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Posted by on Jan 4, 2017 in Blog |

Grown Men Playing with Legos-Why Prefab Construction is on the Rise

Grown Men Playing with Legos-Why Prefab Construction is on the Rise

Marriott Fairfield Inn, a New York City residential skyscraper and a boutique hotel in Portland, OR, likely aren’t the first projects that come to mind when you think of offsite, or permanent modular construction, but they are exactly where the industry is headed. In fact, the aforementioned skyscraper — the 363-unit, 32-story Pacific Park — will be the tallest modular building in the world when complete — representing a significant stride for the offsite and modular industries. Modular building, however, is only one type of offsite construction, according to Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute (MBI). “Other offsite construction processes include … wall panels, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems and bathroom pods,” he said. Offsite construction simply means a building’s components, while assembled on site, are built elsewhere, Hardiman noted.  According to the MBI, modular construction currently makes up 3% of new commercial construction in North America, but that figure is expected to edge up to 5% over the next five years. “Our industry has been around for a...

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Posted by on Dec 29, 2016 in Blog |

Trends in Technology That Defined Construction in 2016

Trends in Technology That Defined Construction in 2016

Technologies like 3-D printing and augmented and virtual reality typically capture attention for the future they promise — one in which buildings rise nearly at whim and visualization tools make seeing the result of design choices that much easier. Day to day, however, the application of these and other tools and systems is more nuanced. Rather than off-the-shelf solutions, innovation occurs primarily at the project level and addresses its unique needs. From new ways to track equipment use and worker productivity to the emerging modular construction category, we explore how those unique applications came together in some of 2016’s biggest industry tech topics. Construction companies level up on employee, equipment tracking Keeping an eye on equipment and employees on the job site is one thing, but collecting and monitoring that data consistently is another. And it’s the latter in which construction companies made major progress in 2016. From wearable devices that keep track of workers’ location and functions such as body temperature and heart rate to machine and equipment...

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Posted by on Dec 20, 2016 in Blog |

Modular Construction Used to Build Harvard Life Lab

Modular Construction Used to Build Harvard Life Lab

On November 3, 2016, Harvard University announced the opening of the new Pagliuca Life Sciences Lab.  Located in Allston next to the existing Innovation Lab, the new Life Lab was built using accelerated modular construction. Triumph worked with leading modular fabricator, NRB, to build 34 highly specialized steel-framed modules in their state-of-the-art factory.  Gregg Kelly, Triumph’s head of consulting services, coordinated the project with NRB, Harvard, Shawmut Design & Construction, and Shepley Bullfinch.  Gregg spoke with Rusty Williams about the unique requirements and dynamics of this project. RW: I’m pleased to welcome Gregg Kelly, head of consulting services for Triumph Modular. Triumph just announced a major project for Harvard. It’s called the Pagliuca Life Sciences Lab and it’s an expansion of their laboratory research space in Allston near their existing iLab facility in the innovation corridor. Congratulations Gregg on reaching that milestone. GK: Thanks very much. It was an exciting project, working with a great team between Harvard, the construction manager and architect. It was a nice experience. RW:...

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Posted by on Dec 19, 2016 in Blog |

Modular Construction Growth Predicted for 2017

Modular Construction Growth Predicted for 2017

The modular construction sector is set for faster growth after the launch this week of a new draft code of practice. The code, being developed under the guidance of the prefabAUS’s Modular Construction Codes Board, aims to “take away a lot of the fears and unknowns” for modular construction, according to MCCB steering committee member John Lucchetti. Mr Lucchetti, a principal at Wood & Grieve Engineers and a director of prefabAUS, told The Fifth Estate the code is designed not to constrain designers, but to provide guidance for industry stakeholders who want to get on board with modular methodology. It covers the key steps in Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), including end-of-life. It looks at structure, building services, facades, durability, transport, erection, temporary site works, traceability of materials, compliance with codes and standards, inspection and documentation, and disassembly and recycling, among other topics. It’s a timely initiative given the growing uptake of modular approaches. Mr Lucchetti said modular had already been used to deliver a wide variety of...

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Posted by on Dec 15, 2016 in Blog |

Shipping Container House Ready to go in a Week

Shipping Container House Ready to go in a Week

“Our project was approved and permitted in just one week,” says contractor Eric Engheben in a press release about this container house hybrid project in Joshua Tree. We’re told that the builder navigated San Bernardino County permitting, and uses a shipping container-based design to put things together quickly. The house is composed of five shipping containers on a steel frame (for strength), and is totally off-the-grid. It’s made from recycled steel and has a living roof with native plantings and greywater irrigation, a shade canopy to cut down on sun and wind assaults, and two big water tanks (one 3,000 gallon, one 10,000 gallon). A breezeway separates a studio from the main house, and inside, there’re solar daylight tubes, recycled container floors, and radiant heating and cooling. Article courtesy of...

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Posted by on Nov 23, 2016 in Blog |

Prefab Affordable Housing Debuts

What is believed to be the world’s tallest modular building made its debut Tuesday in Brooklyn, a 32-story rental tower constructed with prefabricated units stacked like Legos. Forest City Ratner Cos. is now leasing the building, known as 461 Dean. It has 363 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The tower, which consists of half market-rate apartments and half for affordable housing tenants, is part of the 22-acre Pacific Park Brooklyn development which will have 6,430 apartments. Across New York, in the past few years, several smaller modular projects, of four- to seven-story buildings, have been developed, said Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute, an international trade group. In Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood, the 28-unit apartment building called the Stack opened earlier this year. Far more common are smaller projects. One- and two-story commercial and single-family residential projects could number in the hundreds. “We are seeing other large cities embrace modular to address the ‘affordable housing’ issue,” said Mr. Hardiman, who said 461 Dean was the tallest...

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