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Balustrades Thrive with Offsite Construction

In 2017 the Construction Sector Deal outlined (amongst others) the following objectives for extending the reach of offsite operations within the UK construction industry.

• Higher performing buildings that are quicker to construct at a lower cost
• Offsite manufacturing technologies to reduce material wastage, construction inefficiencies and costly delays due to weather, supply or other issues that are often a feature of on-site projects
• Production to be able to run parallel to site preparation, reducing time to completion and minimising disruption

Since the release of the report, the construction industry has made increased efforts to adapt organisations and become more suitable for offsite construction.

But what is offsite construction?

Offsite construction is the completion of elements or components of a construction project at a different location to where they will be permanently installed. This includes the move to modular buildings; whereby entire finished sections of a building are hoisted into position by a crane.

However, offsite construction doesn’t just apply to modular buildings or larger elements of a construction project.

At Delta Balustrades we’ve been manufacturing offsite for 35 years, in a bid to reduce labour times on site, by creating a seamless, disruption free approach to installing our proprietary balustrade systems. Prefabricating parts ready for the final installation allows our proprietary balustrade systems to be installed without the need for any further cutting or welding on site.

To accomplish this, we developed a manufacturing process that results in a finished product being delivered to site.

Our processes include:

• More accurate surveys
• Wherever possible, use of existing 3D/BIM models
• Digitally drawn 3D models which assist by providing visuals and clash detection
• Transfer of 3D information from design to suppliers to reduce wastage and improve accuracy
• Wrapped handrails and balustrades to protect the finished item
• The elimination of templating e.g. glass and panels
• State of the art glued joins to eliminate any onsite welding (Hot Works)
• Polished stainless steel or powder coating to eliminate onsite painting
• Large sections of balustrade are assembled in the factory to reduce onsite operations
• Control the nature of the factory environment to adhere to health and safety procedures and manufacture to British Standards more efficiently

In the meantime, don’t forget that 90% of your balustrades journey has already been completed offsite.

Offsite processes are easier to control and ultimately provide better quality. This in turn reduces rework and subsequent snagging operation onsite, saving both time and money. Furthermore, from a Health & Safety perspective, less man hours on site reduces construction related accidents and helps to reduce project management implications.

Using a proprietary balustrade system manufactured offsite can maximum efficiency, cost savings, safety and reduce disruption. Always choose a system that withstands the highest levels of compliance and is a tried and tested product.

If you’d like to know more about Delta’s proprietary balustrade systems, contact us today on 01270 753 383 or email your queries to info@deltabalustrades.com