Launching a new production facility, oil field or major construction project depends on more than workshops and equipment. People need changing rooms, showers, a canteen, a first-aid post and offices, and on remote sites accommodation as well. An administrative and amenity building (AAB) or a rotational camp is always needed urgently, and it is precisely this haste that causes the typical mistakes: too few showers, insufficient power capacity, frozen water pipes, and a building that has to be extended a year later.
Start with the brief
You can only build quickly what has been well defined. Before design begins, several questions need answering:
- how many people work on the largest shift and how many are on site at the same time during shift changeover;
- what production processes are involved — this determines the sanitary requirements for locker rooms, showers and rooms for drying workwear;
- whether on-site catering is needed and in what format — a full kitchen or a serving point;
- the service life — a temporary camp for the construction period or a permanent building for 30+ years;
- resources available on site — electricity, water, sewerage, gas;
- plans for growing the workforce.
Sanitary requirements for the number of shower heads and washbasins and the area of locker rooms depend on the category of production processes and the headcount. The designer determines them in line with current standards; final decisions should be checked against the requirements of the sanitary authorities.
Choosing the technology
Modular units. The fastest option: modules are factory-built and assembled on site in a few days or weeks. Suitable for temporary camps and facilities with a short service life. The downside is limits on spans and height, and for long-term use in a harsh climate the quality of insulation and module joints is critical.
Pre-engineered steel-frame buildings. A lightweight steel frame, sandwich panels and a cast-in-situ or precast foundation. Such an AAB is built in 2–4 months, is easy to extend and lasts for decades. The optimal choice for permanent buildings at production sites.
Permanent masonry or concrete buildings in brick, aerated block or cast-in-situ concrete. Slower and more expensive, but justified when the AAB is part of a prestige complex or combined with the head office.
We often combine solutions: we set up a modular camp for the construction period and, in parallel, erect a permanent steel-frame AAB. Once the building is ready, the modules move on to the next project.
Where rework most often occurs
- Utilities. Peak water demand in the showers at shift changeover is several times the average. If this is not accounted for, boilers, pumps and pipe sizes will fall short.
- Power supply. Drying cabinets, water heaters, kitchen equipment and electric heating together create a heavy load. The capacity must be agreed with the grid company before construction starts.
- Frost protection. Water and sewer lines in modular camps need trace heating, insulated ducts and well-designed service entries. Otherwise the first winter will be the last for the pipework.
- Flow logistics. The "dirty" and "clean" zones of the locker rooms must not cross; access to the canteen is only after showering and changing.
- Ventilation. Showers and drying rooms without proper extract ventilation quickly become a source of damp and mould.
How to shorten the schedule
- design and order the steelwork in parallel with site preparation;
- use standard, proven layouts and adapt them to the task;
- resolve utility connections in advance or provide for independent power and water sources;
- engage a contractor with its own equipment: there is no need to hunt the market for cranes, excavators, concrete pumps and low-loaders. You can view Techno-Module's fleet in the Equipment section.
Remote site considerations
Rotational camps at oil fields and linear infrastructure projects are often built where there are neither utilities nor roads. In such cases off-grid solutions are built into the design from the outset: diesel power plants with redundancy, a borehole or delivered water with storage tanks, local wastewater treatment, a diesel-fired boiler house or electric boilers. Delivery must also be planned: oversized modules and steelwork are transported on low-loaders, and the route is checked in advance for bridges, crossings and the seasonal condition of dirt roads.
Particular attention is paid to wind and snow loads. In Kazakhstan's steppe regions, strong winds and snowdrifts call for correct building orientation, secure anchoring of modules to the foundations and a roof designed for the required load-bearing capacity.
Our experience
Techno-Module builds administrative and amenity buildings, rotational settlements and site camps for industrial, logistics and oil and gas companies — from Atyrau to the Zhambyl region. We take care of the design, supply, installation, utilities and landscaping. Completed projects are in the Projects section, and you can get a preliminary budget in our cost calculator.
Send us your headcount and site location and we will propose the optimal technology, layout and a realistic construction schedule.
