MMC 5542 48 Feb '16 cc

Debunking the myths of modular construction
Modular buildings are still something of an unknown quantity, both inside and outside the construction industry.
Wernick Group Marketing Manager, Leigh Fennell discusses some of the more prevalent misconceptions about
modular offsite construction.
LRI-Hospital Uppingham Community College Weald of Kent entrance
Goals Football Centre
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit
St Giles on the Heath
Are modular buildings of high quality?
Many people’s perceptions of modular buildings
stem from their experience of old leaky
prefabricated classrooms. These were often
supposed to be temporary but often had to be
endured for use by schools across the country
for decades. Before I worked in the offsite
construction sector this was certainly my own
opinion. I have now come to understand this
presumption that modular buildings are of low
quality is a misconception that is easily dispelled.
Firstly, modular buildings follow the same set of
regulations as traditional construction and must
therefore meet the same standards of quality.
Building modules are manufactured in tightly
controlled factory environments meeting ISO
9001 quality management standards and often
IS0 14001 environmental standards. In the
healthcare sector modular building facilities are
constructed to the latest healthcare standards,
including HTM (Health Technical Memoranda),
HBN (Health Buildings Notes), SHTM (Scottish
Health Technical Memoranda) and HAI-SCRIBE
(Healthcare Associated Infection System for
Controlling Risk in the Built Environment).
Another comment I would make on this point is
that many the materials used in modular
building, such as the steel frame, are exactly the
same materials used for a traditional build. The
only difference being that the construction takes
place off site in a more controlled factory
environment.
As testament to their quality many offsite
construction companies will now offer a 25 year
warranty as standard with their buildings which
also have an expected design life of over 100
years!
Are modular buildings just temporary
structures?
While modular buildings can be used as a
temporary solution the quality of build, as
mentioned, means they are built to last. Just like
a traditional building, modular buildings are
steel-framed in construction and can provide
permanent accommodation solutions, including
purpose-designed schools, hospitals, office
blocks, police cells and even nuclear power
station accommodation. The end product is often
a building that its hard to imagine was
manufactured in a factory.
Is modular construction a proven concept?
The first recorded use of modular buildings as we
know them today was in the 19th century. Some
leading offsite manufacturers have been in
business for over 80 years and there are many
examples of their buildings still standing today
that were manufactured many decades ago.
Are cost savings (when compared to traditional
construction) exaggerated?
It’s commonly stated by offsite specialists that a
modular building is far more economical when
compared to traditional construction, with a
saving of around 50% achievable. Let’s look at
the facts. A report by Laing O’Rourke, who
developed a modular system with an engineering
company, suggested it could build a 1,300 pupil
school for £14.3 million, £6 million cheaper than
an equivalent school under the Building Schools
for the Future Programme (BSF).
The fact that much of the modular construction
process is carried out offsite in a controlled
factory environment means projects can be
completed much faster than traditional
construction methods with no delays due to bad
weather.
Is modular construction as sustainable as
claimed?
By process, offsite construction is also far more
environmentally friendly when compared to
traditional construction. This greatly reduced
programme inevitably minimises the impact on
the environment.
Modular buildings are produced in a controlled
factory environment, in which all waste including
steel, aluminium and timber is separated for
recycling with almost nothing ending up as
landfill. The process is not subject to bad
weather, and subsequent delays this may cause.
As the time on site is reduced, so is the impact of
the construction process on the site and
surrounding environment. Modules can also be
designed to a specifically optimised size in order
to match the supplied sizes of the building
materials, further reducing the amount of waste.
Typically, the end product is a building, which
achieves an Energy Performance Asset rating
(EPA) of B, as standard. An ‘A’ rating is easily
achieved when sustainable options, such as solar
panels are incorporated.
Are modular buildings all the same?
Although modular buildings lend themselves to
standardisation, clients are increasingly looking
for buildings that cater to their specific needs
and are quite understandably less interested in a
‘one size fits all’ approach.
In terms of providing ‘traditional’ finishes, we are
increasingly being asked to provide extensions to
existing buildings while maintaining a continuous
external appearance. This can be done so
effectively that often you cannot tell which is the
old traditional building and which is the new
modular extension.
Increasingly architects are also bringing their
designs to life in a modular environment and I
would encourage anyone looking for a new build
project to seek out the possibilities offered with
offsite construction by reflecting on the finished
product.
www.wernick.co.uk
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