MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
28 OECD countries, and the numbers of MRI units and PET scanners are also below average. NHS England estimates that demand for CT scans will rise by at least 100% in the next five years.
Delivering high-quality permanent new buildings faster With waiting lists growing far quicker than capacity, the NHS must find ways to deliver more with less. It’s clear that an innovative and cost-effective approach to developing new infrastructure is required. Modular, offsite construction offers a faster, more cost-effective way to deliver high-quality new NHS buildings, including CDCs, by maximising efficiencies at every level. Traditional construction methods can be time-consuming and subject to delays on site, including a shortage of skills. Ultimately, this leads to longer wait times for patients in need of diagnostic services. At Algeco we have been supplying high-quality modular buildings to customers across a variety of sectors, including healthcare, for over 60 years. We work under various NHS modular frameworks, and our solutions are compliant with HTM, HBN, SHTM, WHTM, and HAI- SCRIBE standards. Lean manufacturing, and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), are central to our approach, and we have invested heavily in both, along with an extensive R&D programme. DfMA focuses on reducing time-to-market and total
production costs by prioritising the ease of manufacturing parts and simplifying assembly. By taking a DfMA- led approach and adopting the principles of lean manufacturing, such as process optimisation and waste reduction, our offsite construction methods offer a faster way to deliver high-quality new buildings. The methodology involves the design and fabrication of building components or ‘modules’ taking place off site in a factory setting, prior to them being transported to the construction site for assembly.
The ‘way forward’ for the NHS Aside from DfMA, offsite construction in itself offers numerous benefits over traditional building methods, and there are many reasons why it represents the way forward for the NHS. Principally, offsite can deliver permanent healthcare buildings in up to half the time it takes for an on- site build, while the fact that most work is done away from the hospital minimises disruption to the care environment. By completing many of the construction stages off site, the supply chain can be optimised, disruption minimised, and the overall build time reduced by up to 50%. Offsite construction also leads to a higher quality
end product, better overall performance of the finished building, and better value for money due to tighter cost control. Compliance with Building Regulations is also easier to manage, because elements such as fire ratings can be verified and quality checked before the modules arrive on site, mitigating the need to commission a third- party fire consultant. This level of factory completeness is measured by
Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV), and for healthcare buildings, including CDCs, up to 85% PMV can be achieved. That means the majority of the building work is already complete by the time that the modules arrive on site, with the remaining 15% consisting of finishing and commissioning.
Standardised modular designs As part of the industry-wide Seismic Consortium, we have developed a standardised platform for building modules, with the aim of further simplifying the design and manufacturing process. Designed in line with the Government’s Construction 2025 targets, this platform was developed to drive a major shift towards a more productive, better quality, and lower carbon, construction industry. Ultimately, its purpose is to deliver high-quality buildings that can be mass produced and delivered within shorter timescales.
March 2025 Health Estate Journal 59
Main image: Community Diagnostic Centres are offered with a full design, delivery, construction, and finishing service – a comprehensive approach that Algeco says allows customers to start using their CDCs ‘from day one’. Inset: Algeco says its partnership with Hygieia ‘illustrates exactly how modular construction is revolutionising the delivery of healthcare buildings’.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
