The
Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Home (AIMCH) has
published a research report to help the house building sector better evaluate
productivity and respond to future demands.
The
report examines construction productivity measurement and protocols and brings
a new, more effective way for businesses of all sizes to use data to
demonstrate the value of modern methods of construction (MMC).
AIMCH is
a collaborative innovation project involving major private, public and academic
partners set up in 2019 to transform how the construction industry builds
homes. This is the first output of the £6.5m project which is already
being welcomed by the construction industry and in wider sectors including
transport and infrastructure.
The
research, carried out by The University of Dundee in association with Whole
Life Consultants and managed by Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC),
is one of the most comprehensive the industry has undertaken. The
wide-ranging literature review examined previous construction productivity
measurement studies in order to make recommendations on the following key
metrics: Safety, Productivity, Quality, Cost, Time, Predictability, Efficiency
and Material Waste (in all 66 metrics were reviewed).
Professor Malcolm Horner, research lead and chair of
Whole Life Consultants, said: “The aim of the review was to aid AIMCH and its
partners to understand the current measurement landscape and to influence the
way in which partners choose to measure productivity.”
He continued, “The key recommendation is that partners
use this report and the guidance to evaluate and select the metrics
objectively. Partners should look at metrics in terms of simplicity, widespread
use, cost and how well they relate to their strategic objectives and
conditions.”
The research consortium engaged in dialogue with AIMCH
partners throughout the review to ensure the final report guidance delivered
useful and actionable findings that would enable partners to support the faster
delivery of high quality homes, more reliably and at the same cost as
masonry-built homes.
The report findings are proving to be of interest
across the construction industry and in wider sectors including transport and
infrastructure.
Simon
Cross, who leads the measurement work for the Construction Leadership Council’s
Innovation in Buildings workstream (Demonstrator projects, measures and
business case working group), said: “The Construction Leadership
Council’s Innovation in Buildings work stream team are pleased that the AIMCH
project metrics of Safety, Productivity, Quality, Cost, Time, and Material
Waste are aligned to the published Smart Construction Dashboard. Aligning
metrics across the housing sector will enable small, medium and large supply
chain businesses to demonstrate the value of smart construction
and respond consistently to future demands.
Measuring
data in this way is a much welcomed and major leap forward for the housing
sector.”
Alan Johnston, CSIC Project Manager, Strategic
Programmes, said: “The report is the first output from the three year AIMCH
project and provides clear recommendations on productivity metrics for
organisations. Initially scoped as a piece of work that would inform and
influence future AIMCH workstreams, we are delighted that it has the potential
to deliver tangible benefits now to the wider construction industry, and indeed
other sectors who have also shown great interest, including transport and infrastructure.”
Further research and
development from the AIMCH project is planned over the next three years. The
research will be trialled on live housing projects, with successful new methods
then being commercialised and brought to market in volume.
The £6.5m AIMCH R&D project is a
collaboration between Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments PLC, London
& Quadrant Housing Trust Ltd, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC),
the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and Forster Roofing Services
Ltd.
