{"id":1450,"date":"2026-08-18T08:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T22:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freecity.com\/business\/?p=1450"},"modified":"2026-08-18T08:40:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T22:40:51","slug":"freecity-innovation-insights-no-14-the-inherent-advantages-of-vmc-part-4-of-6-low-site-disturbance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freecity.com\/business\/freecity-innovation-insights-no-14-the-inherent-advantages-of-vmc-part-4-of-6-low-site-disturbance\/","title":{"rendered":"Freecity Innovation Insights No.14 \u2013 The Inherent Advantages of VMC, part 4 of 6: Low Site Disturbance"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this series we have been making the case for the inherent advantages of Volumetric Modular Construction (VMC). In this Innovation Insight I want to turn to a key, but lesser-known advantage of VMC: being a good neighbour through reduced truck movements and less waste compared to conventional construction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This benefit of VMC counts most exactly where we need to deliver housing at scale: in places people actually want to live, next to high-quality public transport, services and amenities. Those are usually dense, urban locations with established communities, busy roads and constant pedestrian activity, and a long list of stakeholders to manage throughout construction. In such settings, reducing the impact on the surrounding streets makes a dramatic difference.<\/p>\n

Big modules, but far fewer trucks and building much quicker!<\/h3>\n

I must admit it might seem counter-intuitive to claim VMC is less disruptive than a conventional build, given the significant size of volumetric modules. However, by consolidating materials and labour into complete prefabricated modules, VMC replaces hundreds of smaller, uncoordinated truck movements with a far smaller number of managed, oversized deliveries.<\/p>\n

We can already see this in countries where VMC is more established and has a longer track record. Our design partner HTA Design has shared outstanding results from a decade of building this way in the UK: for instance, at their Ten Degrees development in Croydon, VMC cut vehicle movements by 86 per cent against a conventional build<\/strong>, alongside a 42 per cent shorter construction program.<\/p>\n

In Australia we hope to see similar results being delivered on projects over time. For our Macquarie Park PBSA site, a typical VMC stacking week for our first project is 8-10 modules a day, with a whole floor of 33 units stacked and cleated in ~4 days. Our integrated fa\u00e7ade goes a step further than the UK examples: because the modules arrive with the fa\u00e7ade already installed, the remaining on-site work is limited to services connections, lifts, plant room, roofing and amenities.<\/p>\n