Modular Buildings.
The built environment is developing new methods & improving productivity in response to customer needs, technological advances & labour related challenges. Modular buildings & pre-fabricated structural components are at the forefront of this evolution delivering high quality products relating to external building envelopes, internal walls, facades, floor systems, entire new buildings, refurbishment & rehabilitation of existing structures. The latest technological modular buildings & pre-fabricated structural components blend seamlessly into new buildings projects & projects already under construction.
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An Intro To Modular Building
Generally speaking South Africa has been slow on the uptake and acceptance of integrating & implementing “newer” technologies into its built environment. Over the past decade however more & more of the public & industry professionals are beginning to realize the substantial benefits modular buildings & pre-fabricated structural components have to offer.
Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components are one of the best ways to conserve valuable building resources, reduce wastage on construction sites & construct technically detailed buildings not to mention the increased building speed it offers.
Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components requires a design led approach & methodology which necessitates input at the beginning of the project or at conception stage. It is however entirely possible to utilize for example pre – fabricated structural components such as a pre-fabricated wall into building projects which have already commenced & are under construction. The wall components which are to be implemented in buildings being constructed will be designed to meet wall heights & spans to precise specifications down to the millimetre with the use of highly sophisticated software. This is one of the many advantages of utilizing pre – fabricated components on your building projects. It can be utilized through all stages of the buildings construction. The design led approach means higher quality buildings are delivered in a shorter time frame and at a lower cost compared to traditional building methods.
Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components are one of the best ways to conserve valuable building resources, reduce wastage on construction sites & construct technically detailed buildings not to mention the increased building speed it offers.
Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components requires a design led approach & methodology which necessitates input at the beginning of the project or at conception stage. It is however entirely possible to utilize for example pre – fabricated structural components such as a pre-fabricated wall into building projects which have already commenced & are under construction. The wall components which are to be implemented in buildings being constructed will be designed to meet wall heights & spans to precise specifications down to the millimetre with the use of highly sophisticated software. This is one of the many advantages of utilizing pre – fabricated components on your building projects. It can be utilized through all stages of the buildings construction. The design led approach means higher quality buildings are delivered in a shorter time frame and at a lower cost compared to traditional building methods.
Benefits Of Modular Building
- Accelerated construction program: Floor & wall systems are manufactured in accordance with work being completed on site. The assembly of the wall and floor systems offsite enable swift installation on site whether by crane or the workmen & women on site. Panels are quickly removed off the transporting vehicle and swiftly positioned into place. The continuous manufacturing flow of wall & floor components together with the swift installation times lead the project to earlier completion.
- A higher degree of quality: Walls & floor panels are manufactured and assembled offsite in a factory environment, this controlled environment improves quality control. Machines & technicians create precision products directly from the project design plans and deliver components to site that seamlessly fit the project requirements & specifications.
- Cost – Efficient: The method of pre-fabricating the walls & floors offsite in a controlled, safer working environment means higher productivity levels as compared to the uncertainty and somewhat unsuitable circumstances & conditions that may be found on many construction sites. Materials are batched, waste is reduced and in many cases totally eliminated. The higher productivity levels, reduction in waste & efficient flow of completed wall & roof panels all add to cost – efficiency & cost certainty. The effects of faster installation time & less labour requirements all add to the cost effectiveness of the build from the client & contractors perspective.
- Technicians & skills transfer: The labour requirements for the installation of modular buildings are considerably less as compared to that of conventional building. The critical reason for this is quite simply the methodology of modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components. Panels leaving the factory assembled or partly assembled means there is no “building work” per say, rather the installation of the panels occur, which happens at a rapid rate. Consistency on the project scope means that cross training & skills transfer occur as part of the installation process.
