The Commercial Modular Building Blog

Design-build can be described as a project delivery method of building in which there is one contractor responsible for the entire construction project: the design phase and the construction or build phase. Common advantages cited for this method include accountability, organizational and coordinating advantages, and reduction in costs.

In a traditional construction scheme in which the designer party works separately from the builder party, there is a potential for miscommunication and coordination issues. Perhaps the designer makes a mistake in the design and the builder runs into difficulties, or maybe the builder makes a mistake in accordance with the design and corrections have to be made that way.

One of the parties may fail to communicate to the other an important aspect to the project, and if the project is delayed due to an error, it could be possible for the multiple parties to blame each other and attempt to dodge responsibility, making it more difficult to get the project completed. These delays and/or errors can also increase costs and unneccessary waste by causing resource misallocations and the resulting corrections.

Design-build seeks to eliminate these conflicts by making one sole contractor the designer and builder. If there are any problems during the duration of the project, the design-build contractor is solely responsible and is charged with getting the project back on track.

Design-build also seeks to reduce costs by streamlining the construction process and eliminating unnecessary waste that is the result of miscommunication and miscalculation. The design-build contractor has the advantage of being in control of both the design and build process, so design, resource allocation, manufacturing and construction can all be monitored very closely and coordinated.

At Allied Modular we use the design-build approach with our modular buildings. We work with you from designing the project and coming up with a layout that will fit your needs, to building and completing the project at the site itself. We assume responsibility for making sure the project is completed on time and that it meets your standards. Our modular building processis conducted under controlled indoor conditions in our factory, where building materials are used and reused as efficiently as possible, cutting down on time and waste, which brings down costs. And in the end if it saves the customer a headache from dealing trying to coordinate and keep accountable multiple contractors, then we’ve done our job.

Two recent articles highlight the changing trends in the construction industry, trends that we’ve noted and discussed countless times in this blog. More and more voices are calling for an increased emphasis on modular, prefabricated modes of construction due to increased efficiency and benefit to the environment among other things.

The first article touches on the growing interest and expanding markets in modular housing and discusses the green aspects of the technology.

Among the benefits touted by the article, modular construction allows for more efficient utilization of resources in controlled factory settings, with materials often re-circulated if they aren’t used. Another point was that less wood is being used in this construction process, which goes easier on forests.

Also among the noted benefits were lower costs, due to increased efficiency, which many builders use to opt for other energy-saving features such as lighting and efficient energy. Also construction times lower. Many customers are looking for their efficient buildings with their cost savings and green attributes. The whole article is worth a read if you’re interested in green housing and where its going.

The other article focuses on a push for builders towards a renewal for prefabricated building techniques. They say “renewal” because prefabricated building techniques have been around for a while, but due to technology gains these last couple of years, the process has become much more efficient and produces buildings of a higher quality.

The article lists a number of advantages to prefabricated (or now more commonly called modular) construction. Among the advantages are less of a reliance on good weather conditions, the ability to supervise labor easier, the ability to provide easier access to tools and the reduced need for material deliveries to a construction site.

In short, modular construction makes the construction process much more efficient (in cost, time, and resources) and centralized, saving companies and clients time, money, and frustration. Definitely another article to check out.

Yet another indication that the construction industry is adopting more modular building methods as a whole: this article talks about a construction company considering modular construction for building high rise housing in New York, due to its many advantages. The article talks about the potential advantages of modern technology when it comes to building high rises in New York, and many of the stated advantages are quite similar to the advantages in commercial modular building that we have talked about before.

The first major advantage the article discusses is cost. One of the industry’s engineers mentioned around 20% in cost savings. The savings can depend on the project, but 20% is a pretty good figure, especially for something like high rises in New York. And these cost savings can be found across the board: modular construction saves on costs when it comes to any application.

Mentioned in the article, having most of the construction take place in the factory allows the company to allow for weather, control materials being used in the process and reduce waste, and lower labor costs, increasing efficiency. With these lower costs, more high rise projects become more affordable and lower cost housing can be made more available as well, a definite must considering the continuing weak state of the economy.

Many in the industry are keeping their eyes on whether modular high rise developments are successful, and if they are successful (we would bet they will be) expect many in the industry to adopt those methods. The article mentions that a college dorm that was 25-stories was built out of 805 modules in just 27 weeks, and the building is holding up well to winds, which was one of the initial engineering challenges for modular high rises.

So engineers everywhere are implementing modular designs in every facet of construction, solving unique structural challenges pertaining to each project and increasing efficiency, quality, and associated costs in doing so. Expect these trends to continue on in the next couple of years.

We’ve talked about modular nuclear reactors before. Basically any new construction technology that employs modular construction methods is of interest to this blog. As we’ve said before, modular construction methods are quickly becoming the dominant mode of construction and are being used for many different kinds of applications in today’s construction industry.  

It seems as though the US government is showing increasing interest in the modular nuclear industry. According to an article, the United States government announced a new funding initiative for the reactors which will involve the Department of Energy sharing costs with private modular reactor manufacturers to build small modular nuclear reactors.

The smaller reactors are deemed more flexible and cost-effective to construct, due to their modular nature. Also, these new modular reactors are much more safe, utilizing passive, automatic safety controls that more effectively monitor safety conditions than the old active controls that required human interaction to function.

Improved safety conditions will especially be important to the public, considering the recent Fukushima disaster being fresh in the public’s mind.  China itself has already been investing in the smaller modular nuclear reactors to accommodate its ever-increasing industrial capacities.

With modular design making more and more construction projects more efficient and cost-effective, we may be seeing all sorts of new construction activity spring up that was previously in the form of dormant  projects. For example, not many companies could make nuclear reactors because of the astronomical costs associated with construction, as well as the long period of time before the reactors would start turning a profit. Now with a more efficient construction method, higher quality and safer reactors can be constructed.

