Stratégies de standardisation de la préfabrication modulaire volumétrique en ossature légère en bois pour les bâtiments multi-résidentiels dans le contexte québécois

Abstract

In a global context marked by the climate emergency, the shortage of affordable housing, and productivity challenges in the construction sector, it has become essential to question current building practices: are they truly suited to address these major challenges in a sustainable, resilient, and equitable manner? Numerous studies show that volumetric modular prefabrication offers significant advantages over traditional construction in terms of time, cost, productivity, and quality. Meanwhile, the use of wood contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and construction costs, due to the material’s lightness. However, the literature review reveals a lack of standardization in light-frame wood volumetric modular prefabrication. This leads to our research question, which focuses on identifying standardization strategies for volumetric modular prefabrication. Other industries—such as logistics, information technology, and automotive—have successfully implemented viable and efficient standardization processes for many years. Similarly, sectors within construction, such as structural steel or light-gauge steel, and countries like Sweden or Japan, have also achieved this. Drawing on exemplary international practices in volumetric modular wood prefabrication and best practices from other industries, we gathered the perspectives of Quebec-based stakeholders to identify potential standardization strategies for this construction method. To do so, we conducted semi-structured interviews with actors from the Quebec construction industry. Through nine interviews involving stakeholders from five different professions, we collected insights and opinions on the potential for standardization. The expertise and perspectives of manufacturers, architects, general contractors, association representatives, and researchers have helped identify sustainable standardization strategies. The analysis of these interviews reveals some contradictions. Several participants agree that the industry lacks maturity and suffers from insufficient collaboration, which hinders the development of volumetric modular prefabrication and makes it difficult to implement viable standardization. Others suggest that introducing standardized bathroom modules could serve as a starting point for standardization in this field. This master’s research concludes that, at present, the Quebec construction market remains relatively inexperienced with volumetric modular prefabrication for multi-residential buildings. Since project initiation and management processes are still rooted in traditional methods, volumetric modular construction struggles to gain significant traction in the market. Nevertheless, some participants believe that the implementation of standardized bathroom modules could represent one of the first standardization strategies to emerge in the coming years.

Date	27 Aug 2025
Original language	French
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	Ivanka Iordanova (Supervisor) & Carlo Carbone (Co-supervisor)