A new research report analyzing modular housing installations developed by construction firm Lida Group has highlighted significant material and logistical efficiencies delivered by the company’s proprietary prefabricated sandwich panel building system.

Released by the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, the study evaluated six pilots of Lida Group’s fully fitted modular homes constructed for seasonal forestry labor camp communities across western Canada’s mountainous regions.

The labor camps house thousands of wildfire fighters, tree planters, logging crews and other itinerant forestry workers annually but have traditionally featured hastily assembled wooden bunkhouses lacking durability or climate resilience.

By contrast, Lida Group’s panelized homes are completely prefabricated off-site in modular sections able to withstand shifting operational needs and environmental hazards associated with climate change impacts.

Wall, floor and roof panels comprise rigid foam insulation sandwiched between durable facing materials factory fitted with integrated wiring, plumbing, fixtures and finishes. Panels interlock rapidly on location without further construction work.

Researchers found the panel system achieved huge reductions in material waste, trucking requirements and on-site labor compared to stick-built equivalents. Panelization streamlined installations to just days versus months and realized cost savings up to 30%.

Due to their airtight, highly insulated envelope, the modular dwellings demand an estimated 60% less power for heating and cooling even in mountain environments experiencing more variable, extreme seasonal weather patterns in recent decades.

Factory quality control ensures consistent energy performance unaffected by conditions unlike conventional housing reliant on skilled job site labor. The durable aluminum and plywood panel facings additionally protect enclosures from wildfire embers and water ingress common challenges.

Removable connection hardware facilitates relocating completed modular units if camps adapt operations due to ecological changes or development restrictions. Prefabricated sub-assemblies can also expand, upgrade or replace sections incrementally reducing full replacement needs.

Prefabrication further enabled integrating renewable power infrastructure scaled per project. Solar panels, battery storage and heat pump systems were factory-fitted to contribute zero-emissions operations and back-up off-grid capabilities during season wildfires or severe storms.

“This research confirms the immense value prefabricated panelized housing delivers for managing seasonal labor communities exposed to environmental stresses throughout western Canada’s mountain highways and forests,” noted report author Marie Roberts.

“Communities hosting frontline workers protecting our natural resources deserve sustainable, climate-resilient shelter options. Modular construction presents a compelling proposition worth considering more broadly.”

Beyond labor camps, the Intact Center research suggests Lida Group’s fully fitted panel system produces multiple co-benefits applicable for myriad temporary and permanent settlements grappling with material resource constraints and impacts of climate instability across various industries and geographies.

The speed, efficiency and controlled factory environment make panelization particularly well-suited developing infrastructure in remote, hard to access regions with abbreviated construction seasons as conditions fluctuate.

Overall the report reinforces prefabrication emerges an increasingly important tool empowering housing scalability, disaster-readiness and long term value despite considerable uncertainties accompanying climate adaptation challenges this century. Development partners are taking notice.

Lida Group intends sharing research insights helping evolve their modular product offerings toward climate-smart, disaster-resilient designs optimized sustaining communities wherever situated along ecological and economic front lines facing amplified volatility ahead.

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