Permanent Modular Buildings: Pre-Fabricated Wonders for Green, Sustainable Construction

Can a 57-story building go up in just 19 days? Can your next house reach the plot almost 90% complete? Can green construction cost less than traditional projects?

The answer to many of these questions may have been a resounding “no” a decade ago. But thanks to the marvel of permanent modular buildings, pre-fabricated units and assemblies are re-writing the history of modern construction.

What are Permanent Modular Buildings?

Permanent Modular Construction (PMC) is becoming more and more common. In the U.S., permanent modular structures account for approximately 42% of the market share of the modular industry.

Permanent modular buildings are made of wood, steel, and concrete and should meet the municipal construction codes of the area where the structure is to be placed. So, what is different about them?

The magic lies in the assembly. Permanent modular buildings are partly prefabricated. Components or units that would make up the building in a traditional construction project are created off the site in factories and other controlled environments. Once they meet design specifications and pass structural integrity tests, they are transported to the site and, like a box of Legos, the workmen stack the components to give form to the structure.

That’s not all. Industries concerned about energy efficiency actually prefer modular buildings to messy undertakings that aren’t LEED compatible or that result in poor enveloping, pushing HVAC costs through the roof.

Four Big Benefits of Permanent Modular Buildings

The McGraw Hill Construction Report quantifies the benefits of modular construction. According to an exhaustive survey of over 800 engineering, architectural, and contracting professionals, permanent modular projects:

Result in a substantial decrease of build time in 66% of the cases
Result in budget decrease in 65% of the cases
Result in decrease of site waste in 77% of the cases

Better Design Options. More Energy Saving

Since modular structures are created from prefabricated units, homeowners and project commissioning bodies have a greater degree of control over the raw materials being used and can request intricate designs that would be unfeasible at the chaotic, exposed site of a traditional construction project.

Permanent modular buildings can be built with solar panel arrays or a geoexchange system. They can also be constructed while keeping future green endeavors in mind. Since these structures use dry materials impervious to moisture, the IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is generally better as well.

Reduced Build Times

In most cases occupancy happens 50% faster than in a traditionally constructed building. Not only is the actual assembly of the prefabricated components easier, there is better planning and scheduling because most of the heavy lifting happens off site where the uncertainties and contingencies are fewer.

Reduced Waste at Site

Modular constructions divert up to 1 tonne of waste from landfills, per project — in short, a tremendous positive impact on the environment and a big step in the direction of sustainable housing. This is possible thanks to lean construction methods that are employed when building the units off-site.

Financial Benefit

The reduced build time with reduced waste and carbon footprint translates into tangible financial savings. The National Institute of Building Sciences says that a modular construction building can save up to 11% of the allocated budget.

Industries Prefabricated Buildings are Changing for Good

Generally, school campus, dormitory and classroom projects embrace permanent modular buildings with enthusiasm. The problems of low budget and quick turn-around times which plague these endeavors are eliminated with prefab constructions. Lake Washington School District’s Northstar Middle School is a 95 student, 4 modular building establishment that has leveraged the trend to its advantage.

Permanent modular buildings have also piqued the interest of the Healthcare sector. Patients need to be served as fast as possible for the best chance of recuperation. In crowded areas, prefab hospitals, emergency rooms, and diagnostic centers are set up in a fraction of the time taken by traditional construction projects.

The market applications for permanent modular buildings extends to the office and administrative spaces, where 26% of reported project revenue falls into this sector. With its fast, economical, space saving construction approach, modular structures are up and running in no time and are aesthetically pleasing as well.

Modular buildings still have a long way to go. But experts say that they are just the mix of innovation and planning space that starved modern cities need.

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