| Commercial modular buildings are structures used for | | | | modulars are constructed indoors, which means both |
| business purposes that are fabricated in sections in a | | | | time and materials wastage or greatly minimized as |
| factory and then transported to the site and | | | | factors. For instance, weather conditions are no |
| assembled, often by cranes. They are generally | | | | longer able to hold up construction progress or |
| quicker and cheaper than ordinary construction by as | | | | damage building materials, and the building and |
| much as half. They can be a very good solution for | | | | landscape work can be completed more or less |
| businesses that need to set up shop quickly and that | | | | simultaneously since the lot doesn't have to be |
| may have a limited budget for construction. | | | | prepared before construction can begin. |
| Construction Process | | | | For construction in remote locations, the difficulties |
| The modules that go into a modular building are | | | | cost of transporting materials from larger urban or |
| constructed at a remote facility, often in standard | | | | industrial centers can be significant and even make |
| factory assembly line fashion or using a similar | | | | building projects impractical. With modular buildings, |
| process. The components must conform to quality | | | | virtually all of the construction is done at the factory, |
| and control and building control standards. There are | | | | so only the transportation of the modulars to the site |
| building inspectors present at the factories to make | | | | is needed, and this is often quite affordable. |
| sure building code is observed. | | | | Churches, schools, companies that need temporary |
| Transportation to the Site | | | | of semi-temporary regional offices, small businesses |
| Modular buildings are usually transported to the site | | | | that need a "no frills" offices where they only |
| by means of flatbed trucks. Most modulars are | | | | occasionally meet clients or store materials, more |
| considered "off frame" - meaning that they are | | | | permanent business who need to economize on |
| assembled without a frame or axle (unlike, for | | | | construction costs - these types of businesses and |
| instance, mobile homes, which are towed to the site, | | | | many others can all benefit from commercial modular |
| frame and all). An off frame dwelling can be loaded in | | | | building solutions. |
| primarily flat sections on the flat bed, secured, and | | | | They are not necessarily generic looking either - |
| transported safely. | | | | these buildings come in an amazing number of |
| There are also, however, modular buildings which use | | | | varieties and often look as attractive as site built |
| prebuilt factory frames as part of the modules. In | | | | dwellings, or close. A quick look at the sales pages of |
| these cases, the frame itself serves as a means of | | | | a modular dwelling web site gives an idea of the |
| securing the other components, so these kinds of | | | | diversity available in all kinds of price ranges. |
| modular building can still be loaded onto flat bed or | | | | Often quite sound as dwellings, modulars have largely |
| other trucks for transportation to the site. When on | | | | left behind the "cheap" image that characterized |
| site, the already framed sections are joined together | | | | them in the earlier history of the industry. In fact |
| to create the final modular structure. | | | | they often exceed the structural strength of their |
| Advantages of Modular Construction | | | | site built counterparts because they are |
| As noted above, some of the main advantages of | | | | manufactured by a set process at the factory which |
| modular construction are the decreased cost and | | | | uses screws, glues joints together, and runs through |
| time of construction. In addition, some modular | | | | a standardized factory process of strength testing. |
| buildings are actually portable. They can be | | | | The resulting product is more or less guaranteed, as |
| disassembled and reassembled in another location, or | | | | long as the manufacturer has a good reputation, to |
| simply used for a time and then collapsed and sent | | | | meet or exceed building standards. |
| back to the factory. This has great advantages for | | | | For all these reasons, modular buildings can be a very |
| businesses that need temporary offices on location in | | | | good business construction solution. They provide a |
| a certain area. | | | | way around some of the traditional challenges and |
| There are a number of other more specific factors | | | | variables that on site construction involves, and are |
| related to these basic advantages. In general, | | | | usually equal or superior structures. |