Rapid construction of modular buildings for emergencies: a case study from Hong Kong, China

Zhenming Chen, Lei Jiang, Meng Xiao, Yifei Hu, Shitao Huang

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic struck Hong Kong in February 2022. It led to construction of a temporary 1000-bed hospital and 10 000-bed isolation and treatment facility on an island site in just 51 days using factory-made modules. To achieve such rapid construction, module assembly was carried out at a separate site between the factories and site. Several new modular construction technologies were also developed, including adjustable base supports, large-span roof modules, universal safety barriers and an intelligent cloud platform for construction management. But to enable sustainable construction of such emergency buildings in future, further studies on demolition, recycling and relocation of modular buildings need to be carried out in the post-pandemic era.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)65-72
Number of pages8
JournalProceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Civil Engineering
Volume176
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Dec 2022

Keywords

  • case study
  • construction
  • Covid-19 pandemic
  • modular buildings
  • steel structures

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering

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