Investing in the Future: Pulte's Switch to Panelization PATH Case Study

Click here to visit the PATH website. The Builders: Stephen Runnels and Chuck Chippero Pulte Homes Manassas, Va. Chuck Chippero has been general manager of Pulte Home Sciences for the past five years. He has over 20 years experience in automotive component manufacturing and engineering. Stephen Runnels is a journeyman in five trades with over 30 years in the manufacturing and installation of construction components, and extensive study in Construction and Business Sciences. For the last six years, he has worked with Pulte Home Sciences developing the Premier PHS-Systems. Builder Type: Large production builder The Technology: Panelized Systems Panelized components are wall, floor, and roof sections that are constructed in a factory, and then shipped and quickly installed on site. The panels form a structural envelope that eliminates the need for conventional framing, provides integral insulation, and can be assembled swiftly by less-skilled laborers. Many panels are lightweight and can be designed to resist earthquakes, high winds, debris impact, moisture and insect infestation. Insulated panels also provide better overall air tightness and thermal performance than conventional wood framing. Panels can be produced in an automated factory environment using computer-controlled equipment that transfers panel-cutting instructions directly from digital CAD drawings. Once the panels are shipped to the jobsite, they can be quickly assembled, speeding the onsite construction schedule and allowing homes to be placed under roof more quickly. The Project: Pulte's panelized system is primarily installed in mid- to high-end developments with homes up to 6,000 square feet in northern Virginia. A dozen of Pulte's large developments in the area are using unique panelized components manufactured in Pulte's Manassas plant. Read three PATH field evaluations: Home Front Inc., Port Charlotte, Fla. Howard Building Company, Rougemont, N.C. Hughes Construction, Lexington, N.C. Learn more: PATH’s Residential Panels Benchmark Requirements PATH’s Factory Built Housing Roadmap ToolBase Tech Spec Why Pulte builds with panelized systems: "The primary objective was to build a higher-performing house faster. We also saw that the number of skilled carpenters is declining, and we wanted to be ahead of the curve so that we can limit our exposure to labor shortages. On average, it takes us 19 days from the day we start to dig the foundation to the day we turn the house over to the mechanical contractor."   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6  NEXT