Plastic pipes are extensively used in housing and commercial construction. As part of the drive to create further value in the supply chain, manufacturers of these products are developing “offsite” bespoke fabricated systems that reduce the need for often complex on-site assembly. This reduces on site time, and makes the environment safer for operatives with fewer people involved in assembly and installation.
As Richard Hill of the BPF Pipes Group comments, “Traditional construction methods involve more people and are more labour-intensive on site. Using offsite construction significantly reduces both the number of people who have to be in close proximity—a key consideration at present—and saves time on site.”
Examples of this growing approach include the modular construction of items like drainage and sewerage inspection chambers and that can be constructed off site and transported to the point of installation. Benefits of this modular off site approach include well-constructed modules developed and assembled in factory conditions, while controlling social distancing protocols.
It can also deliver huge cost benefits around on-site productivity with a reduction in resources required, such as fewer people involved, less time to install, less equipment required on site. A flexible approach to assembly applies to sites too. Work benches can be set up on the ground floor of developments so as to keep the fabricating processes well away from the area being worked on. Benefits include improved productivity, social distancing, and the ability to work with more complex designs.
