Modular building

Modular buildings and modular homes are prefabricated buildings or houses

that consist of repeated sections called modules.[1] "Modular" is a construction
method that involves constructing sections away from the building site, then
delivering them to the intended site. Installation of the prefabricated sections is
completed on site. Prefabricated sections are sometimes placed using a crane.
The modules can be placed side-by-side, end-to-end, or stacked, allowing a
variety of configurations and styles. After placement the modules are joined
together using inter-module connections, also known as inter-connections. The
Prefabricated house in Valencia,
inter-connections tie the individual modules together to form the overall building
Spain.
structure.[2]

Modular buildings, also called prefabricated homes or precision built homes, are
built to equal or higher standards as on-site stick-built homes. The building method is referred to as permanent modular
construction.

Material for stick built and modular homes are the same. Modular homes are not doublewides or mobile homes. First, modular
homes do not have axles or a metal frame, meaning that they are typically transported on flat-bed trucks. Modular buildings must
conform to all relevant local building codes, while doublewides and mobile homes have metal under framing. Doublewides and
mobile homes made in the United States are required to conform to federal codes governed by U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development.[3]

Contents
Uses
Construction process
Manufacturing considerations
Advantages
Disadvantages
Market acceptance
Modular homes vs. mobile homes
Recognizing a mobile or manufactured home
Materials
Financing
Standards and zoning considerations
Building strength
CE marking
Surfaces and finishes
U.S. regional differences with modular construction
Open modular building
Key markets
Research and development
See also
 References
External links

Uses
Modular buildings may be used for long-term, temporary or permanent facilities,
such as construction camps, schools and classrooms, civilian and military
housing, and industrial facilities. Modular buildings are used in remote and rural
areas where conventional construction may not be reasonable or possible, for
example, the Halley VI accommodation pods used for a BAS Antarctic
expedition.[4] Other uses have included churches, health care facilities, sales and
retail offices, fast food restaurants and cruise ship construction. They can also be
used in areas that have weather concerns, such as hurricanes.

Modular home in Sutton, Alaska

Construction process
Construction is offsite, using lean manufacturing techniques to prefabricate single or multi-story buildings in deliverable module
sections. Permanent Modular Construction (PMC) buildings are manufactured in a controlled setting and can be constructed of
wood, steel, or concrete. Modular components are typically constructed indoors on assembly lines. Modules' construction may
take as little as ten days but more often one to three months. PMC modules can be integrated into site built projects or stand alone
and can be delivered with MEP, fixtures and interior finishes.

The buildings are 60% to 90% completed offsite in a factory-controlled environment, and transported and assembled at the final
building site. This can comprise the entire building or be components or subassemblies of larger structures. In many cases,
modular contractors work with traditional general contractors to exploit the resources and advantages of each type of
construction. Completed modules are transported to the building site and assembled by a crane.[5] Placement of the modules may
take from several hours to several days.

Permanent modular buildings are built to meet or exceed the same building codes and standards as site-built structures and the
same architect-specified materials used in conventionally constructed buildings are used in modular construction projects. PMC
can have as many stories as building codes allow. Unlike relocatable buildings, PMC structures are intended to remain in one
location for the duration of their useful life.

Manufacturing considerations
The entire process of modular construction places significance on the design stage. This is where practices such as Design for
Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) are used to ensure that assembly tolerances are controlled throughout manufacture and
assembly on site. It is vital that there is enough allowance in the design to allow the assembly to take up any "slack" or
misalignment of components. The use of advanced CAD systems, 3D printing and manufacturing control systems are important
for modular construction to be successful. This is quite unlike on-site construction where the tradesman can often make the part to
suit any particular installation.
Bulk materials Walls attached to floor Ceiling drywalled in Roof set in place
spray booth

Roof shingled and siding Ready for delivery to site Two-story modular Pratt Modular Home "The
installed dwelling Willow" Tyler Texas

Interior Pratt Homes

Willow Kitchen

Pratt Modular Home Pratt Modular Homes

called "The Entertainer". "The Briar Ritz"
Tyler Texas

Advantages
Modular buildings are argued to have advantages over conventional buildings,
for a variety of reasons.

