Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) Summit Proceedings
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Towards Net Zero Energy Modular Housing: A Case Study
Get PDFThe paper summarizes an investigation of the performance of container based housing units developed by Ladacor Ltd, and compares this performance to traditional housing constructed according to existing standards and codes. The results indicate that the case study housing system can reduce thermal loads (heating and cooling) by about 57% as compared to the same house designed according to the code. Implementing additional efficiency measures and solar design strategies such as increased south window size, suitable shading devices, thermal mass, and more airtight construction, leads to improved performance. This enhanced scenario can reduce the thermal load by 72% as compared to the code scenario and by about 35% as compared to the original case study system. Achieving a net-zero energy status can be reached by integrating photovoltaics on the south roof of the single-family housing designed with Ladacor roof, assuming energy efficient appliances, lighting and domestic hot water. The optimal case can reach a net positive energy status, with a PV system integrated on the south facing roof surface. Results from this investigation can serve in developing innovative design concepts and guidelines for the design of low cost, self-sufficient modular housing
Investigating the Effects of Reduced Technological Constraints on Cycle Time Through Simulation Modelling for Automated Steel Wall Framing
Get PDFOff-site construction constitutes a paradigm shift in construction promoting improved sustainability. At present, North America\u27s building construction sector is still dominated by conventional stick-built construction, which is prone to excessive material waste, longer cycle times, high labour costs, and lower quality. In contrast, inspired by the manufacturing industry, off-site construction is an approach in which building components are prefabricated in factories and transported to the construction site for on-site assembly. As the concept of off-site prefabrication gains momentum within the domain of construction, some home builders are bringing the traditional industry practice into a factory setting, thus resulting in stick-building- under-a-roof. This paper describes the development of simulation models for the automated light gauge steel framing process using discrete-event simulation mimicking real-time machine production capacity and cycle time. At present, the literature on the development of such models for automated construction machinery is lacking; in this context, this paper aims to showcase the advantages of simulation as a decision-making support tool. Construction of such models provides a useful tool for understanding bottlenecks in machine operations that can be addressed to meet local demands. Since the steel framing process primarily consists of manual assembly and fastening of cold-formed steel (CFS) frames, these models showcase the potential to increase the level of automation through the addition of various mechanical and control modifications to an existing prototype steel framing machine. The results show that cycle time reductions of 13 percent or greater are possible by applying the proposed modifications
Interior Glazing Systems: Market Analysis
Get PDFThis research represents a three-phase study concerning interior glazing systems. Through data obtained via surveys and interviews, this research suggests how a manufacturing/supply company might enter the interior glazing system market successfully. The research explores the conditions which affect a designeräó»s decision to specify a particular glazing system, creating a database of the criteria by which IGS is selected. The research concludes by offering suggestions which will help a company know which types of products are most often used, the types of buildings that should be targeted as primary markets, the most important qualities of the glass products they intend to manufacture, and how to go about educating designers about their products in a way that will help them be more often selected for construction projects
Training for Manufactured Construction (TRAMCON) – Benefits and Challenges for Workforce Development at Manufactured Housing Industry
Get PDFManufactured Housing (MH) is the process of producing building units or entire buildings in an offsite factory and transporting them to the site for installation and assembly. The application of advanced manufacturing technologies into the housing process not only will increase productivity, but also can provide a safer work environment, stable work location, long-term growth opportunities, and career progression for employees. Today, the MH workforce is facing problems with worker quality and retention. The rising demand for MH indicates the need for training a multi-skilled labor force for this industry. This paper evaluates the essence of an educational program for MH industry and discusses the rationale for training the MH workforce in comparison to conventional training programs. In response to the stated problem of Inadequate training programs, the curriculum for Training Manufactured Construction (TRAMCON) was developed by the University of Florida and delivered throughout Florida by the TRAMCON Consortium. While the quantitative results in labor performance improvement in the factory plants have not yet been established, the major strengths and challenges of the program are discussed
Construction Capacity and New Housing Demand Caused by Tornados
Get PDFRecent research shows that construction of new houses takes the majority of the recovery time after a tornado. The rapid procurement of new houses depends largely on the existing construction capacity in the region affected. In this study, information about the construction industry in a tornado-prone region is extracted from U.S. economic Census data by using NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) categories. The present capacity of the construction industry is calculated by extracting (1) the inventories of materials and supplies, and (2) the value of new houses put in place in a targeted tornado-prone region, in this study, Oklahoma. A method is proposed to calculate the extra construction capacity in the targeted region using the information extracted from U.S. Census data. The extra construction capacity hence calculated is then compared to the anticipated need for new houses after a severe tornado, calculated by considering the historical records of damages caused by past tornados. The results of the study indicate that the existing construction capacity in the Oklahoma region is not enough to rapidly respond to the anticipated need for new houses after a tornado
Evaluation of Existing Layout Improvement and Creation Algorithms for Use in the Offsite Construction Industry
Get PDFConstruction is traditionally depicted as a labor-intensive industry which involves considerable inefficiency inherent to the common practices. Offsite construction offers a change to the current stigma, in which most of the work is transferred to a facility with a controlled environment and later transported to its destination, considerably reducing the amount of movement required by people and materials. Proper planning for such a facility is crucial for the success of offsite construction operations, since the effectiveness of such a space will determine the efficiency of the process and the quality of the final product. Several methods exist for layout creation and improvement in the manufacturing industry; however, there are advantages and disadvantages to using the different methods in an offsite construction facility. A review of the literature is conducted to summarize commonly used methods and respective considerations of each. The identified methods are then applied to an existing case study plant to create the optimized layout for each. The resulting layouts are then compared and evaluated based on the ease of transporting modules and components within the facility, and the estimated waste reduction and productivity increase. This evaluation will identify the usefulness of each method and identify common issues related to facility layouts that should be taken into consideration in future layout planning for offsite construction facilities
