It is no secret that the construction industry, like many industries, is facing challenges such as labor shortages, rising material costs and the need for faster project delivery. The modular construction system has been gaining acceptance as it presents a viable solution to address these challenges by optimizing labor resources, reducing on-site construction time and improving project predictability.
The educators at Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Florida have been practicing modular construction long before it became popular. The offsite construction system solves challenges for the Academy’s Habitat for Humanity home projects.
In May of 2023, they completed their tenth modular house for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County. The houses built by the Academy’s students provide weather protected homes for hardworking families in Palm Beach County.
The Habitat houses come with a set of challenges for the staff and students to solve. One challenge is that the siding is installed on the modular house at the jobsite. Thus, the house is exposed to highway speed winds without the protection of siding when it is transported from the school’s workshop to the Habitat jobsite.
Another challenge is the dynamic Florida weather. Hurricane seasons have intensified in recent years. Completed houses need to withstand the worst weather, no matter their size.
One of the Academy’s supporters, GCP, assists the students to help solve these challenges. For over eight years, the leading global provider of building materials has partnered with the Academy to donate needed products and educate their students. GCP’s residential building materials play a critical role in the modular construction process as well as the long term durability of the home against Florida’s extreme weather conditions.
“My observations of GCP’s products are that the VYCOR enV-S weather resistive barrier and the VYCOR Pro flashing are miracle products, even when installed by novice high school students,” said Co-Founder of the Weitz Construction Academy & Architect David Porter. “The GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD HT roofing underlayment is slip resistant and remains firmly in place during transport of the modular home. In addition, VYCOR enV-S passes our highway wind test each time. The truck drivers put the weather barrier to the test by hitting the highway at 70 mph during the trip. We call it our ‘category 1 hurricane test’ and the weather barrier survived nicely, without a hint of peeling away.”
Once House #10 was delivered to the jobsite, the modules were carefully placed on its foundation, shingles and other finishing touches were then installed. The modular construction process provided multiple benefits: elimination of weather delays, safer construction and a tighter, more resilient structure.
“I love our partnership with the Weitz Construction Academy as it assists the community as well as contributes to the training of the next generation in construction,” said GCP Senior Manager of Residential Product Management Brian Chang. “This is exactly what building product manufacturers should do.”