Speed of construction/faster return on investment. Modular

construction allows for the building and the site work to be completed
simultaneously. According to some materials, this can reduce the Simultaneous site development and
overall completion schedule by as much as 50%. This also reduces building construction at the plant
labor, financing and supervision costs. To save even more time and
reduces schedule by 30% to 50%
money, nearly all design and engineering disciplines are part of the
manufacturing process. Also unique to modular construction is the
ability to simultaneously construct a building's floors, walls, ceilings,
rafters, and roofs. During site-built construction, walls cannot be set until floors are in position, and ceilings and
rafters cannot be added until walls are erected. On the other hand, with modular construction, walls, floors,
ceilings, and rafters are all built at the same time, and then brought together in the same factory to form a
building. This process can allow modular construction times of half that of conventional, stick-built construction.
Indoor construction. Assembly is independent of weather, which can increase work efficiency and avoids
damaged building material.
Ability to service remote locations. Particularly in countries in which potential markets may be located far from
industrial centers, such as Australia, there can be much higher costs to build a site-built house in a remote area
or an area experiencing a construction boom such as mining towns. Modular buildings are also beneficial in
providing medical and sanitary facilities where time, space, and money are an issue.[6]
Low waste. With the same plans being constantly built, the manufacturer has records of exactly what quantity of
materials are needed for a given job. With the consistency, builders can design systems that use common
lengths of lumber, wallboard, etc., cut items with maximum efficiency, or be able to order special lengths in bulk.
While waste from a site-built dwelling may typically fill several large dumpsters, construction of a modular
dwelling generates much less waste. According to the UK group WRAP, up to a 90% reduction in materials can
be achieved through the use of modular construction. Materials minimized include: wood pallets, shrink wrap,
cardboard, plasterboard, timber, concrete, bricks, and cement.[7]
Environmentally friendly construction process. Modular construction reduces waste and site disturbance
compared to site-built structures. The controlled environment of the factory allows for more accurate construction
while allowing the extra materials to be recycled in-house.[8]
Flexibility. One can continually add to a modular building, including creating high rises.[9] When the needs
change, modular buildings can be disassembled and the modules relocated or refurbished for their next use
reducing the demand for raw materials and minimizing the amount of energy expended to create a building to
meet the new need. In essence, the entire building can be recycled in some cases.
Quality. Combining traditional building techniques, quality manufacturing and third-party agencies who offer
random inspections, testing, and certification services for quality control, commercial modular buildings are built
in strict accordance with appropriate local, state, and national regulations and codes. Due to the need to
transport modules to the final site, each module must be built to independently withstand travel and installation
requirements. Thus the final module-to-module assembly of independently durable components can yield a final
product that is more durable than site-built structures. Modular buildings often use Structural Insulated Panels
(SIPs) in construction, which offer a range of advantages over traditional building materials. SIPs panels are a
light yet durable combination of panel board and either closed-cell polyurethane (PU) or expanded polystyrene
(EPS) insulating foam. They are air-tight, and as such provide excellent thermal performance. They also offer
superior damp and cold resistance when compared to timber and other materials, and are immune to both
compression shrinking and cold bridging.[10] Modular units may also be designed to fit in with external aesthetics
of any existing building and modular units once assembled can be virtually indistinguishable from a site-built
structure.
Improved Air Quality – Many of the indoor air quality issues identified in new construction result from high
moisture levels in the framing materials. Because the modular structure is substantially completed in a factory-
controlled setting using dry materials, the potential for high levels of moisture being trapped in the new
construction is eliminated.
Modular buildings can also contribute to LEED requirements in any category site-built construction can, and can even provide an
advantage in the areas of Sustainable Sites, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental
Quality.[11] Modular construction can also provide an advantage in similar categories in the International Green Construction
Code.

Disadvantages
 Volumetric: Transporting the completed modular building sections take up a lot of space.[12]
Flexibility: Due to transport and sometimes manufacturing restrictions, module size can be limited, affecting room
sizes.[13]
Some financial institutions may be hesitant to offer a loan for a modular home.[14]

Market acceptance
Some home buyers and some lending institutions resist consideration of modular
homes as equivalent in value to site-built homes. While the homes themselves may
be of equivalent quality, entrenched zoning regulations and psychological
marketplace factors may create hurdles for buyers or builders of modular homes and
should be considered as part of the decision-making process when exploring this
type of home as a living and/or investment option. In the UK and Australia, modular
homes have become accepted in some regional areas; however, they are not
commonly built in major cities. Modular homes are becoming increasingly common
in Japanese urban areas, due to improvements in design and quality, speed and Raines Court is a multi-story
compactness of onsite assembly, as well as due to lowering costs and ease of repair modular housing block in Stoke
Newington, London, one of the
after earthquakes. Recent innovations allow modular buildings to be
first two residential buildings in
indistinguishable from site-built structures. Surveys have shown that individuals can
Britain of this type. (December
rarely tell the difference between a modular home and a site-built home.[15] 2005)

