Our vision of a new, sustainable construction industry
We arrived in the year 2023, leaving some turbulent years behind us. We now wish to turn our focus to the future. What is your vision for the future of the construction industry?
Maier
The construction and building industry accounts for about 40% of global CO2 emissions today. It is obvious that there is enormous potential to make improvements here and I am convinced that this is a challenge for all of us, ranging from material technology to the circular economy, i.e., reusability of materials. At events and trade shows, we often hear that people want to move away from cement and steel reinforcement. They keep looking for improvements. This is not only about rethinking new construction, but also about the subject of refurbishment and thermal improvements, where there is plenty of potential to improve.
Neubauer
For more than 30 years, we have tried to promote industrial construction in the market. I am certain that this is the solution for the construction industry of the future. I’m not even talking about automation here. I’m talking about industrialization, and industrialization is most easily achieved with prefabrication in a factory – industrial prefabrication. There is a wide range of areas that still have space for optimization. As you said, material optimization plays a crucial role. We can reduce the cement content of concrete by producing high-strength concrete or slurry concrete without compromising the strength. If we build support structures out of wood or steel, with lightweight cement components in between, we can not only reduce the carbon footprint in this area but also reduce CO2 emissions in concrete transport. Concrete is heavy and expensive to transport. Hybrid building systems, which I have already seen on the market, are promising solutions. We just need to expand our mindset rather than saying: “Concrete is concrete, steel is steel, and wood is wood.” Hybrid construction methods often are great options. I dream of defining the structure in advance and assembling it from optimized boxes and elements on the construction site. When talking about sustainability we must not forget waste prevention, which we have been propagating for a long time. We use resources responsibly by producing ready-to-assemble buildings. When everything is precast, as we already see with some of our customers, only assembly takes place and there is no more waste at all on the construction site. That is sustainable.
Maier
I believe that we will need to construct buildings that are adaptable and fit for the future. Considering that 40-60% of buildings change their original use during their lifecycles, modular construction becomes important today to allow easier reconfiguration and use of buildings in later years. The two main aspects here are environmental sustainability, where reusability and the use of other materials play a role, and economic sustainability with optimized construction costs, material selection, and logistics.
Neubauer
May I add something here? Properly reusable buildings and structures are the future. Some of our customers are already assembling, disassembling, and converting buildings to try and find out whether this concept is promising for the future. This means that we will construct the building and use the structures later for a new or converted building, depending on requirements. We had this idea back in 2015 already! A building should change during its lifetime, adapting to the needs of its occupants. This way, we create a continuous structure that makes it possible to use the building flexibly and permanently. However, it is necessary that the building system is of remarkably high quality and industrially manufactured. Prefabrication is the key to such a sustainable, optimized, and cost-effective construction method.
What is missing in today’s construction industry? What changes are needed to enable such flexible use of buildings?
Neubauer
Digitization certainly is the key here. We have the means and the corresponding software solutions to implement digitization from the first idea of a building to demolition or conversion. It is merely a question of mentally integrating the stakeholders who are working on it as well. We may have dispensed with software silos, but thought silos continue to exist. There are the viewpoints of the architect, the structural engineer, the civil engineer, the real estate developer, who is concerned with costs, and the users, who have a specific purpose. It is not particularly easy to reconcile all these ideas. We need to invest very strongly in education. Architects and engineers are taught separately even at university. We should change that. We must work on understanding each other and on finding compromises. The best compromises can be represented and executed through digital models in 6D BIM.
Maier
The model is always the most relevant aspect. A good model starts in architecture and is used in facility management. There are still many barriers to be overcome today. The systems speak different languages and continuing work there is essential. Many building contractors do not recognize the added value of building models in planning and execution yet. Politicians are also called upon to archive these models. Today, after three decades, we often no longer know how a building was planned and are unable to reconstruct it cost-effectively due to a lack of structural framework conditions. Digital archiving will make it much easier to convert and re-invigorate buildings in the future. Unfortunately, we do not have the structural and political specifications to implement this. Many digital options are available, but each provider is doing their own thing and it is difficult to structure transitions. We tried to develop a way to enable structured transitions with IFC4 Precast. However, this is difficult to implement in practice while old structures continue to work, and standardization does not offer any immediate added value but is an investment in the future. Our hope here lies with all software system providers, associations and working groups to work together.
