Pace
and tactics

Manufacturing building elements in series, transporting them to the construction site, assembling them on-site, and erecting a completely new building in the shortest possible time: at first glance, this reminds us of the so-called panel building method, which was particularly popular in the former GDR. With serial construction, "off-the-shelf" construction is currently experiencing a renaissance.

Take Mannheim, for example: in recent years, the new Franklin urban district has emerged there. This area once housed one of the largest residential areas of the US Army in Germany. The total area covers around 144 hectares which is roughly the size of Mannheim's city centre. On the former site of the Sullivan Barrack, residential buildings on two different construction fields are being built. Basements and underground car parks are being built in conventional concrete construction by Implenia.

The residential buildings, on the other hand, are being realized with a wood-hybrid prefabricated construction method: the individual components are produced in four prefabrication plants, transported to the construction site, and assembled there according to the modular principle. The construction time per floor is only four days. A residential unit can be completed in shell construction within a single day. In just nine months, 190 apartments are thus constructed. The high-rise construction work started in July 2023 and is expected to be completed already in February of this year.

Mr. Schulze, what logistical challenges do you experience on projects like Sullivan, where serial construction is used?
Challenging in serial construction for us are certainly the extremely short construction times. A small delay can - even more than with conventional construction projects - negatively affect the entire construction process. Therefore, the delivery of the building elements must be precisely planned. All parts must arrive on time and in the correct order at the construction site. At the same time, the construction site has to be ready at the time of delivery so that the elements can be unloaded and installed promptly. Precise and reliable scheduling is therefore essential.

Since the entire activity on such construction sites is very dynamic due to the rapid construction progress, one can work with conventional area management only to a limited extent. Moreover, the elements in serial construction are often exceptionally large; more space is therefore needed for storage and assembly than on conventional construction sites. Especially in inner-city locations, where space is usually limited anyway, this can be difficult and requires a high level of logistical expertise.

Why is it particularly important to involve a construction logistics company in such construction projects?
Construction logistics plays an intersecting role – we keep an eye on the needs of all project participants. Our goal is to improve the processes on the construction site. Specifically, this means minimizing the proportion of 'non-productive times' such as transport times, as well as optimizing storage and travel times. This increases productivity, and the focus is on the construction execution times. The construction logistics company ensures seamless coordination and communication between delivery, storage, and construction execution at all times. There can always be changes or unexpected events on the construction site. Here we must react flexibly and have a solution ready. BCL has built up an extensive empirical database based on already realized projects. With this, we determine before the start of the project how a construction project has to be structured in terms of personnel, vehicle movements, and construction site infrastructure so that the performance specifications are met within the schedule and budget.

Also, due to our many years of experience, we are naturally able to optimally set up a project from the outset. We determine the dependencies of personnel and material movements and the correct area and construction site infrastructure needs. This allows us to calculate, for example, the required number of unloading zones and position them optimally. We organize the storage areas in such a way that they support the work processes and do not hinder them – as it is often the case on construction sites without coordinated construction logistics. In general, the earlier the construction logistics factors are considered, the greater our influence on a project. Therefore, I always recommend involving construction logistics as early as possible – especially when it comes to serial construction.

What is your assessment – is serial construction the future of construction?
Considering the current high demand for housing, serial construction can be a good approach to build quickly and affordably, yet maintain high quality. This method allows to produce large quantities in a brief time, which reduces costs. Serial construction also offers sustainability benefits. Standardized processes mean less waste of materials. Wood, as a renewable resource, is expected to become even more important in the future. In 2022, over 20% of the approved residential buildings in Germany were based on timber construction*, and this proportion has steadily grown over the past ten years.

Politics also sees serial construction as a key tool to boost housing construction. The ambitious goal of the federal government to build 400,000 new homes annually has been hampered by implementation challenges. Factors such as inflation, rising construction costs, and supply shortages play a role, as do high bureaucratic hurdles. Germany has sixteen federal states with currently sixteen different building regulations. At the end of 2023, the federal and state governments agreed on an acceleration pact. One of the planned changes is that type approvals granted in one federal state will have nationwide validity. This would certainly significantly advance serial construction.

Thus, serial building will likely play a significant role in the future, especially in rapidly growing urban areas like Mannheim-Franklin. However, traditional construction methods will continue to exist, as serial construction is not suitable in all cases. Smart construction logistics is the invisible but indispensable cog that makes the fast, cost-effective, and efficient processes of serial construction run smoothly. In other words, to unleash its full potential, serial construction needs efficient construction logistics.

Would you like to learn more about our services and how we can assist with your construction project? Please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Images: construction project Sullivan in Mannheim-Franklin, visual: ^© NOKERA AG

*Statista.com: Holzbau - Quote der genehmigten Wohngebäude in Deutschland bis 2022