- Materials: The core component of our Modular building & pre – fabricated structural components is cold formed steel or better known in South Africa as light steel frame building. Cold formed steel has an accuracy of 0.5mm – 1mm ensuring straighter walls, squarer corners and stronger connections. By its nature steel boasts the highest strength to weigh ratio of any building material available. Cold formed steel wall panels for external building envelopes are capable of being cladded in a number of different alternatives from numerous high tensile steel sheeting options, fibre cement
- Thermal efficiencies: It is understood that conventional buildings constructed from brick & mortar have thermal efficiencies which can be compared to that of a potato. One of the less spoken advantages of building in cold formed steel is that due to the inherent nature of the building system, materials with high thermal values are easily incorporated into the wall, floor and roof systems. The South African climate various considerably across the 9 different provinces, from below zero temperatures experienced in the depth of winter in Egoli (Johannesburg) to the scorching temperatures of 40+ degrees experienced in the North West province. As built Modular pre-engineered buildings provide the thermal range of operation to clearly combat the effects of what we would call in South Africa as extremes in temperature, providing a pleasant & comfortable indoor environment through ought.
- Sustainability & the environment: A third of the world’s waste that is diverted to landfill sites are directly linked to the built environment. Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components address the issue of waste from construction sites substantially, with wall & floor panels being manufactured off site this directly affects the amount of wastage generated on the actual construction site, eliminating and/or reducing wastage significantly. Modular buildings also reduce the number of vehicles to and from the construction site, thereby reducing the consumption of archaic fossil fuels & their related greenhouse gas emissions. Steel is the most recycled material in the world, the incredible metallurgical characteristics of steel entitle it to be recycled with no degradation in performance. South Africa is one of the world’s primary steel producers, more than 70% of steel produced locally is completely post-consumer recycled.
- Designed for disassembly: Modular buildings, structural components, façades, wall, floor and roof systems not only have a construction plan but also a deconstruction plan. This allows for effective building & building component reuse. All the building elements are numbered & labelled in order to allow the various building components (wall system, floor system & roof system) to be carefully taken down, disassembled & reconstructed in an alternative location. Designing the building with a deconstruction plan minimises the embodied energy & resources associated with demolition.
- Custom design: Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components are technologically advanced which allow for almost infinite design capabilities.
- Net – Zero carbon buildings & EDGE: Modular buildings as mentioned above boasting almost infinite design capabilities are ideal for implementing passive energy solutions. A net-zero building is a highly energy efficient building. This is achieved by lowering energy consumption, good thermal comfort & renewable energy generation amongst other factors culminating in a building straight out of the factory which boasts net zero carbon emissions on an annual basis. Excellence in design for greater efficiencies (EDGE) will assist in determining at concept & design stage the viability of the projects green building initiatives
Big 5 projects smart modular buildings; Big 5 projects smart modular buildings marries wireless components into a new age building method. The smart building utilizes a combination of technologies to automate building management. Our software manages the different variables of the building operation, which includes temperature and lighting. The buildings data is tracked over time enabling changes to fit with occupancy & seasonal changes. The following core elements make up Big 5's smart modular building ;
• Renewable energy
• Rainwater harvesting
• Automation
• Power conservation control
• Mobile app.
The objective of Big 5 projects smart modular buildings is further increased occupant comfort, efficient operation of building systems, further reduction in energy consumption, operating costs & the increased life cycle of utilities. The aspects of smart technologies integrated with light gauge steel is one that is quite simply, seamless.
Completed Modular Building
The time for Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components to be integrated & implemented in South Africa on a truly grand scale is upon us. Modular buildings & pre – fabricated structural components are to be utilized across all sectors of the built environment namely, residential, commercial, industrial & institutional sectors, not forgetting the affordable housing sector. Whether you are constructing a low – rise, mid-rise or high rise building the opportunity to integrate modular systems into your project will yield substantial benefits in costs, time, quality & affect the environment positively.
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E-mail us for a Quote...
Mail us at info@big5projects.co.za for estimate pricing or to arrange a sit-down, we are keen to meet with you! If you would like to know more about our unique range of products or services, send us a request via e-mail and we'll reply with a detailed brochure for your reference.
