August 12, 2013 – Thanks to the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association (CECA) for letting us know of this unique survey opportunity for electrical contractors to help researchers assess the state of prefabrication in the electrical contracting industry. Keep reading…

The advancements in information technology available to the design and construction industry have made the use of pre-planned and coordinated portions of a facility feasible again. These pre-planned and coordinated portions include preassembled sections and fixtures, modular frames and sections, and prefabricated components.

For the sake of simplicity, all of these practices—prefabrication, preassembly, modularization and off-site fabrication—are referred to as ‘prefab’. To understand how these changes have affected the industry’s use of prefab, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is conducting a study to assess the state of practice of prefab in the electrical contracting industry.

Since the research community is interested in developing knowledge and solutions for industry, it must reach out to members of the electrical contracting industry. The information gathered from these companies and professionals is the origin of the solutions for them.

[The URL links to a] questionnaire for research that is being conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research will benefit the construction industry as a whole; especially the electrical contracting industry.

I am writing to request your participation in this study by completing the [linked] survey. Your participation is critical and will require a moderate time commitment from your company. The survey will take approximately 30 to 90 minutes to complete. For your cooperation, a free copy of the final report on the state of practice of prefab will be sent to you.

Please note that any information that you provide for this study will be held in the strictest of confidence. Names of specific individuals, organizations and projects will not be revealed to protect your interests and the interests of your company.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to our research. If you have any questions before then or at any time, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Dr. Awad S. Hanna, PE, FASCE
Professor and chair
University of Wisconsin-Madison
hanna@engr.wisc.edu
(608) 263-8903