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We show that the first and only experiment of U.S. mass production of houses, in a factory-built home industry that became known as the Mobile Home industry (and today, as the Manufactured Home industry), was a tremendous success. Mobile Home prices-psf fell by two-thirds from 1955 to 1973, as productivity soared; home quality rose significantly, with Mobile Home building codes receiving ANSI certification in 1963 and National Fire Protection Association co-sponsorship in 1965; as production soared, Mobile Homes accounted for one-third of single-family homes produced in the early 1970s. These feats were achieved as industry leaders developed state-wide building codes for Mobile Homes. This dramatically increased the size of the market for them. Factories invested in specialized machinery to produce simple and standardized products, substituting machinery for labor. Given each factory produced under the same code, industry-induced productivity gains followed, including external effects and directed technical change. Lessons from this industry give insights into critical issues in today's residential construction industry. The poor productivity performance of today's residential construction industry is considered a puzzle. But this poor performance is not new. Our forebears before 1950 wrote extensively about the sector's poor performance, attributing it to the failure to adopt factory-built housing. Our analysis strongly supports this view for their time and ours. It also supports their view, like that of Levitt & Sons, that factory production is the only way "to produce the homes and apartments needed to house our expanding population and our underprivileged citizens in a comfortable, dignified, decent way," (U.S. Senate 1969). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood sandwich panels are widely utilized in residential, commercial, and industrial settings due to their excellent thermal insulation characteristics, ease of installation, and high strength-to-weight ratio. This review provides an overview on experimental outcomes demonstrating the structural integrity and versatility of wood sandwich panels. It highlights recent advancements in meeting payload requirements and their effectiveness in reducing costs and weights for prefabricated houses. The review focuses on structural applications and material efficiency, showcasing their roles in lightweight, durable constructions for retrofitting and new projects. The potential of novel, sustainable materials in construction is explored, addressing current challenges and emphasizing the diverse applications and environmental benefits of wood-based sandwich panels, underscoring their importance in advancing energy-efficient and sustainable construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, many major cities have experienced a housing crisis to keep pace with patterns of urban population growth. Housing continues to face many challenges such as land use, regulatory issues, and environmental issues. In recent years, new housing research has also revealed that prefabricated housing could indirectly be a solution to environmental issues, as the housing sector has observed an increase in demand for eco-friendly housing solutions. However, while prefabricated housing can be a solution to issues of environmental concerns, it still needs more research to explore its influence on social sustainability. Therefore, this opinion paper investigates how socially sustainable communities could be feasible and practicable through prefabricated housing. In this opinion paper, the social sustainability principles in relation to prefabricated housing was analysed to show situations that can be complex with the benefits and challenges as well. The main objective of this study was to find the potential of prefabricated housing to promote social sustainability, with proper analysis of this housing influence on the key elements of community, diversity as well as adaptability. A survey based on the aspect of social sustainability of prefabricated housing was conducted to collect various perspectives that may influence the future trend in the housing sector, hence making necessary steps towards socially sustainable prefabricated housing solutions. The survey findings highlight the social element of prefabricated households, which refers to how accessible as well as adaptable the prefabricated homes are in terms of targets, build and social group, encouraging dwellers' interaction and participation, which facilitates the implementation of a sense of belonging and social cohesion among societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assembly of modular containers using building information modelling (BIM) technologies was studied. The purpose of this study was to analyse the literature on prefabricated (prefab) houses and explore the concept of creating a digital prototype of a building based on Huoshenshan hospital using Autodesk Revit software. This hospital was constructed to treat Covid-19 patients in early 2020. The article describes the methodology of installing modular containers and assembly structures using BIM technologies for rapid construction. The results of this study showed that building object implementation depends directly on a proper model with a step-by-step mechanism for installation. Due to the supply of prefab structures at the construction site, both initial project cost and project time can be reduced. Prefab house technology demonstrated the high efficiency of using BIM technology in the assembly of Huoshenshan hospital, which was constructed in 10 days. The need for information modelling data exchange with modern technology and systems, which allows the team to become acquainted with the project before installation work starts at the construction site, is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early twentieth-century concept of the neighbourhood unit aimed to use spatial planning to redress problems