Offsite & MMC

The government has commissioned the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop a universally recognised standard for homes built using modern methods of construction (MMC). MMC covers a wide range of techniques that aim to improve efficiency, including offsite manufacture – but there have been growing concerns that the safety implications of these…

Early collaboration among construction-sector partners would give clients, contractors and suppliers a better chance of decarbonising their operations, a recent roundtable discussion heard. But while innovative technology can play an important part in meeting net-zero targets, getting better at the basics is crucial, too. Mike Walter reports On the panel…

Offsite construction specialist Merit has announced a 4,000-square-metre expansion of its North East manufacturing plant. The planned expansion would increase the size of its factory in Cramlington, Northumberland, from its existing 25,000-square-metre floorspace. The firm said that the move will allow it to test the stacking of modules on top…

A masterplan for a new prison in Glasgow, designed by Kier, has been submitted for planning. Earlier this year, the Scottish Prison Service awarded Kier the preconstruction services contract to deliver HMP Glasgow, which is set to replace the 19th century HMP Barlinnie. The submission of the masterplan for the…

Modular specialist Ilke Homes has secured £100m in funding from both new and existing shareholders to help it expand its operations. The funding round – which it said was the largest ever raised by a UK modular housebuilder – helps the company scale up its operations and open a new…

Essex-based housing association Swan is to shut its modular factories. Swan opened its first modular housing factory, a 75,000 square foot facility, in Basildon in 2017, with a second one following in 2021, also in Basildon. Production at both facilities is understood to have stopped pending closure. A letter sent…

Contractors may need to drive innovation to ensure the delivery of government projects amid rising costs and frozen budgets, an industry summit has been told. At the CN Transforming Construction conference, Simon Rawlinson, head of research and insight at consultancy Arcadis, raised the issue of inflation and the chancellor’s recent…

Brick manufacturer Michelmersh has bought FabSpeed, a specialist in prefabricated building products, for an initial £6.25m. The acquisition is designed to strengthen the company’s position in the product market for offsite and modern methods of construction. FabSpeed operates from two facilities in West Yorkshire and one in Oxfordshire, supplying prefabricated…

US modular giant Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) has announced plans to open a factory in the UK as part of its expansion into the European market. VBC said it would target the UK build-to-rent, affordable housing, student accommodation and hotel sectors, as it seeks to become a $1bn player in…

Modular construction specialist M-AR has said it plans to scale up its production ambitions after acquiring the freehold of a 9,200-square metre factory in East Yorkshire. The firm shelled out £3m to buy the Hull manufacturing facility, which it was already using, saying ownership would help it to take on…