Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) Summit Proceedings
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Data Analytics of Production Cycle Time for Offsite Construction Projects
Get PDFOffsite construction has been widely used in the construction industry. The process improves productivity that leads to shortened project schedule and lower budget. Over the decades, offsite construction industry has continuously evolved with the aspects of management and technology. However, offsite construction companies still have various challenges such as accurately obtaining productivity metrics, which helps in production planning. These challenges result from lack of understanding the process itself because of high variation of wall panel design specifications along with high variability of cycle time at each work station. To solve the problem, productivity data needs to be collected in context to offsite construction. In this paper, a time study was conducted in one of Alberta’s-based offsite construction factory. From the collected data and product design specifications, multiple linear regression models were developed to represent the actual work station time. The comparison between actual collected duration and modeled duration for assembly station demonstrate its accuracy that ranges from 80 -99%. In the near future, findings will be used for simulation to forecast factory production and optimize the utilization of the resources
Smart Construction Site: Ontology of Information System Architecture
Get PDFThis paper provides a design of the Information System architecture to support a connected construction site. In order to master the diversity and the complexity of construction site processes, theories are needed that separate the stable essence of the smart construction site from the variable way in which it is realized and implemented. For that, construction site processes were mapped before linking each data path with the existing technological tools using correspondence matrixes. The results enable the definition of a proper system able to deal with the resources allocated to the construction process functionalities. The main challenge faced in this research was to identify which pertinent data is needed that activates the resources to complete each given construction task
The Value Proposition of RFID Technology in Tall Prefabricated Timber Buildings
Get PDFThe full benefit of prefabricated timber systems in the construction of multi-story buildings depends on integration and efficiency in the upstream logistics and supply chain. The purpose of this research is therefore to determine the potential value that the use of Radio-Frequency Identification technology (RFID) can contribute to the prefabricated construction of timber, and to undertake the basic development of a RFID tracking model for this purpose. The methods used in this study not only build on the knowledge gained from previous literature, but also include interviews with industry experts, field trial design and field trials. The research showed that the RFID tracking system\u27s value proposition tends to be strongest where there are large scale and vertically integrated supply chains, logistics complexity between a limited number of discrete but partnered supply chain links and/or internal logistical complexity problems. Therefore, five distinct added value stages of RFID applications have been found in incoming delivery logistics, factory panel production, outgoing delivery logistics, on-site installation and third parties who can inspect the finished construction work. Application of RFID technology in prefabrication factory environments, where fixed readers can be used in predefined processes, was found promising. However, due to the temporary nature of the sites and the associated investment, the capacity for high automation levels is thought to be more limited on site
Logistics Strategy for Industrialised House Building
Get PDFConstruction Logistics has recently emerged as an important consideration for Industrialized House Building (IHB). Previous research has demonstrated that construction logistics improves IHB through: the clarification of interfaces along the supply chain; increased supply chain efficiency; more productive construction sites; the transfer of value-adding activities from site to the supply chain; and the integration of site and supply chain. IHB research has commonly focused on buildings as product, their technical design and production, as well as the process of these activities. IHB companies seek the integration of these two aspects. However, there is growing realization of the value of integrating the supply chain through a focus on logistics. This paper argues that in order to achieve a tripartite integration of product, process, and logistics, that first an overarching company-level logistics strategy is required. A strategic perspective enables a separation of high-level logistics decisions from those that are operational in nature, in the same way that product platforms have assisted IHB. This separation is critical in overcoming the peculiarities of construction. This authors identify design-thinking as a powerful tool to assist in the future implementation of logistics strategy in order to drive the creation of contextually specific logistics solutions. Two company case studies from Sweden reveal two distinct forms of logistics strategy. These case studies, through comparative analysis, show how logistics strategies for IHB might emerge as design-led ‘logistics platforms’ that utilize the principles of standardization, modularity, and re-usability in order to achieve the flexibility demanded by construction. This paper proposes that a focus on IHB logistics strategy as a platform be implemented to allow effective integration of construction’s supply chain. The result of this approach is a re-usable, continually improving platform for construction logistics that can co-ordinate differing product and process approaches
Development of a Design-Driven Parametric Mass Timber Construction System for Modular High-Rise Urban Housing
Get PDFThis paper presents the outcome of an ongoing research and development process at Lang Wilson Practice and Architecture Culture and Intelligent City on a parametric mass timber construction system for modular mid- to high-rise urban housing that started in 2006. The system was developed to systematically address the urban housing crisis in North America, and it is currently applied in two Canadian housing projects in seismic zones with 4 and 12 storeys in an evolution from previous modular housing projects by the companies. The first part of this paper explains the holistic, design-driven and parametric approach to urban housing, and how platform-based design is critical for an adaptable, sustainable and qualitative urbanization. Criteria of livability, affordability and sustainability inform the development of a customizable and modular mass timber building system, which can adapt to grid spacing and module sizes as well as to structural requirements for up to 18 floors in seismic zones. The building system is developed to meet Passive House certification and to be fully prefabricated. Constructional innovations within the system reduce the typical redundancy of doubled-up material layers of modular construction. In the second part, the authors explain how the building system is also the result of the development of a fully parametric design tool that allows not only for the optimization of building typology, home layouts or even energy consumption, but also automatically adapts the geometry of all mass timber building elements. This high level of parametrized building information density in an early stage of the design process allows for an unprecedented collaboration of designers, architects and engineers while ensuring constructability. In the last part the authors present a case study, explaining the advantages and challenges of such a collaborative effort and explain how they successfully obtained approvals to build a 12-storey mass timber housing project
