Many building professionals aim to improve their building processes to combat common issues in construction – often related to late projects and expensive cost overruns. Modular construction, a small but growing segment of the $10 trillion global construction market, continues to rise in popularity as a viable alternative building practice. But it’s important to ask: Why modular construction? To answer this question, we must dive into the time and cost advantages.
First, let’s define modular construction to get a clear picture of the building method. The Modular Building Institute defines modular construction as “a process in which a building is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventionally build facilities – but in about half the time.” The MBI goes on to clarify that “buildings are produced in ‘modules’ that when put together on-site, reflect the identical design intent and specifications of the most sophisticated site-built facility – without compromise.”
There are many benefits to modular construction, which you can read more about here, but the two biggest reasons to turn to modular construction boil down to shorter project timelines and reduced time to revenue.
Reports state that 66% of building professionals sped up their schedules and 35% shortened their scheduled build time by four weeks or more when using modular construction. Modular construction teams save time by working on-site prep and the offsite manufacturing of building materials simultaneously. The controlled manufacturing environment helps to avoid weather delays while improving upon a standardized quality based on elaborate upfront planning.
Cost savings relates to time savings. When project timelines get cut, so will the cost of the project. Significant time saving resulting from modular construction leads many organizations to improve productivity and efficiency – ultimately leading to faster returns on investment. In fact, 65% of building professionals lowered the cost of their projects and 41% lowered the cost by 6% or more. Ultimately, this cost savings comes down to the use of readily available materials in manufacturing settings, reduced labor costs thanks to time saved, and the minimization of additional fees as the project progresses, thanks to well-defined upfront project plans.
Modular construction is the combination of smaller modules that are placed together to form larger structures. These modules include frames, beams, and wall panels, but also larger, three-dimensional enclosed units referred to as volumetric construction – including modified shipping containers. Combining shipping containers is like stacking building blocks into predesigned structures.
To learn more about why modular construction and shipping containers make a great fit, download our guide to modular, offsite construction here. Discover more benefits of modular construction and whether modified shipping containers are the right choice for your application.
