Some people falsely believe that modular walls are flimsy or temporary, good for offices maybe, but not something you’d trust in important spaces. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The best demonstration of what modular walls can handle can be glimpsed by looking at where they’re already being used: in places like hospitals, cleanrooms, factories, and even military bases. These are places that cannot cut corners or skimp on quality. If the walls didn’t hold up, they wouldn’t be there.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the kinds of tough environments that use modular wall systems every day, and what that tells you about how strong they really are.
Where Modular Walls Are Used And What That Tells You About Their Strength
If you really want to know how strong modular walls are, all you have to do is look at where they’re being used. When you see the kinds of high-risk spaces that depend upon the daily, it becomes clear that modular buildings are more than simply flexible: they’re tough. Here’s a look at some demanding environments that use modular walls.
1. Cleanrooms and Labs
Labs, and especially cleanrooms, cannot take any chances when it comes to uncleanliness. The walls in these spaces often have to be smooth, non-porous, and sealed properly to prevent many kinds of contamination. Such controlled environments also have to manage airflow, humidity, and other factors that can make or break a manufacturing operation or important scientific work.
In these spaces, modular walls are a natural fit. Their panels often have materials like fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP), vinyl-clad gypsum, and epoxy-coated gypsum, all of which have features that can prevent contamination issues. Seamless joints and sealed corners can also help keep the air tight and the space sterile.
2. Hospitals and Other Healthcare Applications
Hospitals aren’t the kinds of places that can easily shut down when construction is necessary. This, of course, makes modular perfect for adding space at hospitals. The panels can go in quickly, with less mess, and without needing to shut off access to whole wings of the building. But speed isn’t the only reason that hospitals choose modular.
Hospitals and other medical facilities typically have a lot of traffic and near constant use, whether that is in the form of carts bumping into walls or patients being moved in and out. Modular wall systems can help hospitals reduce wear and tear, and can protect patients in other ways with fire-rated cores, antimicrobial finishes, and more.
Modular walls can be used for nurse stations, imaging rooms, waiting areas, administrative spaces, full exam rooms, and more.
3. Military and Government Sites
When the military builds something, they need it to meet strict standards. That means modular buildings on bases, in training areas, or near vulnerable places can’t just look good on paper (they also have to perform well).
Modular systems are often used for guard shacks, control rooms, command centers, and many other applications. The walls are often reinforced, weather-sealed, and compliant with codes for fire safety, insulation, and electrical access. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and various defense contractors have used modular construction both domestically and overseas.
That kind of trust doesn’t go to weak products.
4. Manufacturing
Another common use for modular walls are factories and other industrial spaces. And these places are typically loud, busy, and chaotic. Whether it’s forklifts driving by, machinery running nonstop, or teams working long shifts, these types of environments are tough on buildings. Luckily, modular walls are built strong enough to handle it.
Common materials include steel-faced panels, aluminum framing, mineral fiber cores, as well as impact-resistant finishes. These materials help walls take hits and keep going.
You’ll often see modular enclosures for in-plant offices, machine enclosures, quality control areas, or even quiet break spaces on the production floor (and these can be soundproofed, if need be). Companies in automotive, aerospace, food packaging, and other industries all depend on modular systems every day.
5. Offices That Can Adapt Over Time
Finally, it’s not just hospitals, the military, and heavy industry that use modular walls. Office spaces in general, and especially growing or changing ones, use modular panels to create private offices, conference rooms, or partitions.
These walls don’t crack like drywall or crumble like cheap, foldable partitions.
They too can come in a wide range of materials and finishes, including glass, laminate, steel, FRP, and more. More importantly, they can be readjusted whenever layouts need to be changed. If a company grows or changes direction, your walls can too.
The Bottom Line
If modular walls were weak, you wouldn’t see them in hospitals, cleanrooms, factories, or military sites. But you do, because they hold up. They’re built to handle serious use, meet all kinds of strict standards, and perform for the long run where it matters most. That’s not a guess, it’s what is already happening.
Interested in adding modular walls to your location? Reach out to the experts at Allied Modular to get a quote on tough, American-made buildings.
FAQs: Where Modular Walls Are Used (And What It Shows About Their Strength)
1. Can modular walls be used in cold storage or wet environments?
Yes, absolutely. Modular panels can be sealed or built with materials that resist moisture. This makes them perfect for spaces like cold rooms, refrigerated spaces, or even humid environments.
2. How are modular walls different from traditional drywall in offices?
Unlike drywall, modular walls don’t crack, crumble, or require demolition when layouts inevitably need to change. They can be readjusted or moved by our team within days (and no downtime). Also, they are far more customizable than drywall (check out some of our interior options here).
3. Can modular walls be soundproofed?
Yes, definitely. Modular walls can be built with sound-dampening materials or acoustic panels, which can make them useful in a huge variety of applications.
4. Are modular wall panels easy to clean in medical or lab environments?
They are. Many modular wall systems use smooth, non-porous surfaces like FRP or vinyl-clad panels that can be wiped down and disinfected regularly; this makes them a great choice for spaces that need to cut down on contamination as much as possible.
