.
Another example is assembling water closets carriers off-site. In theory, these carriers’ piping, ventilation and other needs could be assembled off-site, so all that needs to be done on the jobsite is lifting and placing the assembly. The time spent on-site goes from hours to minutes.
Reinventing the wheel and having a large shop or manufacturing plant are not requirements for prefabrication. All trades can start with small items and tasks, apply lean practices and embrace these
innovations. All it takes is
planning and thinking ahead.
Editor’s Note: Mary Kate McGowan, managing editor, contributed to this article.