Modular Construction Methods Assignment

1 | P a g e
Name:
Course:
Topic: Modular construction methods
Professor:
Date:

2 | P a g e
Contents
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
2. Volumetric/modular systems..............................................................................................................3
2.1. Advantages and disadvantages........................................................................................................4
3. Structural insulation panels (SIPs)....................................................................................................5
3.1. Advantages and disadvantages........................................................................................................6
4. Pre-engineered M&E services............................................................................................................7
4.1. Advantages and disadvantages........................................................................................................7
5. Pre-assembled component..................................................................................................................8
5.1. Advantages and disadvantages........................................................................................................8
6. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................8
7. References.........................................................................................................................................10

3 | P a g e
1. Introduction
Modular construction is a new techniques of construction whereby the construction of the
buildings is made up of different individual sections known as modules. These modules are
constructed off-site in a controlled facility and then brought together on site during the building
construction (Tanney, Luntz, & Arieff, 2014). Additionally, the manufacture of the modules is
able to follow the standard practice of construction of materials and it highly depends on the
leverage on the assembly of the production materials (Costin, 2017). The increasing demand on
the housing has resulted to the need to have quick method of construction. This has given the
demand on the modular construction help have shorter construction period and reduced cost of
construction. Moreover, other key challenges in the construction industry such as the flexibility,
affordability and the final finishes types have also prompted the increased demand of the
modular construction (Petrova, 2018). The modular construction has been found to be able to
resolve some of these key issues. The modules used in modular constriction are prefabricated in
factories and tailored to meet the specific demands of the customers. They are then configured in
precise specifications to form a building. The process of design and construction using the
modular construction methods is time saving and this means reduction on disruptions and the
costs in the construction industry (Eastman, Teicholz, Sacks, & Liston, 2018). Simply, the
modular construction methods are simply an offsite construction method where materials are
manufactured and fabricated offsite and then assembled on site to form the building.
2. Volumetric/modular systems
Under this method, the whole of part of the building are factory-made off-site and then
taken to the site for fitting. The panels can be designed repeatedly. This construction method has
units which are large building units and can be linked up together to form the building unit

4 | P a g e
(Henderson, 2018). The fittings are nevertheless manufactured on the factories and then
delivered on site for the installation. The transportation means, road situations and the
construction site access are the major parameters which determine the sizes of the volumetric
modules to be manufactured. Other factors which are considered during the manufacture process
include the strength and rigidity of the modules. In countries like UK, most of the volumetric
modular construction techniques have been used in student’s accommodations, health care
facilities, hotels, fast food sectors, town-houses and sized accommodation facilities (Lacey,
Chen, Hao, & Bi, 2019).
Figure 1: Volumetric construction method (Coldham, 2016)
2.1. Advantages and disadvantages
These modules are made from different materials which include timber, or steel. Finishes
such as windows, doors, electrical units, plumbing, heating are then pre-fitted to the main
modules. The fitting of the fittings is done prior to the delivery of the modules on site thus
minimizing the defects and increase on the quality (Coldham, 2016). Assembling of the modules

5 | P a g e
is done in a precise and controlled factory environment which enhances the quality control.
Other fittings such as the façade, claddings and roof are installed onsite (Lacey, Chen, Hao, &
Bi, 2018). The module selection and transportation to sit at sometimes influence the
transportation dimensions as well as the transportation distances. Nevertheless, the modules are
easily shipped to site and this enhances the delivery and construction period of the buildings
using this method (Henderson, 2018). In addition, the volumetric modules are ideal for the
construction of any building type and sector. Moreover, this method of construction is able to
offer a lot of flexibility when selecting the type of finishes to be implemented. Additionally, the
volumetric construction methods allow the use of other methods of construction to be
incorporated such as the traditional methods (Zawidzki, 2017). These other methods can be
applied prior to the delivery of the modules or even after the delivery of the modules on site.
3. Structural insulation panels (SIPs)
This is a construction method where panels are made of a sandwiched core of thermal
insulations. “This method is used on a high performance system mostly for residential and
commercial constructions” (Jackson, 2011). Panels are structured composites which has a ridged
core between two layers of a structural board. The panels are manufactured under controlled
conditions in workshops and then shipped to site for fitting. The core between the boards on the
other hand can be of expanded polystyrene foam commonly known as EPS, extruded polystyrene
foam known as XPS, composite honeycomb known as HSC or other foams ideal for construction
purposes (Coldham, 2016). The SIP method is able to make sure the material manufacture meets
the structural properties of the different members. The manufacture process must be maintained
to ensure that the process is able to meet the specified qualities of the materials. Regulated heat
and pressure is usually maintained to ensure that consistency of the end product is achieved

6 | P a g e
(Conway, & Roenisch, 2014). The SIPs can be manufactured in different sizes according to
demand and user preferences. This has made to method of construction to increase its popularity
as a construction method. When this method is used for construction, cost and transportation and
handling issues must be considered. It is easier to transport and handle small sizes of the panels
to site than the bigger sizes. This method of construction highly embraces the use of EPS for the
manufacture of the panels. Like other modular construction methods, once the panels are ready,
they are delivered on site where assembling and fixing is done to form the buildings.
Figure 2: SIP Panel (Coldham, 2016)
3.1. Advantages and disadvantages
The major advantages of this method include the fact that the boards can be made of different
materials such as metal sheets, plywood, cement, magnesium oxide boards or even oriented

