The Sustainable Benefits of Offsite Construction

Sustainable building practices have grown in demand over recent years, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) have seen to emerge as a more eco-friendly alternative for construction projects. The term MMC is used to describe a range of building techniques that involve the use of prefabricated components, offsite manufacturing and mass production. In this months blog post, we will be exploring how much more sustainable modern methods of construction are, compared to traditional building methods.

Reducing Waste:

An immediate benefit of MMC is how it's been shown to significantly reduce waste generated during the construction process. The UK construction industry generates an estimated 109 million tonnes of waste each year, however according to UK Green Building Council, using offsite construction methods can reduce waste by up to 90%. This is because prefabricated components are made to exact specifications in a controlled factory environment, which means that waste materials can be reused or recycled. This is in contrast to traditional construction methods where materials are often cut on-site, and waste is generated as a result. By reducing waste, MMC can significantly reduce the environmental impact of construction projects.

Carbon Footprint:

Secondly, both the process of construction and the building itself is likely to produce a lower carbon footprint. Today, the UK construction industry accounts for roughly 40% of the country's total carbon emissions, however using sustainable building practices like MMC can reduce a building's carbon footprint by up to 35% (Source: UK Green Building Council). This is because the prefabrication process allows for the use of more sustainable materials, such as engineered wood products and 'SIPs', which have a lower carbon footprint than the likes of concrete or steel. Additionally as mentioned before, MMC allows for greater precision in the construction process, which can help to minimise the amount of energy required to heat, cool, light and power a building.

Faster Construction Times:

With an ever-increasing population, construction times are also a vital component to consider when starting a project. The UK government estimates that you can reduce construction times by up to 50% by utilising MMC techniques (Source: UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), which helps to minimise the disruption to local communities, and overall results in a faster build process. This has a number of knock on benefits including less time needed to employ a workforce, a faster turnaround and so on. This in turn results in reducing the overall environmental impact of the project.

As demonstrated above, modern methods of construction can be seen to provide a more sustainable approach to construction than traditional methods. As more and more people become aware of the benefits and importance of sustainable building practices, we can expect to see a growing demand for MMC within the UK construction industry, and hopefully further afield. This is where The Offsite Guide comes in. If you're a supplier of MMC & Offsite Construction, you can list your business to a targeted audience who can filter by sector, industry and project type, and help us spread the word about MMC today!