Portable building

"Portakabin" redirects here. This article is about the general concept. For the owners of the trademark, see Shepherd Building Group.
Temporary buildings on site during construction at Birmingham New Street station in 2011
North Isles Motel in Cunnister, Shetland

A portable, demountable or transportable building is a building designed and built to be movable rather than permanently located.

Smaller version of portable buildings are also known as portable cabins. Portable cabins are prefabricated structures manufactured for uses such as site office, security cabin, accommodation, storage, toilets etc. Portable cabins are a cheaper alternative to traditional buildings and are useful when accommodation is required for an uncertain period of time.

A common modern design is sometimes called a modular building but portable buildings can be different in that they are more often used temporarily and taken away later. Portable buildings (e.g. yurts) have been used since prehistoric times.[1]

Many modern types of portable buildings are designed so that they can be carried to or from the site on a large lorry and slung on and off by a crane.

  1. ^ Houses in Motion: The Genesis, History and Development of the Portable Building by Robert H. Kronenburg ISBN 978-1-85490-395-2