Portakabin's Keith Blanshard: Profile

No longer dismissed as a last minute solution, modular construction has come a long way since Keith Blanshard helped set up Portakabin’s Yorkon subsidiary 20 years ago. He tells James Stagg what has changed and where the future lies.

How has the industry changed since the launch of Yorkon?

It’s changed considerably from the original relocatable systems to the design and build permanent structures we offer today. One significant change is the perception of the off-site industry and its acceptability. Our evangelising, along with recognition of the efficiencies to be gained have contributed to this change of perception. Now it’s accepted as a serious option.

Are architects and contractors now embracing the benefits of off-site?

It is still a struggle with architects as they want individuality and to design every single detail. But there’s a group coming through that engage the supply chain and try and design buildings with what the supply chain can provide. So architects are definitely embracing off-site thinking, but it is usually the younger guys.

Certainly in the last four or five years main contractors have started to embrace the off-site world. In fact a huge proportion of our orders are now from main contractors, which is a shift. This is because they can see the benefits.

We can help reduce risk – not just contractual risk but the sourcing of labour and materials is easier. It is easier for them to put packages together so they are starting to seriously think about the off-site supply chain, whether that is modular systems, panels systems, concrete, timber or steel.

Main contractor involvement in the off-site industry is increasing, but you still have to start at a point where design has to represent production rather than construction.

What on-site problems does off-site successfully address?

Logistically, modular construction affords extra space on site. It also deals with the issue of skills shortage. With off-site we have a stable workforce whereas a building site has what I call a ‘mobile phone’ workforce, who flit from site to site.
There’s also the element of value engineering, where we can engineer waste out of the business. We have specialised pallets delivered to the factory without all the packaging associated with taking products to site. This also means we are more able to segregate waste, having created a recycling culture among the workforce.

Also, current legislation really stretches building designers. If you can make something in the factory you have a much better chance of reducing air leakage and making sure insulation levels are sufficient to meet Part L requirements.

Are contractors now more able to integrate off-site into traditional construction?

You really need to take a building and break it down into its components, whatever they may be. In fact in some ways that’s where the future lies: the marrying together of traditional elements and pre-finished modular construction.

What must be understood is the importance of the interface between the external works. Everywhere you have an interface you have a potential problem - but there’s now much more recognition of that.

Is modular construction being employed to its potential?

It is being embraced in a number of sectors but we don’t believe that it’s reached its full potential. There is still the perception that modular has to be very rectilinear. Modular is not restrictive in its design, for example we are now able to make a curved building.

What we have to do is provide a pallet of options so that clients can express what they want to express. They have to give us the vision and we will do the physical building of it and work it all out.

Does the market favour flat pack or modular elements?

Flat pack is simply a highbrid of a site assembled building. You can’t put anything in it or pre-finish it. However, there is definitely a market for individual panels pre-finished.

The thing about volumetrics is that it’s possible to include finishes like m&e, floor coverings, decorations, and glazing inside the building before it leaves the factory. By using flat pack the labour is being moved back to site, whereas by keeping your labour in factory conditions you’re in control of your programme and your quality.

Is modular only worthwhile when achieving economies of scale?

That’s a misconception. We’ll sell somebody two modules because they’re using a chassis that’s already been designed. What I won’t do is sell two special modules that are not of the standard size.

Our limitations are more to do with transportation. You can’t make a room six metres high with a volumetric structure because you can’t transport it, but what you can do is put four modules together and take the beam out.

How do you see the off-site market developing?

I think we’ll start getting more unusual shaped buildings. The industry is also likely to move towards larger components. That can either be a module or large sections of roofs, flooring, walls and cladding. Eventually there’ll be piece of curtain walling six or seven metres high and three metres wide.

There is also likely to be a mixture of different materials employed, for example carbon fibres mixed in with steel. This will create stronger yet lighter sections.

What else can be taken off-site?

I can also see there being more m&e completed in the factory. There are already systems being developed where it is possible to plug modules together. On some more complex projects we have had m&e subcontractors here on site. We can carry out the majority ourselves but when you get specialist requirements, such as hospitals, we can accommodate specialist contractors at our premises.

What would be on your wish list for off-site?

I’d love to persuade the government to create some really cutting edge buildings using solely off-site construction. For example, I think it would be possible to build a school in 16 weeks using off-site methods. The project could be used as a way of encouraging research and development and we could benchmark cost, the running of the job and timescales.

Four things you didn’t know about Keith Blanshard:

• He has been in the industry since his parents signed him up as an apprentice - he wasn’t of voting age.
• He has helped build teaching accommodation in a remote area of Uganda, even bringing back clay bricks to prove it.
• He has taken up sailing since becoming semi-retired.
• He is helping out a small business dealing in steel sculptures.

CV

Keith Blanshard
Age 63
Previous Roles
2007: Project director, working on a consultancy basis for the Portakabin Group.
2005-2007: took on additional role as director of Portakabin
1995-2005: director and general manager, Yorkon
1980-1995: commercial manager, Yorkon
1977-1980: commercial manager, Portakabin
1971-1977: technical co-ordinator, Portakabin
1967-1971: production engineer, Portakabin