Article-Modern times, modern methods

Constructing the Future
Issue 23 February 2005

This article discusses the new developments being acheived through off-site, prefabricated manufacture of construction materials.

Methods on concrete construction techniques such as Tunnelform and Crosswall construction have become a more populare method of concrete construction.
Using these methods, producing structures are low on labour, and highly mechanised so that they perfom well and are durable

Tunnelform construction involves (using in-situ concrete) pouring the concrete into two half tunnel shapes that together form the walls and the ceilings of a space.

Also, new methods have sought to achieve a more energy efficient way of construction. One method is to make spaces heavily insulated and more air tight. However, this article disputes that there is a danger of overheating the space during hotter months. To prevent this, the article suggests maxamising a buildings thermal mass, using concrete as a practical way of introducing it into a building.

Contructing members off-site can improve the quality and the efficiency of building construction, by reducing the number of activities performed on site, and producing the members in a more isolated environment.
Also, methods have been developed so that the contractor can simply prepare the grounds for the building's componenets, and even the footings can been constructed off site.

All in all this promotes a more efficient, and (hopefully) more durable structural members. However, i wonder how many jobs of on site labourers will be lost to the machine?