Neubauer
I see politics and associations as drivers of collaborative work in Europe. We lack an incentive for architects and civil engineers to cooperate since they aren’t paid for it. The value of the model must be increased. One example here would be saying, similar to what the Construction Authority in Singapore did: “I demand that this 3D model be maintained”. Once the 3D model is there, you can cooperate well. We need to demand that the lifecycle analysis tool also be re-integrated into the model. We have the options, but no one is adding value, spending, or investing any money in this. People simply try to build cheaply without considering that an expensive analysis will have to be performed at the end of the lifecycle. We have the technical options but need to see greater investments here, both in politics and by associations.
Are architecture and prefabrication incompatible?
Neubauer
That is not it! Precast construction does not prevent customization. Once again, the options are in cooperation between architects and civil engineers. If they worked better together, they could make beautiful buildings out of parametric models. Examples of this exist, perfected for sustainability, land sealing, and fast and high-quality construction. There are some outstanding projects where people work together. The civil engineer says: “These are my limits”, and the architect proves their competence by designing a great building based on those. Looking at the Central European building market, however, architects define themselves by great forms and just say: “I do not care as long as I win the tender. Building it is your problem.” That makes things a bit harder. This is why I also like to view architectural freedom in the context of cooperation, with the modular system, to build more sustainably and efficiently.
Maier
I can see two aspects here. It is fine to talk about architectural freedom, but affordable housing requires us to go in a different direction, following where the automotive industry is already leading. A configurator and a limited choice of components can reduce costs. Every family home and every request is drawn anew today, making the process overly expensive and complex. I suggest using standardized components and modules to reduce costs and improve efficiency. I believe that this will be the future of the precast market and that modular precast components will be used more instead of allowing complete architectural freedom.
Neubauer
I don’t think that we need to rely on precast parts only. There can be a hybrid approach, where we can make a load-bearing structure and façades of precast elements, while still leaving architectural freedom for special building elements untouched. Automation also allows a high degree of customization of living space. Outlets or kitchen spaces can be placed perfectly flexibly without any extra effort. 15 to 20 years ago, a social housing example in Vienna was created that was visually appealing and had standardized and industrialized optimizations. Buyers were still able to pick their interior designs. The key is to focus on which parts can be parametrized and which ones cannot, to keep costs under control. Once 3D printing improves some more, we will be able to make even more beautiful parts. I don’t want to rule out that we are going to print, I don’t know, bathroom fittings in some 3D shape that is not just square in the future. This kind of thing is technically possible already, it just does not look all that pretty yet.
Where do you see this technology in the near future?
Maier
Prefabrication as such is not new. It has been around for decades. Awareness of sustainability, optimization, and cost efficiency is what will continue to drive prefabrication. Digitalization and knowledge in Central Europe help to bring this success to all world markets.
Neubauer
This is also dependent on the different continents and countries. In Europe, with its high labor costs and difficulty in finding skilled workers for construction sites, we have little choice but to do perfect work in the office towards prefabrication. Robots building the parts in the factory are the only way we can make these products affordable. Europe values quality. That much is certain. In some other countries, such as Singapore in Southeast Asia, governments have recognized a need and achieved high speed and efficiency in building construction through high parameterization and the use of prefabrication. They do little work at the construction site; buildings are prefabricated and delivered instead. Countries where construction still is highly manual often aim to increase quality. Precast construction helps with automatic measurement and digitization to erect high-quality buildings there as well. North America is experiencing a similar development in timber construction. They, too, suffer issues from the lack of availability of skilled labor. It would be cool if we could assemble buildings like Ikea furniture.
Maier
Another thought: It doesn’t always have to be the typical large prefabrication plant. There is a development towards small local prefabrication, where wooden modules or specific elements could be precast in concrete and finished quite locally on the construction site. This can shorten paths and perfect processes.
Neubauer
This trend is clear in America as well as in Africa. I think it will continue there. The possibility exists, but I think Central Europe does not necessarily need it as we are already well-equipped with precast plants. Other countries or continents often have limited resources and use mobile plants. Many options have rarely been implemented, even though the ideas have been on the table for almost 15 years. African or South American countries may find this a satisfactory solution to push prefabrication. Prefabrication is indispensable to implement these visions of the future of industrial building.
