Tarmac is helping develop new industrialised offsite solutions to boost housing delivery as part of a government-backed collaboration.
The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project has secured £6.5m from the Industrial Strategy and Challenge Fund towards fulfilling its goal of constructing new homes 30 per cent more quickly with a 50 per cent reduction in defects.
Other leading businesses involved in the partnership include Barratt Developments, L&Q Housing Trust, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Stewart Milne Group, the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre and Forster Roofing Services.
The three-year AIMCH project will explore how the latest offsite technology can be used in the context of challenges including the skills shortage, poor productivity and low affordability. It is expected to result in new digital design tools, manufacturing advancements, improved near-to-market offsite systems and lean site processes.
Jeremy Greenwood, director of National Commercial and Construction Solutions at Tarmac, said: “There can be no choice between quantity and quality when it comes to delivering the new homes our country needs.
“Collaborations bringing the best industry insight and expertise to the fore will be key to addressing this critical balance. We look forward to working with our AIMCH partners to develop innovative offsite solutions capable of meeting housebuilding demand effectively.”
Stewart Dalgarno, AIMCH project director and director of product development at Stewart Milne Group, said:“AIMCH’s ambition is to use industrialisation to transform how we build our homes in the UK, leading to more homes that can be built quickly and viably.
“We believe it will be the catalyst the housing sector needs to move towards advanced digital integrated manufacturing, whilst overcoming the challenges that stand between the sector today and where it needs to go in the future.”
Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director at Innovate UK, the body which administered the government funding, said: “We are excited about the possibilities of this project, which we hope will be a game-changer for the housing sector. The partners are experienced innovators and offer scale to showcase a world-leading solution.”