associated with that era of urbanization in the US and Europe, including car traffic, pollution, and social alienation. We ask how this influential and controversial concept might be adapted to address today's most vexing urban challenges: climate change hazards and widening inequality. Drawing on a diverse array of global case studies, we argue that the neighbourhood can be a unit for 'equitable resilience', but only if we reconceptualize neighbourhoods in significant ways. First, 'neighbourhood' must be defined more capaciously to include not just the middle-class enclaves envisioned by Clarence Perry and other early neighbourhood planning advocates, but also places that are home to disadvantaged residents, from mixed-income communities to public housing, informal sett lements, and manufactured home parks. Second, for neighbourhood interventions to bring lasting equitable resilience, they must be linked to analysis and action on wider spatial and political scales. Finally, to ensure resilience will be equitable, neighbourhood scale interventions must link built environment changes to institutional changes that improve conditions in the domains of livelihoods, environmental safety, governance, and security from displacement. In short, to be units for equitable resilience, neighbourhoods must help residents build the power to act in the face of climate change and other threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration in dry meat products is a priority safety requirement, mainly in those processed under the traditional smoking procedure. In order to investigate the levels occurred in traditional dry fermented sausages manufactured by regional home producers, samples were collected in region of Central-East part of Portugal for comparison with those from one micro industrial plant situated in the same geographical area. In the former products, mean total PAHs level (1364.0 µg/kg) almost doubled that of industrial counterparts (750 µg/kg) with PAH8 representing 2.9 and 1.65% of those total contaminations, respectively. In both product groups, BaA and CHR were the most concentrated compounds within the PAH8 indicator (15.39 µg/kg and 13.66 µg/kg vs 5.67 µg/kg and 5.15 µg/kg). In home made products the BaP concentration surpassed the limit value of 5.0 µg/kg in 31.3% of the samples, with 3 of these cases more than doubling that amount. In addition, more than 93% of samples showed a BaP contamination higher than 1.0 µg/kg. By the contrary, among products processed under the industrial conditions that limit was never surpassed and 81.3% of the samples presented a BaP level lower than 1.0 µg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work employs the carbon emission factor method to offer real-world instances for carbon footprint accounting, allowing for a thorough analysis of the carbon footprint and important influencing elements throughout the materialization stage of prefabricated housing. To identify the 18 important influencing factors that need to be examined from the five stages of building material production, conveyance of building materials, component manufacturing, component transportation, and building, this paper applies the DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory–Interpretive Structure Modeling–Cross-Influence Matrix Multiplication) model based on data quantification. Following the findings, the case project's physical phase generated a carbon footprint of approximately 4.68 × 106 kg CO2. The building materials' production and processing phase contributed the highest carbon footprint of the entire physical phase, totaling 4,005,935.99 kg CO2, or 88.24% of the total carbon footprint. To determine the centrality and causality of the influencing factors, four major influencing factors—energy consumption of raw materials (S4), construction planning and organization (S15), transportation energy type (S6), and waste disposal (S2)—were identified using the DEMATEL approach. The influencing factor system hierarchy was divided into six levels using the ISM technique. Level L6, which comprises one influencing factor for organizing and planning, is construction planning and organization (S15). Utilizing the MICMAC technique, it was possible to identify the energy consumption of raw materials (S4) as the primary cause of the materialization phase of built dwellings' carbon footprint. The building material production phases have the largest influence on carbon footprints, according to both case accounting and modeling research. The study's findings can offer some conceptual guidance for the creation of low-carbon emission reduction schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tornado fatality rates in the southeastern United States are higher than those in Tornado Alley, despite Tornado Alley having a higher frequency of tornadoes. A major contributing factor is the large number of mobile and manufactured homes (MMHs) in the southeastern states. Forensic engineering assessments of tornado damage have consistently shown that inadequate anchoring of MMHs or the absence of proper anchoring has been the primary cause of structural failure. To properly design a MMH anchorage system to resist tornadic winds, it is imperative to have accurate knowledge of the tornadic wind effects on the MMH systems. In this study, tornado–MMH interactions are investigated using high-fidelity numerical simulations. The pressure distribution on the MMH surface and the total forces/moments on the entire MMH induced by tornadic winds are obtained. In addition, simulations are conducted to reveal (1) the difference in tornadic wind effects between a MMH and its associated permanent home (home with classical on-site construction), and (2) the difference in wind effects between tornadic winds and the equivalent straight-line winds. The latter of these comparisons is intended to provide information on the unconservative use of straight-line wind loading for MMHs. The simulation results (peak wind pressure and total