FAQs - Modular Construction

A modular construction or modular building consists of prefabricated room units that are industrially manufactured in our production halls. They can be made of steel, concrete, wood or a mixture of the different building materials in hybrid construction.

In the form of a modular construction system, the modules are assembled into a building on a suitable foundation within a very short time. Seamless interior finishing as well as façade work can begin without the progress of the building project being affected by weather conditions. The degree of completion is determined by the customer's requirements and wishes.

Modular buildings can be erected for long-term or temporary use. If more space is needed, extensions or a further storey is possible at any time.

Modular construction is a flexible, modern and future-oriented construction method that is in no way inferior to conventional construction. Accordingly, modular construction is ideally suited for all sectors: whether industry, trade, services or municipalities. SÄBU Morsbach GmbH specialises in the construction of office and administrative buildings, educational facilities of all kinds such as schools, day-care centres or universities, training and research centres, as well as buildings in the healthcare and nursing sectors. With the modular construction method, hospitals, residential buildings or hotels can also be realised.

Modular buildings are structurally mature, architecturally on a par with conventional construction methods and meet all the energy requirements of a high-quality building.

Building with prefabricated room modules is much faster. The modules are prefabricated in our factory, which saves a lot of time due to the additional short assembly time on site. In contrast to the conventional construction method, there is no bad weather or winter break with the modular construction method and thus no construction delay due to weather conditions.

In our modern production halls, the components are manufactured under constant quality control to fit precisely. The usual dimensional tolerances from conventional construction are not to be found here.

Modular construction also means saving resources with a sustainability aspect. The consumption of raw materials is reduced to a minimum and waste is avoided through optimised manufacturing processes. Only quality-tested materials that are harmless to health are used. The room modules can also be dismantled without leaving any residues and can be almost completely recycled.

Another advantage compared to conventional construction is the significantly lower noise and dust pollution on the construction site as well as a significantly reduced construction site traffic.

The completion date of our modular buildings is already determined during the preparation of the offer and the planning period. SÄBU offers everything from one source. During the entire construction phase, a permanent contact person who is involved in the full scope of the construction project, takes care of our customer’s service.

The room modules are prefabricated in SÄBU's production halls regardless of the weather. The foundations and the building site equipment are laid in parallel. After transport to the construction site, the modules are erected and connected by crane within a few days. The final interior work and the assembly of the façade and roof can then begin immediately.

In contrast to conventional construction methods, the construction process with the modular construction method can also be continued during the cold season due to the prefabrication. This shortens the entire construction time considerably, which is a great advantage especially for inner-city construction sites as well as for building in existing structures, as noise, traffic and construction disruptions can be reduced to a minimum.

• Planning, cost and schedule reliability from the first customer contact to turnkey handover
• High quality through prefabrication with exclusively quality-tested materials and fulfilment of all building physics requirements 
• Free architectural planning and design options for planners and architects
• Sustainable construction through reusable, recyclable materials and reduced on-site emissions
• Flexibility and adaptability according to individual needs due to the possibility of expansion through additions or extensions
• Good fire protection (tested by MFPA Leipzig) as well as sound insulation (soundproofing report)

The modular buildings are produced in our production halls under consistently good conditions that are independent of the weather. SÄBU Morsbach GmbH uses only high-quality, quality-tested materials that are harmless to health. Precise prefabrication and continuous internal and external quality controls ensure a very high quality of workmanship, which cannot usually be guaranteed in this quality when a building is erected entirely on the building site using conventional construction methods.

In addition, quality is ensured through certifications and corresponding production controls.

The service life of a modular building is no different from that of a conventional building. It is built with the same high building physics requirements, designed for permanent use and meets all legal building order and technical conditions.

The quality of the materials used, the execution of the construction measures and subsequent maintenance are essential features that influence the service life of a modular building. 

The materials used in our modules are quality-tested, harmless to health and environmentally friendly. The weather-independent prefabrication in the factory also has a positive effect on the preservation of the building units, as they are subject to constant quality testing. Other finishing work that is required on site is carried out by our qualified long-time partner companies.

SÄBU Morsbach GmbH specialises in the construction of modular buildings with up to five storeys. These are buildings of medium height that are below the high-rise level. However, higher buildings can also be realised with the modular construction method.

