Greater use of factory prefabricated components is increasingly being recognised by the
construction industry as a means of improving productivity and fulfilling customer requirements. The significance of this approach to construction is recognised in Sir John Egan’s recent report ‘Rethinking Construction’ for DETR. Adoption of prefabricated products delivers benefits via overall project cost reduction, faster construction times, reduced material waste and fewer call-backs. The application of this trend to floor construction is evident in timber prefabricated floor assemblies and kit-based systems. This feature reconsiders timber as a component in floor systems, and illustrates the potential for improvement, drawing upon prefabrication and variation of construction forms away from the traditional. The principles of reengineering the business process have been used, focusing on industry competitiveness, cost-efficient supply-chain management, and satisfaction of customer needs. This feature is the result of work supported by the Department of the Environment, Transport & the Regions (DETR), TRADA, Guildway Timber Structures, and TRADA Technology.
M.W. Milner and R.J. Bainbridge