High prices for buyers and renters are forcing Americans out of their homes and making housing unattainable. This crisis is to a large extent driven by supply constraints.

In a recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC), 93 percent of respondents in the architect, engineer, contractor and owner fields indicated that they had implemented some form of offsite construction process in the past twelve months. However, up to this point, there has not been a focus on this expanding sector of the building industry. The Offsite Construction Expo, to be held September 23-24, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C., changes that by putting the spotlight directly on offsite construction.

This brand new event, hosted by NIBS, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will feature exhibits from offsite construction contractors, traditional contractors that have integrated offsite methods, offsite factories, transportation companies, architects, engineers, building information modeling (BIM) suppliers, materials suppliers and consultants for all types of offsite construction processes.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is still looking for input from architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals and manufacturers regarding their software use for off-site construction projects. Earlier this summer, the Council issued a survey to assess the role of software in delivering off-site constructed projects. To ensure a representative sample of industry professionals responds, the OSCC has extended the deadline to Friday, October 9 at 5:00 pm.

In a previous OSCC survey, many AEC professionals indicated utilizing off-site fabricated components to some degree over the past year, and expect to utilize off-site construction more often or the same amount in the year ahead. The purpose of the follow-up software survey is to gain an understanding of the kinds of software tools industry participants are currently using for their off-site projects.

The U.S. building industry is under increasing pressure to deliver high-performance buildings to meet the needs of owners, occupants and the government. Owners and contractors are looking for opportunities to improve certainty in schedule, performance and cost while managing risks. At the same time, there is an increasing concern from multiple segments of the industry on the availability of a skilled workforce, as well as the productivity of the buildings workforce today and into the future. Efforts are underway on a variety of fronts to address productivity challenges, including the expansion of off-site construction techniques; development of enhanced tools and processes such as building information modeling (BIM); enhancing mid- to long-term forecasts of workforce needs; and attracting new, technology-savvy entrants to the workforce through development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is launching a new webinar series designed to share knowledge and improve industry efficiency, productivity and speed to market through the use of pre-fabrication and off-site construction. The webinars will feature topics across the broad spectrum of off-site construction techniques, technologies and tools. Architects, engineers, contractors, owners, code officials and other industry stakeholders will gain valuable insight into the opportunities offered by off-site construction and how to effectively implement off-site construction techniques in future projects.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) will co-sponsor the second webinar in OSCC’s new webinar series designed to share knowledge and improve industry efficiency, productivity and speed to market through the use of pre-fabrication and off-site construction. The webinar, “Precast Concrete Off-Site Construction: Techniques & Case Studies,” will be held July 26 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET) and again July 28 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm PT).

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) will host the webinar, “Getting the Most Out of Off-Site Construction (Part 2),” on August 25, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET. This is the second part of a webinar hosted by the Modular Building Institute and held in June that explored what it takes to choreograph and execute an effective permanent modular construction project.

An upcoming webinar hosted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), jointly presented with the American Bar Association Construction Forum, the Modular Building Institute and the National Institute of Building Sciences Offsite Construction Council (OSCC), will cover a variety of unique commercial and legal issues in industrial, commercial and residential modular construction. “WebEd: The Rise of Modular Construction: Emerging Commercial & Legal Issues,” is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is conducting a new survey to gain an understanding of how the U.S. building industry has changed its use of off-site construction methods in the past three years.

A knowledge center on issues related to off-site construction and productivity in the commercial building sector, the OSCC surveyed the U.S. building industry in 2014 to find out how architects, engineers, contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, owners, developers and others in the building industry were using off-site construction in their commercial construction work. Responses came from across the building industry, representing the diversity of stakeholders involved in the decision making and implementation of off-site construction. Of the more than 300 respondents, 93% indicated they had utilized off-site fabricated components to some degree over the past 12 months, while 83% expected to utilize off-site construction more often or the same amount in the next 12 months.