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Applications of industrial prefabrication?
Where has prefabrication technology already been successful today?
Neubauer
The first macro elements were used as far back as ancient Egypt! 4500 years ago, smart, organized brains managed to transport prefabricated parts down the river Nile without digitization to erect such great structures as the Sphinx or the pyramids. That is quite impressive. We had to re-learn that. Furniture construction for the mass market is a more modern inspiration here. It uses prefabricated production for affordable furniture. Prefabrication is not limited to any one specific material. We can choose the material and construction methods that are most sustainable. We will have ß time building tall buildings out of very thin concrete structures. That just will not work. We are going to need steel structures there, and therefore we prefabricate steel structures. That should not be a problem. We already manufacture 99% of our bathrooms from a steel frame with plating. We need to choose the materials best suited for the projects. As precast concrete is still the easiest option to manufacture, it has become established in an analogous way to chipboard in furniture prefabrication for the mass market. You can prefabricate almost anything though!
Maier
The only thing I must add there is that the higher the degree of standardization, the clearer I am on what the building is going to look like, and the higher the possible degree of prefabrication. Even for bathrooms or other equipment, I can deliver everything to the construction site ready-made, as we are seeing in hotel construction today. That area already enjoys a remarkably high degree of prefabrication. I think this will also move into private housing and industrial construction.
Neubauer
We are also making progress in building modernization. Akkord Group has ordered prefabricated bathrooms from a large manufacturer in Germany to then install in old buildings. It is no longer necessary to build on-site to renovate an old hotel. All that is needed is an opening in the façade to insert the bathroom. It is, therefore, possible to fully refurbish an old building's interior, even when the conversion would not be allowed at all in an old city center! That is also part of prefabrication! Let me add something I dream of, about the possibilities of prefabrication. I am convinced that 3D printing will enable us to reproduce even old components or components in old regions with the same look. We are probably going to build a supporting structure from a standard precast part and then apply those shapes to it to ensure that the buildings will fit into the ensemble there. We are not quite there yet, but I passionately believe that this is a way to take this kind of prefabrication further, this is what I am working for.
What does the market look like apart from precast concrete elements? What degree of prefabrication is possible there?
Neubauer
Timber frame construction can be automated and industrialized very well. We are already in contact with companies in Brazil since timber construction is incredibly attractive there, among other things due to the availability of the building material.
Maier
Looking more closely at prefabrication with wood, the degree of automation there is nowhere near as high or advanced as it is in precast concrete. Hybrid construction, however, is going to increase. That is, combining the building materials of wood and concrete and creating new structures this way. Precast construction is only developing a little there as a combination of these materials is a challenge, of course.
Neubauer
The technical possibilities are there, though. I have seen facilities by Weinmann for highly automated production of wooden posts and beam structures where robots or machines cut, insert, and connect the wooden posts. We have also shown that it is technically possible with our project with the Holzinnovationszentrum in Austria. Let me further mention the cross-laminated timber ceiling as a special wood product. It is a remarkably simple and incredibly sustainable construction method since it can use even very poor-quality wood to avoid waste. The facilities we have built show that this can be done in a fully industrialized and automated manner. Carpentry also must be encouraged to move towards industrialization and automation. I see the potential to modernize the construction industry in many countries in this area.
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Why not continue building traditionally?
It all sounds very ideal and optimistic, but why shouldn’t we continue to use the construction method that has become firmly established already?
Neubauer
One aspect is that we can simply implement sustainable construction methods much more easily in the factory. This is not only about CO2 reduction, but also about dust, dirt, and noise. While this is often ignored, noise does also equal pollution. These aspects are much easier to control on a factory floor. Temperature and volume can be controlled, dirt can be better disposed of, and conventional formwork uses an insane amount of harmful oil on top of this. I do think that this is an important part of why we should prefabricate industrially and not continue to build traditionally.
Maier
Another aspect is that prefabrication using computers and IT support allows greater quality and better on-time delivery. That is a huge point. It is just easier to plan the entire cycle better here, monitor it, and then execute it on time.
