Modular Buildings

About Modular Buildings and Modular Building Manufacturers Including: Booth Manufacturers, Building Systems, Portable Buildings, Prefab Buildings, Prefabricated Garages, Steel Buildings & Storage Buildings.

Modular buildings and portable buildings are structures fabricated in whole or in parts prior to the onsite assembly. A controlled factory environment is the place where modular buildings or the components for prefabricated buildings are manufactured. The building or pieces are then delivered to prepared building sites for installation. A prefabricated or modular building comes complete with all the necessary components, including walls, floor trusses, windows, heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical wiring and interior finishes. In the broadest sense, a modular building refers to any building or structure that is factory built.

Modular building manufacturers offer great alternatives to building traditional site-constructed facilities. Varying in size and cost, these structures are very versatile. Modular or pre-fabricated buildings can be used for many purposes, from school classrooms to bullet-proof security spaces. Modular buildings can be used as a temporary space or as a permanent facility. They can be free standing or built inside an existing structure. Many prefabricated or modular buildings are constructed from steel; they can be portable buildings or permanent structures and are often used as garages, classrooms or storage buildings. Generally, most professionals involved in this industry refer to any structure that is pre-constructed in a factory as a modular building.

Modular building manufacturers provide flexibility and other advantages over site-construction, such as cost savings, speed of occupancy, factory-controlled quality and ease of expansion and relocation. The most significant advantage of modular buildings is the time saved. They are built according to a carefully monitored timetable within the factory plant. Modular building fabrication uses factory methods to greatly enhance quality and reduce manufacturing time and cost.

Modular building manufacturers require careful planning before construction. National and local electrical and construction standards must be explored before installing a modular or pre-fabricated structure. Foundation is another concern when establishing a structure on site. Foundation systems that are used by modular structures should comply with locally prescribed model construction codes to support the structure. The use of modular and portable buildings will continue to increase due to their benefits. It is predicted that more than 75 percent of all buildings will be constructed with some form of prefabrication within the next 10 years.

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Types of Modular Buildings

• Aluminum buildings are fabricated from low maintenance, lightweight corrosive resistant aluminum. Their convenience is their durability and flexibility in size and use.
  
• Booth manufacturers construct portable enclosed steel structures for applications such as security, revenue and/or access control booths or gate houses.
  
• Building systems assemble prefabricated parts to construct permanent buildings.
  
• Bullet-proof structures meet standards for resisting impact from bullets and other fast moving/high powered objects.
  
• Guardhouses are often placed at entrances to secure areas and serve as stations of clearance and general work activity for security or admissions personnel. Sizes will vary by need.
  
• Metal buildings are comprised mainly of select metal material and can be used for anything from storage to protection in various sizes.
  
• Portable buildings are buildings that can be easily moved or relocated. They are designed to be moved without significant structural modification; examples include portable hospital facilities, classrooms, offices, etc.
  
• Pre-engineered buildings are built of or with prefabricated sections or parts and are similar to prefabricated structures in use and variety.
  
• Prefab buildings are a type of modular building built with prefabricated parts.
  
• Prefabricated buildings are different from modular buildings in that they are delivered fully assembled to site. Sizes and uses are varying.
  
• Prefabricated garages are modular structures often used to add on to a previously existing garage.
  
• Steel buildings are fabricated primarily of steel and are often found in industrial settings as well as for outdoor use. Size possibilities are unlimited.
  
• Storage buildings can be made from prefabricated parts, usually those composed of steel materials.
  
• Walk-in enclosures are enclosed areas, which can be entered and worked in. Guard houses, x-ray rooms and communications rooms are examples of these.

Common Terms Related to Modular Buildings

Accessory - Products for modular buildings that add to a fundamental solid panel building like a window, door, roof vent, etc.
 
All-bolted Steel Floor - Floor joists of galvanized steel that reach across each module from both sides as well as being bolted to both floor side beams
 
Aluminum - A light, corrosion and oxidization resistant, metallic material with high electrical and temperature conductivity. This metal is commonly used in construction of modular buildings.

Anchor - Construction for assisting the stabilizing of modular buildings or portable buildings to the ground, combined with straps or cables and turnbuckles or split bolts.

