La construcción modular puede generar hasta un 20 por ciento del costo total del proyecto en ahorros. Sin embargo, también existe el riesgo de que aumente el costo en un 10 por ciento. Esto ocurre cuando los ahorros en el área de mano de obra de la construcción son superados por el incremento en los costos del área de logística y materiales. La prefabricación de componentes utilizados en la construcción modular tiene un costo logístico mayor que la construcción tradicional. Dado que los paneles o estructuras 3D tienen que ser fabricados en una fábrica y transportados a la obra, se presentan nuevas variables que alteran el flujo de la construcción.

Transport

The transportation of manufactured components is naturally more expensive than that of raw materials. For one thing, even multiple 2D panels stacked together are much more difficult to transport than raw cement, wood, or the material used to build them. Panels are at high risk of minor or major damage when transported by land. If a panel were to become damaged, it would probably have to be replaced entirely. The factory would have to temporarily stop production of other panels to replace this one, which would increase overall manufacturing hours and therefore cost. In addition to manufacturing hours, transportation hours would also increase, which would increase yet another cost. In any case, transporting 2D panels remains a good alternative to on-site construction.

Transportation reaches its maximum cost when shipping 3D volumetric structures. While 1 m of 2D surface requires approximately 8 USD to transport 250 km, its 3D surface equivalent requires 45 USD.[1]​ Added to this the replacement cost if the structure is damaged during transport creates a large cost increase.

Construction

Assembling components in an off-site factory means that workers can use the repeatability of structures as well as the use of automation to facilitate the manufacturing process. By standardizing the overall design of structures, work that would normally require expensive workers with specific skills (e.g., mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) can be completed by low-cost manufacturers, reducing the overall cost of wages. Since very little manufacturing occurs on site, up to 80% of traditional labor activity can be moved off-site to the module factory. This leads to fewer subcontractors needed, further reducing the overall cost of total wages. In general, the larger the labor-intensive portion of a project, the greater the savings if modular construction is used.

Projects such as student housing, hotels, and affordable housing are excellent candidates for modular construction. The repeatability of their structures leads to faster manufacturing times and therefore lower overall cost. Meanwhile, if the project is (for example) a modern beach house with very irregular wall and roof spaces, traditional construction methods may be preferable. As the industry continues to adapt and grow, these repeatable designs could one day be modified and adapted to fit all types of structures at reduced costs.

Construction is considered one of the most dangerous industries. Workers fall from heights, objects are dropped, muscles are strained, and environmental hazards may be encountered. Modular construction restricts all manufacturing activities to a ground level, clean space with fewer workers needed. Accidents are estimated to be reduced by more than 80% relative to intensive on-site construction.[4] When asked in a survey on safety management in the construction industry conducted by McGraw Hill Construction in 2013, 50% of the construction industry believed prefabrication was safer than traditional on-site construction, while only 4% said prefabrication or modular construction had a negative impact on safety performance. Of general and specialty contractors surveyed, 78% and 59% said the biggest impact on safety was performing complex tasks at ground level.[5]​ According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of work-related deaths in construction, accounting for more than one in three deaths in the industry.[6]​ Reducing the heights at which workers must subsequently perform tasks reduces the risk of fatality they experience, greatly increasing the overall safety of workers. the industry. Additionally, 69% of general contractors and 69% of specialty contractors mentioned that reducing the number of workers performing different off-site factory tasks also improved construction site safety. In general, modular construction is safer for the following reasons:.

Modular construction is not yet considered a completely safe alternative. However, it reduces accidents and deaths by a significant amount. Especially in the manufacturing process of a project. 48.1% of all on-site construction accidents were fall-related, while only 9.1% of manufacturing plant accidents were falls. Manufacturing plant workers were most likely to be struck by an object or equipment (37.1%) and fractures and amputations had the same frequency of injury type at 27.3%. However, as the construction industry continues to adapt and move towards more sustainable construction methods, such as prefabricated modular construction, the overall number of safety accidents on construction sites is expected to decrease.

Proponents of prevention by design techniques encourage the use of modular construction methods in construction. It is included as a recommended risk control for construction projects in the "PtD Architectural Design and Construction Education Module" published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.[6]​.

Sustainable construction respects and is committed to the environment, which implies, among other things, the efficient use of water and energy, in addition to other resources and materials, which is facilitated in the case of modular construction, reducing the environmental impact.[7][8]​.