Addressing the Impact of Industrialized Components on the Cost of Temporary Heating in Cold-climate Regions
Get PDFIn countries with cold climates such as Canada, the cost of providing space heating during the construction phase, also known as temporary heating, results in a significant additional construction cost, which causes budget deviations thus affecting the project\u27s financial performance. In fact, the estimation of temporary heating is commonly overlooked due to the uncertainties such as weather forecast and the project\u27s actual onsite schedule. The cost of temporary heating comprises two parts: (1) the cost of equipment rental, and (2) the fuel consumption required to heat a given area when the temperature falls below a certain threshold. The fuel consumption of the equipment is related to the temperature and exposure of the building\u27s envelope to the current weather conditions. Thus, the construction of the building envelope is critical to the reduction of fuel consumption and the consequent temporary heating cost of the project. In this context, the research presented in this paper aims to estimate the impacts of temporary heating for various constructive methods, such as the traditional stick-built practice and a few variations of panelized construction (in regard to the insulation used), by developing a simulation model to observe the variation of weather data, construction schedule, and fuel consumption for each scenario. To perform this analysis, a 4-story residential building located in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is used as a case study in which the proposed scenarios are compared in order to address the advantages of industrialized components in reducing the cost of temporary heating
A New Graduate Course on Modular Construction: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Get PDFModular construction has been highlighted as one of the key technologies which can significantly improve the construction industry by major professional conferences (i.e., 2017 CII (Construction Industry Institute) Annual Conference, Autodesk University (Las Vegas 2017), CONEXP- CON/AGG) held in 2017. It is now evident that practitioners in the construction industry recognize and pay more attention to the value of modular construction, and consider implementing it. One of the enablers that can accelerate higher levels of modularization across the industry is changing project stakeholdersäó» stick-build paradigm to modularization. However, as most of the engineering schools in the U.S. teach courses based on the stick-build approach, students do not have an opportunity to learn the modular approach. Due to this reason, when they become owners, designer, and contractors, they are captured by the stick-build paradigm and more likely become reluctant to expand their modularization äóěcomfort zones.äóť To accelerate higher levels of modularization and meet the need of students and the industry, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, led by Dr. Jin Ouk Choi, recently created a new graduate-level course on Modular Construction in 2017 which covers an overall understanding of modular construction concepts including, advantages, disadvantages, impediments, industry status, business case process, execution plans, critical success factors, and standardization strategies of modularization. This paper will introduce the course in terms of its vision, learning objectives, development procedure, structure, contents, and students\u27 feedback who took the course in Spring 2017
Modular Industry Characteristics and Barriers to its Increased Market Share
Get PDFModular and offsite construction reduces project duration and cost by synchronizing offsite and onsite work. Project activities are constructed in a controlled offsite facility to minimize effects of inclement weather and site disruptions, while meeting safety and quality requirements. In recent years, many organizations have conducted questionnaires to study characteristics of modular and offsite construction, such as the Modular Building Institute (MBI), Buildoffsite campaigning organisation in the UK, Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI), National Institute of Building Sciences, McGraw-Hill Construction, and Fails Management Institute (FMI). This paper introduces a summary of results for a new questionnaire carried out in collaboration between the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering (BCEE) at Concordia University, MBI, Niagara Relocatable Buildings, Inc. (NRB) in Canada, and the Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering at the University of Alberta. This questionnaire focuses on two issues: (1) the characteristics of the modular and offsite construction industry, and (2) detected barriers to the increased market share of this industry. For the latter, effort was made to address five factors emanated from a workshop on äóěChallenges and opportunities for modular construction in Canadaäóť held in Montreal in October 2015 to analyze barriers to growth of modular construction in Canada. Key findings of this questionnaire include requests for use of a separate code of modular construction design, innovative financing and insurance solutions, standards that consider procurement regulations, and lending institutions that partner with financial houses to create special lending programs for modular construction
Predictive Model for Siding Practice in Panelized Construction
Get PDFOffsite construction offers an opportunity to standardize processes and better predict schedule requirements when compared with onsite construction. This predictability allows for balanced labor distribution and accurate time estimation. This research investigates the exterior wall siding practice at a panelized home manufacturing facility in order to predict future productivity of this operation based on a time study and known panel design characteristics such as wall length, wall height, and number and size of openings in the wall. The siding workstation is currently a bottleneck in the wall production line. In this area vinyl siding, window and door trim, and other exterior finishes are added to the panels. The case study plant uses a radio frequency identification (RFID) system to track panel locations and the amount of time spent at each station. This system tracks the time the panels spend in the siding area, but not the amount of time that is necessary to complete the work required. This discrepancy results in difficulties identifying the idle time and the working time within the total duration. By applying data science procedures of classification and association applied to lean manufacturing concepts, such as value-added activities and waste minimization, the research in this paper establishes a model to predict the labor requirement for each panel at early design stages. Using the developed model, the case study factory is able to quantify the idle versus working time that panels are subject to at the exterior wall siding workstation, as well as the ratio of value-added activities to non-value- added activities