Evaluation of the modular method for industrial plant construction projects

Industrial plant construction projects tend to become larger in their physical scale and complexity to incorporate the most advanced technologies from various industries. In order to respond to the rapidly changing industry demands, reducing construction durations has become the key factor to project success. Modular approach has been employed in this industry to mainly reduce construction durations. However, little research has been performed to evaluate the modular method in comparison to the conventional method, i.e., the stick-built method. The aim of this research is to help industry practitioners decide which method to be employed. In this study, the researchers evaluated the efficiency of modular method by performing a comparative analysis. The result of the estimated duration for the mechanical package installation showed that employing the modular method can reduce the construction duration by 2 months approximately. As a result of a validity assessment, the stick-built method scored lower than the modular method and so the modular method was valid to be employed.