WASHINGTON — The Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) in partnership with 84 Lumber and the National Framers Council (NFC), demonstrated the construction of a two-story, 2,400-square-foot house in under eight hours.

The Innovative Housing Showcase in Washington, D.C., focused on the efficiency and sustainability of modern manufacturing techniques. In addition to quick build time, the demonstration showcased significant reductions in material waste and labor.

“This project illustrates how slight changes in a home builder’s normal construction process can significantly impact construction cycle times and allow limited jobsite labor to build more homes more efficiently,” said Jess Lohse, executive director at the SBCA. “The Innovative Housing Showcase is a great opportunity to provide information, knowledge, and a real-time example of all the benefits and efficiencies components, such as trusses and wall panels, bring to the housing industry.”

As one of the SBCA’s largest national members, 84 Lumber provided all the structural framing elements for the build, including windows, doors, and framing crews. 

“This eight-hour build isn’t just some race to the finish or attention-grabbing gimmick,” said Ken Kucera, VP of installed sales and manufacturing at 84 Lumber. “The build represents the efficiencies of current component manufacturing and installation methods. This makes installation at the job site so much faster and helps the builder’s bottom line and ability to provide quality housing solutions.” 

 

“Jobsite labor is severely constrained across the country and this approach allows existing framing crews to complete more homes more quickly and to provide more homes to ease current demand. Both factors contribute to bringing down the cost of housing, making the dream of owning a home possible for more Americans,” said Sean Shields, director of marketing at the SBCA. 

In addition to the offsite components, this year’s event highlighted several new developments. The crew installed HVAC mechanicals, electrical, and plumbing in open-web floor trusses, which speeds up installation, reduces field errors, and lowers costs. 

Incorporation of new products like insulated wall studs in wall panels to enhance the energy efficiency of the home was also used. 
The use of both floor panels and roof panels will move even more construction tasks offsite, thus reducing build time further compared to last year. Last year’s build was completed in 12 hours — the new methods employed this year shaved four hours off the build time. 

According to the SBCA, nearly 70 percent of homes constructed in America leverage offsite construction technology, particularly in roof trusses, which dates to the 1950s. This method not only decreases construction costs compared to traditional stick-framing, but also significantly enhances a home’s resilience against severe weather conditions, thus drastically underscoring its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and durability in the construction industry.