Over a decade ago, the world was astonished when China unveiled its super-fast construction projects.
At the end of 2010, Broad Group—a construction company specializing in sustainable architecture—introduced their rapid construction technology by completing the Ark Hotel, a 15-story building, in less than 6 days in Hunan Province, China.
They employed a team of only 200 workers, erecting the structural framework in just 46.5 hours. The non-structural surfaces, both exterior and interior, were finished in an additional 90 hours. Thus, the total time to complete their 15-story hotel was only about 140 hours.
Work is done day and night.
The structural framework was erected in just 46.5 hours.
Despite the frenzied construction pace, no workers were injured during the process.
Notably, according to the company, the Ark Hotel used only 1/6 of the materials compared to a similarly sized building, resulting in a 20% cost savings. According to Yahoo News, the modular nature of the process allowed builders to minimize construction material waste effectively.
Furthermore, the building is durable enough to withstand earthquakes of up to 9.0 on the Richter scale.
Additionally, the building employs several technologies that provide energy efficiency five times greater than comparable buildings. Specifically, this system includes triple-pane windows, external sunshades, 6-inch insulation, a heat recovery ventilation system, and LED lighting.
Shortly thereafter, the company announced plans to construct 15 similar projects in China and another 30 overseas.
Recently, China also set another construction record by building a 57-story skyscraper in just 19 days.
The building, named Sky City, is located in Hunan Province, China, and consists of 800 apartments and office spaces, accommodating around 4,000 people. Approximately 1,200 workers were mobilized to work around the clock on this project. Although they faced interruptions during construction, the total time taken to complete the project was still less than 3 weeks.
The secret of the time-saving method in construction is due to its modular nature.
According to Oddity Central, the secret to this time-saving construction method is also due to its modularity. The company that designed the building, Broad Sustainable Building, did not use traditional concrete pouring methods but instead utilized prefabricated steel frameworks.
Broad Sustainable Building also found that this unique construction approach reduces the amount of concrete used while limiting airborne dust emissions by 99.9%.
What enables them to complete such “lightning-fast” projects?
For the Ark Hotel project, it’s fair to say that the entire foundation and necessary underground systems were completed before the clock started ticking.
Moreover, most of the prefabricated components were manufactured in a specialized factory beforehand and were only brought into the construction site for assembly. The “time cost” associated with producing these components was excluded from the construction timeline, and had not been publicly calculated.
Creativity and innovation in construction methods are essential factors.
If both processes are combined, the total time would certainly exceed the announced 6 days. Nevertheless, the speed of constructing a 15-story hotel from the ground up remains an impressive achievement.
Since then, Broad Group and their rapid construction technology have captured global attention. Creativity and innovation in construction methods are essential components that contribute to the better development of the entire industry.
According to New Atlas, the environmental protection aspect is the most impressive. Energy efficiency, reduced material usage, and minimized construction waste are critical if we aim to build a sustainable and humane environment for the construction industry in the future.
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