Industrialize from day one

Pablo Ivelic, Director and CEO of Echeverria Izquierdo

Singapore is a benchmark in industrialized construction and is at a level four times higher than Chile. In 2010, that country required 3.13 man days for each square meter built, and after the implementation of a policy to industrialize the sector, that 3.3 dropped to 2.59, i.e., labor productivity in construction improved by almost 20%.

How can we advance in industrialization to reach those levels? Undoubtedly, we must transform our construction processes. One of the levers that can have the greatest impact is the use of prefabricated elements, which allow us to transfer work that we currently carry out at the project site to a factory, a space with greater control than the construction site.

For those who want to enter the world of industrialization and the use of prefabricated elements, the suggestion is to start working with processed materials such as electrowelded mesh, tub bases or deployable floors; in second instance use prefabricated components, such as pre-hung doors and windows, prefabricated stairs or preassembled furniture. Then move on to panelized elements, such as precast structural concrete walls and slabs or precast partitions. Finally, the most developed level will be volumetric systems such as prefabricated bathrooms and kitchens, or prefabricated modular buildings with factory-made finishes.

However, in order to introduce industrialization initiatives in a project, it is necessary that the design incorporates them from an early stage. If a project is designed and tendered with traditional construction in mind, bidders cannot incorporate industrialized systems because they would have to deconstruct the project. This is why it is essential to break with the fragmentation of our industry and to conceive projects in a collaborative and integrated manner, bringing together all stakeholders from an early stage. Conceptual design should not only involve architects and planners, but also builders, subcontractors and suppliers.

The benefits of this new way of designing and building are numerous and diverse. A study carried out by Construye2025 comparing traditional and industrialized works concluded that between 34% and 50% fewer workers are used in industrialized projects. This reduction has a direct impact on productivity but also contributes to reducing exposure to risk. Singapore was able to achieve a zero serious accident rate thanks to industrialization.

Of course, lead times are reduced, since the minute I execute off-site items, I can overlap items that should be sequential on site. There are also fewer material losses and less waste generation. In Chile we generate twice as much waste as developed countries, and according to the same study, an industrialized construction site can generate 3 to 3.5 times less waste than a traditional construction site. In addition to all of the above, there is the quality of execution, given that reprocesses in industrialized works are between 8% and 27% less than in traditional works.

Although today the costs and benefits of the traditional versus industrialized construction process are quite equivalent, this will migrate to a greater counterbalance towards savings, given that the cost of construction labor continues to increase over the rest of the industries and over the cost of inputs. To this we must add the lower availability of labor: in 2015, it was estimated that there were 4 active workers for every retired worker, while it is estimated that by 2050, we will have 2 active workers for every retired worker.

Therefore, those who do not join this process today, when the transformation becomes an obligation, will face serious difficulties. On the other hand, there will be others who will have incorporated industrialization into their processes and will be surfing the wave. The rest will only be learning to swim.