Role of Modularity in Adoption of Off-Site Construction

Abstract

Offsite construction is beneficial for cost and schedule savings, creating a safer construction environment, and sustainability. Despite its historical use in the US since 1908, offsite construction has faced challenges in gaining a significant market share. Recently renewed interest has emerged, driven by increased housing demand and labor shortages. Leveraging prior research, this paper categorizes drivers from existing literature and investigates how modularization enhances these factors. A systematic literature review reveals that modularity can significantly benefits drivers of offsite construction grouped under different categories such as: cost and profitability, schedule, safety and quality, environmental sustainability, design and engineering and adoption of new technologies. The systematic literature review was followed by interviews with subject matter experts. The interviews highlighted the importance of modularity for efficiency and profitability, suggesting its potential to drive increased adoption in the industry.