Through our partnerships with the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and other industry organizations, Balfour Beatty is actively advancing the off-site dialogue.
Through our partnerships with the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and other industry organizations, Balfour Beatty is actively advancing the off-site dialogue.
Off-site Evolution
Mark Konchar, senior vice president and chief of innovation, envisions… “Imagine if one day RFPs require off-site strategies. Changing the status quo is never easy, but it wasn't long ago when now familiar curtainwall solutions were being assembled entirely in the field.”
Through our partnerships with the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and other industry organizations, Balfour Beatty is actively advancing the off-site dialogue.
Off-site Evolution
Is this better done in a shop or in the field?
In fact, technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and augmented reality
are poised to more seamlessly integrate design-led off-site innovations into on-site workstreams.
Perhaps the most convincing argument for off-site is that it can help trade partners—many already stretched beyond peak capacity—to optimize workflow by reducing project schedules and planning production in the most expedient manner.
Balfour Beatty continually examines the benefits of off-site, because we are driven to deliver maximal value for our clients. By eliminating complex, difficult and potentially dangerous activities from our sites, we allow our trade partners to focus on the work at hand.
Why is off-site not mainstream?
What are common misconceptions of off-site?
Off-site improves
Off-site improves
Productivity
Sustainability
Cost
Safety
The industry must also work to combat misconceptions that off-site is only practical on mega-projects, and that it doesn’t offer much opportunity for customization. In fact, technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and augmented reality are poised to more seamlessly integrate design-led off-site innovations into on-site workstreams.
Simply put, the industry is still entrenched in traditional design and project buy out methods. A successful off-site strategy should originate during design so that component pieces can be properly planned and procured. With most project delivery methods, however, design has been finalized long before contractors are selected, making downstream incorporation more difficult and often impossible.
Productivity
Sustainability
Cost
Safety
Taking Off-site Mainstream
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Off-site Simplified
Henry Ford's Secret
In the early 1900s, Henry Ford turned manufacturing on its head. His innovations enabled workers to build an automobile in about 90 minutes, down from nearly 13 hours the decade prior. The essence of his success formula: every second of a worker’s day must be fluent, efficient and safe Henry Ford believed simplification was the foundation of success. With off-site, the construction industry is following in this giant’s footsteps.
Commonly referenced as prefabrication or modular construction, off-site means elements of a project are built in controlled environments and subsequently transported to the jobsite for final assembly. Off-site helps deliver consistent, high levels of quality and to drive out material waste and cost.
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Henry Ford knew the secret. Off-site manufacturing cracks the code for speed-to-market delivery.
Off-site: Construction’s Best Kept Secret
We deployed pre-fabricated exterior Sto wall panels that achieved the desired finish while saving nearly $500,000 compared to traditional masonry or EIFS. Sto is also approximately 15 times safer than field applied exteriors and protects a project from potential weather delays.
We implemented an off-site manufacturing and construction strategy that follows Design for Manufacturing Principles (DfMA). The designers create repeatable, scalable elements and standardized components. The project team identifies the numerous off-site opportunities—precast concrete, bathroom pods, pre-manufactured headwalls. Key trade and engineering partners engage early in the process to create a design that fits the off-site execution method as opposed to the other way around.
We constructed classroom buildings entirely out of shipping containers. Just a few minutes away in Chula Vista, we harnessed off-site for the elevator system at Southwestern College’s DeVore Stadium. Rather than constructing the system on-site, which poses fall hazards, we completed the welding, rail installation and car assembly off-site and then installed the components in the elevator pit with a crane.
Georgia
California
Pennsylvania
Off-site isn't new. So why do we keep talking about it?
Contractors are challenged to deliver projects faster with greater cost and labor efficiencies. At Balfour Beatty, we’ve embraced the benefits of off-site and we implement it deliberately and consistently projects of varying sizes and scopes. This aligns with our global business goal of achieving a 25% reduction of on-site activity by 2025. Just as importantly, we’re passionate about creating environments in which our partners can work most effectively and utilizing techniques that deliver the quality and speed-to-market our clients seek. Here’s the proof:
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