Temporary Buildings: Advantages and Disadvantages

1

Advantages and Disadvantages of


Temporary
Buildings


Temp-Re Build Ltd
2


What is a Temporary
Building?
Tempora
ry buildings, also known as modular or
prefabricated structures, are buildings

made up of
components manufactured on assembly lines in
factories and then

assembled on site. Temporary buildings are
built using modular parts such as walls,

frames, doors,
ceilings or a number of complete prefabricated
modular building units.

Essentially, modular is a method of
construction differing from other methods such

as off-site
construction.
Te
mporary buildings becoming increasingly popular
as businesses and entrepreneurs

look to lower
the cost of construction and hasten the
construction timeline so they can

generate
revenues earlier. Temporary structures can be
constructed in as little as several

hours to a few
weeks.
McGraw-H
ills Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
defines a temporary structure

as a structure erected to aid in
the construction of a permanent project. However
this
only
applies where the temporary building is only
required for a certain period of time.

It doesnt
apply to all cases, because temporary buildings
could be the end project in

themselves. The above definition is
therefore not universally applicable.

There are temporary
buildings all around us, even though you may not
really take notice

of them unless youre actually looking out for
them. Examples include portaloos,

Portakabins,
kiosks, marquees, amusement park rides, market
stalls, warehouses, ice-

rinks, sports event seating, showrooms,
marketing suites, exhibition stands, etc. This is

why the
definition put forward by McGraw-Hills
Encyclopedia of Science and

Technology may be somewhat too
limiting in its scope. Temporary buildings differ
from
mobile
homes, which are also known as manufactured
homes.







2


Temp-
Re-Build.co.uk
3


Advantages of Temporary
Buildings
It has
been argued that temporary or prefab modular
buildings have considerable

advantages over conventional buildings
for a variety of reasons

Quicker to Build Temporary buildings are
quick to erect and dismantle because

they dont
require foundations and all the parts can be
quickly manufactured. Once

the modules are constructed and
transported to the building site, the modular
building
can be
completed in as little as a single day.

Cost Effective
Construction of a temporary building is much
cheaper because all

of the planning, designing and building take
much shorter times and will save you a

great deal of
money when compared against a rented or purchased
conventional
build
ings. Conventional site construction can cost
from 150 to200 per square foot.

On the other
hand, modular construction can range from to 90
to 150.
Flexibilit
y - The configuration of the structure is very
easy to change of to add to at

a later date. If you want to have a
more spacious structure, you can easily add
sections,
or even
entire levels. It is very easy to relocate or
reassemble the buildings. They are

also much faster
to manufacture since they are frequently built on
an assembly line.

Work Efficiency - Assembly of modular buildings
is unaffected by the weather

which significantly increases work
efficiency and protects the building materials
from
being
destroyed.
Less
Waste - Construction of temporary buildings
generate less waste because the

same plans are
used over and over again, so the manufacturer has
logs of exactly what

quantity of materials are required for a
specific job.
Mate
rials are greener and healthier to work with It
is healthier to work with the

materials even though they are built
inside a factory. There is reduced risk of the

materials having
mould, mildew, rust or sun damage which can
easily cause respiratory

problems.



Temp-Re-build.co.uk
3
4


Disadvantages of
Modular Buildings

Inasmuch as there are several advantages of
modular buildings, there are also

disadvantage
s.
Listed
below are disadvantages of modular
buildings
Li
mited Customization Even though modular
buildings can be customized to a

certain
degree, they will be unable to deliver an
appearance that is truly unique and

original.

Limited
Service Area Given the fact that the modules are
manufactured in a factory

and then shipped to the building
site, it is essential that the target site is
within 500
m
iles of the factory. Distances over 500 miles
will cost significantly higher, and will

increase
transportation difficulties.

Financial Plans In most cases,
financial institutions may be hesitant to finance
the
construc
tion of a temporary building until it is actually
built. This means you may

have to secure financing from the
modular builder which may carry higher interest

than a
traditional mortgage.

Room Sizes Are Limited Since they are
transported from the factory to specified

locations
by road, the module sizes can be limited, which
may affect room sizes. If

you are building a modular home,
the room sizes usually cant be more than 14 to
16
feet
wide and 60 to 75 feet long. Length usually isnt
a limitation, but the width usually

is.








4



Temp-Re-Build.co.uk
5


Health Safety Considerations CDM
2015
Under the
new Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015, if you are

buying or selling a modular building,
you are responsible for managing the health,

safety and
welfare of construction projects from start to
finish.
If you
do not comply with CDM 2015, this could
ultimately lead to construction work

being terminated
by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Depending on the

specific circumstances, in the most serious
breaches you can be prosecuted.

Under CDM, buyers are responsible
for the following

1. Appointing the right people. This means if
you have more than one contractor

involved with
your project, you are required to appoint a
principal contractor who will

plan, manage and coordinate the
planning and design work, and a principal
designer
whose
role is to plan, manage and coordinate the
construction work.

2. Ensuring adequate allocation of time and
resources.
3.
Prepare and provide relevant information to your
designer and contractor

4. Communicate with your designer and
building contractor to ensure they carry out

their
duties.
5.
Providing welfare facilities for all
workers
Unlike
conventional buildings that are often exposed to
unpredictable weather during

their construction, modular buildings
are assembled in a controlled factory

environment
where health and safety procedures are more
likely to be strictly adhered

to. This ensures that minimal
on-site construction activity are required,
resulting in
the
use of less construction related contaminants.
Modular buildings are also

unaffected by adverse weather
conditions during their construction.








5


Temp-Re-Build.
co.uk