Anodized - Material that has a metal oxide finish formed by a process that produces a durable semi-translucent finish in varying colors.

Architect of Record/Engineer - Architect or engineer who oversees the entire modular buildings projects. This is not the same as the manufacturer's engineer.
 
Beam - A modular buildings component that has bending loads subject to it. The three types are continuous, simple and cantilever.
 
Bottom Board - Material placed beneath the floor joists of a modular building or portable building for the protection and keeping in of insulation as well as keeping the building weathertight. Bottom board is typically composed of paper that is fiberglass reinforced, asphalt impregnated or asphalt board.
 
Bracing - The use of angles, cables or rods in the roof's plane and walls to convey loads to the foundation like seismic, crane thrusts and wind.  
 
Building - A structure that forms an enclosed, partially enclosed or open area made through a process of planning using components, materials and subsystems to achieve particular usage conditions.  
 
Building Code - Industry recognized agencies establish specific regulations pertaining to building designs such as design loads, procedures and construction details for structures, typically as applied to certain political jurisdictions like city, county, state, etc.  
 
Cantilever Beam - A type of beam that provides support at only one end allowing the other end to move freely.  
 
Cladding - Outer wall paneling and exterior metal roof of the metal building system found in prefabricated steel buildings.

Clear-span - Interior free of columns.
 
Collateral Loads - Weight caused by further permanent material necessitated by the building contract beyond the building system, like mechanical and electrical systems, sprinklers, ceilings and partitions.  
 
Column - A primary building component designed to convey the load from the main roof trusses, beams or rafters to the foundation.

Composite - Substance consisting of more than one material with each retaining their distinct beneficial characteristics.

Cool Roof - A metal roof meeting standards for Solar Reflectance and Infrared Emittance as determined by the CRRC. Cool roofs are sometimes painted white or made from specific reflective materials.
 
Elastic Design - Conception of design using the property of the materials permitting for temporary shape deformation in a predetermined load range.  

Fabrication - Process of manufacturing done in the plant to transform raw material into completed components for prefabricated steel buildings. The fundamental processes are welding, cold forming, punching, painting and cleaning.

Fiberglass - Filaments of glass used in a process with polyester resins, catalysts and hardeners to be molded into shapes.

Gable - Building style, which usually includes one peak with the roof sloping at each side of modular buildings.

Galvanized Steel - Steel covered with zinc metal.

Girt - A horizontal structural component mounted to endwalls or sidewall columns of modular buildings, which serves to support paneling.

Hardwall - Walls of modular buildings that are constructed of masonry, block, tilt-up or pre-cast.

Installation - The construction of prefabricated buildings components of a metal building to produce a finalized portable building - done on location.
 
Joist - A light weight beam that serves to support a roof or floor.  

Magnetic Shielding - When magnetic fields, electromagnetic or radio frequency interference are deterred and safeguarded from structure.
 
Manufacturer's Engineer - The engineer under the employ of the manufacturer, who is responsible for the structural design of a prefabricated steel buildings systems formed by the manufacturer.

Multi-span - The interior of building includes columns.

Purlin - The horizontal structure that serves to support the roof covering transferring loads to the main framing members of modular buildings.  
 
R-Value - R-value measures insulation's resistance to heat flow; it is important for temperature control issues.
 
Rigid Frame - Structural frame composed of components attached with moment connections causing stability in the frame relative to the design loads, removing the need for bracing in its plane.
 
Roofing - Modular buildings component that is attached to the frame of the roof covering the building, protecting against weather and fire.

Single Slope - A peak with one slope.

Sound Attenuation - Designed specifically to reduce noise from inside modular buildings to the outside.

Stainless Steel - Resistant to chemicals and corrosion.

Steel - Iron that contains carbon as an essential alloying component up to 1.8% and is workable in certain circumstances.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) - Also known as foam core panels. SIPs are prefabricated insulated structural elements consisting of an engineered sand laminate with a solid foam core four to eight inches thick.

Truss - Designed to perform as a beam since it consists of three or more members that each carry a compression or tension force.  

Turnkey - Outsourcing, which leaves to the subcontractor all aspects of manufacturing, including material acquirement, assembly and testing.