Modular homes vs. mobile homes

Differences include the building codes that govern the construction, types of material used and how they are appraised by banks
for lending purposes. Modular homes are built to either local or state building codes as opposed to manufactured homes, which
are also built in a factory but are governed by a federal building code.[16] The codes that govern the construction of modular
homes are exactly the same codes that govern the construction of site-constructed homes. In the United States, all modular homes
are constructed according to the International Building Code (IBC), IRC, BOCA or the code that has been adopted by the local
jurisdiction. In some states, such as California, mobile homes must still be registered yearly, like vehicles or standard trailers,
with the Department of Motor Vehicles or other state agency. This is true even if the owners remove the axles and place it on a
permanent foundation.[17]

Recognizing a mobile or manufactured home

A mobile home should have a small metal tag on the outside of each section. If you cannot locate a tag, you should be able to find
details about the home in the electrical panel box. This tag should also reveal a manufacturing date.[18] Modular homes do not
have metal tags on the outside but will have a dataplate installed inside the home, usually under the kitchen sink or in a closet.
The dataplate will provide information such as the manufacturer, third party inspection agency, appliance information, and
manufacture date.

Materials
The materials used in modular homes are typically the same as site constructed homes. Wood-frame floors, walls and roof are
often utilized. Some modular homes include brick or stone exteriors, granite counters and steeply pitched roofs. Modulars can be
designed to sit on a perimeter foundation or basement. In contrast, mobile homes are constructed with a steel chassis that is
integral to the integrity of the floor system. Modular buildings can be custom built to a client's specifications. Current designs
include multi-story units, multi-family units and entire apartment complexes. The negative stereotype commonly associated with
mobile homes has prompted some manufacturers to start using the term "off-site construction."
New modular offerings include other construction methods such as cross-laminated timber frames.[19]

Financing
Mobile homes often require special lenders.[20]

Modular homes on the other hand are financed as site built homes with a construction loan[18]

Standards and zoning considerations

Typically, modular dwellings are built to local, state or council code, resulting in dwellings from a given manufacturing facility
having differing construction standards depending on the final destination of the modules.[21] The most important zones that
manufacturers have to take into consideration are local wind, heat, and snow load zones.[22] For example, homes built for final
assembly in a hurricane-prone, earthquake or flooding area may include additional bracing to meet local building codes. Steel
and/or wood framing are common options for building a modular home.

Some US courts have ruled that zoning restrictions applicable to mobile homes do not apply to modular homes since modular
homes are designed to have a permanent foundation. Additionally, in the US, valuation differences between modular homes and
site-built homes are often negligible in real estate appraisal practice; modular homes can, in some market areas, (depending on
local appraisal practices per Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) be evaluated the same way as site-built
dwellings of similar quality. In Australia, manufactured home parks are governed by additional legislation that does not apply to
permanent modular homes. Possible developments in equivalence between modular and site-built housing types for the purposes
of real estate appraisals, financing and zoning may increase the sales of modular homes over time.[23]

In Wales (UK), a businessman authorized the placement of 6 mini modular homes called “Pods” for homeless persons on private
property.[24]

Building strength
Modular homes are designed to be stronger than traditional homes by, for example, replacing nails with screws, adding glue to
joints, and using 8–10% more lumber than conventional housing.[25] This is to help the modules maintain their structural integrity
as they are transported on trucks to the construction site. However, there are few studies on the response of modular buildings to
transport and handling stresses. It is therefore presently difficult to predict transport induced damage.[1]

When FEMA studied the destruction wrought by Hurricane Andrew in Dade County Florida, they concluded that modular and
masonry homes fared best compared to other construction.[26]

CE marking
The CE mark is a construction norm that guarantees the user of mechanical resistance and strength of the structure. It is a label
given by European community empowered authorities for end-to-end process mastering and traceability.

All manufacturing operations are being monitored and recorded:

Suppliers have to be known and certified,

Raw materials and goods being sourced are to be recorded by batch used,
Elementary products are recorded and their quality is monitored,
Assembly quality is managed and assessed on a step by step basis,
When a modular unit is finished, a whole set of tests are performed and if quality standards are met, a unique
number and EC stamp is attached to and on the unit.
This ID and all the details are recorded in a database, At any time, the producer has to be able to answer and provide all the
information from each step of the production of a single unit, The EC certification guaranties standards in terms of durability,
resistance against wind and earthquakes.

Surfaces and finishes

Modular buildings can be assembled on top of multiple foundation surfaces, such as a crawl space, stilts (for areas that are prone
to flooding), full basements or standard slab at grade. They can also be built to multi-story heights. Motels and other multi-family
structures have been built using modular construction techniques. The height to which a modular structure can be built depends
on jurisdiction, but a number of countries, especially in Asia, allow them to be built to 24 floors or more.

