Modular Homes: The Future Of Home Construction 267

Modular Homes: The Future Of Home Construction

Published
It’s almost half of the year but technological advancements in the manufacturing industry are still blooming. It was projected that at the start of the year that 2020 will be the year of growing tech advancements, especially in the construction industry. 

Technology is always evolving to provide advancements and comfort to those who are in the field of construction. Tech advancements promise improvements in product quality check, research, and development.

History of modular construction
Many would think that modular construction is a new method in making buildings. However, they failed to realize that this type of construction has been alive since the past century. The most iconic modular construction is the Eiffel Tower, which used prefabricated iron in 1899. 

The first prefabricated home was made in the 1830s by John Manning and his son. He was a London carpenter. He made a prefabricated home and shipped the pieces to Australia for easy assembly. In the 1840s, modular construction entered the United States. 

Prefab homes were booming during World War II because of the mass demand for housing for military personnel. After the war, the military personnel went home and experienced a shortage of housing. Thus, prefab homes were the solution to make quick and cheap housing. Europe and Japan also utilized prefab homes after the war. 

Today, modular construction is slowly rising again. Several innovations were introduced over the years, such as automation, modeling, aesthetics, and functionality. New materials and designs were also introduced to cater to the more modern customers who look for prefab homes. 

Prefabricated or modular homes use pre-assembled and prefabricated building parts. These parts are built in a factory and are shipped to the home site for assembly. Modular homes use the same materials as on-site homes but have more range of benefits for homeowners.

Demand
The Commercial Construction Index released in 2019 that the demand in modular construction is rising. The report also said that contractors expect the trend to continue, which is true in the year 2020.

It was reported in 2019 that prefab home construction has doubled in the last five years and has become an $8 billion industry. It was reported that the lower cost and faster productivity made contractors embrace the trend in construction. 

The other reported benefits of modular construction are safety, productivity, quality, reduced risk, reduced cost, reduced material waste, and reduced time of construction. These benefits are said to be the reasons for the increased demand for modular home construction. Contractors are also attracted to this innovation because of lesser skilled labor and manpower, which drives the industry to automation and industrialization. 

Much faster process
The most essential benefit of modular construction is the reduction of construction time. Building home parts in a factory is up to 50% faster than building a home on-site. The reason for faster production is the automation, fast repeatability of construction parts, and greater teamwork between the machine and the person operating the machine. 

A factory can operate 24 hours a day to make construction parts. However, a typical on-site construction can last until 8 hours of the day only. Another factor is that construction factories have experienced workers, which means that there is no unreasonable delay in the delivery of the construction materials. Delays due to weather conditions will never be an issue.

Cost-efficient
The demand for affordable housing is increasing. The construction industry’s solution is the utilization of modular home construction. Advancements in this type of home construction assure tenants, developers, and homeowners of cheap yet quality homes. 

Lesser construction time also means lesser interest for construction loans. Thus, getting a modular home is one of the cheapest ways to procure a home. People can consider modular homes when looking for Melbourne apartments for sale

Eco-friendly
One great advantage of modular construction is that it helps in improving the environment. Construction factories utilize energy-efficient ways, such as recycling materials, installation of solar panels to the modular homes, and using LED lights as light fixtures for the home. 

Most modular homes have more insulation, ensuring energy efficiency to the home. More sealants and lesser air infiltration are placed on the homes, making the home susceptible to heat loss. These manufacturers ensure that the homeowner will save on energy bills by way of producing clean energy that will return to the energy grid. 

There is also zero waste in delivering the construction materials to the construction site. Once transported, these materials will then be assembled in modular pieces. Thus, there is less to no waste in the assembly of these pieces. 

Takeaway
Modular home construction is an evolving technology in the construction industry. Factories are slowly utilizing robotics and automation in manufacturing construction materials to be more cost-efficient and time-efficient. The future of home construction is bright. Modular home construction will play a huge role in the construction industry in the years to come.
 
Blog SME Connect Blog 05/12/2020 2:12am EDT