forces/moments on the MMH) are compared between the tornadic wind field and straight-line wind field. The comparison indicates that the results caused by the tornado are higher. Under a tornadic wind field, compared with the permanent home (PH), the peak pressure and horizontal forces on the MMH are smaller because of the existence of open space under the MMH. Although the research findings here demonstrate the limitation of US code for MMHs, a great number of simulation cases with the related uncertainties involved will be needed to be run to improve the US code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although only 5% of housing in Maricopa County, Arizona are mobile or manufactured homes, residents make up between 30 to 40% of indoor heat associated deaths each year. While our prior qualitative and quantitative research has been able to reveal multi-scale factors underlying these disparities, we find it challenging to move towards co-production of solutions with stakeholders. We recognize part of this problem is due to an unique analytical challenge emerging from the incongruence across spatial units and scales of the phenomena, relative to the scales of action of stakeholders, relative to the jurisdictions at which decisions to act upon this knowledge may be put into place. This article situates our ongoing research experiences through a multi-stakeholder effort to improve heat resilience among mobile home residents in Arizona. We compare jurisdictions, impacts, and accountability to identify and assess potential design solutions to the disproportionate heat risk. We introduce a set of piloted tools and a decision matrix that serves to frame solutions sets according to multiple scales of measured benefits, costs, needs and resources. This is then applied in depth to one of three stakeholder-identified categories in terms of natural and built environment solutions. We discuss and consider policy and regulatory solution sets. This article aims to articulate our experience with this distinct problem of mobilizing solutions, to offer a not only specific ideas for heat resilience, but also to propose an innovative methodological approach for developing possible collective action. In doing so, we further evolve the conceptual framework of how to understand the more general analytical challenge of addressing spatial incongruences. We urge scholars to consider innovating approaches that further our understanding of how to motivate use of co-produced knowledge for accountable decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cost and process when financing manufactured homes (MHs) are the greatest barriers to owning them. MHs are considered personal properties and do not qualify for conventional real estate loans with lower interest rates than personal (chattel) loans. The resulting higher financing costs present a major obstacle to the lower-income demographic, who are the predominant purchasers of MHs. Recently, strategies have been implemented to permit MHs to be considered real property; therefore, making them eligible for a conventional mortgage. However, most MHs do not qualify for conventional loans and must apply for higher-interest chattel loans. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this area has not been investigated by academia or industry. Therefore, there is a gap in the literature on financing an MH. This study reviewed various methods for financing MHs and their corresponding loan terms, interest rates, down payments, and advantages or disadvantages. This study included Federal Housing Administration (FHA), chattel, and conventional loans. The aim was to identify the best approaches to reduce the cost of financing an MH that was based on specific conditions, such as the land ownership of the property and the type of foundation. Strategies, such as providing land lease communities for MHs to qualify them as real properties, were discussed. Recommendations were made to reduce ownership costs for manufactured houses to benefit the homeowners, MH industry, and mortgage companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is one of the largest consumers of natural resources, and the building sector accounts for around 40% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. To contribute to the need for more sustainable solutions, this research analyzed and highlighted the benefits of off-site construction, utilizing eleven zero-energy prefabricated houses from the Solar Decathlon Middle East competition as case studies. The study used construction data documented by the competition organizers, such as drawings, manuals, photos, and in-person observations during the assembly process. The comparative analysis focused on the construction categories, types of solutions, structural materials, façade types, and building materials. The case studies featured both heavy and lightweight construction and three types of off-site construction: panelized, volumetric, and hybrid. The hybrid construction was the most utilized since it combines the advantages of less intensive on-site work of the volumetric solutions with the transportation benefits of 2D elements. The designers justified their selection of timber as a structural material based on its low environmental impact. In addition, they enhanced the environmental benefits of off-site construction by selecting eco-friendly materials and solutions that increase the efficiency of the houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US is facing an acute housing supply shortage; the result of years of underconstruction. We argue that there are four major reasons for this: restrictive zoning, high regulatory costs, high building costs, including labor and materials, and financing constraints. We then focus on four specific single family products that could benefit from removing some of these barriers: manufactured housing, modular/panelized/pre-cut housing, accessory dwelling units and housing preservation. We estimate how many units each could add. