In my curiosity, I decided I wanted to know the answer to a simple question.
Terms such as DfMA, MMC, Offsite construction, Prefab, PPVC, MiC and many more are often used interchangeably resulting in great confusion not only for newcomers but also established players in the industry..I believe the lack of clarity around nomenclature in the DfMA landscape has become a major barrier to change.
A clear and universally understood definition framework would help increase stakeholder awareness and confidence in adopting innovative construction methods and could help encourage a more structured and focused conversation across the industry at large..The minefield of different terms means there is a tendency to assume that the landscape is complicated but there really is a simple relationship between all these different elements and it starts with DfMA.. DfMA is a design approach.The clue is in the name.
“Design for Manufacture and Assembly” is a design approach.Conventional design either has a presumption towards conventional construction or is agnostic regarding the construction method.
Conversely, a DfMA design is developed to be constructed in a particular way..
When designing for manufacture and assembly, the designer must find the best way to meet the client’s requirements by considering the most efficient way to manufacture elements of the building and the most efficient way to assemble them on site.Operational carbon refers to the emissions of a building during its operation.
This includes regulated carbon emissions (heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and domestic hot water) and unregulated carbon emissions which include small power and plug-in systems.. What is embodied carbon?.Embodied carbon refers to the carbon emissions generated by a building over its lifetime, including the processing, manufacture and distribution of building elements, the construction itself, the use of the building, the end-of-life scenarios and opportunities for reuse and recycle.. What does net zero carbon mean?.
Due to the growing pressure in the construction industry, many new developments claim they can achieve net zero carbon emissions.In many cases, they refer to the possibility of achieving net zero carbon in operation only, which means that they do not account for the embodied carbon of the building over its lifecycle.