Historically, modular buildings have been stigmatized as nothing more than standardized, mass-produced houses. But now, this stigma couldn’t be further from reality. Today’s modular construction technology offers clients more flexibility and convenience than ever before. From efficient project timelines to cost-effective materials, there are many advantages of choosing modular construction. This blog will dive down to 5 modular building innovations we can all be extra thankful for!
Modular construction reduces waste and allows for a much greener build.
Since traditional construction generates more than 56 million tons of waste per year, we should gravitate towards a more green and environmentally-friendly construction method. Compared to conventional construction, modular building uses sustainable materials that can reduce tons of waste. Some modular construction companies use innovative materials ranging from recycled wood, steel, or even aluminum to form siding, frames, and roofs. An example of this is an oriented strand board, made from fast-growing, sustainably-sourced wood — an environmentally-friendly alternative to plywood.
Several modular companies have become deeply involved in green and more sustainable approaches to construction. Wikkelhouse, a structure built entirely of recycled cardboard, is an example of how one company became increasingly creative with their building materials. This structure is expected to last for more than a century.
Modular design decreases energy consumption.
It is common for modular building to include many features that reduce energy usage overall. One innovative design seen in most modular building is the use of SIPs or structural insulated panels. An SIP is a combination of two exterior layers and insulated foam, resulting in an airtight structure 15 times better than fiberglass insulation. This results in a well-maintained temperature that requires less heating or air conditioning.
Some modular buildings opt for employing solar energy. KODA, a company that makes well-designed and sustainable modular building, installs solar panels on its roofs.
Another example of modular green innovation is the sunshades installed in the annex of the University of Virginia Medical Center to boost energy efficiency. These sunshades include a white thermoplastic polyolefin roof, 16 SEER Energy Star rooftop heat pump units, and an enthalpy wheel, which is a rotary air-to-air heat exchanger with MERV 15 filters.
Modular construction has a quick turnaround.
Survey of Construction stated that a typical on-site construction takes around seven months to a year to complete. This does not include delays resulting from external factors, including weather, contractors, and inspections. Since modular structures are constructed off-site, delays or any potential complications are eliminated. A modular project is also built asynchronously with the site’s foundation work, which reduces the project time by almost half.
Medical Education and Training Campus in Fort Sam Houston, Texas now has 2 four-story buildings with 520,000 total square feet that was completed in 134 days. The innovative method of modular construction made it possible to complete this project significantly faster compared to building it traditionally.
Modular construction offers a safer working environment.
Working on a traditional construction site can be a risky job. Incidents like falling from heights or machines malfunctioning can lead to severe injuries or even death. Since modular construction is in a much more controlled space, most of the workplace hazards are eliminated. Many contractors have found significant improvement in site safety when using modular construction. Modular construction has been widely recognized to provide several safety advantages:
- Doing complex assembly at ground level.
- Having fewer workers on the jobsite.
- Requiring fewer tasks to be completed at heights.
Modular construction is cost effective and delivers cost certainty.
Modular construction reduces labor costs since it uses fewer highly qualified workers in a controlled setting, optimized for efficiency and safety. Multiple identical modules are built at the same time, allowing for optimal reuse of materials from previous builds — resulting in reduced material costs. Also, it offers cost certainty because every aspect of the budget is aligned from the beginning. Since everything is constructed off-site, potential problems that might cause increased expenditures are minimized or even eliminated.
Modular construction has proven to be greater than the stigma that was attached to it. With more innovations and creations becoming increasingly advanced, it is only a step away from replacing the traditional methods altogether.
Aries embodies the latest and greatest modular building technology trends. Our growing commitment to the art of modular construction has allowed Aries to deserve the title of being the leading modular provider. Aries will strive to provide our customers with only the best by exclusively implementing the most innovative modular construction technology. From modular offices, to classrooms, to workforce housing, Aries is the perfect choice!
About Aries
Aries is a privately-owned company located in Houston, Texas. As a leading provider of commercial modular space solutions, Aries offers multiple financing options with a track record of delivering results on both large and small projects. Across North America, Aries offers modular space solutions for the medical, education, government, construction, commercial, and oil/gas sectors. Among Aries’ building inventory are buildings available for immediate delivery to serve the educational and healthcare sectors, commercial office needs, and any short- or long-term housing needs.
An experienced team of engineers, manufacturing professionals, facility managers, and sales representatives is one of our greatest assets. Our management team remains involved in all phases of our projects as part of our commitment to building strong partnerships with our clients. Providing excellent service and learning from our clients is a core value at Aries.
Become our customer today! Visit Aries: www.ariesbuildings.com or call (U.S.) 1-888-598-8869. You can also contact us via our website or request a quote here.