The construction industry has seen innumerable advancements and changes in the last 100 years. From making laborers carry heavy loads to l using machines, the methods, tools, and equipment used for construction have evolved considerably. The modular structure construction is one type of construction used to build structures of all the kinds. Often people think that modular construction is a new concept. But actually, it had started decades ago.
Take a look at the history of modular constructions to understand it better.
History of Modular Constructions
The use of prefabricated structures, especially homes goes back over a hundred years. Modular structures can be prefabricated, which is why they were also referred to as mobile structures. An important event that took place in the early 20th century, led to the introduction and evolution of prefabricated structures, now known as modular structures.
In 1908, Sears Roebuck and Company in the US, began selling home kits that contained all the materials needed to build a home. These kits included Sears catalogs with 44 styles of modular homes incorporating detailed information of 30,000 different modular pieces and a 70-page instruction booklet, all within the price range of $700 to $4,000.
Sears Roebuck Co. sold over 50,000 pre-fabricated homes between 1908 and 1940. People could browse through the catalog, choose their preferred choice, and send a small initial amount. Their materials such as the paints, nails, shingles, etc. would then arrive via railway. The demand of these kits was high until the Great Depression period (1929 - 1939) when the sales of prefabricated homes experienced a drop by 40% in one year.
The end of World War II was the period when the popularity and need of these homes increased tremendously. The soldiers came back to America looking to buy a home and start a family. The immediate need of houses was a lot more than what was available in the market. People once again started opting for modular construction. The prefabricated homes were built quickly, using sturdy materials which were efficient. There are still modular homes being used that were built in the 1950’s, although these homes were much simpler than today's modular buildings.
Current Scenario of Modular Constructions
Since the last 2-3 decades, more and more machines and better technologies have been established to build bigger, all the more efficient modular structures. Modular structures have become a popular way to construct schools, businesses parks, and medical facilities across countries. The only limitation was the size of certain structure modules which were difficult to transport due to the limited width of the roads. But that was overcome by dividing the modules in a number of smaller ones. Present day modular structures are built to meet all the local building codes. They are constructed on a permanent foundation and are indistinguishable from the traditionally built buildings. As the demands have increased, the ability to customize modular homes has also expanded.
To know more about the modular structure construction, you can talk to our modular structure manufacturers.