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is in need of rapid construction technology with sustainability and environmentally friendly aspects. Prefabrication is a well-known technique that lowers carbon emissions and reduces environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates these impacts of developed product/process. A new-age construction product was designed from a locally available agro-industrial waste called co-fired ash (CFA). Expanded polystyrene beads, fly ash, and crushed sand were also used in designing lightweight (LW) sustainable prefabricated panels. The effect of incorporating sustainable alternates into the mix designs is to be studied. An experimental small-scale model house was erected and LCA for the same was carried out with cradle-to-site approach. Based on the inventory, the environmental impact was assessed for four different indicators: acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), global warming potential (GWP), and ozone depletion potential (ODP) were evaluated. Carbon emissions of the respective CFA-based concrete and LW prefabricated mix were found to be 0.162 kgCO2e/kg and 0.268 kgCO2e/kg, respectively. The impact of energy required during production, transport, and indirect emissions were found to contribute 3%, 3%, and 94%, respectively, to the proposed prefabricated system. Comprehensively, the phase involving mixing of LW mix contributed majorly towards all the impact indicators followed by mould preparation and material transport. The presented data helps the academia to quantify and recognise the possibilities to enhance their products' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aiming at the problem of poor indoor thermal environment and poor human comfort in temporary office-prefab house. We used the Airpak simulation software is used to simulate the temporary office-prefab house and the office of a conventional building in a construction site in Xi'an, and analyzed the simulation results of the temperature field, velocity field. PMV and PPD. According to the results, the average temperature of the temperature field of the prefabricated house in summer is about 30 °C. the average value of the PMV field is greater than 1, and the average value of the PPD field is 40%. The average velocity field is less than 0.3 m/s and roughly the same. According to the human comfort index, the temperature of the prefabricated house in summer is greater than the human comfort temperature, and the PMV value and PPD value have a great relationship with the temperature. so their values are also beyond the human comfort range, and the indoor thermal environment of the prefabricated house is poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated timber houses have received growing attention in China recently as being one possible approach to mitigating climate change impacts. This article presents the results from a dynamic thermal simulation parametric analysis of building characteristics and primary energy consumption, embodied and operational carbon of newly built prefabricated timber house types in northern China for current and future climates (2050 and 2080). The dynamic thermal modelling software DesignBuilder (+EnergyPlus) was adopted as the simulation package. The main findings from the study were: (i) by 2080 climate change could increase energy demand by 13% for a terraced house, by 10% for a semi-detached house, and by 6% for a detached house, with corresponding increased carbon emissions of 27%, 26% and 23% respectively; (ii) in 2080, a terraced house would achieve 74% energy demand and 90% carbon emissions of a detached house; (iii) increasing the window-to-wall ratio from 0.25 to 0.45 would lead to 31% increase in energy demand, and 42% increase in carbon emissions in 2080; (iv) adjusting the configuration of key timber structural components (walls and floors) could lead to reductions of 19% in primary energy demand, 23% in operational carbon, and 6% in embodied carbon. Practical applications : A terraced timber house with south-facing and a window-to-wall ratio of 0.25 would be an optimal configuration to mitigate climate change impacts in northern China. The adjustment of prefabricated timber wall structure could give rise to significant reductions in primary energy consumption, operational carbon emissions, and embodied carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors propose a case study on the energy efficiency of a house built in accordance with sustainable development directions. Thus, the envelope is made of ecological materials, namely the resistance structure and finishes are made of wood, and the thermal insulation of sheep's wool. It is a modular, prefabricated house, designed so that energy consumption is reduced both in the construction and exploitation phase. Having a built area of 31.5 m², it can be used as a residential house or a holiday home. For this, the thermotechnical properties of the envelope elements were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last three decades, the severity and frequency of natural disasters has experienced an increasing trend. As a result, the numbers of post-disaster displaced people have reached unprecedented levels. In the United States, the common temporary housing units supplied for increased demand are manufactured homes or travel trailers. There are a variety of temporary housing unit options, including but not limited to manufactured units, prefabricated modular units, prefabricated kit homes, and tenting options. In order to hedge housing disruptions, a diverse portfolio of temporary housing options must be ready for implementation; however, without proper planning the variability in temporary housing options would result in uncertainty within the supply chain for housing the displaced populations. To evaluate temporary housing options in a systematic way and reduce uncertainty in disaster response, this study proposes a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to evaluate temporary