A Novel Index for Measuring the Level of Modularization in Building Construction

Modular integrated construction (MiC) has been increasingly adopted for buildings. Different MiC systems engage different levels of modularization (LoM), which however has not been explored in the literature. This paper aims to develop a novel index, modular integrated rate (MIR), to quantitatively measure the LoM of modular buildings. MIR is a composition of modularization rate (MR) which indicates the modularized area of a floor plan and integration rate (IR) which specifies the integration of architectural, structural, and building services works into modules. Using a real-life MiC building project, MIR is demonstrated effective in comprehensively reflecting LoM. The study also indicates a strong impact of LoM on construction efficiency, e.g. a strong negative correlation of MIR with construction time. Notably, the case scenario with the highest MIR (71%) could reduce the floor cycle to less than 4 days. The paper contributes a novel approach to quantitatively measuring building modularization, which should facilitate a step change in MiC system design, evaluation and selection for enhanced efficiency.