PrefabAUS joins the Australian Construction Industry Forum

Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) is pleased to welcome PrefabAUS as an ACIF Member, bringing to the industry table one of the newest and fastest growing sectors in building and construction – prefabrication.

As ACIF is the peak consultative body for trades and disciplines from across the industry, this is the right time and place for this emerging discipline to integrate with industry peers.

“Prefabrication is bringing a fresh approach to our industry, one that will help improve productivity, profitability and sustainability that will benefit all stakeholders,” said James Cameron, Executive Director of ACIF.

“PrefabAUS members utilise technology and collaborative work practices to innovate in the design and manufacturing, which will contribute to better results for clients, as well as safer and easier build projects for the over one million Australians involved in the construction industry.”

As Australia’s peak body for prefabrication and off-site construction, PrefabAUS exists to represent, showcase and advance Australia’s prefabricated building industry through collaboration, innovation and education.

In its first five years, PrefabAUS has enjoyed strong membership growth and excellent support from the emerging offsite construction industry, including architects, builders, engineers and other technical consultants, to manufacturers and others interested in this new approach.

On joining ACIF, Chief Executive Officer for PrefabAUS, Warren McGregor, said, “We are enthusiastic about joining ACIF, and hope to be able to make meaningful contribution to this important forum.

“We see this as a great opportunity to work closely with our industry peers at a strategic level, and to promote understanding of the benefits of off-site construction in transforming our approach to the built environment.”

About PrefabAUS

Established in 2013 (some 30 years after the US counterpart, the Modular Building Institute), PrefabAUS has enjoyed strong membership growth and excellent support from our emerging offsite construction industry.

As shown in the chart at left, PrefabAUS membership includes a cross section of the construction industry; architects, builders, engineers and other technical consultants, manufacturers of prefabricated buildings and modules, flat packs, bathroom pods and sub-assemblies, component suppliers, project managers, client organisations, allied Industry associations, government agencies as well as the academic/research community.

The 2016 PrefabAUS annual conference took place in Sydney in October. This three day event started with a whole day of site visits followed by two days of conference presentations was attended by over 220 delegates, representing a very strong groundswell of interest. 

The 4th annual PrefabAUS conference in 2017 will be in Melbourne: Monday 11 September (Site Visits) and Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 September for the Conference formal program.

Built Offsite - The 2016 Conference also marked the launch of Built Offsite, a new bi-monthly magazine dedicated to offsite construction and expertly produced by Boston Publishing. The inaugural and second editions are available in digital format at www.prefabaus.org.au/, with the third edition about to be released.

In December 2016 PrefabAUS co-hosted the pre-launch event for the Modular Construction Code, the first of its kind in the world.  Developed by the Modular Construction Codes Board (MCCB), it is a collaborative research project with Monash University, jointly funded by the Victorian Government and private industry.

The aim of the Code is to provide guidance to the industry on the design and construction of modular structures by consolidating leading-edge experience and knowledge of advances in modular manufacturing and construction for improving safety, productivity and quality in industrial practices. This Code seeks to provide integrated solutions and experiences to industry, government and the wider community. Additional information about the Codes Board is available at www.prefabaus.org.au/mccb/

PrefabAUS Sweden Study Tour

Sweden is the leading exponent of panelised building systems, with around 80% of its houses being factory-built to reap the construction time, quality and labour efficiency advantages.  This study tour program has been designed to showcase panel systems for detached and apartment (mid-rise) construction and features unparalleled access to factories, projects and industry experts (presentations and technical discussions). PrefabAUS is arranging a study tour departing Australia the evening of Friday 5 May and arriving back in Australia the evening of Saturday 13 May.

Study tour delegates will experience a selection of Swedish prefabricated housing manufacturers from manually produced elements using ‘butterfly tables’ with very low capital investment through to firms utilising highly automated high volume production lines.  Beyond the manufacturing processes involved, the program will also consider the initiation, design, marketing and delivery of panel system projects.

About Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF)

Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) is the cohesive, trusted voice of the Australian Construction Industry. ACIF facilitates and supports an active dialogue between the key players in residential and non-residential building, and engineering construction, other industry groups, and government agencies. ACIF’s focus is on innovation, collaboration, equity and sustainability for the industry.

ACIF Members are the most significant Associations in the industry, spanning the entire asset creation process from feasibility through design, cost planning, construction and building and management. ACIF harnesses the resources of its Members to research and develop initiatives that benefit businesses of all sizes, from the largest of construction companies to small consultancies. More information on ACIF is available from www.acif.com.au.

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