scholarly journals Mass Timber in High-Rise Buildings: Modular Design and Construction; Permitting and Contracting Issues

2019 ◽  
pp. 520-527
Author(s):  
Dalia H. Dorrah ◽  
Tamer E. El-Diraby
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Modular Buildings ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mass Timber

Due to the inherent inefficiencies in conventional approaches followed in the construction industry and the global demand for lean and sustainable construction techniques, modular construction has witnessed a resurge especially in high-rise buildings. As such, much efforts have been put in studying the use of mass timber for the main structure of high-rise buildings in order to ensure more sustainable developments with high levels of adaptability. In this regard, previous research efforts have primarily focused on the added benefits of mass timber, its structural design and performance, and associated safety requirements. However, owing to the novelty in combining modular processes with timber materials and associated lack of data, several regulatory barriers and contractual issues still exist. To mitigate these issues, this paper studies the specifics of permit approvals and contracting issues in timber high-rise modular buildings. The objective is to develop a comprehensive up-to-date review and analysis of the relevant practices and to conduct interviews with industry experts to analyze their concerns, given the insufficient number of guides and building codes that dealt with these issues. Hence, our study investigates the process of obtaining permit approvals from local jurisdictions in Ontario in addition to the requirements for submission of additional documentation, engineering analysis, and testing. Moreover, it analyzes the initial stage of contractual agreement of stakeholders under the uncertainties imposed on these buildings and evaluates the suitability of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) contracting method. Presenting detailed analysis of the initial planning stages for timber high-rise modular buildings can in turn suggest the best practices to be taken into consideration for the successful implementation of these buildings under the current building code.

scholarly journals Construction stakeholders’ perceived benefits and barriers for environment-friendly modular construction in a hospitality centric environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29
Author(s):  
Shreyansh Paliwal ◽  
Jin Ouk Choi ◽  
James Bristow ◽  
Hyun Kyung Chatfield ◽  
Seungtaek Lee
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Quality Performance ◽  
Environment Friendly ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Transportation Logistics ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
Key Barrier ◽  
Industry Professionals

Modular construction techniques can not only significantly contribute to improved project cost, schedule, and quality performance, but also sustainability by reducing site disruption and waste generated, creating better relocatability and reusability. However, there are still difficulties in developing and implementing modularization in a hospitality centric environment. Thus, the primary goal of this research is to identify the opportunities and challenges of implementing sustainable modular construction techniques in a hospitality-centric environment. In this study, the approach includes the formulation of a survey, which was distributed to 600 industry professionals in Las Vegas and completed by 63 industry professionals, followed by three personal interviews. The results showed that: 1) 85% percent of survey participants expected an improvement in schedule, and 65% of that elected to use a form of modularization actually experienced an improved schedule; 2) 62% of the participants claimed that they would keep using modular methods in the next 12 months, whereas 44% of the participants claimed they would increase their use of modularization in the next five years; 3) two of the top five expected benefits achieved included less site disruption (noise/traffic and dust) and reduced waste, which contribute towards sustainable construction; 4) transportation/logistics was selected by industry professionals as a key barrier in the implementation of modular construction; 5) to implement more sustainable construction, practitioners require additional research to improve and overcome the key barrier of transportation/logistics; 6) if construction professionals gain more modular project experience, their perceived benefits and barriers could increase and decrease, respectively. The results from this research provide valuable insights for implementing sustainable modular methods in hospitality-centric environments.

scholarly journals Constraints Hindering the Development of High-Rise Modular Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 7159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhui Sun ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Jeremy Wu ◽  
Weixiang Shi ◽  
Dazhi Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Construction Time ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Modular Buildings

Off-site construction has been increasingly employed due to its advantages, for instance, improved quality control, reduced skills labour, faster construction time, decreased material wastage and safe working environment. As the most cutting-edge off-site construction, modular buildings have been utilised for residential building, student accommodation, and hotel projects. However, because of existing and underlying constraints, the adoption of modular buildings is still relatively low. To reveal factors hindering the development of high-rise modular buildings, a comprehensive literature review, coupled with a focus group study, were conducted. A questionnaire survey inquiring about all stakeholders was implemented to quantify constraints. The results were further examined according to a real-life case study. This paper manifested that “Lack of coordination and communication among stakeholders”, “Higher cost”, “Lack of government support”, “Lack of experience and expertise”, “Lack of building codes and standards”, “Poor supply chain integration”, and “Complexity of connection” are the top barriers curbing the uptake of modular buildings. The findings should provide a valuable reference for stakeholders adopting modular buildings, whilst mitigating risks amid modular construction. Future research is expected to exploit building information modelling and design for manufacture and assembly to alleviate these existing constraints and promote the performance of modular construction as well.

