Can reality capture technology aid in reshaping modular building and help to tackle the UK’s housing shortfall.
As 3D laser scanning emerges as a game-changer in modern construction, FARO Technologies explores how the technology can aid in reshaping modular building and help to tackle the UK’s housing shortfall.
When you think about it, the fact that most UK homes are built on-site is something of an anachronism, especially considering how far off-site construction has advanced.
Steve Cole, director of Make UK Modular, quoted in an April 2023 article in the Guardian, summed up the contradiction nicely: “If you think about assembling a car, doing it in a factory is much more efficient than if you build it outside your garage.”
And yet when it comes to modular homes, in the UK and the US, the term conjures up notions of rushed, inferior work. Think: the quickly assembled postwar cookie-cutter prefabs of the 1950s and 1960s. They met a need, yes – helping fuel the two countries’ postwar booms – even if they weren’t expected to last as long as or be as customised as their on-site-built cousins.
Homeowners, due in part to this lingering mid-20th century bias, still prefer their dwellings to be built outside, in an uncontrolled environment, subject to the elements and all the challenges it brings – despite the critical need for expanded housing in both countries. Sounds crazy, right?
Making modular mainstream with 3D tech
Today the modular home story is different. That’s true even if homeowners on both sides of the pond remain sceptical. The story is different because the technology is different. Radically so.
With as-built 3D reality capture technology, sophisticated software and cloud-based applications, the factory-built process is a significant task accelerator, with durability on par with on-site homes. Sometimes compared visually to giant toy factories, a two-bedroom modular home can be packaged onto lorries in as fast as a fortnight.
On-site foundation work may take a little longer, about 12 weeks, but the on-site/in-factory approach, done right, can be a valuable per-project time saver, enabling modular companies to scale production and achieve consistent profits.
The key, construction experts say, is to make modular mainstream by dispelling the public’s long-held perceptions. This can begin to be achieved through strong marketing efforts, demonstrating visually as well as with facts and figures that a modern modular home bears little resemblance to its mid-century forebears.
It’s also about reiterating how throughout the home construction process, 3D laser scanning technology is instrumental in a variety of ways. And that the workflow efficiencies gained can make the difference between profit and loss.
How can 3D laser scanning improve efficiency?
- On-site measurement: As noted above, just because a home is factory-built, doesn’t mean it’s an entirely prefab project. There will always be an on-site component and 3D laser scanning allows for precise measurements of the build. Lacking that, modular components might not fit the desired space and errors minimised at this step help reduce the risk of delays later.
- As-built documentation: On-site or in-factory, the technology enables the creation of detailed as-built documentation of existing nearby surface and subterranean structures. Here too, this information is vital when building modular components that integrate fully with existing natural and manmade physical assets.
- Customisation and design validation: Once a modular home is built, it is indistinguishable from its fully on-site counterpart. After that, additional customisation can take place. In this sense, laser scanning allows for the capturing of detailed information about the newly built structure, no different than any traditional build. Considering that customisation (or its lacking) is an ongoing perceptual pain point for potential modular buyers, this added post-build ability could be a critical selling point.
- Quality control: 3D laser scanning allows for quality control during the modular construction process, made easier in part because the scanning is done indoors in a controlledenvironment. Manufacturers can compare the scanned data against the original design specs to ensure accuracy and quality in each module. And if there is a discrepancy, it can be resolved more easily and more quickly indoors.
- Reduction of waste: On-site or in-factory, accurate measurements and design validation through 3D laser scanning help reduce waste, cutting down on rework and scrap. There’s also a reduced carbon footprint building, scanning and measuring all construction components indoors, not to mention a valuable safety margin for in-factory personnel.
- Time savings: By providing accurate site data and facilitating precise design, 3D laser scanning reduces the time required for modular home construction by a significant amount, multiplying the benefits already gained from the prefab approach. This is especially the case for projects with rigid timelines.
- Construction monitoring: Laser scanning and 360-degree panoramic photography are ideal throughout the construction process to monitor construction progress and ensure that the modular components are being assembled according to the design specifications.
Convincing the public to adopt modular
Solving the UK’s housing shortfall will require more than utilising 3D laser scanning technology through modular contractors and their subcontractors.
The challenge going forward is to better convince the public that this is not 1950s construction all over again. Modern modular homes are indistinguishable from their on-site-built counterparts.
In many cases, they provide noteworthy benefits, including increased energy efficiency (they are often sealed tighter than the average on-site house, better at controlling temperature extremes throughout the year), easier smart home integration (automation controlling HVAC, lighting, and security features), and tighter windows and doors/high-quality insulation. It’s also easier to install the latest cost-saving appliances.
This is where a strong marketing campaign needs to come into play, along with healthy government promotion at the national and county level. Because 3D laser scanning tech, including terrestrial laser scanners, mobile devices and progress management software, aids and augments each of these benefits.
Through both these efforts, only then will the UK modular construction industry mature from its current fledgling state (Consulting firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the UK modular construction industry to be valued at £5.7bn) into the powerhouse it could become.
And by doing so, help address the UK’s housing shortfall, one project build at a time.
