Building Design Using Modules: Construction (SCI P302)
Building Design Using Modules: Construction (SCI P302)
Building Design Using Modules: Construction (SCI P302)
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Building Design Using Modules
R M Lawson
Building Design Using Modules BSc PhD CEng MICE
MIStructE MASCE ACGI
Introduction
The use of modular and other lightweight forms of building construction
KEY BENEFITS
is increasing. The benefits of off-site prefabrication and improved quality
The market characteristics that
in manufacture are being realised for residential buildings, for mixed
influence the choice of modular
commercial/housing projects, educational and health sector buildings. construction, are:
The various design issues related to compliance with the Building • Economy of scale through
Regulations, including structural action, acoustic and thermal insulation, repetitive manufacture.
were explored in the SCI publication: Residential Buildings using Modular • Speed of construction.
Construction (SCI P302). • High level of quality control.
• Site constraints and methods of
This publication reviews the basic principles of design using modular working require more off-site
construction and addresses the opportunities to achieve a sensible level manufacture.
of standardisation, covering basic dimensions for planning interfaces with • Minimum disruption to the
cladding, services and other details. locality is paramount.
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Building Design Using Modules
Types of modules
4-sided modules The light steel walls typically use 65 to 100 mm deep
Form of construction C sections. The maximum height of a modular building
Modules may be designed to transfer loads is limited by the compression resistance of these
continuously through their longitudinal walls. In this members and also by the bracing in the walls. The
form of construction, modules are manufactured with floor joists are typically 150 or 200 mm deep, and the
combined floor and ceiling depth is in the range of
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Building Design Using Modules
4-sided modules
With additional
10-12 No limit
65 x 1.2 C ceiling joists
at 400 mm centres stabilising core
Floor cassette
screw fixed to
150 x 1.6 C joists studs in wall panel
at 400 mm centres Recessed corner
with angle section
Floor surface 18
150
Insulation
10 300 mm
Overall depth
Insulation 20 65 of floor
gap
30
1 or 2 layers of fire-rated plasterbaord
Ceiling joist
Created on 25 June 2008
300
(b) Cross - section through floor and ceiling
Figure 4 Raines Court, London showing integral balconies
Figure 3 Details of 4-sided modules showing recessed corners in the Yorkon modules
with additional angle sections Courtesy, Alford Hall Monaghan Morris, Architects
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Building Design Using Modules
Partially open-sided modules The edge beams in the floor cassette can be designed to
Form of construction span 2 to 3 m to create openings in the sides or ends of
the module.
4-sided modules can be designed with partially open
sides by introduction of corner and intermediate posts
and by using a stiff continuous edge beam in the floor
cassette. The maximum width of opening is limited by
the bending resistance and stiffness of the edge
member in the floor cassette. Additional intermediate
posts are usually Square Hollow Sections of small
cross-section, so that they can fit within the wall
width.
Two modules can be placed together to create wider
spaces, as shown in Figure 5. The compression
resistance of the corner or internal posts controls the
maximum height of the building, but 6 to 8 storeys
can be achieved, as for fully modular construction.
Additional edge beams are required for wider
openings; the beams can be bolted to the posts.
Modules can also be re-orientated at the internal posts Figure 6 Long module with a corridor
to permit design of more flexible building forms. Courtesy, Kingspan Off-Site and Modular UK
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Long modules can also be designed to include an Balconies or other components can be attached to the
integral corridor, as shown in Figure 6. This can corner or internal posts. Overall stability is provided by
improve the speed of construction by avoiding additional bracing located in the walls of the modules.
weather-tightness problems during installation and Temporary bracing for stability during lifting may be
finishing work. required in the open sides.
A typical building form in which larger apartments are
created using partially open-sided units is shown in
Figure 7 (and the completed building is shown in
Figure 8). The same modular system is used for the
stairs.
Use of an intermediate post to provide support to the
edge beam of an open-sided module is shown in
Figure 9. In this case, additional stiffening of the edge
beam is required to transfer compression forces
through it to the edge beam and post below.
Stability of the modules is affected by their partially
open sides; additional temporary restraints may be
necessary during transport and installation.
A separate bracing system may also be required, as
Figure 5 Partially open-ended module used in Barling Court the partially open-sided modules may not possess
(see opposite). Courtesy, PCKO Architects sufficient shear resistance in certain applications.
