Vondace Contracting is no stranger to prefabrication. We’ve installed manufactured components on more than 16 different projects in healthcare facilities and hotels—and those are only two of the market sectors in which we’ve used prefabrication.

Beck Technology recently reported on how prefabrication positively affected the HCA Florida University Hospital project, where Vondace Contracting was the general contractor.

“Vondace Contracting used innovative technologies to improve delivery dates, successfully manage staff, and save 25% in MEP installation in their use of prefabrication on the HCA Florida University Hospital project in Davie, Florida,” Beck Technology wrote. “Because of their use of prefabrication, Vondace Contracting was able to significantly improve the project schedule and quality and shift 26,708 man-hours off-site.”

Read more about the project in this article from Beck Technology.

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Every so often, a significant new technology emerges and changes the construction industry for the better. And prefabrication has done just that for several years by allowing project teams to build various components offsite at a safer and more efficient pace, typically in environments that are more attractive to workers and less prone to weather impacts.

When prefabrication first gained traction, the focus was on bigger pieces. Components such as bathroom pods, mechanical racks, and modular headwalls became useful options for projects that depend on tight schedules and reduced costs, particularly for healthcare and hospitality clients. As prefabrication has increased in popularity, though, the construction industry’s interest in prefabrication now includes smaller components that might not otherwise be considered.

“Even if it’s just precut and kitted materials, that is an innovative way for our trades to make sure they have all the necessary materials for a certain space,” said Director of Lean Construction Katie Wells. “You may not be preassembling the whole system, but you’re looking at how to be the most efficient.”

For example, smaller prefabricated components are common among electrical trades. At an offsite facility, workers will implement processes like kitting boxes and precutting conduit before color-coding these items based on where they’ll be installed. Once these boxes are assembled and labeled, they can be transported to their ultimate destination in bulk, saving onsite workers time and increasing their productivity.

On the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital jobsite, prefabrication is being implemented to construct several elements like multi-trade racks, light fixtures, and exterior wall systems.

“Offsite prefabrication offers the opportunity for our trade contractors to increase the efficiency of their skilled workforce by having them work in a more productive environment,” said Operations Manager David Hajjar. “That environment not only produces finished product faster, but also improves quality and safety metrics as workers can focus solely on the task in front of them.”

That controlled environment has been especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prevalence of prefabrication is on the rise as a result. As protective protocols have become standard, project teams have shifted some processes to offsite locations. Creating a workflow that requires fewer workers also helps mitigate the ongoing industry-wide labor shortage.

At Inglett & Stubbs, an electrical contractor on the Arthur M. Blank Hospital project, teams constantly search for ways to improve workflow through prefabrication, no matter the size of the materials. Their facility includes 75,000 square feet of space with between 75 and 125 people working at any given time, and it’s located within 10 miles of the jobsite.

“We prefab as much of this stuff as we possibly can,” said Scott McConnell, QA/QC foreman at Inglett & Stubbs. “We get challenged to come up with something better to make our work more efficient. The Inglett & Stubbs prefab team give us the freedom to fail before we figure out a better way. You never know what somebody’s going to come up with.”

Though prefabrication has been a prominent fixture of the construction industry in recent years, it’s not a blanket solution for every project. Vondace Contracting crafts a custom approach for each project, and we always consider how prefabrication can help us and our clients in terms of scheduling, efficiency, and quality.

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How can prefab benefit your project?

Prefabrication can yield benefits every construction owner hopes for—increased safety and efficiency, higher quality and reduced labor and material costs—but only if the project is properly planned and executed. Vondace Contracting has a strategy, business plan, and leadership team in place to define our effort in prefabrication and support the expansion of new capabilities. We’ve installed several hundred manufactured components and managed a variety of subassemblies installed by our trade partners. Contact our team to learn if prefab is a fit for your next project.

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We know what it takes to plan, manage, and install prefabricated components. Our project teams have completed more than three dozen projects utilizing prefabricated components across market sectors. Because we’ve worked with every aspect of the prefabrication process, we rely on internal best practices and expertise in evaluating which elements of a project are best suited for prefabrication.

Our Approach

Too often, prefabricated elements aren’t considered until design is complete. Turning to prefabrication later in the process can make it cost-prohibitive. We engage with our clients and design partners as early as possible to ensure that we’re making the best decisions for each project. By reviewing the design at the earliest phase, we’re able to identify potential prefabrication options and optimize their value. We then identify trade contractors with the experience and expertise to deliver the best value and quality and evaluate target cost and schedule benefits.

Next, we collaborate to incorporate prefabricated components into design and pricing plans. This allows us to create quality control, phasing and logistics plans, determine metrics and create a data collection plan before the work begins.

Prefabrication in Action

We’ve seen great success with prefabrication on several recent projects. On a recent healthcare expansion project in Florida, our prefabrication and preconstruction teams collaborated on an in-depth analysis of several prefabrication vendors. The group identified multiple components—including operating room ceilings, headwalls, bathroom pods, exterior wall panels and more—and then priced them with multiple vendors. Identifying the options as early as possible enabled us to identify what was best for the project, get team buy-in, and then find the right trade partner to provide those components and the best value.

On an integrated project delivery (IPD) job, our prefabrication and preconstruction teams led cluster group meetings with the client, designers and trade partners to consider the many possible prefabrication components and relevant cost considerations. On this project, the team identified prefabricated exterior wall panels as an opportunity to implement prefabrication and maximize its many benefits. In the IPD environment, we evaluate based on shared risk and shared reward incentive. We aim to innovate and build efficiently while maintaining quality and ensuring the team is set up for profitability.

These under-construction projects are seeing success with prefabrication thanks to these early conversations. Prefabrication will succeed only with the right people in place to guide its implementation. Vondace Contracting maintains a knowledge base of best practices we’ve developed to ensure that we provide our clients with exceptional service. Contact our team to learn if prefabrication is a fit for your next project.

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As an industry leader, Vondace Contracting maintains high standards by finding and implementing techniques and technology that maximize value for our clients. One such technique is prefabrication.

Our prefabrication expertise was essential on the HCA Florida University Hospital project in Davie, Florida. We completed this four-story, 300,000 sq ft hospital with a two-story, 20,000 sq ft central energy plant on an 11-acre development site. Concurrently, we built a 100,000 sq ft medical office building and a 490,000 sq ft parking deck, and renovated a 2,500 sq ft freestanding emergency department. We worked primarily with BLOX and Southern Wall Systems for manufacture of the prefabricated components.

Our approach shifted 26,708 manhours off site and improved the original delivery dates by an average of 28 days.

Prefabrication will succeed only with the right people in place to guide its implementation. Vondace Contracting maintains a knowledge base of best practices we’ve developed to ensure that we provide our clients with exceptional service. Our HCA Florida University Hospital project shows the measurable benefits of our experience and approach.

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Vondace Contracting uses prefabrication to provide our owners with low-cost, high-quality options that fit into their vision. We determine which components of your project are the most cost-effective to prefabricate, then execute the assembly, delivery, and installation of those components in a way that maximizes the cost and schedule benefits. Whether for patient headwalls at a remote hospital or luxury bathrooms at a $270 million hotel, Vondace Contracting has the prefabrication expertise to deliver the best result to meet your needs.

Download the full case study here.

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