Modular construction can speed up build timelines significantly — project after project, we are impressed just how fast a build site can transform from a podium to a topped out building. That was certainly the case with a recent project installing modules for a 5-story apartment complex in which, thanks to meticulous coordination, Stream Modular was able to help the team install 393 modular units in only 22 days. This article will explore the detailed planning and significant adaptability that helped us achieve this feat.
A main benefit of modular construction is that the three building processes — site prep, module fabrication, and module transport — can happen simultaneously rather than in sequence. In this project, we were able to conduct those tasks in parallel to construct a 5-story, 324-unit apartment complex in San Diego in three weeks.
In this project, we spent months transferring modules to a secure staging yard in Otay Mesa, CA, as they came off the factory line. We organized them in proper sequencing so that once we began shuttling them to the job site, no modules had to be moved to access the next module in the sequence. This effort resulted in efficiency that made this lightning-fast build possible.
While the modules were being manufactured and transferred to the secure staging yard, site prep was happening simultaneously. The site crew laid the podium and foundation as the factory built the modules. In traditional construction, you cannot begin any of this work while the site is prepped. With modular construction, as soon as the site work is done, you can start installing modules as long as your logistics process is tight.
This particular project involved five stories of apartment units consisting of 393 modules in total. We aimed to complete it in 22 business days, for an average of 18 modules a day. To make this goal achievable, we had to coordinate extensively to ensure that every module could be delivered on time, that the correct module was delivered, and that we had a plan to scale up speeds if needed.
This required planning to determine the optimal number of drivers, the right pacing for the trucks, and when the drivers had to leave the staging yard to arrive at the build site at the appropriate time. Thanks to coordination with the general contractor and the set crew, ProSet, we designed an onsite traffic control plan that allowed three trucks to queue up behind the truck that was unloading under the crane pick point.
This system of the unloading truck plus three was important as the staging yard was about a 40-minute drive from the job site. Additionally, we were dealing with a morning curfew where our trucks couldn’t be on the road between 7:00 and 9:00 am. Part of our planning process included front-loading modules in the morning to keep the set crew moving during those two hours when the trucks couldn’t drive.
On day one, we started with meticulous time trials to determine the length of time it took to unstrap the module, strip the wrapping, and crane it into position. Based on what we learned from this trial, we knew when to call the next truck from the staging yard to be added to the queue line. We aligned this timing well enough that the crane never waited idly for a module during the entire 22 days of building, allowing our partner to hit their target timeline.
Builders inevitably encounter unexpected obstacles in any construction project, and this project was no exception. Thanks to Stream’s built-in buffers from such a well-oiled logistics plan, we were able to get ahead of the build timeline to counterbalance the intricacies we had to address on the fly to maintain schedule integrity. Thanks to advanced planning, the project was finished a half day earlier than the date we had targeted months before in the planning process.
Our planning was successful, in part because we determined how many drivers it would take to keep the set crew moving. Then, we put our most experienced drivers on the job with Stream’s Hydraulic Jack Lift Trailers so every module could be loaded and unloaded by a single driver. This helps the process of a very fast set, like the one in this project.
When it comes to the crucial aspects of meticulous coordination that module construction requires, you need a partner who considers detailed planning and the ability to adapt to unexpected obstacles. If you’d like to learn more about Stream’s process of successfully installing 393 modules in 22 business days or how we can help on your project, reach out to our team.
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Stream Modular is a transportation logistics company specializing exclusively in modular construction. We help modular manufacturers and builders transport mods, pods, and panels so they arrive on time and safely to the build site.
