New trends in construction

New trends in construction show, in social terms, to construct spaces warm and welcoming space by combining housing with green spaces, specific infrastructures (such as tennis courts, playgrounds) and good access. The resident population will feel in tune with the welfare emanating from the building and created consecutively feel the desire to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of all surrounding areas. It is an important step towards the eradication of social neighborhoods, permeated with tacky buildings.

Moreover, the economy of a country also depends greatly on the state of conservation of the property market. Therefore, it is important that the construction innovate in order to attract more customers. In this context, the construction of ecological type has proved to be a good bet, since younger customers boast major environmental concerns and choose to purchase more often houses 'green'. Save up immense resources in advertising and promotion of the site (as customers come more easily) and thus the concept of 'green' assumes greater splendor.
In parallel, the preservation of the environment has assumed considerable emphasis on the concerns of builders. Thus, it is normal to find a house built up with soil cement brick, painted with a water-based ink, equipped with recycled plastic, energy-saving lamps, wood (floors, flooring and furniture) with certification of origin, solar panels, systems capture rainwater and filtering and reuse of sewage water and maximizing sun exposure of the house. The windows have current and tendentiously, double glazing and have good insulation. It has also been magazine walls before the plastering, with polyurethane, a material which ensures a good thermal and acoustic insulation. Trends are short, varied, but all point in the same direction: the preservation of our planet. (2000)

Permanent Modular Construction (PMC)

Permanent Modular Construction (PMC) is a delivery method utilizing offsite techniques to prefabricate single or multi-story buildings in deliverable module sections. PMC buildings are manufactured in a controlled setting and can be constructed of wood, steel, or concrete. PMC modules can be integrated into site built projects or stand alone as a turn-key solution and can be delivered with fixtures and interior finishes.

The buildings are 60% to 90% completed offsite in a factory-controlled environment, and transported and assembled at the final building site. This can comprise the entire building or be components or subassemblies of larger structures. In many cases, modular contractors work with traditional general contractors to leverage the resources and advantages of each type of construction.

Permanent modular buildings are built to meet or exceed the same building codes and standards as site-built structures and the same architect-specified materials used in conventionally constructed buildings are used in modular construction projects. PMC can have as many stories as building codes allow. Unlike relocatable buildings, PMC structures are intended to remain in one location for the duration of their useful life.

Unique to modular construction is the ability to simultaneously construct a building’s floors, walls, ceilings, rafters, and roofs. During site-built construction, walls cannot be set until floors are in position, and ceilings and rafters cannot be added until walls are erected. On the other hand, with modular construction, walls, floors, ceilings, and rafters are all built at the same time, and then brought together in the same factory to form a building. Modular construction makes it possible to optimize construction materials purchases and usage while minimizing on-site waste and offering a higher quality product to the buyer. Bulk materials are delivered to the manufacturing facility where they are stored in a protected environment safe from theft and exposure to the environmental conditions of a job site.

According to the UK group WRAP, up to a 90% reduction in materials can be achieved through the use of modular construction. Materials minimized include: wood pallets, shrink wrap, cardboard, plasterboard, timber, concrete, bricks, and cement.

The modular structure is constructed off-site simultaneous to foundation and other site work, thereby reducing the time and impact on the surrounding site environment, as well as reducing the number of vehicles and equipment needed at the site.

When the needs change, modular buildings can be disassembled and the modules relocated or refurbished for their next use reducing the demand for raw materials and minimizing the amount of energy expended to create a building to meet the new need. In essence, the entire building can be recycled in some cases.

Many of the indoor air quality issues identified in new construction result from high moisture levels in the framing materials. Because the modular structure is substantially completed in a factory-controlled setting using dry materials, the potential for high levels of moisture being trapped in the new construction is eliminated. (3500)