COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 14, 2022

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor David McManus

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on any modular built construction methods used by SDCC for housing delivery in recent years or currently, if such methods may deliver efficiencies in the opinion of Council management, and if a statement can be provided?

REPLY:

Modular construction is commonly used to refer to construction systems using a large proportion of modular wall-panels with off-site pre-assembly, similar to various systems and approaches already used and in use by the Council including:

• Timber-framed construction: normally used in conjunction with external concrete block rendered or brick clad walls, e.g. at the Council development at Sheefy-Skeffington in Brookfield, where 90 new homes were constructed in just over 12 months.
• Light-gauge steel frame system: where galvanised steel mesh panels are used from framing and internal walls externally clad with concrete block rendered or brick walls as above. This system was used for the Corkagh Grange PPP housing development where 109 new homes were constructed in 13 months and it is also currently being used at the Riversdale/Mayfield and St. Marks Avenue developements that are currently under construction.
• Pre-cast concrete floor/wall panels: this system has recently seen an increase in use again with previous related issues with damp penetration and condensation now resolved with new insulation systems, sealing compounds and better understanding and calculation of building physics.  It is very suitable for multi-storey buildings including non-residential developments and is currently in use for apartment buildings in the Kilcarbery development.

All of these technologies will continue to be deployed as appropriate in our ongoing housing programme to expedite delivery of new homes and in keeping with the Council's long track record of embracing innovation in construction.

Separately, modular-construction can also be taken to refer to the pre-assembly offsite of "boxes" - four walls/floor/ceiling - which are stacked onsite to form houses or other buildings or components of buildings, for instance pre-assembled kitchens or bathrooms.  The cost of prefabrication plant limits the economic competitiveness of these modular systems to schemes of a very large scale, typically greater than 200 units plus. There are also a very small number of companies in Ireland capable of producing these units to meet volume, programme and cost requirements and consequently we have not used this system to date.