Abstract
Prefabrication is a construction method where parts of a building are manufactured in a factory and transported to site for assembly. Prefabrication was an innovation in the 19th century, however it was in the 20th century that it developed into a major method of construction. This chapter covers basic and advanced knowledge on the subject. It includes background and current conditions, prefabrication fundamentals, advantages and challenges, as well as building methods, design, procurement, manufacturing and installation processes. Prefabrication is a major construction method in countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Japan, but is less widely adopted in countries such as Australia, the UK and US.
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Notes
- 1.
Some parts of this chapter are adapted excerpts from ‘Kiwi Prefab: prefabricated housing in New Zealand’ (Bell and Southcombe 2012).
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Hashemi, A., Kim, U.K., Bell, P., Steinhardt, D., Manley, K., Southcombe, M. (2016). Prefabrication. In: Noguchi, M. (eds) ZEMCH: Toward the Delivery of Zero Energy Mass Custom Homes. Springer Tracts in Civil Engineering . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31967-4_3
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