04 August 2014
Portakabin Publishes New Report – ‘Exploding the Myths of Modular Construction’
The Portakabin Group, the UK's leading modular building manufacturer, has published a new report to help building occupiers, architects and contractors separate the misconceptions about modular construction from the facts.
The report titled 'Exploding the Myths of Modular Construction' is the latest in a series of free guides from the Portakabin Group, which can be downloaded from its website - www.portakabin.co.uk/reports.
Commenting on the report, Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, said, "Modular construction has changed radically over the past 60 years so it can be difficult to tell just what is fact or fiction when it comes to assessing the approach and whether it is suitable for a particular project."
"Add to that the diversity of suppliers - from sellers of low value second hand cabins to manufacturers of multi-storey, purpose-designed landmark buildings - and the ingrained perception issues that stem from the draughty, leaking prefabricated classrooms that were supposed to be temporary but had to be endured by schools across the country for too many years, and it is easy to see why the picture is confusing."
"This myth-busting report addresses some of the most common misconceptions about modular construction to help organisations and specifiers in every sector have a much clearer understanding about the potential of this highly efficient alternative to site-based building methods."
The myths covered in the report include:
- Modular means temporary
- Modular is all about ugly grey boxes
- Modular buildings have bouncy floors
- Modular construction is restrictive in design
- Modular means sub-standard accommodation.
The reality with a modular solution is that the construction process is simply being moved off site and into a controlled factory environment. The building materials, such as the steel frame, remain the same, and modular schemes generally have to meet exactly the same Building Regulations and standards as facilities built using site-based methods. However the benefits include improved quality, much greater certainty of completion on time and on budget, programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent, and significantly less disruption on site.
Applications for modular solutions from the Portakabin Group are diverse and include open plan office accommodation, landmark headquarters buildings, canteens, training suites, showers and changing rooms, health centres and ward buildings, teaching blocks and even complete schools - for permanent and interim applications.
The Portakabin Group has the resources to deliver both bespoke projects and standardised accommodation solutions to organisations in public and private sectors, in the most challenging timescales and with less impact on the environment.
To download a copy of the new report, visit www.portakabin.co.uk/reports.
Editor's Notes
1. The Portakabin Group offers a series of market-leading modular brands which includes:
- Portakabin modular buildings for permanent and interim use
- Yorkon off-site design and build solutions
- Portaloo toilet, shower and changing room facilities
- Konstructa site accommodation hire
- Foremans Relocatable Building Systems supplying highly sustainable refurbished Portakabin buildings
- Oecon Mobilraum GmbH - a manufacturer and distributor of modular buildings in Germany.
2. Portakabin, Portakabin Group, Yorkon, Foremans, Portaloo, Konstructa and Oecon are registered trademarks.
3. Portakabin is a registered trademark which must only be used to refer to modular buildings that are known to have been manufactured by the Portakabin Group. Please note, Portakabin is not a generic term.
4. The Portakabin Group is part of the Shepherd Group.
