How to Layout Plants & Shops in Support of Industrialized Construction

To meet the demand for infrastructure created by digital transformation, energy transition, and the need for commercial and residential space, owners and their contractors continue to move work offsite. From hospital modules to small modular reactors (SMR’s), the thinking is that construction can be made like manufacturing where safer, more productive work environments reduce the cost and time of project delivery. However, for many, the benefit of an offsite strategy remains elusive. If the promise of projects being delivered safer, faster, at lower cost and more predictably, by moving work offsite is to be realized, project professionals must understand how to design and control production systems and the facilities they require to efficiently operate. The purpose of this paper is to set forth a methodology for designing offsite production facilities including how to lay them out, select resources and how to effectively control the production system and associated supply chain.