Case Study: Off-site manufacturing of EIFS Panelized Wall Assemblies to Gain Efficiency in Construction Sequencing
Get PDFThis paper examines the process of constructing modular EIFS (exterior insulation and finish system) panelized wall assemblies in a manufacturing environment. The research observed the preparation required, manufacturing procedures applied, measured task times at dedicated work stations and identified bottlenecks that factor into the comprehensive approach to planning and building the exterior envelope off-site. The paper summarizes the results of 70,000 SF of EIFS panels manufactured over 70 days in a 110,000 SF facility located in Tempe, AZ. The benefits (quality control, safety, labour efficiency) and challenges (transportation, hoisting, and cost) in relationship to the traditional construction requirements for in-place EIFS systems is also analysed in this paper
Consequences of the BC Energy Step Code on Offsite Construction
Get PDFIn Canada, off-site construction is still the exception rather than the norm when it comes to wood construction. In Europe’s Alpine Region or Scandinavian countries, off-site construction is standard when it comes to wood construction. This paper will focus on the reasons why Canada’s wood construction industry will shift from mainly on-site to mainly off-site construction over the next 10 to 15 years. In countries with relatively demanding requirements on energy efficiency and air tightness, off-site construction has been dominating the market for more than 20 years. British Columbia adopted the BC Energy Step Code in 2017, a roadmap defining the energy efficiency of buildings over the coming years leading up to 2032, when all new construction will be required to be Net Zero ready. It is expected that the National Building Code of Canada will also encourage higher energy performance levels in the near future. Consequently, thermally better-performing envelopes will have to be produced and rigorous air tightness levels will have to be achieved for the sustainability goals given by the province. Envelope assemblies will get thicker, bulkier and heavier to meet these requirements. In this regard, a market shift to a greater amount of off-site construction is likely to be experienced to meet these targets in a controlled environment. This study is exploring the direct and indirect connections between sustainability and energy efficiency requirements given by codes to technical and cost-efficient solutions offered by industry
An Optimized Prefabricated Raft Footing System for Houses on Shrink-Swell Soils: Preliminary Results
Get PDFThe strong demand for houses has been hampered by a shortage of skilled labor in Australia, which can be potentially alleviated using prefabrication. Significant advancements in the design and construction of prefabricated houses have been observed; however, most substructure constructions still use traditional cast-in-place method that is labor intensive and weather-dependent. Prefabrication of footing systems is an advantageous solution since this require minimal manual labor and shorter construction period. The design of an innovative prefabricated footing needs to consider structural integrity and design assembly. One of the important structural issues for light-weight houses is cyclic differential ground movements affecting footing systems due to reactive soils. This shrink-swell movements are due to the decrease and increase in soil moisture, which can cause minor to severe damage depending on the presence of fines. Due to the issues on shortage of skilled labor and housing, and the costly impact of shrink-swell movements of reactive soils to footings, this study aims to develop a prefabricated footing based on optimized waffle raft. The developed system can easily be installed in stable to highly reactive sites, minimizing site disturbance, on-site assembly requirements and maximizing construction speed, quality and sustainability
Accessibility-Based Location Selection for Building Panelized Housing for Seniors
Get PDFPopulation ageing is stimulating an increase in the demand for housing suitable for seniors. To meet the demand, the market share of senior housing needs to increase substantially in a relatively short period of time; therefore, panelized construction, as an efficient, economical, and environmentally-friendly construction method, can be regarded as a promising building approach to meet urgent demand for multi-unit housing. However, prior to construction, decisions regarding the location selection for building panelized housing can have a great influence on the level of accessibility that seniors have to neighbouring facilities and services, further affecting their health and quality of life. Based on this, the research presented in this paper aims to search potential land areas for panelized housing developments for seniors from the perspective of accessibility. A set of methods is proposed to define the opportunities and constraints for potential land, measure the accessibility, and select the most suitable location for senior housing by means of suitability analysis. A case study of Edmonton is then analyzed to illustrate the application of these methods
Mass Timber Modular Construction: Developments in Oregon
Get PDFWith the mass timber industry taking off in 2015 in Oregon, when DR Johnson Lumber in Riddle, OR started producing CLT panels, government officials were eager to support it for its promise of economic development in rural communities and also had hopes of addressing the state’s affordable housing crisis using mass timber modular construction. While mass timber modular housing has had some success in Europe, the different construction standards and building culture in the United States make it more challenging. With few areas in Oregon in which housing is likely to be built over six stories tall or in large-scale developments, it did not seem possible that mass timber could solve the affordable housing crisis where it cannot compete in cost with standard light wood-frame construction. However, it did seem feasible that mass timber panels, which are so well-suited to customizable pre-fabrication through digital manufacturing, might be successful in an alternative building type for modular construction: classrooms. In successful models of mass timber modular classrooms in Austria and Germany, schools were built in much shorter timeframes and for 25% less cost than steel or concrete construction. The authors are now working with a modular building manufacturer in Oregon, Modern Building Systems (MBS), that produces custom-designed modular light wood-frame classrooms. While mass timber classrooms cannot compete in price with light wood-frame, particularly in single-story applications, they could be competitive for two story (or taller) schools, which are usually built using steel braced-frame and concrete block. Because MBS is 18 miles west of Freres Lumber, which is newly producing Mass Plywood Panels (MPP), and the MBS facility needs no modifications to use MPP instead of wood-frame, the authors are working with them to design an economically competitive mass timber module, with several potential clients interested in testing a prototype in 2019