housing alternatives and plan in advance for a diverse temporary housing portfolio. According to experts' input, the study reveals that Manufactured Homes are preferred which is confirmed by its ranking under each MCDA methodology. In addition, this study finds that the inclusion of prefabricated kit supplies and modular units benefits the existing portfolio of manufactured temporary housing units. The resulting diversified portfolio of temporary housing hedges risk from the varying range of constraints in temporary housing needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore the possibility of people living in manufactured housing parks in Australia to collectively buy the property at fair market value and convert it into a resident owned community co-operative. Design/methodology/approach: The methodological approach is based on 20 interviews with occupants of resident owned communities (ROCs) and key informants in the USA state of New Hampshire. Residents' interviews provide an understanding of the motivations to want to own and self-manage the property. Findings: The findings suggest that, based on USA experience and the availability of enabling financial structures, Australian residential park residents could be keen buyers of manufactured housing park properties. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of this research was the small number of interviewees who were mainly people in ROC leadership positions and advocates. Another limitation was that no specific investigation was made to gauge manufactured housing park (MHP) residents' level of demand for ROCs in Australia. Although there was some evidence of support, further Australia-wide enquiry is needed. Practical implications: The sale of MHPs to resident co-operatives could become a new component of the property market in Australia and residents entering the market as buyers may cause a shift in market forces. Social implications: ROCs would offer greater diversity of housing choice and might further inform decision-makers of seniors and retirees' future intentions. Downsizers moving to ROCs could potentially increase the savings nest egg through the sale of the family home which will also free-up conventional housing for better utilisation by younger cohorts. Originality/value: Owners of residential parks are unlikely to have considered the tenants as potential buyers of the property, but, envisaging, ROCs could become a new type of tenure for Australians aged over 50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated housing estates represent an important urban, architectural and historical phenomenon in the Czech Republic. Most people prefer to live in prefabricated buildings because of their central location, good transport services and a lot of amenities in their vicinity. Owners or tenants of flats prefer prefabricated buildings after revitalization, as they are more affordable than new developments and at the same time do not have such high energy consumption costs as prefabricated buildings without revitalization. The paper aims to focus on the energy savings of a specific prefabricated building. The heating consumption and the resulting monetary savings are addressed. The aim of the research is the performance of economic and life cycle analyses of the building. Firstly, the original condition of the prefabricated building and the extent of the revitalization carried out in 2001 were specified. Secondly, an energy assessment of the apartment building was carried out, where the heating consumption before and after the revitalization of the apartment building was determined and the resulting heat savings for each year of the assessment were determined in the appropriate units (GJ, kWh/(m2/yr)). Economic indicators and life cycle costs were determined based on the modelling of the heat price development and possible energy savings. Currently, there has been a huge increase in energy prices. The reason for the price increase is the current situation in the wholesale market, where the prices have been reaching extreme amounts for several months and their further development is difficult to predict. The energy crisis has deepened as a result of the geopolitical situation. Customers are expected to experience a further increase in the electricity and gas prices since the prices can increase by up to tens of per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilisation of unused industrial wastes and the need for rapid volumetric construction led to the evolution of sustainable prefabricated housing elements, particularly for urban slums. An agro-industrial by-product as raw material and waste expanded polystyrene beads as the insulation material are chosen to develop a lightweight prefabricated construction element. This bio-ash is used as a partial replacement, 20 and 10%, for fine aggregates to prepare concrete and a lightweight mix, respectively. A small-scale model of one-third scale is conceptualised according to standards. This model includes precast columns and beams as framed structure and prefab panels as walling and roofing elements. These elements are developed according to the desired mix proportions of the identified raw materials. The respective laboratory specimens are evaluated for physico-mechanical, durability and thermal properties. The developed walling end product is found to be 27% lighter, 8% stronger, 24% less water absorbent and 62% less conductive when compared with the properties of commercially available fly-ash brick. A solar photovoltaic panel embedded into the pitch roof of the model can provide 71% of its generated energy to necessary electrical appliances. The material properties are found to be satisfactory for its on-site application. Also, the model's erection is 20% faster than the conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the adverse effects of materials and manufacturing technology on the environment, it is of great practical significance to study the mechanical properties of wood-based sandwich cell