New Generation Classrooms Come of Age

The new generation relocatable classrooms have concrete floors, concrete and steel walls, heavy steel doors, larger tinted windows, and a weather proof rubber roof.

The Modular Building Institute (“MBI”) estimates that more than 220,000 relocatable classrooms are currently in use by public school systems throughout the United States. California has long been the leader spurred on by legislation which withholds state funding to the local districts unless a significant portion of facility additions are capable of being moved.

The ability to relocate classrooms has long been recognized as a viable method to address shifting demographics. In addition to the relocatability feature the factory built classrooms offer speed of delivery and speed of installation. The time saving attributes work to minimize disruption while school is in session and allow for far more construction during summer recess. Site and foundation work are often done at the same time a classroom is being manufactured. It is these concurrent tasks, as well as the ability to manufacture pre-order, that generate the time savings.

For many decades, the positive product attributes have been overshadowed by the perception the classrooms were of inferior construction. In many cases, this has been true.

Public school systems have long viewed relocatable classrooms as a temporary facility solution. As such, the goal of the public school facilities department has been to get as many students as possible in classrooms for as little money as possible. With a promise (or hope) of new site built schools in the long range plan, all the facilities department had to do was bridge the enrollment gap as cheaply as possible. In budget-constrained environments, the result was easily predictable.

Relocatable classrooms were ordered with the minimum of acceptable building materials. While the relocatable classrooms satisfied all building codes, the materials were not intended for long-term use. Aluminum exteriors, a metal roof, an air conditioning unit hanging off the side of the building and an elevated structure with tires often exposed added up to a trailer. These wood based buildings could be built cheaply and rented by the public school systems out of the annual operating budget. This practice saved monies in the capital budget for site built construction.

School budgets used to be largely about labor and facilities. The rapid advance of technology has upset the historic paradigm. Hardware, software and cabling now compete for precious dollars. On top of that, reduced class sizes, special education, adult education, continuing education, pre-kindergarten classes and head start initiatives all demand more space. Even without an influx of students due to shifting demographics, facilities demands are nearly overwhelming.

A wood based relocatable classroom built with minimally acceptable building materials is capable of twenty or more years useful life given normal use and careful maintenance. Filters need to be changed monthly, care must be exercised to avoid standing water either in or under the units and repairs must be made on a timely basis. Roof leaks left unattended will rot wood floors and walls. Relocatable classrooms built of wood can deteriorate rapidly when mistreated. A deteriorating environment coupled with poor trailer-like aesthetics contributes to a less than desirable image. The negative image is further compounded when the classrooms appear in a haphazard array occupying otherwise useable recreational fields and parking lots.

Many jurisdictions have been taking a hard look at their use of relocatable classrooms. As complaints rise from disgruntled parents and citizens, public schools are faced with a choice: suffer the criticism and hide behind the budget woes; abandon the use of relocatable classrooms; or upgrade the relocatable classroom specifications. The first alternative is shortsighted and often political in nature. Abandoning relocatable classrooms often times is not practical from either a space or an economic standpoint. Often, alternative space is simply not available.

Relocatable classrooms are available today that offer all the positive attributes of relocatability, speed of delivery and speed of installation yet look and operate like a site-constructed school. They can easily be relocated from school to school and have the same life expectancy as those built by a general contractor on site. These relocatable classrooms meet all building codes and are constructed of the same materials a general contractor would use. Gone are the aluminum sides; gone are the exposed air conditioning units; gone is the metal roof. Moreover, these relocatable classrooms sit on the ground and avoid the requirement of steps and skirting to hide tires. In fact, the new generation of relocatable classrooms does not even have it’s own wheels and axels. They are transported to site on a flat bed trailer and lifted by crane right onto an awaiting foundation.

The new generation relocatable classrooms have a concrete floor poured in the factory, concrete and steel walls, heavy steel doors, larger tinted windows, suspended ceilings, energy efficient lighting, vastly improved air circulation and a weather proof rubber roof. In the State of Florida, the classrooms now being delivered satisfy the wind standards imposed as the result of hurricane Andrew. The wind standards reach 130 miles per hour in the Keys; fall to 120 on the coast; and 110 for the remainder of the state. Many relocatable classrooms have actually tested to 150 mile per hour standards.

Recent bids in the State of Florida demand a relocatable classroom built of either all concrete or a combination of concrete and steel. In some jurisdictions, these new relocatables are replacing wood based units that have been in service since the early 1960’s. In every jurisdiction, the requested relocatables are taking the place of site built construction.

The new school construction strategy combines the ability to relocate classrooms with the permanency of what once was confined to site constructed buildings. A general contractor builds a cafeteria, gymnasium and a hall (wheel and spoke) system and relocatable classrooms are set in clusters at the end of the halls to create the school. The classrooms have a fifty year life and are non-combustible construction yet can move to other schools as the need arises.

Copyright © Modular Building Institute, January 2003.