Transitioning to the Next Era of Modular Construction: Reconfiguration, Reuse, and Building Stock Agility
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
The current era of modular building construction has been largely immutable for the past century in terms of its aspirations, drivers, and objectives. Delivering prompt, cost-effective, and high-quality assets has characterized this era. Yet, a new era is emerging—centered on the post-asset-delivery phase, espoused by prominent circular economy principles. The ability to reconfigure and reuse modular building assemblies in a highly agile manner poses significant opportunities for revolutionizing the environmental and economic impacts of our ever-growing built environment. This paper establishes the groundwork for transitioning toward the next era of modular construction. First, a review of current efforts being made to facilitate this transition is identified. Then, using additional inputs from the industry, a People, Process, Technology (PPT) framework is used to summarize current drivers and constraints. This research provides a cross-sectional analysis of where the modular industry is and how it can transition into its next era.
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Construction Research Congress 2022
Pages: 19 - 27
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Published online: Mar 7, 2022
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