In this blog series Are Prefabrication and Modular Construction Providing Improvements?, you will find out why the various players in the Construction Industry agree that both Prefabrication and Modular Construction can improve safety and quality, reduce costs and schedules, and enhance sustainability performances despite the workforce shortages, supply chain uncertainties, and other challenges.

What are Prefabrication and modular construction?

Modular construction is a way of building more quickly using modules, which are constructed in a factory and assembled on-site.

Modular construction and Prefabrication refer to one or more factory-built building units from the fabrication site then transported and assembled on-site.

The definition given by the Modular Building Institute is as follows:

Permanent modular construction is a design and construction process performed in a manufacturing facility that produces building components or modules constructed to be transported to a permanent building site.

You can find these modular construction approaches in many sectors and construction types such as residential buildings, multi-family dwellings, schools and universities, prisons, railways, and high-rises.

Modular construction has very specific requirements and as such cannot be used for all architectural styles and building classifications, mainly where there is little repetition, but with the use of new technologies this is starting to change.

Why should you shift towards manufacturing the building process to modular construction? Mainly if you want to reduce cost, time-to-build, and improve the quality of the construction.

Why Prefabrication and Modular Construction?

Modularized construction is a way to minimize inefficiencies in the Construction Industry. The biggest issue in the AEC industry is the amount of waste generated. Modular construction and Prefabrication allow you to recycle leftover materials and reduce waste.

At Driving Vision we recommend shifting from traditional sites into factories with off-site manufacturing-style production, whenever possible, to improve the bottom line.

Frequency of Use of Specific Types of Modular Construction

The designers' respondents to the 2020 Dodge Data analytics survey predict that the overall number of future prefabrication and modular construction usage will not increase, but the percentage of projects using panelized modular construction will grow. Contractors show the most future growth.

The four types of modular panelized projects used the most are:

• Wall Modules, the most frequent amongst the four types, mostly by architects (95% who participated in the survey).
• Structural insulated panels 77% of contractors and 69% of design firms report using those panels.
• Modular roof panels, used by half of the design practices and general contractors
• Modular floor panels are used by a high percentage of designers (47%). It may generate an uptick among contractors (32% currently) because they will ultimately implement the designs solutions that involve the modular floors.

Full volumetric is less used than panelized modular construction but future predictions are strong.

The three types of full volumetric modular used are:

• 3D modules to be joined on site by all three types of firms, with similar percentages for the designers, contractors, and trade contractors.
• Flat-packed construction systems for site assembly are used consistently across company types, but not as frequently as 3D modules joined on site.
• 3D Modules slotted into a structure that can be transported are most commonly used by trade contractors (46%)

Factory made turnkey modular Building Units

About three quarters (68% to 83%) of the company types surveyed report some use of factory-made turnkey buildings like bathroom pods, utility rooms, etc, over the last three years.

Trade Contractors forecast the highest growth rate of usage. 31% predict they will use them on 25% or more of their projects in the next three years, compared with only 10% currently at that level. 29% of all company types will be implementing factory-made turnkey building units on at least 25% of their projects.

Relocatable Modular Structures

The Modular Building Institute defines them as

structures that are designed to be reused or repurposed multiple times and transported to different building sites.

66% of the design companies report some usage but predicted growth to 69% in three years.

71% of Contractors are using relocatable modular and 79% believe they will be doing so in three years

Trade contractors are the least active now not improving in the future.

The Future of Prefabrication and Modular Construction

Once considered a cheap solution for properties in lower-priced areas, Modular Construction is not anymore considered a cheap solution, the projections for 2023 are to reach as high as $157 billion. With the development of new technologies, economic demands, and mind-changing from the owners the interest in modular construction is increasing around the world:

• Artificial Intelligence improves efficiency in precision
• Robotics create modules with more speed and accuracy than before

In Conclusion

Using Prefabrication and Modular Construction helps:

• Speeding up the construction process as with modular construction, the foundation, and the building can be built at the same time. The average reduction in the whole process in factory-based prefabrication is 20 to 30 percent compared with traditional construction. The Chinese city of Wuhan built a hospital in just a few days, to treat patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus.
• Improving Return On Investment is possible. In modular construction, costs are predictable allowing you to plan your budget appropriately at the beginning of the project, rather than just having a rough estimate. The prefabricated structures allow you to have your building constructed sooner than on-site construction projects, so you can open your business's doors sooner and begin making profits earlier.
• Cutting costs. A shorter build time is the main driver to save money, another factor is that the Labour costs are less as in prefabrication you are using factory workers rather than individual tradesmen like plumbers and electricians.
• Limiting interruption due to weather-related issues. The teams work inside enabling them to work even in inhospitable weather conditions. Building materials are stored inside and stay cleaner as they’re protected from the elements.
• Decreasing site disruption. With modular construction you can keep your site open longer when constructing, keeping your business running or activity flowing. When a factory, in Wales United Kingdom, realized that a traditional site-built project could block its only shipping entrance for nearly nine months, they decided to go modular. They have been able to complete delivery and installation in a few weeks and the entrance was out of service for less than a day.
• Reducing pollution. As materials are delivered to the factory, in modular construction, lessening the number of vehicles going on-site hindering air and noise pollution.
• Minimising waste by using lean manufacturing methods. In modular factories you reduce waste making it easier to recycle construction material and use environmental principles during construction.
• Facilitating quality control. The modular method of “in-house” design and production, reduces clashes and helps designers, engineers, and builders to spot and correct problems, at the design stage avoiding costly reworks.

Implementing BIM can be daunting, but Driving Vision is here to help you at the pace you are comfortable with. Get started by getting in touch now