Modular Construction & Data Center Design Blog | PCX

2017 Construction Industry Trends

Written by Rob Coyle | Jan 6, 2017 10:18:38 PM

I recently attended a presentation that pointed out the consequences of ignoring important trends. Remember Polaroid? Blockbuster Video? They failed to adapt to their market while working hard on what they always did. New technology became available and customers demanded more.

The construction industry is rapidly changing in a similar way. Traditional approaches to new problems make it more difficult to build. How will your projects succeed in the face of shrinking budgets, tighter schedules, and a skilled labor shortage?

Modular construction of a project's electrical system is the most effective response to the issues plaguing our industry.

The top trends for 2017:

1. Skilled labor shortages will impact quality and limit contractor choice
The deskilling of our labor force reduces the number of contractors with the resources to perform complex tasks.

Delivering the electrical system in a modular packages provides consistent quality regardless of project location. Moving the high skill tasks to a manufacturing facility increases flexibility in contractor selection.

2. Contractors will be confronted with more inspections and prosecution of safety incidents 

By constructing and testing the electrical components offsite you remove risk from the jobsite. Those tasks are performed in a controlled environment.

3. Rising material cost and workforce expense will increase construction costs

Over estimating materials is commonplace in stick built construction. Resources are more efficiently used in a controlled manufacturing environment. Additionally, modular construction reduces site waste, labor and disposal costs associated with it.

4. More owners are looking to modular construction to improve schedule

Compressing project schedule and controlling cost is always a priority on a new project. Building offsite concurrently with site preparation offers significant time savings. Modular construction eliminates the impact of weather and material shortages that cause schedule delays and cost overruns.

I am proud to be with a team of professionals that are working proactively to face these trends. Our firm provides solutions that are a direct response to these challenges.

How would your next project benefit?

PCX Corporation builds to order prefabricated electrical power distribution systems including integrated switchboards for the commercial construction, data center, and industrial/utility industries worldwide. pcxcorp.com