Meeting on MMC (Modern Methods of Construction)
Opening Remarks from Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF).
Chairman, Deputies and Senators, on behalf of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), I would like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with the Committee and to address this important issue which could have a major influence on the way that we deliver housing in the future.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are defined in the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government MMC cross industry working group with seven different levels. These range from simple on-site innovative processes employing new techniques, equipment or materials, right up to 2D (panelised systems such as timber frame housing) and 3D volumetric units which are complete or near complete 3D units. Both 2D and 3D units typically employ either timber or steel fabrication.
In 2016 the Construction Industry Federation set up a policy committee to support the digitalisation and
modernisation of our approach to delivering construction projects. This committee contributed to the establishment of the Construction Sector Group’s sup-group on innovation and digital adoption. That subgroup has seven key actions to answer the productivity challenges and steer construction towards a more sustainable delivery model.
These seven actions are already delivering national centres to drive digital adoption, research and innovation and the development of MMC.
We are all aware of the need for the continued development of a modern facing industry that delivers best value for clients and answers the major societal challenges we are facing. We know that there is a race to secure the next generation of skilled labour for all industries and with the ongoing rollout of the NDP, Ireland’s construction sector is meeting those challenges head on.
Our members have been adopting off-site supply chains for the past three decades in certain specialist sub-sectors. Elements of the housing industry has used timber frame, a form of 2D MMC, to deliver its homes for the past 30 years culminating in 50% of scheme homes being delivered using this technology in 2022. Apartment developments have been extensively using pre-cast or hybrid concrete frame systems for the past 20 years to efficiently deliver medium to high rise developments. Using offsite manufacturing supply chains can offer certainty of delivery in terms of time and cost and bring major advantages in the
onsite programme duration.
But we have an industry that relies on certainty. It relies on a sightline for demand of a particular type of service or at least a pipeline that allows a degree of preparation and investment based on the skills and product that will definitely be procured. Our industry can have a long lead in time to delivery, but when the green light is given, all the demand and risk passes on to the supply chain partners. You are expected to respond with resources as if you have been storing them up waiting for an instruction to proceed. The report on the cost of residential construction commissioned by the Department of Housing (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2bf87-residentialconstruction-cost-study-report/) focusses on typologies
and the variation in standard specifications across the four European exemplar sites.
The industry itself can focus on the optimisation of its supply chain by streamlining demand and ensuring that investment supports a focus on standardisation of approach to delivering a high performance product; a product that can meet the highest standard required by our Building Regulations and offer a high quality solution for building users.