Engineering and Construction

In modular construction, units are completely prefabricated in the factory and may be delivered to site with all internal finishes, fixtures and fittings in place, as illustrated in Fig. 5.34. Units may be stacked side by side, or one above the other, to form the stable finished structure.

Modular construction is most cost-effective where large production runs are possible for the same basic configuration of modular unit. This is because prototyping and set-up costs, which are essentially independent of scale, can be shared across many units. Details of the use of modular construction in residential construction are given later.

Fig. 5.34 Modular construction using light steel framing