CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., March 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Modular Building Institute (MBI) has taken the lead role in organizing the resources of the modular construction industry to help deliver much-needed medical and housing facilities. MBI formed a COVID-19 task force consisting of manufacturers, contractors, and architects from the United States, Canada, and Europe to help facilitate greater industry collaboration.

One of the goals of the task force is to channel the industry's manufacturing capacity and focus those efforts on a handful of pre-designed and engineered solutions making the procurement process easier for federal and state officials. MBI has obtained "open source" facility solutions and is encouraging its network of over 100 modular manufacturers to rally behind these plans or to develop and open source their plans.

"Our goal is to have available solutions for immediate, mid-term, and long-term needs for communities," said MBI Executive Director Tom Hardiman. "As of now, we have several options, including an open-source plan for a supplemental care unit that eighteen manufacturers have agreed to construct, giving the industry the capacity to build over 2,000 beds per week. Another steel-frame plan for long term patient care rooms has also been open-sourced and available on our website."

MBI's new web resources can be found here: http://www.modular.org/HtmlPage.aspx?name=emergency-COVID-19-response

MBI also serves as an "information clearinghouse" for the modular industry and end users alike. "We have created a COVID-19 Response page, open to the public, to provide access to our member list, sample plans, and the latest industry updates," said MBI Marketing Director John McMullen.

The site contains brochures and information from numerous companies providing immediately deployable buildings to address space shortages. These units are currently being used as triage and testing facilities in some areas, giving hospitals and clinics additional "surge capacity."

The modular construction industry, perhaps more so than any other industry, is poised to deliver on thousands of code-compliant health care and housing solutions within a very short timeline. MBI plans to continue adding resources to the site and has already begun outreach efforts to various state, provincial and federal policy makers with offers to assist. If your company is interested in supporting the industry response, please contact MBI at [email protected].

About MBI: Founded in 1983, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association serving modular construction. MBI strives to keep up with the latest trends of the modular/offsite construction industry and has expanded its membership over the years to include architects, owner/developers, and general contractors. As the Voice of Commercial Modular Construction (TM), it is MBI's mission to expand the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach, advocacy, and education, and to recognize high-quality modular designs and facilities. Learn more at http://www.modular.org.

SOURCE Modular Building Institute