Modular construction: saving companies time, money: from a pizzeria to sealift modules, these buildings have a niche market.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa

There are many factors to consider when a company is planning to expand into a remote area, or to expand an already established work site. Along with a way to get materials to the site, there also is a need for buildings and facilities not only to house the employees who work there, but also to house equipment, and in some cases, the power sources that enable the location to expand.

For this reason, modular buildings have begun to gain popularity in Alaska. Manufactured in a controlled environment, these facilities, which can range from churches to fish camps to 102-ton process modules, are enabling businesses to expand their capabilities while lessening the complications caused by typical field construction.

"Building in Alaska means building in the weather, and this can mean freezing, thawing and rain, all of which can effect the quality of a structure," explained Margie Goodman, general manager, Alaska Modular Space. "But when you build in a controlled environment, you don't have any of these issues, which ensures the quality of the building."

Companies also save on costs related to building in the field. "Certainly, weather is a factor, because many of our buildings are made for the North Slope," said Tom Maloney, vice president of business development in Alaska for VECO. "But there are also a lot of costs associated with building on the Slope, including establishing camps, creating housing and flying the employees in. It's generally considered to be about three times as expensive to build something in the field as it is to build it in a shop."

A timesaving is also a factor, which is especially important in Alaska areas that, due to weather, have a much shorter construction season. "When you're building on site, you have to do the site work, grading and foundation before you even start the building itself," said Goodman. "With a modular building, a company can have the facility built in a factory while they are in the field doing the site work. When the foundation is complete, the building, already on-site, can be assembled in a very short time--a matter of weeks."

FROM PIZZERIAS TO POWER PLANTS

Though modular buildings are often used to make temporary or permanent offices, there is almost no limit to the types of facilities that can be created using this type of construction. Alaska Modular Space, headquartered in Anchorage, boasts projects ranging from a mobile classroom in Kotzebue, to a pizzeria in Nome, to an art gallery in...