In recent years, modular buildings can be considered assembly technology in the construction field. The construction of houses mainly uses prefabricated modular components to assemble, which has the advantages of dexterous assembly and simple structure.
1. What Exactly Is a Modular Building?
A modular building is a process in which the building is constructed under off-site and controlled factory conditions, uses the same materials, and is designed following the same codes and standards as traditional building facilities, but only half the time.
Modular buildings include two different types of buildings:
Volumetric modular building (is a process in which the entire room or part of the room, including walls, floors, and ceilings, are built in a factory environment and then transported to the final location for assembly. This type of building is suitable for permanent modular projects and movable modular projects, including immovable facilities and transportable buildings, such as hotels and temporary classrooms.
Panel building refers to building interior/exterior wall panels in a factory environment and then transporting them to the construction site and laying them on the site. The rest of the building was constructed on-site.
2. What Are The Benefits Of Modular Construction?
Modular construction can save costs, but this is not its primary benefit. Instead, the main advantage of modular construction is to save time and speed up the return on investment.
Because the modular building allows industrial assembly and site preparation to be carried out simultaneously, it can significantly shorten the total time of the building structure.
Usually, when the site is ready (foundation leveling, pipe laying, concrete pouring, etc.), the factory-built modules can be placed.
For example, a modular hotel can open 30%-50% earlier than a traditional hotel and generate revenue.
Other benefits include improved worker safety (workers are working in a safe and controlled environment, rather than in unstable high altitudes or less controllable climates), increased productivity, and increased schedule certainty (through the module The opportunities for delayed changes and weather delays are significantly reduced), and the predictability of costs is improved.
3. Are Modular Buildings Sustainable?
Modular buildings are considered a more sustainable option than traditional construction methods for several reasons.
Better flexibility and reusability. Modular buildings can be disassembled, and modules can be relocated or refurbished to meet new uses, reduce the demand for raw materials, and minimize the energy consumed to meet unique needs.
Reduce material waste. During the construction of the factory, waste was avoided by recycling materials, controlling inventory, and protecting building materials.
Improve air quality. Since the modular structure is done using dry materials in a factory-controlled environment, it eliminates a large amount of moisture present in the new building.
4. Can Modular Buildings Be Used In Any Structure?
Any building can be constructed in a modular way.
But to do this, the building must be conceived and designed in this way. When time is tight, or space is limited, modular buildings are often chosen.
In Europe, urban areas are often restricted by roads and other buildings, so traditional construction methods (carrying materials and workers to the site for a long time) can be complicated. However, with modular buildings, you only need a crane and fewer people to build the building in a shorter time. Moreover, in narrow cities, reducing noise pollution is also a significant advantage.
5. Are There Safety Requirements Or Design Restrictions For Modular Buildings?
Modular buildings usually rely on advanced BIM to evaluate energy performance, determine the most cost-effective efficiency measures, and hand over the design to manufacturers for industrial prefabrication and construction.
In terms of design constraints, modular buildings are constructed following the same building codes and specifications as traditional buildings and are almost indistinguishable from ordinary buildings.
From single-family houses to multi-story office buildings, modular construction methods can use anywhere.
