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Sustainable Prefabricated Modular Buildi
Sustainable Prefabricated Modular Buildi
Abstract: Economy, speed of construction and improved environmental performance are critical
variables that challenge the modern construction industry to strike a balance between. Employing
innovative prefabricated modular structures is one key strategy used to achieve these goals. Therefore,
there is an increasing demand for detailed scientific research that deals with the potential environmental
benefits of prefabrication, particularly in areas of embodied energy savings resulting from waste
reduction and improved efficiency of material usage. This paper gives a brief overview of prefabricated
modular structures and aims to highlight the sustainability characteristics of this technology compared
to conventional construction methods.
A case study was carried out on an eight-storey, residential building. It was found that a steel-structured
prefabricated system resulted in a significantly reduced material consumption of up to 78% by mass
compared to conventional concrete construction. However, the prefabricated steel building resulted in
an increase in embodied energy compared to the concrete building mainly due to the inherent
characteristics of steel manufacturing processes. This form of construction has the potential to contribute
significantly towards improved environmental sustainability in the construction industry while
providing fast outputs with value for the investments.
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ensuring greater quality control as well
as more beneficial economies of scale.
A module’s shape and size can vary to
suit a desired architectural plan, where
the dimensions may only be limited
according to the transportation
arrangements (eg:- truck dimensions,
height restrictions on roads that need to
be travelled on during transport of the
modules).
There is minimal work on-site to
complete the buildings as the façade and
interiors themselves form parts of the
modules.
The modules can easily be removed
from the main structure for future reuse
or relocation. Many developed Figure 1: Multi storey modular building 'Little Hero' in
economies now have a market for used Melbourne, Australia
modular units.
Modular construction at present reduces narrow access road, thereby demonstrating some
construction time by over 50% from a of the many advantages of modular construction.
site-intensive building (Lawson et al.
[3]). b) Domino Housing 21, Spain
Reduced construction time means that
the modular houses become habitable This is a four storey structure built in Spain
for the end users much sooner than it (Figure 2), where modules can be added or
would after a conventional construction. dismantled as the client pleases. The time taken
to set up the full structure once planned is just 15
2. Prefabricated Modular Buildings days. The building speaks volumes for the speed
in Real World Applications of construction that modular concepts provide,
as the units can be added with additional boxes
Although the concept of prefabricated modules to add spaces and customise the existing ones
is only beginning to gain popularity worldwide, even further.
quite a few such buildings have already been
built and inhabited in many developed countries.
Almost all of these buildings are residential, and
there is an increasing demand for this
construction technique mainly due to the speed
at which the final products are realised.
3.1 General
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This study involved an assessment of the
embodied and operational energy associated
with the above mentioned multi-storey building,
for three varying construction approaches, a
prefabricated modular steel structure and a
prefabricated modular timber structure with a
conventional concrete structure used for
comparative purposes.
3.2 Case Study Outcome Figure 5: Comparison of Total Embodied Energy for the
Steel, Concrete and Timber building options
Embodied Energy Analysis
While the prefabricated concrete building is over
The embodied energy analysis of the building for four times heavier than the prefabricated steel
concrete, prefabricated steel and timber building, the total embodied energy in the steel
construction approaches is discussed here. building is about 50% greater than that of the
Figure 6 provides a brief comparison of the total concrete building. This is predominately due to
building embodied energy for the three building the more energy intensive processes involved in
material options. the manufacturing of steel members as compared
to concrete production, for an equivalent
Figure 7: Heating and Cooling loads (operational energy) for Steel and concrete options considering Melbourne Weather
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functional unit (in this case a building’s
structure). For the prefabricated timber building
with steel columns and beams the total embodied
energy is about 10% higher than that of concrete
building.
As shown by Figure 8, the heating and cooling requirements than do the embodied energy
loads are similar for all three building systems requirements.
investigated. The estimated heating and cooling
loads were used to calculate operational energy Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions –
consumption for all construction scenarios by
Embodied Energy Related
using the heat pump seasonal average COP
values described earlier. The embodied and annual heating and cooling
electricity requirements estimated above were
used to determine the associated greenhouse gas
emissions for the case study building. Primary
energy and greenhouse emission factors for
Melbourne, Victoria were used.
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alternative. The embodied greenhouse emissions in a 13% less life cycle greenhouse emissions
per square metre of floor area are 864, 630 and than prefabricated steel building.
578 kg CO2-e for the steel, timber and concrete
construction systems, respectively. 4. Benefit of Material Reuse
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embodied energy of the initial steel building can Potential of Using Prefabrication in Building
be saved by reusing the main steel structure of Construction in Hong Kong, Waste
the prefabricated modules and other components Management, 29(1), 309-320.
in another new building. The resulting 3. Lawson, R. Mark., Ogden, Ray G., Bergin,
advantages through reduction in construction Rory., (2012) Application of Modular
waste as well as construction time are well Construction in High-rise Buildings, Journal
depicted through the real world examples of Architectural Engineering, American
discussed in section 2 of this paper. Society of Civil Engineers, 148-154
There was also shown to be only a minor 4. McIntosh, Jacqueline. 2013, The Implications
variance in the operational energy requirements of Post Disaster Recovery for Affordable
Housing.
associated with the construction types.
Additionally, the embodied energy component
5. Osmani, M., Glass, J. and Price, A. (2006)
for all construction types investigated was shown Architect and Contractor Attitudes to Waste
to represent at least 32% of the total life cycle Minimisation, Waste and Resource
primary energy requirements. This reinforces the Management, 2(1), 65-72.
importance of building embodied energy,
particularly as rapid improvements are made in 6. United Nations, 2005. “2005 World Summit
buildings operational efficiency performance, Outcome”, United Nations General Assembly.
further increasing the relative significance of
embodied energy.
References