New Airport Construction Goes Modular

Modular construction is taking the industrial world by storm with superior, considerably faster and more cost-effective building solutions. Modular development has expanded from its long-established venue of provisional academic structures and health related office spaces to new airport construction and airport expansion projects.

Why use the Modular Process for New Airport Construction?

When airports erect new structures or expand existing ones, there are various things to take into consideration such as security and safety issues and flight schedules, all while avoiding disruption of daily airport business. Modular construction provides airports as well as many other businesses an innovative alternative to on-site construction methods. The modular construction process allows busy airports to remain open and continue in their daily functions with limited site disruption. Modular construction also offers other benefits to airports.

Faster Building Occupancy – New modular construction is faster and can be erected 40 percent faster than traditional construction and meets or exceeds all building codes and standards.

Energy Efficient and Environmentally Friendly – Modular construction is an inherently greener process and more energy efficient because entire buildings or major components can be reused. Additionally, factory construction results in reduced product waste and less impact on the environment.

Low Maintenance Modular Buildings – Airport buildings can be low maintenance by incorporating some energy efficient fixtures offered with modular construction. Some examples include programmable thermostats for heating and air control, occupancy sensors for lighting and automatic dimming controls.

Permanent and Temporary Options - Airports can use modular construction for permanent or temporary uses. For instance, airports adding a new terminal or undergoing a large renovation project can utilize a temporary modular office building to house displaced workers during the construction or renovation process. Airports can also use modular buildings for administrative offices/complexes, retail shops, employee break rooms or lounges, restroom facilities, ext.

Modular construction offers the flexibility to meet the needs of the industrial world. Modular buildings can be designed to meet the safety concerns of airports including fire alarms and security systems, making it an excellent choice for any airportsconstruction needs.

Why Architects Should Choose Modular for their Next Project

Architects might consider the benefits of modular construction for their next project. There are multiple reasons for why this would be a good choice. The great thing about modular construction is that is provides the architect with more flexibility and limitless design opportunities.

Factory built homes or modular homes are built piece by piece in a factory. The customer would work with a modular building company and or architect to design the building to their needs. A customer can choose from a pre-designed floorplans or custom design a layout to meet their specific needs. Modular buildings offer a variety of interior and exterior features to choose from, allowing the customer and architect greater flexibility while remaining within their budget and timeframe.

With modular construction, a great deal of construction takes place in the factory. This creates fewer site disturbances and less material waste. When building in a factory, entire buildings or major components can be reused and there is greater control of inventory, preventing waste and promoting quality construction.

Indoor construction means that workers will not be delayed by poor weather conditions; at least for the parts of the construction that is done indoors. Construction is never delayed from rain or freezing temperatures. Architects who intend to meet a deadline will be confident in their ability to do so with modular construction.

Lastly, architects and customers alike will enjoy the benefits of a green and more environmentally friendly construction method. Modular construction results in less pollution and waste. Buildings can be easily relocated or refurbished for new use, eliminating the need for new construction and reducing the demand for raw materials. Buildings can also be designed with energy efficient features such as daylighting, controllable systems and recycled material.

Integrating Modular Construction with Traditional Construction in Projects

Modular construction offers a high quality, sustainable, efficient and faster building method for commercial and residential projects. Because of its benefits, it is no surprise that more and more projects are utilizing this process.

In modular construction, buildings are primarily constructed in sections in a factory-controlled environment and then transported to the job site for final installation. As modules are being constructed, site work commences at the exact same time to install foundation, utilities and initial site grading. When the modules arrive, final interior and exterior finishes are applied and utilities are connected. The final step is site grading, concrete work and landscaping. This innovative process results in a shorter construction timeline, less material waste, safer construction and earlier occupancy.

Although modular construction on its own provides great flexibility and reuse, it can also be integrated with traditional construction for an innovative, turnkey project.

Modular construction and traditional construction can often work together for a more sophisticated modular building. Large projects, such as a school campus, can utilize on-site traditional construction or site-built elements to build a portion of their campus and surround it with modular units. Traditionally-built healthcare offices or hospitals can additionally expand and connect modular units to its existing structure for added space. Combining these two construction methods allows for greater flexibility, a visually appealing structure and faster construction. 

Modular Construction is on the Rise in New York City

Imagine skyscrapers up to 32 stories tall being built in factories and erected in half the time of traditional buildings. It's happening right now in New York City. Modular construction is quickly becoming the preferred way of building both commercial and residential buildings in New York City.

New York is the most highly populated city in the United States today with an amazing 27,547 residents per square mile. That in itself creates a demand not only for more housing but space efficient, environmentally friendly and cost efficient housing. By utilizing the modular construction process, residents in New York can receive a high quality home that meets these needs.