Expect modular reactors to start popping up around the United States in the next decade.

Now here’s an interesting proposal: a 200-story skyscraper that functions as an entire city. The city would hold about 100,000 people and would contain many features of a city such as business/retail, entertainment, shopping, etc.

The inhabitants wouldn’t need cars, and the building would be highly energy and material efficient. The skyscraper is of a modular design, so it is claimed the building could be constructed in 6 months.

That’s one of the more ambitious concepts being proposed by a Chinese company called Broad Sustainable Buildings. There are some who doubt that such a project is possible at this time, though the company did recently build a 30-story hotel in 15 days.

The fact of the matter is, with modular construction as the new standard in building, we are going to see more and more concepts popping up such as this, and perhaps more of them becoming a reality in the near future.

Here is an interesting article that talks about the emerging trends in the architecture-engineering-construction sector. Mentioned in the article are trends towards more green and sustainable buildings, an industry-wide adoption of LEEDS, implementation of building sensors to monitor a building’s stability (among other things), greener building materials, and a growing trend towards modular construction. The author noted that trends towards modular construction seem to come in waves, but are now really taking hold for good due to economic reasons. Definitely an interesting analysis.

Housing is making its slow recovery as well, thanks to cost-effective modular houses and a growing demand for green, energy efficient, low-maintenance residences.

Another trend that could take hold is that of the modular nuclear reactor. We talked about this concept in a previous post. Nuclear reactor technology is growing cheaper to manufacture due to modular construction methods, and the reactors themselves have become much more safe according to a scientist in this article. Nuclear reactors will be smaller and modular in nature, so that reactors can be added or relocated if need be. They will also feature underground facilities, further reducing risk of disaster.

After Fukushima, it will be interesting to see how the public handles that proposal. But proponents are insisting that the modular reactors are an economically viable source of energy that is green and safe, and that the facilities at Fukushima were old designs that weren’t maintained as well as they could have been. So time will tell on that one.

All in all look for a future of green modular building designs that are seeking to improve building sustainability. Of course, not every building is going to be a modular building, but we will definitely see a higher proportion of them.  Also we will be seeing smart, self-regulating, net-zero energy buildings that will handle the self-regulating and energy-saving tasks with built in sensors and computer systems. These trends will continue into the future and don’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

We’ve had a lot of great projects this year as you’ve seen from all the case studies we’ve recently posted. We’ve taken modular construction to places previously unimagined; though considering the flexible nature of modular construction, the possibilities for construction are endless. We’ve built modular theaters, security units, hydroelectric equipment assembly facilities, drinking fountain enclosures, and more. And we expect to build much more next year!

The modular construction industry continues to grow rapidly, filling in places of the market where the aging methods of traditional construction are falling out of favor. Our company itself has experienced a lot of growth this year, and we expect to continue growing throughout 2012.

So here’s to the end of a year of growth. The economy still struggles through another year, while modular construction keeps growing and innovating within the downturn. Have a Happy New Year from Allied Modular and we will see you next year!

Patrick Gutman receives a donation from Allied President Kevin Peithman

Allied Modular Building Systems is proud to announce a large contribution to support  Chapman University’s Alpha Phi with a donation to their Mr. University philanthropic event. Pictured is Patrick Gutman, representative for Alpha Phi and one of the candidates for this year’s Mr. University event, receiving a donation check from Allied Modular President Kevin Peithman.   

The Alpha Phi Foundation is an international philanthropic organization that promotes issues like women’s cardiovascular health and other similar causes. The organization also works with local charities such as the Orange County Make a Wish Foundation, the well known organization that grants wishes to ill children. 

In fact, the Mr. University event at Chapman University is going to feature proceeds that go to the Make a Wish Foundation. The Mr. University event is going to consist of a male mock beauty pageant where 14 young men will compete in evening wear, beach wear, and talent events in order to raise money for charity. It should be a fun event and it is all for a great cause. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. 

We are proud to be able to donate to the organizations and charities that give so much to our communities. We wish the best for Alpha Phi and Make a Wish and look forward to seeing how this year’s Mr. University turns out! 

We believe that through better technologies in construction we can join others in industry in bettering the day to day lives of those around us. In addition to better technologies, we hope to better the lives of our customers and the community around us through customer service and positive community interaction.

Modular technologies have been featuring more and more prominently in various tech and construction news outlets around the world. It seems that not only in the construction industry, but across many industries, modular design has been gaining more and more favor as an alternate construction and manufacturing methodology.

Across many of these industries, modular design has become more prominent for common reasons: for system flexibility and lower construction/implementation times in an increasingly fast-paced economic world, and for cost effectiveness in a painfully protracted recessionary economy.

For example, we’ve been talking about all of the schools and businesses increasingly relying on modular construction because of time and budget constraints. Then there’s the growing use of modular construction in disaster relief programs such as for schools, medical buildings, housing, and even bridges in places like Joplin. Tech companies are increasingly using modular systems for their data centers in order to cut costs, save time, and improve efficiency among other things. Then there are the ongoing explorations into smaller, modular nuclear reactors that can be promising (of course if they are found to be safe, which with the modular designs, seems to be the case). And for you futurists out there, we are even seeing the development of modular, self-assembling foam robots (yep, that’s right) which could provide all sorts of exciting possibilities.  

What we are seeing is a broad paradigm shift in not only construction technology, but other manufacturing and data technologies as well. We are seeing an entire shift in thought towards a new, flexible, efficient mode of production. It is all very fascinating, and we will all benefit from it!