A Systematic Framework of KPIs for Measuring High-Rise Modular Integrated Construction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Zhiqian Zhang ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Mingcheng Xie
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Methodological Foundation ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Focus Group Meeting ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Systematic Framework ◽  
New Framework

Modular integrated construction (MiC) has been introduced in high-rise construction for achieving sustainable development. As high-rise MiC disruptively transforms the construction process compared with conventional construction, it is imperative to systematically understand its performance, which however has not been sufficiently reported in previous literature. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a new framework of key performance indicators (KPIs) for project stakeholders to comprehensively measure and effectively benchmark the performance of high-rise MiC projects. This framework is developed based on the concept of sustainable construction that covers social, environmental and economic aspects. Through a comprehensive literature review, expert interviews, and a focus group meeting, 32 KPIs are established in the three sustainability aspects. An eight-step process is suggested for project stakeholders to adopt these KPIs to measure MiC performance in three tiers, i.e., overall building, off-site and on-site, and modular works. A case study is then presented which demonstrates that the framework is effective in measuring the sustainability of high-rise MiC and applicable for comparing MiC with conventional practices. The framework fills the knowledge gap of performance measurement on high-rise modular construction and contributes a methodological foundation for future quantitative benchmarking of MiC sustainability.

scholarly journals Key Considerations before Integrating Modular Construction: Adaptation to the Traditional French Construction Processes

2015 ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Zakaria Dakhli ◽  
Zoubeir Lafhaj ◽  
Marc Bernard
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Organizational Planning ◽  
Potential Synergy ◽  
Competitive Prices ◽  
Traditional Construction

Industries around the world are improving continuously. They are converted into more efficient, dynamic and productive forms and construction is no exception to this principle. Indeed, this sector had started to get organized during the last decades. Modular design was introduced as an industrialization mean. However, few companies benefit from this concept in order to offer competitive prices and sustainable buildings. This paper, based on two case studies, presents key considerations for a successful implementation of modular design into an existing traditional construction business. Investigations were conducted to analyze the potential synergy and complementarity between modularization and the traditional French construction. The results show that modularization is viewed as a major change in the core business. As a consequence, modularization should be accompanied with a change management process. The results also revealed that modular construction goes hand in hand with a strong focus on technical frameworks. However, during the first implementation phase, spotlights should be slightly more directed into organizational planning and managerial postures.

scholarly journals Robustness of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) High-rise Building

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yie Sue Chua ◽  
Jat Yuen Richard Liew ◽  
Sze Dai Pang
Keyword(s):  
Load Transfer ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Progressive Collapse ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Design Guideline ◽  
Future Design ◽  
High Rise ◽  
High Rise Building ◽  
Column Removal ◽  
Diaphragm Action

Due to the safety awareness arisen from natural and human-caused disasters, robustness design of building is increasingly important to ensure the stability of the building and to prevent progressive collapse. For this reason, the robustness design of innovative construction technologies such as modular construction may be essential due to its relative novel structural form and numerous joints among modules. Particularly in Singapore, Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) has been highly promoted in residential and commercial buildings, hostels and hospitals to boost the construction productivity and quality as well as to reduce the reliance on foreign workforce. PPVC offers high quality and efficiency because most of the finishes and mechanical and electrical services are manufactured and installed together with the modules in factory, before sending for on-site assembly. To maximize the productivity of PPVC, modular design standardization and repetition can be improved by going for high-rise. Nonetheless, there are limited studies on the robustness of PPVC high-rise building and its behavior under progressive collapse remains uncertain. Therefore, this paper investigates the robustness of steel PPVC high-rise building under column removal scenarios by conducting non-linear numerical analysis. The effects of joint design and diaphragm action between modules are studied to ensure continuity of horizontal and vertical tying. This paper provides insight on the behaviour and alternative path for load transfer under column removal scenario for future design guideline of robustness PPVC building.

