How Modular Benefits the Top 5 U.S. Infrastructure Priorities
According to America’s Infrastructure Report Card, our current grade is a C-. This encompasses all types of infrastructure in the United States including but not limited to railways, educational institutions, water sources, and communication networks.
Every infrastructure project focuses on the development and maintenance of services, facilities, and systems. Across all projects, there are the top U.S. infrastructure priorities that help shape and design what the project will look like and accomplish.
Modular building systems support these priorities and give infrastructure organizations a huge advantage moving forward.
Types of Infrastructure
The term “infrastructure” embodies a wide range of elements across the United States. So before jumping into U.S. infrastructure priorities, we’d like to give a general overview of different types of infrastructure and the relationship they have with modular building systems.
Educational
Schools and educational facilities represent a large amount of infrastructure in the United States, with approximately 100,000 buildings. These types of infrastructure are for more than just educational purposes. They are used for community meetings, fundraisers, and emergency shelters.
A majority of educational institutions need updating and renovating, and four out of ten schools do not have long-term goals to update their facilities. These institutions require improvements to keep students learning and safe in a healthy environment.
31% of school systems are implementing portable facilities that are flexible and able to be adapted to educational trends. Modular classrooms would allow administrators to improve their permanent facilities and not interrupt the learning process for students.
Transportation
Transportation infrastructure encompasses roads, rails, ports, or anything that brings a person or product from point A to point B. The Department of Transportation has infrastructure programs in place that maintain and upgrade current transportation infrastructures.
The transportation industry utilizes modular offices to offer flexible floor plans that match the specific needs of the organization. Airports use modular for office spaces, baggage claims, and waiting rooms for passengers.
Government
Project management offices, security offices, correctional facilities, and public parks are all in the realm of government infrastructure. Similar to educational infrastructure, at some point, these offices and facilities will need to be updated. Modular offices can support organizations in their medium- and long-term projects.
Public parks and recreation areas may use modular for their flexible and sustainable practices. There are many types of facilities required in recreation areas, including restrooms, welcome centers, and park ranger offices.
Communication Networks
The main area of communication networks is broadband infrastructure or wireless and satellite technologies. The upgrade to 5G networks has created a rise in demand throughout the communication infrastructure.
Just like a majority of other types of infrastructure, the broadband network is constantly evolving in technologies. With modular building systems, organizations can achieve long-term goals by staying flexible and adaptable.
Energy
As we all know, the United States uses a lot of energy nationwide and connects 145 million people. Within energy infrastructure, there is a focus on reusable and renewable. Modular building systems support reusable infrastructures being put in place.
Modular materials can be disassembled and relocated when they are no longer needed or need to be adjusted. This reduces the demand for raw materials and minimizes the amount of energy used for each project.
Water
The water infrastructure offers a wide range of operations including levees, dams, stormwater, drinking water, and inland waterways. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water every day for a variety of purposes.
OriginClear Inc., a provider of water treatment solutions, has implemented a product line of prefabricated water treatment systems. This allows communities to have the ability to clean their own water, stay within budget, and have the treatment systems distributed more efficiently.
The Top 5 U.S. Infrastructure Priorities
When an administration is looking to take on an infrastructure project, its top priorities are innovation, cost-efficiency, eco-friendliness, providing the highest quality, and flexibility. Incorporating modular building systems helps achieve these long-term goals.
1. Innovation
Technologies are changing constantly, and this also applies to infrastructure projects. Across the board, administrators and project managers are looking for ways to better a previous version. With modular offices, you can stay adaptable and efficient for future innovation.
Modular construction allows for easy expansions, so being innovative doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. Off-site construction means growth and expansion of modular projects that do not disrupt your working environment.
The ability to innovate without the disturbance of conventional construction comes with some huge advantages:
- Improve Efficiency
- More Flexibility
- Collaborate with Your Team
- Customize Your Space
2. Cost Management
The second priority for all infrastructure projects is saving money, which is achieved by cutting timelines in half, reducing labor costs, and years of depreciation. The shortened timelines allow your organization to use the modular office sooner, which means you have a faster return on investment.
As labor shortages continue throughout all infrastructure arenas, choosing modular allows you to reduce labor since 95% of construction is completed off-site. Modular spaces will come to you with components already in place, so the installation and assembly time is also relatively short.
Modular building systems require fewer permits than traditionally constructed buildings, so you can streamline the process to further save time and money. Wood, steel, and concrete modular buildings will fall into one of two International Building Codes: Construction Type V-B or Construction Type II-B.
Additionally, modular offices are considered tangible personal property, so it depreciates in 7 years rather than conventional construction which will depreciate in 39 years. This allows a company to reduce its taxable income and have access to an increased cash flow.
3. Climate Resilient & More Sustainable
Sustainability and being more green has become a top priority for more than just infrastructure. There are several long-term goals set in place to help reduce carbon emissions and establish more green efforts. One of these efforts should be modular building systems.
Conventionally constructed office buildings release 826 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Modular construction is made in a controlled environment, so they have more supervision over building seals and meeting your energy needs.
In 2018, 600 million tons of debris were generated from construction and demolition materials. When looking at modular construction choices, you have the option to purchase a used modular building. This reduces and limits waste and air pollution and shortens the production time for your organization.
4. Quality & Durability
The modular construction process is quite different from conventional construction, which allows for better quality control. Modular building systems are manufactured using an assembly line, so there are inspections and testing at each step.
As mentioned earlier, modular construction requires less labor, which not only saves costs but also ensures higher quality. If there are fewer hands in the pot, there is a lower chance that something will be miscommunicated or overlooked throughout the process.
5. Flexibility
The lifespan of infrastructure projects vary, so it’s important to have a flexible construction source. Modular offices can be used for short- and long-term projects and vary in size. Office spaces can be built between 200 square feet and 30,000 square feet, making them appropriate for almost any project.
With BOXX, you also can furnish your modular office, so it is ready to go as soon as it’s assembled. These floor plans are customizable, so when things change, so does your modular office. We will work closely with your organization to understand your needs and maximize productivity within your space.
Learn about our modular offices used for medium- or long-term projects for all types of infrastructure. Contact our team today to speak to one of our representatives and get a free quote!
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