Application:
Partially open-sided modules may be used effectively
Key worker accommodation, small apartments, hotels
in the renovation and extension of existing buildings
with corridors, communal areas in student residences etc.
to add new bathroom and balconies, as illustrated in
Technical details Figure 10. The modules are designed as load-bearing,
Created on 25 June 2008
The form of construction is similar to that of 4-sided but are stabilised by attachment to the existing
modules, except for the use of additional posts, generally structure.
in the form of 70 × 70 to 100 × 100 SHS members.
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200
e 2.8 m
Edge member
n sid
Ope
Corner angle e
Storage n sid
Ope Edge
member
SHS
post .
Kitchen Floor m max
Hall Bathroom span 3.0
3.0 .
mm
m ma x
ax. 3.0
(a) Open-sided module using modified C section edge member and SHS post
100
90 x 90 SHS post
Bathroom
20
Kitchen
Two bedroom unit
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200 150
Storage
Stiffener
200
Living/Dining
Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2
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modules are not often used for buildings more than the bracing system is adequate.
three storeys high. Where used, infill walls and As open-sided modules are only stable on their own for
partitions within the modules are non-load bearing, one or two storeys, additional bracing is usually
except where walls connected to the columns provide introduced vertically and horizontally. In-plane forces
in-plane bracing. Lighter wall studs may be used. can be transferred by the floor and ceiling cassettes and
Smaller modules up to 5.5 m length may be by suitable connections at the corners of the modules.
manufactured by re-orientating the floor and ceiling Typical details of the internal framework of an
joists to run longitudinally, as in Figure 12. The joists open-sided module using PFC beams and SHS posts are
may be of lattice form to facilitate integration of shown in Figures 13 and 14. Installation of open-sided
services. modules in a hospital building is shown in Figure 15.
Created on 25 June 2008
Figure 11 Primary steel frame used in an open-sided module Figure 12 Smaller open-sided module using longitudinally
Courtesy, Kingspan Off-Site and Modular UK spanning lattice joists
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Building Design Using Modules
3600
An open-ended module is a variant of a 4-sided
module in which a rigid end frame is provided, usually
100 consisting of welded or rigidly connected
150 200 x 90 PFC
RHS sections. The rigid end frame provides overall
stability that allows creation of a fully glazed façade,
as bracing in the plane of the façade is not required.
100 x 100 The rigid end frame also provides attachment points
x 6 SHS
3000 of a full width cantilever balcony or walkway. A
possible end frame design using 250 × 150 RHS
External wall sections welded with mitred corners is shown in
Figure 16. This form of construction may be used for
buildings up to six storeys.
200 250 300 x 90 PFC The rigid end frames are manufactured as part of the
module or can be assembled as separate components.
Inset C
Light steel walls may be used for the internal walls to
Figure 13 Structural frame of a corner supported module –
create the required window and door openings. The
end view
module to module attachments are made on site by
plates and bolts, which are tightened through holes in
600 200 x 90 PFC
the RHS. The holes are capped later. The overall floor
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400 0
600
600
150 x 1.6 C 300 x 90 PFC
7500 max.
Ceiling panel
using 100 x 1.6 C
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Building Design Using Modules
comprising modular “cores” for stairs, and highly load adjacent to the open sides of the modules. The
serviced areas. The modules are arranged in a “spine” walls of the modules can be braced to provide overall
stability to the building.
through the building and the floors are attached to
it - see the Corus demonstration building in Figures 17 The façade walls can be designed as non-load bearing
and 18. and can be installed as large pre-fabricated panels
with their lightweight cladding attached.
A recent project in Fulham that used load-bearing
bathroom modules to support the floor cassettes is
illustrated in Figure 19.
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Figure 20 Typical podium structure in which seven storeys Figure 23 Mixed use of stabilising frame and modules in a
of residential units are supported on a composite residential project in Shadwell, East London
frame below Courtesy, Rollalong
Courtesy, The Design Buro, Rollalong and Ayrshire Framing
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Building Design Using Modules
Technical details
4-sided modules can be designed to be supported by
steel or composite beams and the typical beam line load
per supported floor is 15 kN/m. Columns generally align
with every 2 or 3 modules (i.e. at 6 to 10 m spacing)
The depth of the podium-type structure is 800 to
1000 mm, and spans of 10 to 18 m can be created
below the podium, which are suitable for commercial
applications and car parking. An arrangement using
cellular beams is shown in Figure 24.
The beams are designed to align with the ends of the
modules i.e. at 3 to 4 m spacing, which dictates the
grid of columns (i.e. at 6 to 8 m). A column grid of
7.2 m is suitable for below-ground car parking.