With the modular construction method, both modular buildings and conventional buildings can be optimally extended. From a structural point of view, an extension or an addition of further storeys in modular construction often is the better solution due to the low load transfer of the modules.

We recommend to take into account a later extension already during the phase of planning and structural design of a modular building.

The erection of a new building between existing buildings in modular construction creates significantly less impact on the surrounding area resulting from construction noise, traffic and other construction disturbances.

The modular construction method offers a wide variety of design options so that builders and architects can implement wishes and ideas as far as possible. SÄBU Morsbach GmbH realises buildings ranging from functional standardised solutions to high-quality modern individual modular buildings, both for permanent and temporary use. Building shape, façade design and technical building equipment as well as, on request, interior fittings and garden and car park design are tailored to individual needs and implemented in compliance with current legal requirements.

The individual planning and production of the modules for single or multi-storey new buildings are carried out in compliance with the technical and static requirements. SÄBU Morsbach GmbH places a grid of a steel supporting structure in the architects' floor plans and defines the dimensions of the room elements according to maximum transport and ideal production possibilities. Depending on the requirements of the building, the steel structure can be combined with other building materials such as wood and reinforced concrete.

More information and images on the corresponding design options can be found here: Design diversity in modular construction.

The modular construction method is recommended for a planned period of use of five years or more. For a planned period of use of less than five years, the system construction method is available. This construction method is optimal for short-term and temporary needs for replacement or alternative premises. There are no limits to the location and purpose of interim buildings in system construction. Comfort and functionality correspond to the level of modular construction.

Due to the prefabrication and standardisation of the system construction modules, a temporary building can be constructed and used in a very short time. After the period of use, the interim building is dismantled without leaving any residues, processed and used for another purpose. That is the sustainability of system building.

More information and images of our system buildings can be found here: System Construction.

Modular buildings are convincing in terms of sustainability. The steel used for the construction is the basis of the modular building, DIN-tested and 100% recyclable, as this building material has a closed material cycle. For production at SÄBU, only high-quality, quality-tested materials that are harmless to health are used and continuous internal and external quality controls are carried out.

Thanks to a high level of thermal insulation, modular buildings achieve optimum energy efficiency and good sound insulation for a comfortable feeling. All technical possibilities regarding the use of renewable energies can be implemented in modular construction.

The modular construction method also offers the possibility of converting, extending or adding storeys to a building. The self-supporting modules and non-supporting interior walls offer unlimited utilisation potential and enable optimal use of space without loss of substance in any situation.

More information about sustainability at SÄBU can be found here: Company/Sustainability.

Modular buildings are subject to the same valid energy-saving ordinances and regulations as conventionally constructed buildings. In general, all energy standards can be realised with modular construction. Important and decisive for the realisation of the desired energy standard is the early individual examination and inclusion in the planning of the modular building.

After the first customer contact at SÄBU, the project development starts, which includes personal consultation and individual concept development. If designs are already available from an architect or a planning office, the concept development phase is omitted. The next step is the construction and implementation planning.

Then the construction phase begins with industrial prefabrication in the factory and parallel construction measures on site as well as the subsequent assembly of the individual room modules on site. The fourth step is the coordination of companies and partners of SÄBU Morsbach GmbH involved in the construction, as well as the construction supervision until the completion of the building and the handover of the keys.

Six to eight modules can be placed on an assembly day. The required modules are loaded onto trucks in the factory during the day and transported to the construction site in the evening and at night by heavy transport. The next morning, assembly can begin immediately. SÄBU Morsbach GmbH works with long-standing forwarding partners. The contracted freight forwarder carries out an inspection of the construction site and the surrounding traffic situation in advance and then organises all the necessary permits to ensure that the heavy transport runs smoothly.

The costs for the construction of a modular building are comparable to the costs for the construction of a conventional building or even lower, depending on the circumstances. The modular construction method convinces with a construction time that is up to 70 % faster, which is possible due to the weather-independent prefabrication in the factory and parallel foundation construction on the construction site.

The shorter construction time enables the building to be put into operation more quickly, so that revenues can be generated much faster. This reduces the time for investment and interim financing, interest costs are saved. This leads to a faster return on investment compared to conventional construction methods. 

The expensive budget supplements that are common with conventional construction can be reduced from the outset thanks to the precisely fitting prefabrication, the constant quality controls and the high quality of workmanship.