Neubauer
Digitization is a prerequisite for preparation. We have a planned process on the construction site, knowing when every individual part will be delivered. This way, we can avoid downtimes and uncertainties on the construction site. Intermediate storage, as is known from the automotive industry, permits extreme organization and planning of production and construction alike. Our customers also keep mentioning time-to-market, in the large-scale contractor sector. Building on-site takes a long time to finish the building shell. A lot of time passes from the first moment of setting up the construction site to the moment of payment from the building. Preparation will cut down on this time immensely thanks to the choice of prefabrication. Optimized prefabrication not only shortens shell construction time. Well-planned prefabrication parts virtually allow us to use the building at once after shell construction is complete. Studies show that the construction time could be reduced by 60% since the building part could be used 60% earlier in the timeline. As interest rates are rising again, this may lead to enormous cost reductions.
Maier
Another important aspect of prefabrication is considering early on what the building is supposed to look like. How do I want to build it? I can rule out many mistakes that may only occur on the construction site this way, giving me a much better flow in the entire process from the start.
Neubauer
We are also a project-driven company, aiming to prefabricate our products, i.e., our software, in the office as far as possible. Everything we do on-site is twice as expensive. Let me also add that the increase in productivity from prefabrication strongly supports this type of construction as well. If I must accommodate many people quickly, I simply have to take a completely different route than waiting on the construction site to see if I can get my concrete delivered there. I need to plan and build residential buildings as quickly as I can by using prefabrication. I can name plenty of examples there: Singapore has one of the most successful construction sites in the world. They have chosen this path. They have no space, no time, no transport, and an awful lot of people. Things needed to move quickly and be built tall. The default solution then was using 100% precast concrete. Buildings are being erected at a speed that Europe can only stare at and be amazed at in many respects. Whether their results look good or not will remain to be seen, but they are extremely efficient for social housing in any case.
Maier
Something similar also happened in Europe in response to the refugee movement. Germany relied on modular construction to produce inexpensive and quick solutions. Prefabrication has quickly created a lot of affordable housing for refugees. It can later be repurposed and converted into schools, a campus, or similar. That has certainly been a driving force in Europe as well.
Neubauer
These modules were even converted into a small hospital. The buildings were completely reusable. Let me also mention two projects in Central and South America that we were able to support: Corporacion Geo in Mexico and Sudeste with the “Mi Casa Mi Vida” initiative, where simple, organized small towns were built from precast modules for people looking for accommodation. That kind of thing must be done in an organized manner. You won’t be able to get the people there without organization and prefabrication.
How do I figure out if prefabrication can help my business?
Neubauer
Contact us and tell us: I have this challenge. How can we solve it? Then we will look at it and start asking the important questions. What area of manufacturing needs to make the start? What partners can we work with? What degree of digitization is needed? In West Africa, prefabrication is just beginning. We are going to look for mechanical engineering partners there to supply us with cost-efficient tables and start digitizing plans. If this kind of thing happens here in Europe, where precast construction is established already, we have other things to think about. Our project with Van Wijnen came about in the same manner. I was in the car with Hilbrand Katsma, and he showed me his idea of a parameterized housing system on his tablet. The system lets families enter a virtual environment where they can put together their houses as they will be prefabricated subsequently. I was immediately excited. We wondered how to put that into practice. They built an enormous factory that works similarly to those in the car industry, and we can support this from the digital model to construction. We need to be clear that the software, digitization, is the actual driving force behind this technology. As a result, we see ourselves as the first contacts who not only provide answers but also point out the questions that matter. Our solutions, consultant network, mechanical engineers, suppliers, and RIB structure make us the first choice to lead such a project to success.
Maier
We have more than a quarter century of experience and plenty of expertise to offer in prefabrication. We know what to pay attention to. Digitalization is going to be one of the key factors in the future, which we offer alongside highest professionalism and expertise.
Neubauer
In fact, if you take a closer look, I will say we have over 30 years of experience. Most people don't know it, but modern precast technology was created by us at the Vienna University of Technology, in cooperation with Ainedter-Industrieautomation and other companies from Germany and Austria. It must be said - we are the inventors of automation for precast technology and thus the cradle of the modern precast industry.
