Prefabricated buildings, also known as modular, pre-fab, or factory-built structures, are buildings whose components, like walls and roofs, are pre-made in a factory. They're then transported to the construction site for assembly. While their popularity has surged in recent years, the concept of factory building has a long history. Nomadic tribes, for instance, used to move around with their homes in the quest to find new territories. However, the concept's popularity truly set off in the industrial era. Today, pre-fabs, especially steel structure buildings, are widely used in both residential and commercial settings.
Types of factory buildings
Modular structures vary based on the number of floors and construction materials. Where the number of floors is concerned, there are primarily two types: single and multi-story. Single-story factory buildings are the most common type. They usually feature a large, open floor plan and are deployed to various manufacturing processes. Multi-story units have multiple floors and are typically used in urban areas to maximize space. They often accommodate multiple manufacturing operations and other activities on different floors.
Check out the top types based on materials:
- Steel: These are the most common type of pre-fabs primarily thanks to their strength, sustainability, and flexibility.
- Insulated: These factory buildings are often made from insulated panels and offer thermal performance and energy efficiency.
- Prefabricated metal buildings: Typically produced from prefabricated metal panels and frames.
- Hybrids: These are constructed using a blend of materials such as steel, aluminum, and concrete. Consequently, they strike a balance in strength, durability, and production times.
Reasons factory buildings are so popular today
Here are four reasons prefab structures are so popular today:
- Efficiency and speed: Factory-built structures are often manufactured in controlled environments, allowing users some degree of control over factors like speed and quality.
- Customization: While prefabricated warehouse structures are often manufactured in advance, their parts are personalized to meet specific requirements, such as size, layout, and finishes.
- Longevity: Since they are meant to cater to different setups, pre-fabs are designed using durable materials like steel and aluminum to ensure their resistance to the different environmental elements they may be subject to. This facilitates their longevity.
- Sustainability: Besides durability, materials used to construct pre-fab buildings are typically recyclable and sustainable. For instance, steel, one of the most popular materials in pre-fab construction, can be recycled indefinitely without losing its quality or properties. This makes modular steel buildings and structures pretty popular in both residential and commercial construction projects.
Applications of factory buildings in residential and commercial settings
As noted, factory buildings are now widely used in residential and commercial construction projects. Some of their applications include:
- Warehouses and distribution centers: While prefabricated structures have a long list of applications, they're most popularly used in constructing warehouses and distribution centers. Their quick construction rate, affordability, and scalability often allow quick warehouse setup times, reduced costs, and optimized operational efficiency. This makes prefabricated warehouses a favorite for manufacturers and suppliers in various industries, from health to consumer products.
- Retail stores: Thanks to their quick production and setup, modular retail stores allow businesses to open new locations rapidly and capitalize on market opportunities. They're also easier to customize and adapt to different retail concepts than regular structures, making it possible for users to create unique retail spaces.
- Cleanroom Facilities: Factory buildings are also often assembled into cleanroom facilities for businesses in pharmaceuticals and electronics.
- High-quality steel structures can also be adapted into research and development labs, data centers, and cold storage warehouses.
Conclusion
Factory buildings have become increasingly popular in recent years and for good reasons. They're quicker to set up than traditional options, can be adapted into any shape or size, and often boast durable construction lasting years. Due to their long string of applications, wholesalers who stock these options are almost always guaranteed a market.