7 | P a g e
strand boards. The use of the SIP as a construction method is able to save time during the
construction period. Additionally, the environmental benefits are achieved for the building since
SIP panels have high thermal resistance. In addition, the beauty of using the SIP modular
construction method is that panels of any thickness and dimensions can be manufactured to meet
the client’s specifications and purpose. Nevertheless, the use of cranes to handle different sizes
of the panels can sometimes be required. This is a cost factor which is experienced when this
method of modular construction is experienced. Mostly, the cranes for special handling is needed
when bigger panels need to be used. Additionally, different curves of the SIP panels can be
manufactured (Georgia Institute of Technology., United States., & United States, 2017). The
technical difficulty of manufacture of special PIPs increases the cost of manufacture of the panel
by three to four times the cost of the standard panels.
4. Pre-engineered M&E services
Through this method, the whole plant rooms are constructed offsite and then delivered on
site for installation (Coldham, 2016). The units are constructed in whole at the factories and this
allows for the less on site time construction. Small rooms such as the washrooms, kitchen areas,
washing areas can be constructed using this method of construction and be fitted on site.
4.1. Advantages and disadvantages
The major advantage which is achieved when this method of construction is used is that the
whole rooms can be made offsite. The method is quick and therefore able to save on costs and
time during construction. Nevertheless, this method is widely used for small roomed building
due to the transportation issues of bigger rooms. Transportation of bigger rooms is a key issue

8 | P a g e
which affects the cost of the whole building and therefore only small rooms can be constructed
offsite for installation (Coldham, 2016).
5. Pre-assembled component
This is a modular construction method where individual materials which can be installed
individually on site are taken and pre-assembled in a factory environment in order to form a large
scale unit that makes installation easier and quick. Through this method, the individual panels are
manufactured for installation (Hyams, McCann & Ferguson, 2018 and Coldham, 2016). After the
manufacture of the different modules is done and then allowed to be combined to form a bigger
module. The bigger module is then transported to the site.
5.1. Advantages and disadvantages
The construction method allows for the different panels and sections to be combined
offsite and then transported to site for installation. The engineers, architects and the client have a
greater chance to change the specifications of the building during the pre-assembling of the
different units before they are delivered on site. This allows them to change any specifications to
be able to meet their desires and needs (Sacks, Eastman, Lee, & Teicholz, 2018). The use of this
method ensures that the onsite time of construction is highly reduced and this reduces some of
the key costs and disturbances which might be experienced (Kimmons, 2017). The site deliveries
are more reliable since all the anticipated issues are projected when the deliveries are scheduled.
The main challenge which determines the amount of the pre-assembling are the transportation
means, the road access situation and the site situations.
6. Conclusion

9 | P a g e
Modular construction methods have gained high popularity in the construction world due
to the major advantages they provide. The cost of construction, reduced time of construction and
environmental friendliness are some of the major benefits which have been achieved due to the
use of the modular construction methods. The use of these method does not limit the
combination with other methods to achieve the effectiveness in the construction industry.
Different modular construction methods can be combined to achieve efficiency and effectiveness
of the construction. In general, the modular construction methods have much more benefits in the
construction industry than the traditional methods.

10 | P a g e
7. References
Coldham, D. (July, 2016). Offsite Construction Methods and Their Benefits. Retrieved from:
https://www.ikopolymeric.com/offsite-construction-methods-and-their-benefits/
Conway, H., & Roenisch, R. (2014). Understanding Architecture: An Introduction to
Architecture and Architectural History. Florence: Taylor & Francis.
Costin, G. (2017). Construction skills. Southbank, Vic. Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd.
http://public.eblib.com/choice/PublicFullRecord.aspx?p=5771854.
Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Liston, K. (2018). BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building
Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and
Fabricators. Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=5447327.
Georgia Institute of Technology., United States., & United States. (2017). Improvements in SMR
Modular Construction through Supply Chain Optimization and Lessons Learned. Washington,
D.C: United States. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy.
http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/1351978.
Henderson, D. (May 10, 2018). What is Volumetric Construction? Retrieved from:
https://www.z-modular.com/blog/what-is-volumetric-construction/
Hyams A., McCann E., & Ferguson, H. (23 July 2018). Construction methods: modular.
Retrieved from: https://www.building.co.uk/data/construction-methods-modular/5094760.article.
Jackson, S. L. (2011). Research methods: A modular approach. Australia; Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Kimmons, . (2017). Project Management: A Reference for Professionals. London: Taylor and
Francis. http://www.crcnetbase.com/isbn/9780203741771.
Lacey, A. W.; Chen, W.; Hao, H.; Bi, K. (2018). "Structural Response of Modular Buildings –
An Overview". Journal of Building Engineering. 16: 45–56.
Lacey, A. W.; Chen, W.; Hao, H.; Bi, K. (2019). "Review of bolted inter-module connections in
modular steel buildings". Journal of Building Engineering. 23: 207–219.
Petrova, V. M. (2018). Advances in engineering research: Volume 21. New York: Nova Science
Publishers. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1782211.
Sacks, R., Eastman, C., Lee, G., & Teicholz, P. (2018). BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building
Information Modeling for Owners, Designers, Engineers, Contractors, and Facility Managers.
Wiley. https://nls.ldls.org.uk/welcome.html?ark:/81055/vdc_100061879381.0x000001.
Tanney, J., Luntz, R., & Arieff, A. (2014). Modern modular: The prefab houses of Resolution : 4
Architecture. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Zawidzki, M. (2017). Discrete Optimization in Architecture: Extremely Modular Systems.
Singapore: Springer Singapore.