Exterior wall surfaces can be finalized in the plant production process or in the case of brick/stone veneers, field applications may
be the builders' choice. Roof systems also can be applied in the field after the basic installation is completed.

U.S. regional differences with modular construction

Weather, population density, geographical distances, and local housing architecture play a role in the use of modular construction
for home building. Because modular construction is so adaptable, it has begun to permeate every region of the U.S.

Northeast
The northeast is populated with factories that can combine modular housing design with other construction methods such as
panelization and SIPs. Modules are typically limited to 16' width and up to 70' lengths because of the narrow road structure and
densely populated areas of the region. Other limitations are placed on transportation to locations such as Connecticut, Cape Cod,
and Long Island.

Mid-Atlantic
The Mid-Atlantic region is similar to the northeast, in terms of building design and transport restriction to modules to a width of
not more than 16'.

Southeast
Manufacturers in the Southeast often limit their ability to customize homes and focus on very traditional single story floor plans.
Much of the south is in coastal and high wind areas; modular construction may prove appealing in this area as it is already
inherently stronger as it must be built for transport and craned installation, therefore offering wind resistance as good or higher
than site-built construction.

Central Plains
The central plains states typically are made up of farming and rural communities. Ranch homes are the mainstay of the region.
Prone to strong storms and tornado conditions, modular construction offers the ability to better withstand these storm patterns
than its site built counterpart. The inter-module attachments that must be made when assembling a modular home on a foundation
offer an inherently stronger home than site built construction can offer. Interior finishes on both the walls and ceilings are
typically textured. Corners on interior walls are typically rounded and finish trim around windows is optional. Because of the
wider road and lower population density, modules can be as wide as 20' and as long as 90'. The ability to provide larger modules
reduces the amount of modules needed to complete a home.

Rockies
Home design in this area ranges from Chalet style homes to log cabin style homes. Manufacturers in the region therefore provide
a number of styles of homes. Capability varies from factory to factory as well as the ability to do complete customization of floor
plans. Transportation is limited mostly to 16' wide modules to travel the roads of the area.

West Coast
The high cost of living in coastal areas, and especially California, may provide modular construction an edge due to its lower
cost. Extreme building regulation and environmental requirements can delay the start of residential construction. Several factories
specialize in environmentally responsible construction by following green construction standards and offering zero energy homes.

Living in coastal areas also mean that the modular home structure should be strong enough to withstand winds with high velocity.
Modular homes, built correctly, have such kind of resistance to stand high wind velocity without any damage issues.

Open modular building

Modular building can also be open source and green.

3D printing can be used to build the house.

The main standard is OpenStructures and its derivative Autarkytecture.[27]

Key markets
Permanent modular buildings can be utilized in any application where stick-built construction is used. The primary markets
served are K-12 education, higher education student housing, office and administrative space, retail and hospitality, healthcare,
and publicly funded facilities.

Research and development

Modular construction is the subject of continued research and development worldwide as the technology is applied to taller and
taller buildings. Research and development is carried out by modular building companies and also research institutes such as the
Modular Building Institute [28] and the Steel Construction Institute,.[29] An example of a recent research project is
MODCONS.[30]

See also
Commercial modular construction
Construction 3D printing
Container home
Intertek
Kit house
MAN steel house
Manufactured housing
Modular design
Portable building
Prefabrication
Open-source architecture
Open source hardware
OpenStructures
Prefabricated home
Relocatable buildings
 Stick-built home
Tiny house movement
Toter

