When it comes to the construction of buildings, we have seen immense progress and advancements. If you notice, the primitive method of construction, then it involved laborers carrying raw materials on their head or back, working hard day and night, and manually assembling everything to create the final building. Today, we have numerous methods of construction to choose from. One of the most popular advancements in the industry is the modular method of construction. Modular buildings are nothing but structures that consist of multiple sections called modules or components. These components are prefabricated in an industrial setting and are then assembled on site to create the structure.But, when did this type of construction come into force? How did it bloom? And, how did it become so popular today? If you have these questions in your mind, you have landed at the right place. In this article, we will tell you the complete history of modular building.
History of Modular Constructions
The use of prefabricated structures, can be seen in historic times, over a hundred years back. A significant event that took place in the early 20th century led to the commencement of modular structures. Richard Sears began selling his products through the first catalog known to the public. He used catchy phrases and customer testimonials to tell readers that Sears Roebuck and Company had the lowest prices for high-value products.Sears Roebuck and Company sold over 50,000 prefabricated structures between 1908 and 1940 in the US. They didn't sell the final ready-made structures to people. They sold home kits that contained all the materials needed to build a structure. These kits included Sears catalogs with 44 styles of modular structure 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.People could browse through the catalog, make a preferred choice, and send a small initial amount. Their materials, such as the paints, nails, and shingles, to name a few would then arrive via railway. The demand for these kits was high until the Great Depression period (1929 - 1939) when the sales of prefabricated structures experienced a drop of 40% in one year.The end of World War II caused the modular construction technique to bloom and significantly evolve. All of the returning soldiers came back to America looking to buy a home and start a family. This demand for homes was more significant than the marketplace could handle. This led people to look for solutions to increase efficiency and lower the cost of new home construction. This is where modular structures became the best option for a large crowd.As you can see modular buildings are not a new concept. Today, the construction method is widely used in the commercial and industrial sector. For instance, Pier 57, a modular shipping container, is one of the stunning modular structures known today.Today, you can still find modular structures being used that were built in the 1950’s. The history of modular buildings has experienced a lot of technological changes, and modular structures have become a popular way to construct schools, businesses parks, and medical facilities across countries. You can talk to our modular structure manufacturers if you wish to know more about modular buildings.