The concept of building modular homes to accommodate almost 9 million New York residents isn't as new as one might think. However, the idea of building 30 story modular homes is a fairly new and an extremely innovative idea. Recently the Governor of New York approved the building of some 55 micro modular apartments in part of an effort to make room for the residents of New York. The micro apartments are smaller than most apartments in New York but their small and compact size will be an excellent choice for singles or couples without children. The micro modular studio apartments with 1 bath range in size from 250 to 370 sq. ft. Additionally, modular construction allowed the apartments to be constructed in a fraction of the time it would take for traditional construction, resulting in earlier occupancy and significant savings.

Micro apartments and other types of modular housing are built off-site much in the same way as traditional homes built on-site. The major difference about building homes inside a climate controlled building instead of outdoors is that it's cleaner for the environment, there are no delays due to poor weather conditions, entire buildings or major components can be reused and it is often more cost effective.

Once each of the modular homes or apartments is nearly complete in the factory, they are transported to the job site and installed before applying final interior and exterior finishes and connecting utilities. Because factory construction and site work occur simultaneously, New York residents can enjoy the benefits of a quality home, constructed much faster and efficiently.

World’s First Floating Green Building

COTTONWOOD COVE MARINA: WORLD’S FIRST FLOATING GREEN BUILDING  TO RECEIVE LEED® GOLD CERTIFICATION

US National Park Services, The Government of USA has issued the following news release:

Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave has made history, becoming the world's first floating green building to receive the prestigious LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Spearheaded by the National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC, the marina building opened June 2011, serving as the marina's operations office.

From decking made of rice hulls to exterior stucco made of recycled tires, from the beginning, the marina was lauded for its use of green materials. The floating eco-friendly structure features sustainable modular construction and state-of-the-art energy-efficient and environmentally responsible materials and fixtures. Use of low or no-volatile organic compound materials, paints and adhesives rid the building of the typical "new building" smell improving the overall indoor air quality.

For commercial buildings and neighborhoods to earn LEED certification, a project must satisfy all LEED prerequisites and earn a minimum 40 points on a 110-point LEED rating system scale. According to the UGSBC, participation in the voluntary LEED process demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

"We, together with the National Park Service, are proud to have made history with this achievement," said John Schoppmann, executive vice president, Forever Resorts. "This building embodies Forever Resorts' company-wide commitment to embracing eco-friendly, sustainable business and public-private partnership principles."

The project's key earth-minded elements and commitments include the Forever Resorts Forever Earth Environmental Management System and a mix of new and existing programs:

Green Cleaning Program throughout the resort 
Green Purchasing Program 
Energy and Environmental Education Programs for boaters and community members 
Extensive energy saving materials and systems, including high-performance insulated glass 
High-efficient HVAC equipment and delivery systems 
Extensive use of recycled and regionally extracted and manufactured materials, such as concrete, steel, drywall, metal studs and carpet 
Finish materials, paints, adhesives, caulks and sealants that contain low or no volatile organic compounds to ensure healthy indoor air quality 
Extensive natural daylight and views to the outdoors throughout, maximizing east/west orientation 
Recycled and recyclable building and landscape materials 
Prevention of night sky pollution

For more information please visit: M SPACE HOLDINGS
Copyright 2013 Plus Media Solutions Private Limited 
All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.elp.com/news/2013/04/07/washington-cottonwood-cove-marina-world-s-first-floating-green-building-to-receive-leed-gold-certifi.html

Modular Construction for Schools

More than 60 million kids attend school in America. Unfortunately, nearly 25,000 schools across the country need extensive repairs. Many of the dilapidated buildings are circulating air that is dangerous to breathe. Besides that, overcrowding has become a serious issue. A number of towns need school expansions to reduce classroom sizes to a more reasonable level. 

One way to fix this growing crisis is to use modular schools or classrooms. These prefabricated buildings are great for districts that need to expand but are facing budget restrictions and time constraints. Modular schools can meet a variety of educational requirements. For example, schools can use them for a modular classroom, laboratory, cafeteria or administrative office. Some schools may even use the prefabricated buildings for dormitories or faculty housing. 

Modular buildings offer more flexibility than traditional construction. Since they are installed off-site in a climate controlled factory environment, crews can assemble them without interrupting the school's educational environment. This process keeps distractions to a minimum so that students can continue to learn in a peaceful atmosphere. 

Modular buildings are ideal for public, private, charter, secondary and post-secondary schools. During the expansion process, schools don’t need to cancel class or squeeze too many kids into a room. In fact, schools can custom design the modular units to fit just about any space need. They can transform into lecture halls, teacher lounges and media centers. 

Some schools use modular buildings as a temporary solution. For example, they may use some of the buildings for classrooms while waiting for contractors to repair or redesign the main lecture halls. Besides that, certain schools use modular buildings as a permanent solution. Since these buildings are faster and sometimes more affordable to construct, they are an ideal solution for schools that are on a strict budget. School expansion projects are expensive and lengthy; therefore, schools need to find ways to cut back and expand rapidly.