Levels of utilisation of offsite timber frame construction methods within the UK housebuilding industry (alternative title)

Abstract

The UK housebuilding industry has long been maligned for its failure to meet the demand placed upon it for sufficient production of new-build houses. In recent years this situation has been added to by the increasing focus upon also improving build quality, on-site health & safety, sustainability of materials and the energy performance of the new-build homes. This dissertation paper will discuss the levels of utilisation of offsite timber frame construction methods within the UK housebuilding industry as it has been touted by many commentators as the “best” solution to meet these demands. This will be achieved by establishing what the recorded levels of utilisation of offsite timber frame construction currently are in the UK, what demands are placed upon the industry, what advantages offsite timber frame construction provides over traditional methods in meeting these demands, what barriers exist to prevent greater utilisation despite these advantages and where these barriers originate from. This paper will present the findings of both a review of existing literature on the subject matter, followed by the findings of a number of face-to-face interviews conducted with participants currently working within the housebuilding industry. The paper will show that despite a number of identified advantages, utilisation of offsite timber frame construction is extremely low, particularly in England with a market share reportedly of 13.6%. It will also show that this under-utilisation is due in some part to a number of perceived barriers which exist within the industry. Furthermore, it will show that this under-utilisation, and the barriers which have caused it appear to predominately be a result of a lack of true knowledge and understanding within the industry of offsite methods and their advantages, with a greater level of education a possible solution to increase utilisation, and therefore housing output.