A Study on the Supply Process of Unit Modular Housing through a Comparison of Cases

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis between Korea and the United States of the supply process of unit modular housing at both the factory production phase and the transportation and lifting phase, as part of an attempt to invigorate the unit modular housing market in Korea. Unlike the practice in the United States, one of Korea's unique characteristics is that the floor is constructed with reinforced concrete and hot water heating system. To do this, the wet method in Korea is used that includes concrete placement, curing and constructing hot water floor heating system at the factory production phase, which results in a longer production time and also requires the lifting of heavier loads. In the United States, interior and exterior finishing works of modular housing are performed by different companies, and the distance between the unit module factory and the construction site is quite far. This kind of dualized production structure may cause confusion when it comes to schedule management, procurement management, and stock management. Moreover, problems caused by external environmental factors such as wind and rainfall were reported in the course of long-distance transportation. The results of this case comparison are expected to provide fundamental data that will reduce the amount of trial and error in the unit module production, transportation and lifting work in Korea, which has a comparatively small number of unit modular housing cases.