structure to adapt to the rapid growth of reconstructed houses and prefabricated building sites. In this paper, three kinds of wood-based interlocking grid cell structures with the same structural form but different combined materials are designed and prepared. The static compression experiments are carried out, and the compression strength, mass load ratio and specific energy absorption characteristics are analyzed by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. The results show that the mechanical properties of the three cell structures are higher than those of their combined materials, and they are light and high-strength materials. It can be concluded that the core layer of wood-based interlocking grid sandwich cell structure is the main body to bear the external force, the material of the panel plays an important role in the bearing capacity of the cell structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe our experience with the design, project, and implementation of a prototype of an energy-efficient prefabricated house IDA I. using renewable energy sources (RES). This prototype is the result of our research in the field of energy (solar) roofs, ground heat storages, and active thermal protection. The client of the applied research, the owner of the prefabricated plant, has purchased the license for the patented ISOMAX system. Experience from the implementation of buildings according to this system shows the high potential using of RES but also the shortcomings caused by the variable, unstable, hardly predictable solar and geothermic energy stored in ground heat storages. The production of panels ISOMAX in the lost form from expanded polystyrene was too complicated, time-consuming, and often showed problems from a static point of view. Our research aimed to design an innovative, original, and reliable mode of operation for the IDA I. prefabricated house prototype under development, which in synergy with the building management system, will optimize the mode of operation of all heat/cooling sources and energy systems. Another task was to innovate the design of the envelope panel with active thermal protection, eliminate the shortcomings of the technical design of the ISOMAX panel, and adapt as many components as possible to prefabrication. The prototype of the energy-efficient prefabricated house IDA I. using RES represents an innovative energy-secure and self-sufficient construction option compared to buildings with fossil fuelbased heating/cooling sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More Americans live in manufactured housing than in public and federally subsidized rental housing combined. Of the nearly 40,000 U.S. manufactured housing communities (MHCs), more than 1,000 are resident-owned communities (ROCs), a form of cooperative ownership. Yet planning research continues to neglect MHCs and ROCs, raising questions of classism and cultural bias. We address five common biases against MHCs and argue ROCs in particular deserve greater attention because they enable low-income people to improve their housing security in the face of financial and environmental vulnerabilities. Lessons from these efforts can help other alternative and collective housing providers do the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mid-1950s the Hoesch steel company invested in the diversification of its products and started to develop plastic-coated steel. This composite material was named Platal, meaning ›plated steel‹. The trademark was registered in the early 1930s and is valid until today; production in the post-war era ranged from powder compacts and containers for the chemical industry to construction elements for prefabricated houses. During a phase of generally intensified advertised building with prefabricated elements in West Germany in the late 1950s/early 1960s, Hoesch started cooperative ventures with companies, engineers and architects experienced in system construction, like Ernst Neufert, and to expand existing production facilities. This chapter discusses the planning, decision-making and production processes of these prefabricated houses from a material and fabrication point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction experience of M.A.N. company was reflected in the M.A.N. steel house in the sophisticated panel construction and the simplicity of the joints. The designers met the requirement of creating a modern functional home with the exceptionally high-quality façade modules, efficient insulation, double-glazing of the windows and integration of the most modern building services for maximum living comfort. With the standardisation of construction elements, M.A.N. chimed with the spirit of the times, and the extremely short construction time of just a few weeks was also advantageous. While the contemporary clients appreciated performance and equipment, the traditional shape imitating cubature and façade design failed. Responding to the clients' wishes by developing variations distinguished the M.A.N. steel house as the most flexible prefabricated house. At the same time, it was precisely the individualisation that brought the manufacturing company disproportionately high production costs and prevented profitable series production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Prefabricated temporary houses (PTHs) are extensively used for temporarily accommodation disaster victims. However, the thermal environment inside PTHs can be intolerable in summer. Previous related studies showed the success of applying a movable phase change material (PCM) design to PTHs for improving indoor thermal environments in Chengdu, China; it only represented the "warm temperate‐fully humid‐hot summer" climate. Since various natural disasters may occur around the world, it became necessary to study the effectiveness of applying the movable PCM design to PTHs installed in other climate regions globally. Therefore, following the previous experimental and numerical studies where only one climate