flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Asia’s modular miracle

Game Changers

Asia’s modular miracle

A prefab construction company in China built a 57-story tower in 19 days. Here’s how they did it.  


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | February 5, 2016
Asia’s modular miracle

A 230,000-sm factory in China’s Hunan province spent several months producing modules for the 57-story J57 Mini Sky City tower, in Changsha. Using advanced prefabrication techniques, China-based contractor Broad Sustainable Building erected the tower in less than three weeks. Photos courtesy Broad Sustainable Building

Early this year, a 57-story building known as J57 Mini Sky City, with 800 apartments and office space for 4,000 workers, will start receiving its occupants. That wouldn’t be news except for the fact that more than 90% of the components for this building, located in Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan province, were fabricated in the 230,000-sm factory of Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), a seven-year-old construction firm that assembled Mini Sky City in a jaw-dropping 19 working days.

It would have taken two years to construct a similar building using conventional methods, Xiao Changgeng, BSB’s Vice GM, told the Guardian. BSB claims prefab reduces construction costs by 20% to 40%. The 180,000-sm Mini Sky City cost US$700/sm to build, confirms BSB Chairman and CEO Zhang Yue, in an email to BD+C.

BSB, a subsidiary of Broad Group, which makes central AC non-electric chillers powered by natural gas and waste heat, is poised to expand by developing 50 franchises in China, plus 100 overseas, with the goal of capturing 20% of the global construction market. So it’s worth taking a closer look at how BSB gets buildings up so fast.

Prior to starting construction on Mini Sky City in January 2014, BSB had completed 30 pilot and commercial projects, including a 15-story hotel it constructed in a week, and a 30-story hotel it built in 15 days.

 

 

BSB’s 1,800-worker factory, in Xiangyin, Hunan, spent 4½ months fabricating 2,736 modules that comprise Mini Sky City’s structure, exterior walls, interiors, and MEP components. It took BSB five months to prepare and complete the building’s foundation, and another 30 days to prep the job site and move in cranes, which are critical to a construction process whose goal is to assemble three stories per day.

The firm erected the first 20 floors in seven working days. The job site ran three shifts, each with 400 workers and 10 superintendents. Supplier contracts enforced delivery times to prevent bottlenecks and delays.

Then, construction stopped for a year, as BSB found itself in a dispute over the height of the building, which originally was slated to be 97 stories. BSB had to accept fewer floors because of the building’s proximity to an airport 15 km away.

Construction resumed on January 31, 2015, and was completed on February 17, with some weather-related interruptions. BSB required 580,000 alloy screws to assemble the modules. The company confirms that it needed another four months to install lighting and interior finishes to make the steel-and-glass building habitable.

The first 10 floors of the 200-meter-tall tower are offices, and the rest are apartments in 20 sizes that range from 90 to 600 sm. The building includes a kindergarten, education center, organic farm, and restaurant. Running through the building’s interior is a 3.6-km “sky street,” which accommodates bicyclists. The tower’s 19 atriums include tennis courts, theaters and cinemas, and a botanic garden.

BSB says the tower is 80% more energy efficient than comparable structures in China. Its walls are fortified by 20-cm-thick thermal insulation, and three- and four-pane windows. Its HVAC system includes fresh-air heat exchange. The building can withstand a 9-magnitude earthquake, according to independent testing by the China Academy of Building Research. BSB’s construction process uses as little concrete as possible; this project eliminated an estimated 15,000 truck deliveries of that material.

The next big project BSB plans to tackle is a 202-story tower, also in Changsha, for which it has received government approval. BSB thinks it can complete this building in three months.

 

Related Stories

AEC Tech | Feb 20, 2024

AI for construction: What kind of tool can artificial intelligence become for AEC teams?

Avoiding the hype and gathering good data are half the battle toward making artificial intelligence tools useful for performing design, operational, and jobsite tasks.

AEC Innovators | Jun 15, 2023

Rogers-O'Brien Construction pilots wearables to reduce heat-related injuries on jobsites

Rogers-O'Brien Construction (RO) has launched a pilot program utilizing SafeGuard, a safety-as-a-service platform for real-time health and safety risk assessment. Non-invasive wearables connected to SafeGuard continuously monitor personnel to prevent heat exhaustion on jobsites, reducing the risk of related injuries. RO is the first general contractor to pilot this program.

Office Buildings | May 15, 2023

Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building

This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.

K-12 Schools | May 12, 2023

In Virginia, a new high school building helps reimagine the experience for 1,600 students

In Virginia, the City of Alexandria recently celebrated the topping out of a new building for Alexandria City High School. When complete in 2025, the high-performance structure will accommodate 1,600 students. 

Hotel Facilities | May 9, 2023

A new camping destination near Utah’s Zion National Park offers a variety of all-season lodgings and amenities

Outdoor lodging brand AutoCamp has opened a new camping destination near Utah’s Zion National Park. A 16-acre property, AutoCamp Zion is located between the Virgin River and the desert of Southern Utah.

Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023

A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building

Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.

Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023

Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper

When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital. 

Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023

HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India

Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.

Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023

Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations

Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.

3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023

University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed 

The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021