Modular construction is a great alternative to traditional construction when you take into account the amount of waste each method produces. When constructing a high-rise building in Wolverhampton, 824 modules were used. During this process, around 5% of the total weight of the construction was produced by weight. When compared to the average 10-13% waste of traditional methods, a small difference can be seen.[4]​ This difference may not seem like much when talking about small structures, however, when talking about a 100,000 lb/ft building it is a significant percentage. Additionally, the number of deliveries to the site decreased by up to 70%.[4]​ Instead, deliveries are moved to the modular factory, where more material can be received. Noise pollution on site is also greatly reduced, by moving the manufacturing process to an off-site factory, usually located outside the city, neighboring buildings are not affected as they would be with the traditional construction process.

The construction sector is one of the main carbon emitters. In this sense, modular construction reduces the impact on the environment, in part thanks to the use of 3D modeling software that guarantees that prefabricated modules are designed according to the exact requirements and needs of the place where they will be assembled.[9]​ This improves efficiency in the use of resources and materials, which substantially reduces the carbon footprint generated, helping both developers and builders to comply with their corporate social responsibility.[9]​.

Commercial and open source hardware components used in modular construction include: open beams, bit beams, fabrication beams, grid beams, contractors, OpenStructures components"), etc.[10][11] Space frame systems (such as Mero, Unistrut, Delta Structures, etc.) also tend to be modular in design.[12] Other materials used in construction that interlock and are therefore modular/reusable in nature They include interlocking bricks.[13]​[14][15]​.

In Spain, modular construction has experienced sustained growth in the last decade, especially in residential and educational projects. Factory manufacturing and on-site assembly allow execution times to be reduced by around 40% compared to traditional construction, which has boosted the demand for turnkey homes.[16]​.

Sustainability is another key factor: this model reduces the generation of waste on site and facilitates greater energy efficiency in finished buildings.[17]​ In addition, regions such as Catalonia and the Valencian Community have concentrated a large part of the recent developments, both public and private.

At the European level, countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have been consolidating modular construction for years as a main alternative to traditional building. The pressure to reduce costs and comply with stricter energy regulations has favored its expansion as a structural trend in the sector.[18]​.

La construcción modular puede generar hasta un 20 por ciento del costo total del proyecto en ahorros. Sin embargo, también existe el riesgo de que aumente el costo en un 10 por ciento. Esto ocurre cuando los ahorros en el área de mano de obra de la construcción son superados por el incremento en los costos del área de logística y materiales. La prefabricación de componentes utilizados en la construcción modular tiene un costo logístico mayor que la construcción tradicional. Dado que los paneles o estructuras 3D tienen que ser fabricados en una fábrica y transportados a la obra, se presentan nuevas variables que alteran el flujo de la construcción.

Transport

The transportation of manufactured components is naturally more expensive than that of raw materials. For one thing, even multiple 2D panels stacked together are much more difficult to transport than raw cement, wood, or the material used to build them. Panels are at high risk of minor or major damage when transported by land. If a panel were to become damaged, it would probably have to be replaced entirely. The factory would have to temporarily stop production of other panels to replace this one, which would increase overall manufacturing hours and therefore cost. In addition to manufacturing hours, transportation hours would also increase, which would increase yet another cost. In any case, transporting 2D panels remains a good alternative to on-site construction.

Transportation reaches its maximum cost when shipping 3D volumetric structures. While 1 m of 2D surface requires approximately 8 USD to transport 250 km, its 3D surface equivalent requires 45 USD.[1]​ Added to this the replacement cost if the structure is damaged during transport creates a large cost increase.

Construction

Assembling components in an off-site factory means that workers can use the repeatability of structures as well as the use of automation to facilitate the manufacturing process. By standardizing the overall design of structures, work that would normally require expensive workers with specific skills (e.g., mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) can be completed by low-cost manufacturers, reducing the overall cost of wages. Since very little manufacturing occurs on site, up to 80% of traditional labor activity can be moved off-site to the module factory. This leads to fewer subcontractors needed, further reducing the overall cost of total wages. In general, the larger the labor-intensive portion of a project, the greater the savings if modular construction is used.

Projects such as student housing, hotels, and affordable housing are excellent candidates for modular construction. The repeatability of their structures leads to faster manufacturing times and therefore lower overall cost. Meanwhile, if the project is (for example) a modern beach house with very irregular wall and roof spaces, traditional construction methods may be preferable. As the industry continues to adapt and grow, these repeatable designs could one day be modified and adapted to fit all types of structures at reduced costs.

