Prefab Modular Foundations: an Idea Whose Time Has Come
Sometimes a simple change is all that’s needed to make a product higher quality and cost less. That’s what Green Flush is now doing with restroom buildings by putting a precast foundation below the building. This small change has lead to several benefits:
Risk reduction. Relying on on-site contractors shifts control out of your hands. Delays and/or changes in cost are ever-present possibilities. Contractors may also decide they have more important jobs to do, putting your project on the back burner. By contrast, a prefab modular foundation avoids the need to rely on a contractor and all the risks that come with it.
Meeting schedules. A site constructed foundation could take weeks to complete and could be subject to delays from weather conditions. A factory built prefabricated foundation is installed the same day the restroom building is set. With precast vault foundations, the foundation can be set ahead of time before the ground freezes allowing the building to be set on the foundation at a later date.
Superior performance. Our precast plants specialize in precast work, with oversight by quality control experts. This plus the use of factory forms and equipment means that you won’t have to ever worry about the consequences of a poor quality foundation.
Reduced cost. Our precast concrete foundations are not subject to union or wage grate labor rates and are made at precast plants that only do predcast work. This keeps the cost lower than most site built foundations. Typically, our foundation designs have been previously drawn and engineered, saving you this cost in time and money.
Floorplan flexibility. Plumbing for the toilets, sinks, and urinals normally has to run through a small mechanical space behind the fixtures. By providing a short precast basement (typically 3’ high) the plumbing can be run under the floor. This frees up fixtures so that they can be placed against virtually any wall. This allows for more flexible and efficient floorplans which ultimately can mean that less space is needed lowering the project cost. In some cases the flexible floorplan can provide the same number of fixtures for a third less cost and still be ADA compliant.
Whether it’s ease of installation, lower cost, lower risk or superior quality, prefab modular foundations are a big step forward for many prefab restroom applications. It’s certainly an option worth considering for prefab building installs, especially if you are looking to streamline your process and eliminate risks.