Conference Chairperson & Opening Remarks
Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?
Speaker: Conor Walsh, founder of Visor MMC
- Health and Safety Benefits
- Quality Control – Defects can be highlighted at earlier stages.
- Faster Method than traditional builds
- Potential Cost Savings
- Easier to adapt, something that modern real estate ESG strategies recommend.
Offsite Manufacturing – How to drive scalable and sustainable Manufacturing efficiencies?
Speaker: Dick Clerkin, Managing Director, Clerkin Consulting
- Invest in your people at all levels to ensure you build a skilled, committed and aligned workforce.
- Build in best practice Manufacturing systems in key areas such as:
- o Quality Control
- o Factory layout
- o Health and Safety Standards
- o Performance Management – ‘Know your numbers’ BOM, Costs, outputs etc.
- Capacity Planning – Ensure your factory is fully loaded to maximise plant utilisation.
- Continuous Improvement culture – Challenge status quo, be agile and able to adapt to new work practices, build methods etc.
Fire Safety of Modular Buildings – Concerns and Assurances
Speaker: Eanna O Tuama, Associate & Dublin Branch Manager, Affinity Fire Engineering
- Modular builds rarely tested as a complete system.
- Detailed Risk Assessments are required including:
- o Occupancy of the building
- o Layout of the site
- o Neighbouring structure proximity
- Part B – How does modular fit?
- Fire resistance test results.
- Reaction to fire performance results.
- Compartmentation drawing details and fire stopping details.
There’s Already a Skills Shortage – Training Requirements for Current Workers
Speaker: PJ Rudden, Chairman of Innovation and Digital Adoption Subgroup at the Construction Sector Group (CSG)
- More than half of the companies (54%) using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in Ireland don’t believe the right skills are currently available.
- Roles and Skills Gaps
- Government plans to make construction a more attractive career.
- Training traditional workers to embrace the more modern methods.
- Training programmes and professional development
- Will traditional skills become obsolete?
Contract Risks – What Needs to be Considered
Speaker: Robert Rooney, Senior Associate, Mason Hayes and Curran
- Ownership of material
- Insurances/ transit risks
- Insolvency of suppliers
- Defects in modular units who is liable.
- Compliance with the building regulations
NSAI Agrément for Certification
- Technical Assessment Specification (TAS)
- Current compliances with BCAR
- Additional Regulations Required
- On-site evaluations
- Factory production inspections
- Competency
- Certificate Holder Responsibilities and Maintaining Certification
- NSAI Responsibilities
Modular Buildings Insurance – What’s the Risk? Uninsurable?
- Why is insuring modular construction so different than other construction delivery methods?
- Since skilled construction labour is not doing the work, it seems to become more of a manufacturing process. How does this change worker’s compensation codes?
- Is the Modular work considered "product" or "work"?
- Do the state statutes of limitations or repose apply? For example, would it be considered a construction defect or product defect?
- What about professional liability considerations, especially if construction firms are involved in designing the components?
More Cost Effective or More Costly?