Definition and Narrative of Prefabricated Housing
Housing is a basic need of man, and over time this need has yet to be adequately met. Prefabricated housing is part of the response to this growing need as a way to cushion its effect. The Prefab housing system is a familiar and generic notion. The approach has been in use since the sixteenth century. Examples of such notable precedents of prefab construction include the Eiffel Tower in 1889, which was assembled in two years, two months, and five days. Prefab construction has over 300 years of history. It has become integral to our construction culture and process across the centuries.
- Prefab housing was used in 1929 in the United States.
- Prefab houses were mass-produced in 1945 in Britain to ease the aftermath of the World War II housing crisis.
- Habitat 67, in 1967, was built as one of the architectural pavilions presented at the World’s Fair in Montreal of about 354 modular units.
- Down to 2018, when Prefab modular apartment units were being built in an old submarine factory in San Francisco.
Presently, modular and prefabricated constructions have emerged as clean, sustainable, and energy-efficient construction solutions due to the technological innovations available. Futuristic architects, planners, and designers now incorporate these concepts into the design process and product for sustainability. Cities are being reshaped to align with these environmental and social needs or to reconstruct themselves after natural disasters.
Prefabrication is the practice of manufacturing parts or sections of something. In the case of buildings, prefabricated housing is lightweight structures made offsite in little pieces and sections that will be transported to the actual site for assembling.
Advantages Of Prefabricated Housing
The global prefabricated buildings market is on the rise and will be worth an estimated $153 billion by 2026, which tells us that the future is going in that direction. One of the main focuses of prefab construction is to cushion the effect of materials shortage that hit the world after WWII, asides from the fact that heavy construction consumes a lot of materials to date, and a lot of funds go into pre-planning and management of these heavy projects. Prefabricated construction techniques are almost guaranteed to reduce delays, unforeseen challenges, and this increasing costs.
A few ascendancies of prefab housing include:
Durability of Materials
The materials used for prefabrication are built to endure long-distance transit to the site. They avoid the common issues with traditional materials to sustain the design life.
Faster and Flexible Construction
Most elements and materials are infused and woven into each other while a process goes on, instead of adding them later. E.g. a wall can be plastered at once at the pre-assembly stage with openings for electrical and plumbing pipes and fittings. Also, paper works, and procedures are reduced, making the process faster.
Mitigated Risk Factors
On-site construction, where the building is exposed to all kinds of risks, from weather to environmental risk, off-site construction manages this risk, making every component and material in a subdued condition have the same standards. Quality risk is also managed at the pre-assembly stage as relevant safety standards are verified before installations. threats like moving trucks, cranes, and heavy tools are controlled as fewer people are engaged in reducing site accidents.
Environmental Sustainability.
Prefabrication materials use either eco-friendly or recycled materials, or both to reduce the overall ecological footprint. It also reduces construction waste and aids recycling once the building reaches its lifespan.
Cost Effectiveness
Though prefab housing is expensive from the pre-assembly stage to transportation and real-time assemblage of components, but from fewer on-site workers to working in remote locations, measured panels and materials, and reduced processes, prefabrication reduces total construction costs.
Types of Pre-fabricated Housing
Manufactured homes
Also referred to as Mobiles homes, they are built on non-removable steel frames known as chasses which are used for transporting the homes and also for permanent support. These types of prefab houses can be fixed on permanent foundations.
Modular housing
They consist of units or modules constructed in factories and assembled on-site. They are often cost-intensive.
Other variations of prefab include:
- Panelised and Precut Homes
- Turnkey Prefab Homes
- Shipping Container Homes
- Box Prefab Homes
- Structural Insulated Panels
- A-Frame Prefab Home
- Steel Frame Prefabs
- Insulated Concrete Prefab
- Kit Homes
- Pre-Cut Homes
- Prehab Home Cabin
Analysis of Modular and Prefabricated Construction
Modular construction from the term module is considered to be the evolution of prefabricated systems. It is constructed in smaller repeated units or schemes and assembled or used directly. It could be on-site or off-site.
Prefabricated construction consists of any structure, element, or composition designed and produced in a different place and assembled on the actual site of use. It could be done indoors or in a large factory or outdoor area.
Prefabricated House Construction Process and Material.
Prefab houses are procedural in construction, as care and attention are given to placement, sizes, order, and arrangements. While many of the elements and components can be manufactured randomly after design and specifications are given. The assemblage goes in stages.
- First, the floors and base platforms are assembled.
- Wall panels and electrical, plumbing, and other building service component openings are attached. Panels are insulated, and doors and window openings are cut out before the panels are fixed.
- The plumbing, electrical wiring, and ceilings are installed.
- The roof is set on top of the walls.
- Exterior and interior finishes are added.
- Then the walls are also painted. In some cases, the wall panels are painted before being fixed.
There are usually wood frames, steel locks, hooks and bolts, concrete panels, fibre cement boards, PVC panels, etc.
Refernces:
Modular building(2023) https://www.iqsdirectory.com/articles/modular-building/prefabricated-building.html (Date Accessed 08 April, 2023)
History of Prefabrication (2023) https://www.evolvemep.com/a-brief-history-of-prefabrication (Date Accessed 08 April, 2023)
Prefab house (2023)https://home.howstuffworks.com/prefab-house.htm#pt1 (Date Accessed 08 April, 2023)
Advantage of prefab construction (2023) https://www.letsbuild.com/blog/ten-benefits-of-prefabricated-construction (Date Accessed 08 April, 2023)
Future of prefab housing (2023) https://kianejatian.medium.com/the-rise-of-prefab-construction-past-present-and-future-7f84abe08b3b (Date Accessed 08 April, 2023)
