MODULAR BUILDINGS
Modular buildings often arrive in a completed or nearly completed state. At this stage, the opportunity to address compliance issues is much narrower, as retrofitting or altering factory-built components can require major intervention or may simply not be feasible.
disruption and cost that would have been involved. This case illustrates the real-world difficulty of addressing compliance failures in modular buildings once installation is complete.
Plant room corridor in a hospital.
modules are delivered to site also differs considerably from inspections of traditional builds. In conventional construction, compliance checks can be carried out progressively as the building is assembled step by step, meaning that non-compliances can be identified early and corrected with relatively little disruption. By contrast, modular buildings often arrive in a completed or nearly completed state. At this stage, the opportunity to address compliance issues is much narrower, as retrofitting or altering factory-built components can require major intervention or may simply not be feasible. Consequently, the inspection stage risks becoming a formality rather than an effective safeguard.
On-site inspection The author has encountered these challenges first-hand during an on-site inspection of a modular building constructed for a healthcare estate. In this case, the Air Handling Unit (AHU) installed in the facility did not meet the requirements set out in HTM 05-01, the standard governing specialised ventilation systems in healthcare premises. Although the plant was already operational, it presented a clear compliance failure: the design did not provide adequate access for cleaning and maintaining the fresh air intake. This limitation not only represented a breach of the standard but also posed a long-term risk, as inadequate maintenance access could eventually cause the AHU to malfunction. Despite the clear non- compliance, there was little appetite from the client or contractor to carry out modifications, given the scale of
54 Health Estate Journal March 2026
What is the problem with this system of compliance checking? I spoke with Edward Wright, an experienced Authorising Engineer and currently the engineering manager for DRLC Ltd, and asked his opinion of modular buildings. He said: “The concept of modular buildings is not new; they have been around in the UK in force since the second world war. Prefabrication can be traced back to the Romans, though in the 1940s they were called prefabricated buildings, the concept is the same. “Historically the ‘prefab concept’ did not meet what was actually produced, which was, in the majority of cases, a cold, damp box that was then held onto at great cost to health.” I mentioned that the prefabricated houses that sprung
up after the end of World War II in the UK had largely disappeared. “Yes, the boxes have virtually vanished due to legislation and new materials. We still have the element where off- site manufacture does not meet the on-site tolerances/ requirements.” I asked Edward what would be needed to ensure modular buildings were of a high standard and he explained: “Should the process or the manufacture be completely aligned with the actual build and stay within the tolerances of the build this would be a beneficial way forward as this would improve many elements of the construction industry ranging from the speed of build, cost savings from materials and reduction of on-site waste. The list goes on and on.”
Serious implications for compliance I asked Edward to share his experience of modular buildings: “From my experience the modular element, either in toilet blocks, prison cells and even modular walls have been challenging where pre-formed holes have not lined up. Then there were the showers where the water runs out of the door, the doorways which were not square. I recall modular pipe runs where one modular frame will not mate with the next and even down to pipes within the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