The podium structure is generally braced to resist wind Figure 25 Recessed corner modules supported by a steel
loads and a separate braced core is often used to structure at each floor level
stabilise the group of modules above the podium level. 7500 5400 7500
4800
Module 1 Module 2
the modules, they should be constructed with recessed
corners, which allows them to fit around smaller SHS
16500
2500
Module 3 Module 6
Module 4 Module 5
3-3
.6 m
2.8 m Modules
5000
6m Core for
stairs/lifts
m
4.5 Figure 26 Mixed use of modules and long spanning floor
with a primary steel frame
300
18 m
300 12 -
n of
Spa
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Building Design Using Modules
before delivery to site. SHS posts and bracing can be Compatibility of the floor depth in the module and in the
introduced in the walls to provide for overall stability. floor elsewhere is achieved by one of four methods:
Details of a typical light steel modular stair system, • Designing the depth of the floor of the module to be the
showing use of a 'false' landing to provide stability at same as the raised floor or acoustic layer elsewhere.
the roof of the module, are shown in Figure 28. • Placing the module in a recess in the floor of the main
structure.
Alternatively, the framework of the stair module may
• Designing the module without a floor (possible in small
be made as a primary steel structure, in which case,
modules in which fitments are attached to the walls).
the light steel walls act as infills.
• Designing the modules to be supported on the bottom
flange of Slimflor beams.
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Technical Issues
TH
Sheathing
board
TH Rigid insulation
W a /2 board
TH
W a /2
Vertical rail
TH fixed to stud
W a /2
W a /2
FV
W a /2
W a /2
2 layers of fire resistant
plasterboard
Mineral wool insulation
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Building Design Using Modules
Technical issues
T & G chipboard
Created on 25 June 2008
Figure 34 View of floor and wall in modular construction showing Figure 37 Atrium created between modules Courtesy, Yorkon
fire protection and cavity barriers
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Building Design Using Modules
Dimensional planning
Boards
The factors that influence the dimensional planning of 25-30
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Building Design Using Modules
Dimensional planning
Floor
compact, their connections can be more complex.
400
Figure 42 shows a welded fin plate to which the edge
600
beams are bolted. Access holes of 50 mm minimum
≈ 80
Gap
diameter in the SHS allow bolts to be inserted through
200 ≈ 60 end plates to provide for vertical and horizontal
Ceiling
attachments.
SHS
50 dia. access
Figure 39 Detail of corner supported module hole
Welded fin plate
Actual dimensions of the modules will be less than these 100 x 100
or angle End plate
x 10 SHS
planning dimensions to allow for gaps (by up to 50 mm Connecting plate
for walls, and up to 150 mm for floors). Windows and Connecting bolt
doors may also be incorporated as standard dimensions C section
to achieve a variety of opening configurations, as Plan Elevation
illustrated in Figure 40. Figure 42 Corner post using SHS or special sections
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Sources of Information
Fusion Building Systems Ltd Modular construction using light steel framing: Residential
Fleming Development UK buildings (P302)
Regus International Business Park The Steel Construction Institute, 2001
Southampton Airport Case studies on steel in residential buildings (P328)
George Curl Way The Steel Construction Institute, 2003
Southampton SO18 2RZ
Tel: 02380 302036 www.fusionbuild.co.uk Lawson R M and Hicks S J
Steel in multi-storey residential buildings (P332)
Kingspan Off-Site The Steel Construction Institute, 2004
Sherburn
Malton YO17 8PQ Way A
Tel: 01944 712000 www.kingspanoffsite.com Acoustic detailing for multi-storey residential buildings (P336)
The Steel Construction Institute, 2004
Metek UK Ltd
Broad Quay House, Prince Street Way A
Bristol BS1 4DJ Guidance on meeting robustness requirements on Approved
Tel: 01179 058722 www.metekbuildingsystems.co.uk Document A (P341)
The Steel Construction Institute, 2005
Rollalong Ltd
Wright C et al
Woolsbridge Industrial Park
Insulated render systems used with light steel framing (P343)
Three Legged Cross
The Steel Construction Institute, 2006
Wimborne BH21 6SF
Tel: 01202 824541 www.rollalong.co.uk Lawson R M and Francis K
Energy efficient housing using light steel framing (P367)
Spaceover Group Ltd
The Steel Construction Institute, 2007
Maitlands, Faygate Lane
Faygate RH12 4SJ
Tel: 01293 851555 www.spaceover.com
F: 01344 636370
E: publications@steel-sci.com SCI P348 Building design using modules
www.steel-sci.org © September 2007, The Steel Construction Institute
This publication was prepared with support from DTI through Partners in Innovation, and by Corus Strip, UK
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