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'it's Excellent. The Design Is Modern And Efficient Compared To Such A Lot Of ...

'It's excellent. The design is modern and efficient compared to such a lot of other housing in London. There have been no problems with the fittings or the equipment since we've been here.' (Norwood 2006, 84).
Employment changes
An important additional consideration is that of construction workers' response to prefabrication. Since prefabrication limits the hours of onsite workers, there is a history of traditional opposition to such methods. Both union and nonunion sectors have been slow to accept such change at the level of the individual worker (Finkel 1997, 85).
Bosch argues that the last few decades have seen continuity in moving work away from the process of construction towards the process of manufacturing, and that this is mainly due to new innovations concerning prefabrication. A second change concerns equipment. The construction industry has actively implemented labour-saving equipment, which has precipitated a fall in manufacturing employment. (Bosch 2002, 6). Bosch argues that if one is to look past cyclical swings in construction employment, then the industry's share of overall employment remains relatively stable.(Ibid). An increase in prefabrication is not, argues Bosch, likely to significantly reduce the labour-force in a local area. This is because a construction company can organise the transportation of the component parts to a manufacturing plant somewhere else, thus not leaving personnel in that company without work. However, the sort of changes in the life of an individual who is used to working outdoors on a traditional construction site are not to be underestimated. Sudden changes in working conditions - especially from outdoors to indoors - could precipitate resentment, job dissatisfaction and depression. It will therefore be a major change in the nature of the construction industry if off-site fabrication took over from on-site work.
Strength, durability and safety
A major contributing factor to the excitement surrounding off-site fabrication is the strength of the steel framed method, which can be disassembled. This means that homes have the potential to use space dynamically, while requiring less maintenance during their lifetime. Specialised joints replace traditional joists, and combined with the ability to contextualise plans digitally this methods holds exciting opportunities for future developments - such as new designs of tower blocks and high rise housing. Frank Hodges, vice president of sales and marketing with Mod-U-Kraf Homes comments ont eh flexibility of his company's innovations: ‘we offer about 70 standard models, with variations available for floor plans and elevations.' (Power 2002).
As well as design innovations, factory-built units tend to include more materials and fasteners than a site-built home, with drywall and sheathing nailed and glued to frame parts. (Power 2002).


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