Exploring the Rise of Modular and Prefabricated Construction
In today’s world, the appeal for faster and smarter construction has increased which demands to be more innovative and to operate with a greater wisdom. The growth of building technology is typically seen as improvements to tools or materials, but these gains are also accompanied by innovations in connected technologies. Along with advances in this sector, it needs to be efficient and quick at the same time to meet the appeal. To meet these demands some advanced forms have been introduced in the construction industry, one of these is modular and prefabricated construction technology.
This article describes how prefabrication has brought a major change in the construction industry and how it has helped changed the image.
What is Modular and Prefabricated Construction?
Modular construction refers to the type of construction where all the components of the building are manufactured off-site using the decided materials, under controlled conditions, designing with same standards and codes as any conventional method of construction. These building components are then put together which reflects the same design intent and specifications similar to the site-built construction but in about half of its time.
Generally, prefabrication and modular construction are used interchangeably, where prefabrication refers to the manufacturing of elements off-site and modular refers to the type of elements by design nature. So by the term, modular prefabricated construction, it means the type of construction wherein the elements are prefabricated but the elements are of specific design/module.
What is the process involved?
As with the on-site construction type, this modular construction begins with conducting all design computations. The components are then manufactured using better engineering. Using BIM Services here can increase the precision as well as serve as a visual aid. All the factors are outlined in advance and the components are fabricated so as to withstand the challenges faced during transportation and until they are assembled on-site. These elements are then anchored to the foundation and assembled on-site to become one integrated assembly.
How it differs from the traditional construction methods?
Modular prefabricated construction type differs in numerous ways from the traditional method in terms of process, time, efficiency, money, and many more aspects. It differs in its relation with foundation, where traditional building uses a foundation built on-site, this method uses pre-constructed parts lifted and anchored into the ground using steel straps.
Traditional construction uses parts constructed on-site which makes it very adaptable to custom designs whereas prefabricated constructions have some limitations, at times, in terms of design. In terms of process, the traditional method uses building parts constructed on-site at once, whereas in this type, the building parts are manufactured before assembling on-site.
What are the advantages of modular prefabricated construction over traditional methods?
Modular prefabricated type provides numerous advantages over the traditional methods, some of them include:
1. Sustainability
This modern form of construction saves a lot of materials since the design and all the other factors are predefined rather than doing all of these on-site. The extra material can be either reused or recycled instead of it being thrown away or becoming unusable. All these reasons increase the sustainable approaches while increasing the overall performance of the construction project.
2. Weather/Seasonal Risks
Traditional construction completely relies on outdoor working and it may slow down or create problem due to extreme weather conditions or season changes while modular construction proves to be efficient as it gets manufactured under controlled environments which ensure that construction does not get affected irrespective of the weather conditions.
3. Faster Construction
Prefabricated means all the elements can be manufactured at the same time at different locations without being interrupted by any external factors. Traditional methods on the other hand have many limitations and processes to be followed which might make it a slower process.
4. Cost-Effective
One might think that modular-prefabricated construction can be costlier, but it can be done at all price ranges and as it is mass-produced, it reduces the time and cost. It also cuts down the cost by reducing mishaps and errors as it doesn’t allow room for unproductivity, reckless contractors or workers, unlike the traditional method.
The list can go on and on but these were some of the major advantages this construction type offers over the traditional methods.
What are the challenges and limitations in the field to overcome?
While it has many advantages to offer, there are certain limitations to this construction type, some of these include:
- The transportation of the products/components and delivery without any damage can be a major task.
- Skilled workers are a must for the manufacturing of these elements which might require skills for operating machinery and ample knowledge to understand the processes.
- Since it is produced in bulk, or of repetitive design, it lacks variety and freedom to custom designs.
- Since the elements are to be made prior to construction, it requires great skill and involvement of architects, engineers, and contractors to be familiar with the design challenges and intricacies of modular fabrication.
Examples of successfully executed modular and prefabricated buildings
There are many examples of modular –prefabricated construction, one of these examples is Homes for All – Dortheavej Residence, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The aim was to provide sustainable and affordable apartment design considering the budget restrictions.
Homes for All – Dortheavej Residence
This apartment design consists of housing models repeated along the curve, stacked vertically to the height of surrounding buildings using light materials like wood and concrete. The blocks have been slightly adjusted to make extra room for kitchen-living areas.
Another example is of an office building –Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo / Kisho Kurokawa designed by Kisho Kurokawa.
Nakagin Capsule Tower
Designed with the intent of housing traveling businessman working in central Tokyo it is an example of sustainability and recyclability as each module can be plugged into the central core and replaced or exchanged as required. Each module is stacked and rotated at varied angles around the central core creating a tower-like structure.
Modular and Prefabricated Construction type as a futuristic approach
In today’s era, many trends are such that they encourage the use of these construction methods. One of these trends is the use of BIM, building information modeling which is allowing the designers to visualize the entire lifecycle of the building further helping them understand the intent and use of these structures. Revit BIM Modeling Provides exceptional design and analytical data which is very helpful to model and analyse complex unit designs and to further manufacture with exact detailing.
Compared to traditional methods, prefabricated and modular systems have helped reduce energy use, lack of resources, and damage to both health and the ecosystem. It has helped reduce the time in construction without hampering the quality thereby increasing the productivity and also the performance of the buildings.
Conclusion
Modular and prefabricated construction proves to be a highly sustainable, ecological and energy-efficient construction practice. It has proved that construction practices can reduce waste and be environmentally friendly. Along with all these factors it also provides the flexibility to dismantle and relocate the modular parts to different construction sites. This flexible feature makes it more efficient and nature adaptive making it an important building technique in the development of modern architecture.
It has transformed how architects approach the design of contemporary buildings and brought many fresh and fascinating elements to modern architecture. Thus, it can be claimed that the main goals of introducing this construction style are to make it affordable, energy-efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective.
