Multi-storey Modular Cold-Formed Steel Building in Hong Kong: Challenges & Opportunities

Abstract

Modular building construction has become widely popular across the continents, such as in America, Europe (United Kingdom), Asia (Singapore), and more recently in Australia. Promoting sustainability in construction, the application of modular construction has been successfully implemented in very broad range building functionalities. These include student residences, private housings, hotels, commercial buildings, military accommodation, health facilities, as well as other services units attached to the main buildings. Several low-rise buildings (6 to 10 stories) as well as high-rise buildings (20 to 30 stories) have used this type prefabricated off-site building system as an alternative construction method. Among those existing projects, modular steel building brings significant advantage on the manufacturing process and erection speed. These will be beneficial for Hong Kong which has very high pressure on housing demands. Due to its excellence on strength and durability, the modular integrated construction (MiC) in Hong Kong is looking to the direction of using cold-formed steel as structural component. Some challenges and opportunities are exist and these will be discussed in this paper.