condition was considered, in the current article, a numerical study is reported on applying the movable PCM design to PTHs in 12 selected cities in different climate regions to improve their indoor thermal environments in July. The results from the numerical study showed that, in all the 12 selected cities in July, after introducing the movable PCM design to the PTHs, both the maximum indoor air temperature, the monthly averaged air temperature inside the PTHs, the daily peak and daily average indoor air temperature on the hottest day were lowered. It was further demonstrated that on the hottest day in July, the difference between the daily peak air temperature values inside the disaster‐relief PTH with and without incorporating the movable PCM design varied from 2.12°C to 5.34°C, and that between the daily air temperature values varied from 1.53°C to 3.56°C. In all the 12 selected cities, although applying the movable PCM design to disaster‐relief PTHs in July was functional, it was more effective for the following seven cities, that is, Singapore, Miami, Bangkok, Chengdu, Damascus, Hanoi, and Urumqi (with Δ values being not less than 300°C·h and Δ′ being not less than 46%), with six of the seven cities located in both tropical and temperate climate regions, based on the evaluating criteria proposed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an experimental rig of a prefabricated temporary house (PTH) was first established. Then, predicted models for the thermal environment of the PTH with and without considering long-wave radiation were developed. Next, the exterior-surface, interior-surface and indoor temperatures of the PTH were calculated by using the predicted models. The calculated results were then compared with the experimental results to study the influence of long-wave radiation on the predicted characteristic temperature of the PTH. Finally, the predicted models were used to calculate the cumulative annual hours and the intensity of the greenhouse effect of four different climate cities (Harbin, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, China). The results showed that: (1) the predicted temperature values of the model considering long-wave radiation were closer to the experimental results; (2) the effect level of the long-wave radiation on the three characteristic temperatures of the PTH from big to small was: exterior-surface temperature, interior-surface temperature, and indoor temperature; (3) the long-wave radiation had the greatest impact on the predicted temperature value of the roof; (4) under different climate conditions, the cumulative annual hours and the intensity of the greenhouse effect considering long-wave radiation were smaller than those without considering long-wave radiation; (5) the duration of the greenhouse effect considering and ignoring long-wave radiation varied significantly with the climate region, and that in Guangzhou was the longest, followed by Beijing and Chengdu, and that in Harbin was the shortest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary function of housings for Internet of Things devices is to protect the electronics from environmental influences. Besides protection, additional features like insulation properties are important for ensuring sensor functionality. Additive manufacturing enables a design approach for specific thermodynamic requirements. The aim of the paper is to investigate lattice structures and their effect on the insulation properties of Internet of Things housings. Selected lattice structures were tested in a climate chamber regarding insulation properties. The lattice structures positively affected the insulation properties of the investigated Internet of Things housings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufactured homes provide a critical source of affordable housing and are the primary source of low-income homeownership in the United States. Yet manufactured housing (MH) is both socially stigmatized and spatially marginalized, which translates to significant inequalities for MH residents. The law figures centrally into how MH is perceived and how it is located, segregated, and financed differently from other housing. This review explores how the law has treated MH with legal hybridity, as personal property similar to an automobile rather than real property like other forms of housing. This core legal distinction structures an array of zoning, financing, and policy provisions that together create a gulf between the opportunities available to conventional owners and renters and those available to residents of MH. I explore existing research on the outcomes of this disparate legal treatment to offer an agenda for future research on a broader range of housing insecurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cases where the use of a prefabricated housing system is necessary, the lack of a proper decision-making model for selecting an affordable prefabricated housing system can lead to the selection of an unsuitable system, deviation from project goals, loss of employer capital, and depriving residents comfort. Accordingly, this study aims to propose a decision-making model for the selection of an affordable prefabricated housing system for Iran. The research method of the present article is descriptive-analytic, in which Delphi and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) are used for data analysis, and the research subjects who filled up questionnaires included 150 experts. Using the Delphi method, 25 important criteria and 5 decision dimensions were identified. Then, using the AHP method, it was found that the decision-making dimension of sustainability (with 7 specific criteria) was the most important and the ecoMOD was the most affordable prefabricated system. According to the results, decision makers in the construction industry in Iran are suggested to consider seven criteria of the sustainability dimension for selecting a system before any other criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]