Certification focus grows as prefab building expands
As modular construction gains momentum on both sides of the Tasman, ensuring factory-built components meet local building standards is becoming an important part of getting them from the production line to site.
The issue has been highlighted by Ardex following the New South Wales Government’s announcement of a new Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Innovation Facility, designed to help increase the delivery of modular housing.
Ardex global head of prefab Tobias Schäfer says increased investment in modular manufacturing presents opportunities for the construction industry.
“There is strong government support for modular builders to expand factory capacity in Australia, and we can support that growth with proven systems and global expertise developed specifically for modular construction environments,” says Schäfer.
With bathroom pods, wall systems and complete volumetric modules increasingly able to be manufactured in one country and installed in another, Schäfer says local standards and certification need to keep pace.
“The globalisation of modular construction creates enormous opportunities to accelerate housing delivery, but it also highlights the need to ensure products and systems meet Australian performance requirements and building standards.
“Manufacturers need confidence that the products specified within those modules have been tested, validated and supported for the Australian market before they arrive on site. That is where Ardex has been working extensively across Asia, particularly China and Vietnam, to help deliver certainty of compliance.”
This, as the New Zealand Government considers the wider use of offsite manufacturing as part of its building system reforms.
New Zealand already has a certification pathway for modular construction through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) BuiltReady scheme.
BuiltReady allows certified and registered manufacturers to issue certificates showing that modular components comply with the New Zealand Building Code within the scope of their certification.
The scheme covers the factory-built component rather than removing the wider building consent process. Building consent authorities remain responsible for work outside the manufacturer’s certification, including how modular components connect with other building work on site.
For builders and developers, the aim is to reduce repeated scrutiny of work already covered by the certification process and provide a faster, more consistent consent pathway for modular components.
MBIE is currently considering the future role of BuiltReady alongside the wider use of off-site manufacturing as part of the Government’s legislative reform programme.
Ardex says its prefab programme works with modular manufacturers across Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania, combining systems developed for factory production with technical support in individual markets.
The company operates in more than 100 countries, with 67 subsidiaries and more than 50 production facilities.