Better Value in Steel VALUE AND BENEFITS ASSESSMENT OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

Modular construction has been in the UK since the late 1970s but its rapid increase in recent years has occurred due to client demands in various well-defined sectors. There are five major manufacturers of modular units in the UK. A strong infrastructure of design, manufacture and supply exists, which has expanded to meet the increasing demand of the late 1990s. The motivation for using modular construction generally arises because of overriding client requirements for speed of construction, improved quality, and for early return of investment. Furthermore, there is a noticeable trend to use modular construction in social housing, where speed of construction is allied to economy of production scale, and to reduced disruption in congested inner city sites. The optimum size and span of the modular units is dictated by transportation limits. Generally, buildings of up to 5 storeys can be designed without being over-engineered (i.e. the same modular unit is used at all levels without need for strengthening). For taller buildings, additional strengthening elements can be introduced. Recent examples of the sectors that have used modular construction are presented in this study. A number of case examples of recent projects are presented in Case Studies on Modular Steel Framing (P271).