The role of consulting engineers in the design of prefabricated or off-site structures often requires a shift in thinking and a re-assessment of design criteria. A standard “bricks and mortar” approach may exclude a number of key adjustments required to the design. Immense savings may be found in the reassessment of temporary structures including design return intervals, performance expectations and design life. Conversely, off-site structures require an understanding of the means of transportation (such as shipping, trucking, lifting etc). The newly published Handbook on the Design of Modular Structures is hoped to bring a lot of these topics to light and assist our industry in the transition to the design of prefabrication structures.
Undoubtedly the demystification of the design of such structures will in turn assist in reducing the costs associated with modular design.
It must be recognised that the work of the modular design team has greater success when the team is provided with some form of continuum. Rarely do modular structures become a success story in the first attempt. Rather, the team will respond to earlier failures or concerns and seek to continually advance and improve the design in each iteration.
“It must be recognised that the work of the modular design team has greater success when the team is provided with some form of continuum. Rarely do modular structures become a success story in the first attempt. Rather, the team will respond to earlier failures or concerns and seek to continually advance and improve the design in each iteration.”
Structural College Board Chair Karlie Collis
There is much value in the knowledge gained by allowing innovation with the assurance of future attempts being possible. It is a perfect storm for innovative, engineering-minded problem solvers and will always result in incredible outcomes.It does, however, require a vastly different engagement of consultants and contractors. A project will not achieve the same innovative results if the design team is altered after each attempt.■