scholarly journals Manufacturing of modular buildings: a literature review

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Yang ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Mi Pan
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Recent Decade ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Information Management Systems ◽  
Modular Buildings ◽  
Art Research ◽  
And Control

The recent decade has seen a growing interest in applying modular construction in high-rise buildings. However, the manufacturing of modular buildings remains slow in making technical progress and the productivity in the factory is low. The production of modules is unique and complicated as it incorporates both manufacturing features and construction trades. Whereas previous studies have proposed technologies and tools associated with design, operation and optimisation of module manufacturing systems, this field of research is currently fragmented. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of existing academic perspectives and suggest future research directions to improve module manufacturing systems. The review explores critical research issues from five aspects: process and activities, organisation and people, factory configuration, technology, and information and control system. Outlined suggestions for research opportunities include (1) increased utilisation of digital manufacturing, (2) more exploration of strategies for the adoption of automated technologies, (3) development of holistic and practical approaches to supporting DfMA methodology, (4) well-defined information management systems through BIM. The findings should contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the practices, challenges and the state-of-the-art research in the manufacturing of modular buildings.

scholarly journals Transfer Learning Enabled Process Recognition for Module Installation of High-rise Modular Buildings

2019 ◽  
pp. 268-275
Author(s):  
Zhiqian Zhang ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Zhen-Jie Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Recognition Model ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Standard Design ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Modular Buildings ◽  
Life Projects

High-rise modular buildings (HMB), based on the advanced approach of modular construction, have gained momentum in practice due to their offered benefits in accelerated construction, improved quality, reduced health and safety risks, and enhanced productivity. Modular construction with standard design of modules and repetitive processes of module installation is in favor of the development of construction automation. As module installation is one of the critical activities in the delivery of HMBs, it is important to recognize the module installation process automatically so as to facilitate automation in modular construction. However, there is no detailed phase-division of module installation process. Also, little research has been carried out on intelligent process recognition for module installation due to the limited amount of images of real-life projects. To fill in the knowledge gaps, this paper aims to build a transfer learning enabled process recognition model using convolutional neural network (CNN) for module installation of HMBs. The study first divided the module installation process into three stages: hooking, lifting and positioning, with a comprehensive literature review. Then the recognition model for module installation process was created and trained with the adoption of CNN-based transfer learning, and verified with images taken from real-life projects. The results show that the three stages of module installation process are effectively recognized with the proposed model. The transfer learning enabled image recognition model for module installation process accelerates automation in the construction of HMBs for enhanced productivity and accuracy.

Breast Cancer Detection and Classification using Traditional Computer Vision Techniques: A Comprehensive Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saliha Zahoor ◽  
Ikram Ullah Lali ◽  
Muhammad Attique Khan ◽  
Kashif Javed ◽  
Waqar Mehmood
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Computer Aided Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnose Breast Cancer ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Diagnosis And Classification ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Aided Diagnosis

: Breast Cancer is a common dangerous disease for women. In the world, many women died due to Breast cancer. However, in the initial stage, the diagnosis of breast cancer can save women's life. To diagnose cancer in the breast tissues there are several techniques and methods. The image processing, machine learning and deep learning methods and techniques are presented in this paper to diagnose the breast cancer. This work will be helpful to adopt better choices and reliable methods to diagnose breast cancer in an initial stage to survive the women's life. To detect the breast masses, microcalcifications, malignant cells the different techniques are used in the Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems phases like preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. We have been reported a detailed analysis of different techniques or methods with their usage and performance measurement. From the reported results, it is concluded that for the survival of women’s life it is essential to improve the methods or techniques to diagnose breast cancer at an initial stage by improving the results of the Computer-Aided Diagnosis systems. Furthermore, segmentation and classification phases are challenging for researchers for the diagnosis of breast cancer accurately. Therefore, more advanced tools and techniques are still essential for the accurate diagnosis and classification of breast cancer.

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