Are Offsite Construction techniques and MMC more expensive than traditional?
NO, Cost of construction is related to use of materials, labour, specialist components, equipment and machinery. Cost is also influenced by time-related factors. Steel construction achieves high levels of productivity and therefore labour costs are reduced both in the factory and on the construction site in comparison to site-based construction. Speed of construction and safety are increased by the higher levels of pre-fabrication implicit in steel-intensive construction systems. Cost studies have shown that steel construction leads to cost savings of up to 6% relative to concrete, for a 6 storey apartment building in an urban location. The cost of the steel framework is typically only 12-15% of the as-built cost of the building, and therefore it is the influence of the choice of structure on the other building components and on speed of installation, which are the dominant contributory factors in achieving savings in the construction process. Snagging and call back costs are reduced a