Construction is considered one of the most dangerous industries. Workers fall from heights, objects are dropped, muscles are strained, and environmental hazards may be encountered. Modular construction restricts all manufacturing activities to a ground level, clean space with fewer workers needed. Accidents are estimated to be reduced by more than 80% relative to intensive on-site construction.[4] When asked in a survey on safety management in the construction industry conducted by McGraw Hill Construction in 2013, 50% of the construction industry believed prefabrication was safer than traditional on-site construction, while only 4% said prefabrication or modular construction had a negative impact on safety performance. Of general and specialty contractors surveyed, 78% and 59% said the biggest impact on safety was performing complex tasks at ground level.[5]​ According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of work-related deaths in construction, accounting for more than one in three deaths in the industry.[6]​ Reducing the heights at which workers must subsequently perform tasks reduces the risk of fatality they experience, greatly increasing the overall safety of workers. the industry. Additionally, 69% of general contractors and 69% of specialty contractors mentioned that reducing the number of workers performing different off-site factory tasks also improved construction site safety. In general, modular construction is safer for the following reasons:.

Modular construction is not yet considered a completely safe alternative. However, it reduces accidents and deaths by a significant amount. Especially in the manufacturing process of a project. 48.1% of all on-site construction accidents were fall-related, while only 9.1% of manufacturing plant accidents were falls. Manufacturing plant workers were most likely to be struck by an object or equipment (37.1%) and fractures and amputations had the same frequency of injury type at 27.3%. However, as the construction industry continues to adapt and move towards more sustainable construction methods, such as prefabricated modular construction, the overall number of safety accidents on construction sites is expected to decrease.

Proponents of prevention by design techniques encourage the use of modular construction methods in construction. It is included as a recommended risk control for construction projects in the "PtD Architectural Design and Construction Education Module" published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.[6]​.

Sustainable construction respects and is committed to the environment, which implies, among other things, the efficient use of water and energy, in addition to other resources and materials, which is facilitated in the case of modular construction, reducing the environmental impact.[7][8]​.

Modular construction is a great alternative to traditional construction when you take into account the amount of waste each method produces. When constructing a high-rise building in Wolverhampton, 824 modules were used. During this process, around 5% of the total weight of the construction was produced by weight. When compared to the average 10-13% waste of traditional methods, a small difference can be seen.[4]​ This difference may not seem like much when talking about small structures, however, when talking about a 100,000 lb/ft building it is a significant percentage. Additionally, the number of deliveries to the site decreased by up to 70%.[4]​ Instead, deliveries are moved to the modular factory, where more material can be received. Noise pollution on site is also greatly reduced, by moving the manufacturing process to an off-site factory, usually located outside the city, neighboring buildings are not affected as they would be with the traditional construction process.

The construction sector is one of the main carbon emitters. In this sense, modular construction reduces the impact on the environment, in part thanks to the use of 3D modeling software that guarantees that prefabricated modules are designed according to the exact requirements and needs of the place where they will be assembled.[9]​ This improves efficiency in the use of resources and materials, which substantially reduces the carbon footprint generated, helping both developers and builders to comply with their corporate social responsibility.[9]​.

Commercial and open source hardware components used in modular construction include: open beams, bit beams, fabrication beams, grid beams, contractors, OpenStructures components"), etc.[10][11] Space frame systems (such as Mero, Unistrut, Delta Structures, etc.) also tend to be modular in design.[12] Other materials used in construction that interlock and are therefore modular/reusable in nature They include interlocking bricks.[13]​[14][15]​.

In Spain, modular construction has experienced sustained growth in the last decade, especially in residential and educational projects. Factory manufacturing and on-site assembly allow execution times to be reduced by around 40% compared to traditional construction, which has boosted the demand for turnkey homes.[16]​.

Sustainability is another key factor: this model reduces the generation of waste on site and facilitates greater energy efficiency in finished buildings.[17]​ In addition, regions such as Catalonia and the Valencian Community have concentrated a large part of the recent developments, both public and private.

At the European level, countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have been consolidating modular construction for years as a main alternative to traditional building. The pressure to reduce costs and comply with stricter energy regulations has favored its expansion as a structural trend in the sector.[18]​.