A longitudinal investigation into utilising crosswall construction for multi-storey residential buildings

Abstract

To address the under-supply and poor build quality of housing in the UK, the use of offsite technologies has been promoted. Precast concrete crosswall is an offsite technology encouraged for use for multi-storey developments. However, the uptake of crosswall is slow, which constitutes a risk to long-term housing delivery. This paper addresses this risk by revealing an insight into the utilisation of crosswall for multistorey residential buildings in the organisational context. The paper reports on longitudinal case study research of 20 crosswall buildings, consisting of 1930 apartments in total, constructed by a leading UK housebuilder in recent five years. The case study involved document analysis and personal interviews with the company and their supply chains. The rationale for utilising crosswall included considerations of design, technical, commercial, procurement and construction. The primary driver was simplicity from both procurement and contractual aspects, which enabled the developer to construct buildings up to 20 storeys without engaging specialist main contractors. Other benefits included reduced on-site duration, enhanced quality of finish, reduced waste, improved health and safety and cost savings, whilst issues existed in design, procurement and construction. To fully realise the potential benefits from utilising crosswall requires modifications to existing design process and supply chain management and cultural support to innovation and learning. Strategies are developed from the longitudinal learning process. They should encourage the uptake of crosswall and improve quality and efficiency of housing supply in the future.