Haskell Keeps Expanding and Improving Use of DMC Delivery

Design Manufacture Construct (DMC) project delivery is growing in popularity, and as an early adopter, Haskell continues to improve its methods and expand its use of the highly efficient construction method.

On a DMC project, modular building components are fabricated off-site in a manufacturing facility, then shipped to the project site for assembly by a smaller crew than would be needed for traditional on-site construction. Advantages include shortened schedules, cost savings, improved safety, higher quality and greater environmental sustainability.

“DMC is a delivery model that provides customers with consistent quality and a shorter delivery time,” said Ryan Hollister, Vice President of Haskell’s Manufacturing Core. “DMC allows for the manufacturing process to begin early, in parallel with site development. Unlike traditional construction, DMC projects can begin manufacturing and construction before the site is ready for development. The advantage of DMC’s quicker delivery times cannot be overstated, especially for time-sensitive customers who need to begin operations as soon as possible.”

Working with its strategic partner BLOX, a firm specializing in manufacturing components for the healthcare industry, Haskell is the prime contractor on numerous free-standing emergency room projects for Universal Health Services and has completed past DMC projects for HCA Healthcare and Walmart Health.

BLOX builds the modular components, called ubers, at its 1 million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bessemer, Alabama, and ships them to the project location, where Haskell crews assemble, construct and deliver the facility. Haskell handles all preconstruction and construction management and often self-performs large portions of the work.

Haskell has also partnered with other manufacturing firms based on the unique needs of DMC projects. As an example, Haskell uses different manufacturers, including BLOX, to build different elements of projects for a global program building religious structures for a confidential client.

“DMC requires a different buying methodology,” Hollister said. “DMC customers usually seek standardization and serial programming. This means that DMC is a perfect solution for customers desiring standardization of facilities, since repeatability and scalability are DMC’s forte.”

Interestingly, DMC has offered an added, and unexpected, advantage recently. Much of the construction industry has been choked by widespread shortages of building materials, as producers have been slow to ramp back up since the COVID-19 lockdown ended, and labor shortages. Steel shortages are particularly severe in the cases of joists and joist girders.

DMC answers each of those challenges.

First, modular building is less labor-intensive, requiring smaller crews to assemble prefabricated components, so a workforce shortage is less onerous. And secondly, the consistent nature of the manufacturing process helps insulate it against supply chain anomalies and interruptions.

“A DMC facility has more consistent inventory than a traditional construction site,” Hollister said. “It’s easier to forecast material needs because a manufacturing facility knows what materials it needs to mass produce certain goods. This doesn’t mean shortages or delays won’t be problematic. For examples, car manufacturers have been ravaged by the chip shortage. But since DMC facilities have to mass produce buildings and structures, they have a greater existing supply of prefabricated materials than a traditional construction site would.”