MODULAR

VOLUMETRIC
CONSTRUCTION
 Modular Construction - what is it?
• Factory production of a fitted out room.

• Pre-engineered building units.

• Delivered to site as modular units and

assembled on site to form a building.

• It may comprise highly serviced rooms

such as plant, bathrooms or kitchens or
bedrooms, lounges, stairwells.

• It is a self supporting structure

 WHY CHOOSE
MODULAR
CONSTRUCTION?
 Modular Construction - why use it?

Benefits include:

• Short construction time/programme

• High early return on capital investment
• Significant cash flow advantages over traditional
build
• Reduced need for skilled workforce on site
• Less waste
• High quality control
• Reliable delivery timescale
• Price certainty
• Sustainable - can be relocated or recycled
• Light weight gives foundation savings
 Greener
The factory-controlled process generates less waste, creates fewer site
disturbances and allows for tighter construction.
Less Site Disturbance
On-site traffic is greatly minimized from workers, equipment and suppliers.
Greater Flexibility and Reuse 
Modular buildings can be disassembled and the modules relocated or
refurbished for new use, reducing the demand for raw materials and
minimizing the amount of energy expended to create a building to meet the
new need. 
Less Material Waste 
When building in a factory, waste is eliminated by recycling materials,
controlling inventory and protecting building materials. 
 Improved Air Quality
Because the modular structure is substantially completed in a factory-
controlled setting using dry materials, the potential for high levels of
moisture being trapped in the new construction is eliminated.
 faster
O Construction of modular buildings occurs simultaneously with site work, allowing
projects to be completed in half the time of traditional construction. 
O Reduced Construction Schedule
Because construction of modular buildings can occur simultaneously with the
site and foundation work, projects can be completed 30% to 50% sooner than
traditional construction.
O Elimination of Weather Delays 
60 - 90% of the construction is completed inside a factory, which mitigates the risk
of weather delays. Buildings are occupied sooner, creating a faster return on
investment.
O Built to Code with Quality Materials
Modular buildings are built to meet or exceed the same building codes and
standards as site-built structures, and the same architect-specified materials used in
conventionally constructed buildings are used in modular construction projects –
wood, concrete and steel. 
 SMARTER
O Modular buildings are built with the 
same materials and to the same building codes and architectural specifications 
as traditional construction. Once assembled, they are virtually indistinguishable from
their site-built counterparts. 
O Safer Construction 
The indoor construction environment reduces the risks of accidents and related liabilities
for workers.
O Better Engineered Building & BIM
PMC relies on advanced BIM for visualization to assess the energy performance and
identify the most cost-effective efficiency measures. PMC is ideal for the use of this
technology where the construction process is already a collaboration of systems,
materials and people—much like the software itself.
O Limitless Design Opportunities
Modular units may be designed to fit in with external aesthetics of any existing building
and modular units, once assembled, are virtually indistinguishable from their site-built
counterparts.
 STRENGTH
O Building strength
O Modular homes are designed to be stronger than traditional homes
by, for example, replacing nails with screws, adding glue to joints,
and using 10-20% more lumber than conventional housing.This is
to help the modules maintain their structural integrity as they are
transported on trucks to the construction site; however, it is
difficult to predict the final building strength since the modules
need to endure transportation stresses that traditional homes never
experience.
O When FEMA studied the destruction wrought by Hurricane
Andrew in Dade County Florida, they concluded that modular
and masonry homes fared best compared to other construction.
The benefits of using the modular system for overseas construction

• The ability to “template” all designs and specifications for generic types of
buildings

• Fast-track set-up and operation of assembly plants.

• Consistency of quality and build

• Cost benefits of design and specification consistency

• Reduction in design cost

• Plants can be utilised for other purposes

Modular construction - when to use it?

