By DeVon Prioleau
Many people in the construction industry speak glowingly about prefabrication, and for good reason.
The method of assembling components of a structure off-site, either in a factory or other manufacturing facility, and then transporting the completed components to the construction site for final assembly has grown in popularity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
But why hasn’t prefabrication, also known as modular construction, become more mainstream?
Happy to share an article that went live for The BlueBeam Blog – Built. I have a few indirect quotes in the article referencing a boutique modular hotel I developed in Lower Manhattan several years ago. Talking points include:
- Modular from the start.
- Not all modular is created equal.
- Gap between modular and project design.
Lessons Learned from my experience as Project Manager/Owner’s Rep for the first modularly built, 20-story, 300-guest room, high-rise hotel within NYC’s non-union marketplace.
- The decision to go modular should be made early in the planning and design phase, or you lose the possibility of the advantages.
- Modular construction requires increased logistics planning and design coordination (ie. BIM modeling).
- Added costs for modular construction include permitting & expediting, crane time, material in the chassis and protections during transportation & erection.
- On modular construction projects, schedules can be slashed by (35%) and costs cut by (15%) compared to on-site construction.
- Fewer safety incidents recorded, and contractor generated change orders issued.
- Greater return on investment if duplicating “standardizing product, economies of scale”.
Special shout-out to Christine McHugh, White Strand Development LLC for the introduction and Larry Bernstein (larrydbernstein.com), Freelance Writer, for the interview.
