Modular Construction Industry Poised to Take Off

The construction industry is continuously looking for new and innovative ways to build.  

Offsite factory construction, also known as modular construction, isn’t a new idea but it’s quickly gaining popularity with developers and builders because it can accelerate the building process, reducing the time to finish and move in.

 Additionally, the construction workforce is shrinking. A McKinsey report states, “The next normal in construction,” 41% of the construction workforce in the United States is expected to retire by 2031.¹ And there are not enough workers entering the industry to replace them.

Also, according to the National Association of REALTORS^®, the United States currently faces a shortage of 5.5 million homes, a gap so large it will take more than a decade to close, even if new-home construction accelerates.²

There are two primary ways to approach offsite factory construction: panelized and volumetric.  

Panelized construction involves manufacturing components of a building, such as wall, roof and floor systems, and then delivering these components to the job site for assembly and finishing. Volumetric construction consists of manufactured completed box-like units that can be combined to form a building on the job site. Both types of modular components are manufactured in a factory and then delivered to the construction site. Offsite factory construction components are required to meet the same building codes and energy codes as other types of buildings.  

The modular construction industry can offer numerous benefits, including: 

• Faster, more efficient construction.
• Faster return on investment.
• No weather delay issues. 
• Lower labor costs. 
• Increased sustainability. 

Johns Manville’s building insulation group has studied the process of offsite factory construction and offers customized solutions to meet applicable building codes and energy codes, along with the needs of the factory. Johns Manville building insulation products are designed and tested to achieve the air barrier, vapor barrier, and R-value requirements for each climate zone. Additionally, JM products allow offsite factory construction companies to apply products efficiently, reducing waste, saving time during installation, simplifying assembly, and reducing the need for on-site repairs.

Contact Johns Manville today at jerry.fox@jm.com to learn how we can help with your offsite factory construction insulation needs!

1. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/capital%20projects%20and%20infrastructure/our%20insights/the%20next%20normal%20in%20construction/executive-summary_the-next-normal-in-construction.pdf
2. https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/05/17/biden-administration-takes-aim-at-america-s-housing-shortage#:~:text=The%20nation%20faces%20a%20shortage,National%20Association%20of%20REALTORS%C2%AE.