Modular is the keyword of the future. It has taken over various industries, such as the computer industry. One particular sector has taken an interest in modularization for quite some time in the construction industry.
The construction industry is worth a trillion dollars in the US alone. It constitutes a significant part of the country’s GDP and is expected to grow even more prominent in the coming years. Such a considerable industry requires revolutionary ideas. One that has been known to the industry for quite some time but requires further improvements is modular construction.
Modular Construction
Modular construction is getting a lot of attention during this pandemic. This is because it seems the fastest way to build homes and offices with minimal effort. Moreover, it’s cheaper to make sure buildings through construction.
For those new to the industry, modular construction is a building method done off-site. Essentially, structures built through this method are worked on a part by part in a factory. These parts are then shipped to the designated location of the building. Contractors on-site can then start construction. There are various advantages to modular construction. One of them being is reduced building time.
Reduced Time to Build
We’ve been trying to reduce the amount of time to build structures for many years. Various industries invest a lot of money into different construction methods to make construction a lot more efficient and cheap. Modular construction is one of these methods.
Modular construction drastically reduces the time needed to build a particular structure. It’s estimated to reduce building time by a staggering 50%. There are many reasons why there is such a reduction in building time.
The first is that parts of a particular structure are built inside factories. Some of these factories have AI modules programmed to construct various buildings in less than a day. Moreover, heavy-duty equipment can move heavy parts much faster than vehicles and humans.
Another reason modular construction reduces time to build is that contractors only need to assemble modular parts on-site, with some parts being interchangeable. Even amateur contractors can build a modular building from scratch without heavy equipment. People that know certain structures can also build some modular buildings themselves. For example, a landscaper can build a modular greenhouse by simply following directions. This is what makes modular construction so appealing to many people.
The reduced time to build is a welcoming trait that modular construction brings into the industry. However, another advantage this method brings is that it’s cheaper.
Cheaper Than Traditional Methods
Customers like many of their items cheap but not necessarily inferior quality. Modular construction is more affordable but does not sacrifice the quality and integrity of the building because of it.
One of the main reasons such a method is cheaper is that it’s faster. One of the major expenses of building a home is the manpower required to make it. The more days these people spend building, the higher the pay. However, with modular construction, the expenses of such an expense are cut in half.
The reduction costs and the speed of building are staggering compared to traditional methods. However, there are some problems when using this kind of method. One of which is that the creation of specific structures is limited.
Limited Creativity
Most modular homes have a specific build, and if you want to stand out, you’re better off using the traditional construction method.
Modular construction is limited to what is designed within its systems. Sure, there are various construction companies out there that have different designs of modular buildings, but none of them are unique. This is because many parts are factory-built, which then limits the options people have.
Most structures built with modular construction methods inherently look the same. If someone wants to build something unique, such as a home, through such a method, they’d have to consult for a couple of months before construction of the parts can begin.
Transportation
As stated earlier, various parts of a structure are built in factories and shipped to the designated location when it comes to modular construction. However, there are some problems when it comes to the transportation of these parts.
Transportation heavy-duty parts of certain buildings can be problematic when the client is an ocean away. It takes up a lot of space inside shipping containers, so cutting them down to smaller sizes is often the solution. But this means that building time is then increased because more effort is required in assembly.
Transportation issues are common in many industries, and it can be argued that this problem is one of many that modular construction has to face if it is to become a perfected method of construction.
Modular construction is the method of choice in modern countries. It will soon take control of the industry. The only question is when.