References
1. Lacey, Andrew William; Chen, Wensu; Hao, Hong; Bi, Kaiming (2018). "Structural Response of Modular Buildings
– An Overview". Journal of Building Engineering. 16: 45–56. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2017.12.008 (https://doi.org/10.10
16%2Fj.jobe.2017.12.008).
2. Lacey, Andrew William; Chen, Wensu; Hao, Hong; Bi, Kaiming (2019). "Review of bolted inter-module
connections in modular steel buildings". Journal of Building Engineering. 23: 207–219.
doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2019.01.035 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jobe.2019.01.035).
3. "HUD- Manufactured Housing and Standards" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160504145914/http://portal.hud.go
v/hudportal/HUD?src=%2Fprogram_offices%2Fhousing%2Framh%2Fmhs%2Ffaq). Portal.hud.gov. Archived
from the original (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/ramh/mhs/faq) on 2016-05-
04. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
4. "Halley VI Research Station – British Antarctic Survey" (https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilitie
s/facility/halley/). Bas.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
5. "Why Build Modular?" (http://www.modular.org/htmlPage.aspx?name=why_modular). Modular.org. Retrieved
2016-05-03.
6. "Modular Construction Advantages & Modern Day Applications – Commercial Structures Corp" (http://comstruc.c
om/modular-construction-advantages/). Commercial Structures Corp. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
7. "Current Practices and Future Potential in Modern Methods of Construction" (http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wr
ap/Modern%20Methods%20of%20Construction%20-%20Summmary.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 2017-09-10.
8. "7 Benefits of Prefabricated Construction – Construction World" (http://www.constructionworld.org/7-benefits-pref
abricated-construction/). Constructionworld.org. 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
9. "High-rise housing going modular" (http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/01/high-rise-housing-going-modular/).
News.blogs.cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
10. "Structural Insulated Panels |Green Modular" (http://www.green-modular.com/blog/structural-insulated-panels/).
Green Modular. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
11. "Modular Building and the USGBC's LEED ™ Version 3.0 2009 Building Rating System" (http://modular.org/mark
eting/documents/Modular_09V3LEED.pdf) (PDF).
12. "Pros and Cons of a Commercial Modular Building" (http://www.modulartoday.com/pros-cons.html).
www.modulartoday.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
13. "Prefab Housing Disadvantages" (http://budgeting.thenest.com/prefab-housing-disadvantages-24540.html).
Budgeting Money – The Nest. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
14. "Buying a Manufactured Home" (https://learningcenter.statefarm.com/residence/buying-selling/what-to-know-whe
n-buying-a-manufactured-home/). State Farm.
15. "Factory-Built Construction and the American Homebuyer: Perceptions and Opportunities" (https://www.huduser.
gov/portal/Publications/pdf/Perceptions_of_factory_construction.pdf) (PDF). Huduser.gov. p. 9. Retrieved
2017-09-10.
16. Solutions, Dryside Property – Jennifer Mitchell and Magic Web. "Mobile homes vs Manufactured homes vs
Modular homes" (http://www.drysideproperty.com/mobile%20vs%20manuf%20vs%20modular.html).
Drysideproperty.com. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
17. "HCD Manufactured and Mobile Homes" (http://www.hcd.ca.gov/manufactured-mobile-home/index.shtml).
Hcd.ca.gov.
18. "10 Basic Facts You Should Know About Modular Homes - Freshome.com" (http://freshome.com/2013/03/27/10-
basic-facts-about-modular-homes/). freshome.com. 13 November 2015.
19. https://ca.perkinswill.com/news/prefabricated-housing-module-advances-wood-research-university-british-
columbia
20. "HUD Financing Manufactured (Mobile) Homes" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160503104807/http://portal.hud.
gov/hudportal/HUD?src=%2Fprogram_offices%2Fhousing%2Fsfh%2Ftitle%2Frepair). Portal.hud.gov. Archived
from the original (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/title/repair) on 2016-05-
03. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
21. "Australian Government modular home regulations" (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/repealed_reg/lgheam
hr1995693/). Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
22. "Home Building Zone Maps" (https://homenation.com/zone-maps/).
23. "Building Codes for Modular Homes" (http://modularhomesnetwork.com/building-codes/index.asp).
Modularhomesnetwork.com. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
24. https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17645573.homeless-pods-in-newport-have-saved-six-people-form-a-
life-on-the-streets/?ref=fbshr
25. "Disruptive Development: Modular Manufacturing In Multifamily Housing" (http://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/upload
s/A.Stein_PR_Disruptive_Development_-_Modular_Manufacturing_in_Multifamily_Housing.pdf) (PDF). p. 35.
Retrieved 10 September 2017.
26. "FIA 22, Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Andrew in Florida (1993)" (http://www.fema.gov/library/vi
ewRecord.do?id=2765). Fema.gov.
27. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141231104727/http://m.z33.be/en/artworks/thomas-lommee-chris
tiane-hoegner-autarkytecture). Archived from the original (http://m.z33.be/en/artworks/thomas-lommee-christiane
-hoegner-autarkytecture) on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
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29. "The Steel Construction Institute (SCI) UK Global Steel Expertise" (http://www.steel-sci.com/). Steel-sci.com.
30. "MODCONS website" (http://www.modcons-research.eu/). Modcons-research.eu.

External links
Modular Home Builders Association (http://www.modularhousing.com) – National trade association representing
the legislative and regulatory interests of the modular housing industry
National Association of Home Builders (http://www.nahb.org/modular) (United States)
Modular Building Institute (http://www.modular.org) – International trade association representing non residential
modular construction professionals
A Timelapse of a modular build (http://www.servaccomm.co.uk/knowledge-base/videos/petroc-project) (United
Kingdom)

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