• Short programming required

• Repetitive building type

• Skill shortage on site

• Certainty of delivery

• High quality

• Future relocation

• Weather conditions have limited effect

• Security issues

• Price certainty
Construction of walls and floors in modular units
Walls Floors

Walls of modules comprise C sections of 75 to 150 Floors of modules comprise C sections of 150 to
mm depth. 250 mm depth.

Longitudinal walls are usually load-bearing and the

Ceiling is manufactured as a wall panel.
end walls provide for stability.

Open-sided modules can be created by longitudinal

Open-sided modules use deeper floor joists or
floor and ceiling joists – end walls become load
lattice joists of 250 to 400 mm depth.
bearing.

Stability provided by cross-flats or diaphragm Corridor zone can be used to provide in-plane
action of boarding. bracing in long buildings.

Double skin floor and ceiling provides excellent

Double skin walls provide excellent acoustic
acoustic insulation. Mineral wool may be required
insulation.
between the joists.
 Architectural aspects

• Rectangular or A high degree of repetition

is required
• High quality factory finished rooms
• Fully serviced rooms "ready to plug in" via
risers and corridor distribution routes
• 90 minutes fire rating available with
double boards
• Outstanding sound attenuation
• Low rise or high rise projects
• Thermal insulation easily upgraded
• Maximum standard room width is variable
• Cladding choices
• Variety of building shapes - usually
rectilinear but could be jutted out or with
balconies
• Roofing – Variety of methods and products
 Logistical requirements

• Rooms must have repetition and preferably

be rectangular
• For transportation, room sizes are flexible
• Rooms wider than 5m may need to be
subdivided into smaller width units
• Modules are lifted into place via a 4 or 6
point lifting frame
• Sequence of design, fit out and delivery to
site to suit installation sequence to avoid
double handling.
Durability and design life of Modular units

• Hot dip galvanised coated G275 g/m² steel

• Minimum 100 year design life expected

for most buildings

• A design life over 200 years can be

achieved with additional insulation

• In all cases normal building maintenance

is required to fabric and cladding
 Acoustic performance

This Modular building system can be super insulated

with higher than usual building regulation
requirements for both thermal and acoustic
insulation.

In addition to this, the system incorporates a method

of separating each individual module acoustically
which means that noise cannot be transmitted easily
through the structure.
 Types Of Modules
O 4-sided modules
O Partially open-sided module
O Open-sided (corner-supported) modules
O Modules supported by a primary structural frame
O Non-load bearing modules
O Mixed modules and planar floor cassettes
 4-sided modules

O In this form of construction, modules are

manufactured with four closed sides to create cellular
type spaces designed to transfer the combined vertical
load of the modules above and in-plane loads (due to 
wind action) through their longitudinal walls. The
cellular space provided is limited by the
transportation and installation requirements.
Depending on location and exposure to wind action,
the height of buildings in fully modular construction
is in the range of 6 to 10 storeys.
 Partially open-sided modules

O 4 sided modules can be designed with partially open sides by

the introduction of corner and intermediate posts and by using a
stiff continuous edge beam in the floor cassette. The maximum
width of opening is limited by the bending resistance and
stiffness of the edge member in the floor cassette. Additional
intermediate posts are usually square hollow sections(SHS), so
that they can fit within the wall width.
O Two modules can be placed together to create wider spaces.
The compression resistance of the corner or internal posts
controls the maximum height of the building, but 6 to 10
storeys can be achieved, as for fully modular construction.
Open sided (corner-supported) modules

O Modules may be designed to provide fully open

sides by transfer of loads through the longitudinal
edge beams to the corner posts. The framework of
the module is often in the form of hot rolled steel
members, such as Square Hollow Section (SHS)
columns and Parallel Flange Channel (PFC) edge
beams, that are bolted together.
Mixed modules and floor cassettes

