Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Obiso, Melissa Lynn Author's Email Address robiso@mail.vt.edu URN etd-151517659751561 Title Analysis of Means and Methods of Construction Improvement in Single Family Housing in Mid-Atlantic Rural University Towns Degree Master of Science Department Building Construction Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Thomas H. Mills Committee Chair Flynn L. Auchey none Yvan J. Beliveau none Keywords
- residential construction
- building systems
- construction
- prefabrication
- manufacturing
- housing
Date of Defense 1997-05-07 Availability unrestricted Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine if
innovative building methods and materials
have the potential to lead to better
productivity. Furthermore, this study
endeavored to establish the premise that
builders who use pre-fabrication,
pre-assembly, and modular materials and
building methods will perform more
productively than those builders who
donÕt. These ideas were pursued by first
reviewing the history of home building in the
United States to determine trends and
patterns in innovation. The experimental
phase of the study was accomplished by
interviewing local and regional builders
about their actual methods of construction
used for residential construction. These
methods were then analyzed to determine
the contribution of these methods to the
builderÕs productivity. Not surprisingly,
builders choose one specific type of
construction to build a majority of their
projects. They use these methods because
they are comfortable with them and
confident in them; they know they work,
and they believe that they are an efficient
means of producing a house. It was
determined that residential builders in these
rural university towns tend to use traditional
wood framing construction methods above
all of the other available methods. However,
there are builders who do use
less-conventional methods including: wall
panels, pole construction, and modular unit
construction. The actual building methods
used by builders are somewhat determined
by several factors, including: project type,
company size and structure, and area of the
country. Furthermore, the builders who
choose to use non-traditional construction
methods with regularity tend to have higher
rates of productivity as well as the ability to
take on more projects. Higher rates of
productivity and the ability to take on more
projects have the potential to give builders a
competitive advantage over their
competition.
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