Photo courtesy Pacific Mobile Structures
Modular construction capitalizes on the ability to move product in controlled manufacturing conditions and on tight inventory control and project schedules. Additionally, modular buildings are better designed for deconstruction and reuse. Structures can come apart in pieces in the same way they were created. This allows for relocation and repurposing rather than demolition, meaning less waste is sent to landfills.
Modular construction is inherently waste-conscious and the resource efficiency of the construction process provides an advantage in meeting LEED requirements in the Materials and Resources (MR) category.
LEED rewards projects for recognizing where materials come from, how they are used onsite, whether they are salvaged during renovations, and how the residual waste stream is managed. Special recognition is given to using existing buildings and materials with recycled content.
The offsite, factory-controlled construction process also provides modular manufacturers with other advantages in meeting the LEED requirements. It can have minimal site impact when delivered carefully and strategically with respect to site constraints qualifying projects for credits under Sustainable Sites (SS). The tight building of the modular construction allows for superior energy conservation and indoor air quality (IAQ), qualifying modular projects for credits in the categories of Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) and Energy and Atmosphere (EA). (See “Modular Building and the USGBC’s LEED: Version 3.0 2009 Building Rating System,” by Modular Building Institute [MBI].)
Better quality and cost controls
The benefits of creating superior buildings that are not just environmentally responsible and energy-efficient, but also save time and money, are particularly appealing in the current economic climate.
With modular construction, modules can be assembled offsite in a controlled manufacturing environment at the same time, or even before sitework has begun. Trade coordination occurring at the factory also improves efficiency. No longer do electricians and plumbers have to wait until the entire building is framed in to begin work, and no longer does the first floor need to be completed before beginning on the second.
Image courtesy Modular Building Institute
With modular construction, walls, floors, ceilings, and rafters are all built at the same time, then brought together in the same factory to form a building (Figure 1). This streamlined, efficient, and accelerated construction process results in fewer labor hours needed per project, fewer trips to the site per project, and allows building owners to see a faster ROI.
Due to the simultaneous process of creating modules in a factory at the same time sitework is occurring, 66 percent of respondents for MHC’s modular report say project schedules are decreased and 65 percent report project budgets are decreased.
NIST also acknowledges the advantages of the modular construction process and identifies it as a breakthrough to improve the overall efficiency and productivity of the construction industry:
Manufacturing building components offsite provides for more controlled conditions and allows for improved quality and precision in the fabrication of the component…The greater use and deployment of these techniques (if used appropriately) can result in lower project costs, shorter schedules, improved quality, more efficient use of labor and materials, and improved worker safety.
Modular facilities are built with the same materials as site construction to meet or exceed all building codes and architectural specifications. Additionally, they can be highly customizable. Several inspections are made to modular building during the construction process, reducing potential risks associated with poor facility performance. It is an effective solution for various markets and can provide great quality control.
Conclusion
The inefficiencies of the construction industry, which have predominately been driven by traditional construction, are well-documented. Recent research also supports the fact offsite construction improves productivity on a project and increased adoption of these methods helps the industry grow. Modular construction is an important process to provide inherently green benefits and a technique to cut the time and cost of construction and to complete projects more safely with fewer workers.
The growing popularity of building information modeling technologies, green building, and the increasing need to save money and time on quality buildings are fueling the trend. As summarized in the MHC report, the modular construction process has the unique ability to bring together BIM, sustainable building practices, and lean manufacturing techniques to have an exponential increase on construction productivity.
Tom Hardiman, CAE, is the executive director of the Modular Building Institute (MBI)––the international non-profit trade association for commercial modular construction. He has worked in the construction association industry for 13 years. Hardiman can be reached at tom@modular.org.