O In this ‘hybrid’ or mixed form of construction, long modules may be

stacked to form a load-bearing serviced core and floor cassettes span
between the modules and load-bearing walls.
O The modules are constructed in a similar way to that described for open-
sided modules, but the loading applied to the side of the modules is
significantly higher.
O this mixed modular and panel form of construction is limited to
buildings of 4 to 6 storey height.
O It is typically used in residential buildings, particularly of terraced form,
comprising modular ‘cores’ for stairs, and highly serviced areas.
O The modules are arranged in a ‘spine’ through the building and the floors
are attached to it. An example of this hybrid form of construction is
shown.
Modules supported by a primary structure

O Modular units may be designed to be supported by a primary structure at

a podium or platform level. In this case, the supporting columns are
positioned at a multiple of the width of the modules (normally 2 or 3
modules).
O The beams are designed to support the combined loads from the modules
above (normally a maximum of 4 6 storeys).
O The supporting structure is designed conventionally as a steel framework
with beams and columns that align with multiples of the module width,
and provides open plan space at ground floor and below ground levels.
O This form of construction is very suitable for
mixed retail,commercial and residential developments, especially
for residentiAl units above commercial areas or car parking, etc,
particularly in urban projects.
 Module fabrication
• Following the building
design freeze the
modules are fabricated
in jigs made from
galvanised LGS cages

• They have a design life

in excess of 100 years
 Module fit out
• Following delivery of
the modules to the fit-out
plant assembly is
commenced

• The modules are fitted

out in accordance with
the building system
standard processes

• Kitchens and bathrooms

are installed along with
plumbing and electrical
systems

• Doors, windows and

flooring are also
installed to client’s
requirements
Module fit out
 Module placement
• Following assembly, the
modules are delivered to site

• Modules are lifted into

position and connected
together

• All modules are waterproof

and weatherproof
immediately

• System design satisfies

Building Regulations
progressive collapse
requirements
Module services connection

Once installed, the modules are

plugged and plumbed in
 Module cladding and roofing

Following placement of the modules:

• The cladding and roofing go on

simultaneously
• Cladding could also be fitted in the
factory reducing on site programme.
• Balconies can be fitted
• External works are completed
• Services are commissioned
 Modular construction - summary
Volumetric systems

• Standard size units

• Load bearing three dimensional frames
• Prefabricated and fitted out under factory conditions
• Each module self-contained
• Ideal for re-locatable applications
• Identical units, e.g. Villas, apartment units or hotel rooms
• Room sized units may serve as main structural components of an entire building
 Modular construction - summary

Light gauge steel frames provide:

• Inherent rigidity
• Can be built to strict tolerances
• Advantages over timber frame systems
• Dimensional stability
• Durability
• Modular systems are super-insulated
• Walls and floors typically give 53dB reduction for sound
• Typical u-values achieved for external walls are 0.21 W/m2k
 Chaucer Street

Building type: Modular student accommodation

Located in the heart of Nottingham, this modular
project consists of a 6-storey, 300 bedroom, student
accommodation building, and the smaller 70 flats 4-
storey Belgrave Suite.
.
 Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester

Student accommodation
Located on the tight site in central Manchester is
the 600 bedroom a hall of residence for the
Royal Northern College of Music, comprising
single and double bedrooms with en-suite
bathrooms and kitchens for each flat and
common rooms.

The nine-storey block was totally prefabricated

off-site using the light gauge modular system.
 North Pole Road, London

This site was extremely confined, with the proposed

construction filling the entire 12m wide by 100m long
North Pole Road, London - key worker housing
 Rodney Road, Twickenham - social & private housing

This site lies directly between a mainline railway

and a busy road and thus required high levels of
sound insulation, this was easily provided with
the modular framing solution. Offering very good
acoustic performance both against external noise
and also the transmittal of sound between units
internally.
Rodney Road, Twickenham - social & private housing
Rodney Road, Twickenham - social & private housing
RNCM, Manchester
Wilmslow, Manchester
Wilmslow, Manchester
South Chase, Harlow - social & private housing
South Chase, Harlow - social & private housing

Traditionally clad to resembles traditional housing

THANK YOU