Modular Construction

Easier and Faster Construction

© Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance
Modular Construction

Pre-fabricated construction components offer the construction industry many advantages such as low development and manufacturing costs, simple repairs and installation processes and increased flexibility, since the building can be adapted to meet new requirements simply by rearranging the building sections.

Trend: Modular Construction
In metropolitan areas in particular, construction sites can be a serious obstacle to the dynamics of the city. Pre-fabricated construction components make it possible to significantly reduce construction site size and building time, thus also minimizing the negative impact of construction on the surroundings. Building sections make rebuilding and conversion faster and easier and provide a flexibility and adaptivity not possible with conventional construction techniques. Practical applications in this context are for example mobile noise protection walls or shelter accommodations.

Multifunctional Building Sections
These construction all-rounders are on the rise: The facades of the future not only provide protection against the weather, they can also contain shading and ventilation elements or help generate energy with photovoltaic modules. When renovating residential buildings for energy efficiency, prefabricated modules such as multifunctional window elements do more than just reduce on-site installation time and thus cut down on inconvenience to residents: Underneath the sill of the window in the self-supporting module is a removable technology box for the installation of components such as heat exchangers, decentral micro-heating pumps and ventilation filters, water pipes, power outlets, ventilation ducts or Internet cables. This eliminates a large number of building tasks such as laying pipes and routing cabling.

Lightweight and Sustainable Materials
The trend towards more flexibility and adaptivity of buildings places new demands on materials as well. In addition to lightweight building materials such as membranes, the Building Innovation Alliance is researching functionalized fiber composites as well as subsystems and hybrid construction systems using renewable raw materials. New joining technologies such as adhesives and adhesive systems as well as laser welding processes enable innovative utilization of the new materials.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Construct-PV

Customized BIPV Shingles for Façades or Roofs

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

ELASSTIC

Objective of the ELASSTIC project is to improve the safety, security and robustness of multifunctional building complexes against natural and man-made catastrophes.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Q-TE-C®

Swellable Thermoplastelastomer-Composite

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

RetroKit

Pre-Fabricated Multifunctional Façades

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

SolConPro

Comprehensive Integration of Energetically Active Facade Components into Building Processes

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Speicher-LCA

Ecological evaluation of selected storage materials and concepts for heating and cooling applications

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Shock tube

Fraunhofer EMI offers consulting and research services for the evaluation of buildings and their components exposed to pressure shock loads.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

WPsmart im Bestand

Heat Pump Field Test – Focus existing buildings and smart control

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Development of a beech hybrid element for modern wooden construction

The element is planned for use as a ceiling element and can thereby bridge a span of 10 meters under normal loads in residential and commercial construction.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Glimmer and smolder behavior of thermal insulation materials

The Fraunhofer WKI is in possession of an accreditation as an inspection body for the determination of the glimmer and smolder behavior of thermal insulation materials in accordance with DIN EN 16733.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Planning certainty for green roofs

Green roofs can often lead to moisture damage, especially with fully insulated wooden designs.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Avoiding moisture damage in wooden houses

Unlike masonry, wood is very moisture-sensitive, and errors in the planning or execution of buildings can quickly lead to expensive damage.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Blinds between window panes

Usability tests on blinds sandwiched between vacuum-glazed panes are necessary to guarantee that such systems last long enough once installed.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

Drying sub-screed flooring and walls after water damage

Over a million cases of water damage from leaky water pipes are recorded in Germany every year.

 

Construction Systems and Components − Easier and Faster Construction

The European FoAM-BUILD project

Thermoplastic particle foam using newly developed raw materials, additives and process set-ups.