The quick answer to this is that one can be used temporarily and the other can’t, but unless you’re leasing space offsite, how can a building be used temporarily? The answer is that it all comes down to the process of designing, specifying, and building a building. Bricks and mortar create permanence, lightweight metals create temporary use.
Temporary buildings are so called because they can be rented. So, a building would appear on your site, the vendor would install it, a lease would be signed, and then the building would be removed at the end of the term. Temporary buildings vary in design and use, but the main similarity is that they are fabricated off-site, making them prefab and temporary.
However, not all prefab buildings can be rented. Many steel structures are manufactured at the factory but can only be purchased as they require considerable ground preparation and offer a long-term solution similar to a permanent building.
Temporary buildings generally fall into two different types. Modular cabin type structures that arrive as a fully finished “box” and are literally placed with a crane on some type of foundation foundation. Or, an industrial temporary building that comes almost ‘flat-packed’ with the framework ready to be snapped into place section by section. The former is often used for public facilities like offices or classrooms. The latter has a more industrial use, including storage, workshop space or cargo deck.
These temporary industrial buildings are very different from a permanent industrial building in many ways. The layout is minimal; in fact, you could call them ‘out of the box’. There is a selection of materials, but they are basic and offer different levels of insulation. Although colored wall and ceiling panels are available to suit corporate branding or planning requirements, aesthetics are not really a priority. Most of the time they do not need any type of ground preparation, since they can be built on an existing level ground. And while they can legitimately be used long-term or even in lieu of a permanent building, wall and ceiling panels may need to be replaced over time.
It is the minimalist design and simple construction process of these temporary industrial buildings that obviously generate significant savings in terms of time and cost. Compared to new construction, you could easily save 6 months on a project and save up to 70% on startup costs. However, that does not mean that they are suitable for all applications. Heating a building is now a hot topic, literally! Energy efficiency is vital and a temporary building that is heated 24 hours a day could not withstand the efficiencies of a traditional building. It is for this reason that the use remains efficiently industrial.
Ultimately, the difference between a temporary and permanent building doesn’t always come down to physical attributes, but rather business goals, available resources, and sometimes personal preferences.
So there are many differences in materials, construction methods, and how they are used, but in today’s challenging business world, it’s nice to have a choice.