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Prefabricated homes: A solution to labour shortage
Author：Supicha Chaipipat Source：0 Updated:2014-09-25 14:09:47
The construction sector is generally known to have suffered bouts of labour shortage since one of Thailand's worst floods hit in 2011 and drove workers back to their home towns.
Many of those workers never returned to work as crop
The construction sector is generally known to have suffered bouts of labour shortage since one of Thailand's worst floods hit in 2011 and drove workers back to their home towns.
Many of those workers never returned to work as crop prices were high and jobs plentiful as a result of rising demand for construction and renovation and infrastructure mega-projects.
The nationwide increase in the minimum wage to Bt300 a day also caused workers to seek jobs in other sectors that are less exhausting than construction work.
While higher wages are one way to attract workers back into the construction sector, a more sustainable way to solve the labour problems of housing-estate developers and home builders is to resort to a prefabrication system.
Admittedly, however, it has both pros and cons.
Pros
1. Reduce the number workers at the construction site
2. Faster completion of work
3. Stronger house structure
4. Better guarantee of quality houses due to the use of factory-assembled materials whose standards are better controlled
5. Construction can take place in any season
6. Reduced pollution such as dust at the construction site
Cons
1. Higher costs due to the technology-dependent construction
2. High investment cost
3. Limited options for design, since most of the materials used such as poles, beams and walls are produced en masse for economy of scale
A prefab system will have little negative impact on housing projects since their units mostly share the same design. But in the home-building sector, customers might not be satisfied with the fact that they cannot demand major changes to the design of their new house, or possibly any changes at all.
Nevertheless, prefabrication can provide a higher-quality home, strong and durable. More efficient budget control is another incentive since the limited design variation leaves customers with less option to change their minds after the construction budget is set. And the faster completion of the construction is a bonus.
The fact that the construction schedule is quite definite makes it easier for customers to plan the next phase of home decoration such as purchasing furniture and additional extension work.
In addition, compact prefab houses and those that can be built within four months are also suitable for customers who need or want a rental or temporary unit while waiting for the completion of their own place, or for those who want to move in faster.
However, the fact that people are not familiar with prefab houses in the present market is a major challenge. It will take time for customers to adjust their attitudes and see the good aspects of this type of house, recognising that frequently changing their minds is not conducive to efficient construction and budgeting.
In the final analysis, further development of this construction technology can surely accommodate diversity in design and the aesthetic needs of customers. But in the meantime, the continuing acute labour shortage will be a decisive factor reorienting home construction towards a complete prefab system.
The nationwide increase in the minimum wage to Bt300 a day also caused workers to seek jobs in other sectors that are less exhausting than construction work.
While higher wages are one way to attract workers back into the construction sector, a more sustainable way to solve the labour problems of housing-estate developers and home builders is to resort to a prefabrication system.
Admittedly, however, it has both pros and cons.
Pros
1. Reduce the number workers at the construction site
2. Faster completion of work
3. Stronger house structure
4. Better guarantee of quality houses due to the use of factory-assembled materials whose standards are better controlled
5. Construction can take place in any season
6. Reduced pollution such as dust at the construction site
Cons
1. Higher costs due to the technology-dependent construction
2. High investment cost
3. Limited options for design, since most of the materials used such as poles, beams and walls are produced en masse for economy of scale
A prefab system will have little negative impact on housing projects since their units mostly share the same design. But in the home-building sector, customers might not be satisfied with the fact that they cannot demand major changes to the design of their new house, or possibly any changes at all.
Nevertheless, prefabrication can provide a higher-quality home, strong and durable. More efficient budget control is another incentive since the limited design variation leaves customers with less option to change their minds after the construction budget is set. And the faster completion of the construction is a bonus.
The fact that the construction schedule is quite definite makes it easier for customers to plan the next phase of home decoration such as purchasing furniture and additional extension work.
In addition, compact prefab houses and those that can be built within four months are also suitable for customers who need or want a rental or temporary unit while waiting for the completion of their own place, or for those who want to move in faster.
However, the fact that people are not familiar with prefab houses in the present market is a major challenge. It will take time for customers to adjust their attitudes and see the good aspects of this type of house, recognising that frequently changing their minds is not conducive to efficient construction and budgeting.
In the final analysis, further development of this construction technology can surely accommodate diversity in design and the aesthetic needs of customers. But in the meantime, the continuing acute labour shortage will be a decisive factor reorienting home construction towards a complete prefab system.