Challenges Faced in Prefabrication or Modular Construction

The prefabricated materials used in construction has indeed been hailed amongst the most efficient approaches, there is a difficulty in implementing this process in the construction industry. The article included an outline of the obstacles and factors that influence prefabrication or modular construction in India. The issues of prefabrication and modular construction were investigated through case studies. Prefabricated elements have been demonstrated to be an efficient and efficient approach for improving productivity and the process of construction, as well as assuring the quality of construction & reducing time and cost. However, there are a number of issues with this strategy in practise, including initial high building costs, lack of understanding of the prefabricated method of construction, technical and installation hurdles, and the inability to find prefabrication businesses locally. Because of the nature of the city and also the growing population, the use of such prefabricated materials in the construction of buildings is beneficial. Keywords: Prefabricated construction, Challenges, fabricated elements, Installation hurdles

Design of Sustainable Modular Wooden Booths Inspired by Revitalization of Croatian Traditional Construction and New User Needs Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

The paper presents the results of the first phase of the student project CROSTAND2, whose main goal is to revitalize the traditional construction techniques of vernacular architecture in the Republic of Croatia by developing modern sustainable prefabricated modular wooden buildings/public booths in accordance with users’ needs and habits. To incorporate conceptual design, the literature on Croatian construction and wood protection, prefabricated modular construction, and public urban spaces was analyzed and field research was conducted. Photo documentation was also collected in the village of Donja Kupčina, Zagreb County, Croatia. An online survey questionnaire on socializing habits in public spaces, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, additionally analyzed new requirements for user-centered design. The obtained results, as well as results from previous project research, were used as a basis and inspiration for the design of a conceptual modular building inspired by traditional wooden joints, modular construction, and the emerging needs of users to socialize safely in a healthy environment. Conceptual solutions for a sustainable modular prefabricated wooden building for public use, intended for public urban and rural areas, have been proposed. Such constructions would ensure the sustainability of enjoying the natural environment for personal, tourist, and commercial purposes with the perpetuation of Croatian heritage building traditions.

Structural Performance Assessment of Innovative Hollow Cellular Panels for Modular Flooring System

Lightweight modular construction has become an increasing need to meet the housing requirements around the world today. The benefits of modular construction ranging from rapid production, consistency in quality, sustainability, and ease of use have widened the scope for the construction of residential, commercial, and even emergency preparedness facilities. This study introduces novel floor panels that can be flat-packed and built into modular housing components on-site with minimal labour and assistance. The flooring system uses hollow cellular panels made of various configurations of trapezoidal steel sheets. The structural performance of three different configurations of these hollow flooring systems as a modular component is presented in this study by analysing the failure modes, load-displacement parameters, and strain behaviour. The study confirms significant advantages of the proposed hollow floor systems, with multi-cells reporting higher load-carrying capacity. The hollow flooring system performed well in terms of structural performance and ease in fabrication as opposed to the conventional formworks and commercial temporary flooring systems. The proposed flooring system promises efficient application as working platforms or formworks in temporary infrastructural facilities and emergency construction activities.

A Novel Optimised Inter-Locking Connection For Steel Modular Building Systems To Enable Re-Use

Hot-rolled steel Modular Building Systems (MBS) represent the highest level of Off-Site Con-struction (OSC) in which prefabricated, and often prefinished steel modules are delivered to site on a ‘just-in-time’ basis and assembled into complete building systems. Besides the already well-known advantages such as tight tolerance control, reduced on-site human intervention and speedier construction times, the context of the ongoing climate emergency has brought forward the connection between circular economy (CE) and opportunities of steel MBS for disassembly and reuse. However, the use of hybrid structural systems, the functionality of inter-modular connections, and the effects of complex and demanding load transfer paths often question the actual prospects of deconstruction, repair, relocation, or reuse. So far, inter-module connections have been heavily influenced by conventional design methods, relying on bolts, welds or even prestressing strands, which require laborious on-site tasks and simplifying design assumptions, often raising uncertainty about structural behaviour of modular buildings.In an attempt to mitigate limitations of existing systems, a new inter-module connection was envisaged, inspired from the inter-locking method of joining. At the forefront of the develop-ment process, topology optimisation (TO) was adopted in the conceptual design of the main component of the joint, assisting the morphogenesis process which provided the final configu-ration of the novel system. The structural performance of the newly proposed connection was assessed through a series of static monotonic and quasi-static cyclic FE analyses. Results re-vealed that in terms of load-bearing capacity, ductility and energy dissipation ability, the struc-tural behaviour of the new connection was comparable to that of other inter-module joints in literature, while managing to tackle their limitations by introducing both an easy-to-install and easy-to-disassemble configuration with promising opportunities for reuse, further demonstrat-ing that inter-locking joints could be worthy competitors for traditional means of attachment in the future of modular construction.

Comparison of the Embodied Carbon Emissions and Direct Construction Costs for Modular and Conventional Residential Buildings in South Korea

Modular construction is an innovative new construction method that minimizes waste and improves efficiency within the construction industry. However, practitioners are hampered by the lack of environmental and economic sustainability analysis methods in this area. This study analyzes the embodied carbon emissions and direct construction costs incurred during the production phase of a modular residential building and provides comparison to an equivalent conventional residential building. Major drawings and design details for a modular residential building in South Korea were obtained, and the quantity take-off data for the major construction materials were analyzed for a modular construction method and a conventional construction method using a reinforced concrete structure under the same conditions. Focusing on major construction materials during the production phase, the embodied carbon emissions assessment revealed that adopting a modular construction approach reduced the environmental impact by approximately 36%, as compared to the conventional reinforced concrete method. However, in terms of the direct construction cost, the modular construction was approximately 8% more expensive than the conventional reinforced concrete construction method.

Solution of Bullet Proof Wooden Frame Construction Panel with a Built-In Air Duct

The growing terrorism threats across the world play an important role in the design of civil buildings and living areas. The safety of personnel is a top priority in unclassified buildings, especially military buildings. However indoor air quality and thermal comfort has a direct impact on personal productivity and ability to concentrate on duties and affect the decision making in stress conditions. The use of wooden structures is becoming more common in the building construction, and application of wooden frame structures for the construction of new buildings as well as for retrofitting the existing buildings. Prefabricated wooded frame construction perfectly fits need of unclassified buildings, allowing significant reduction of construction time and integration of various active and passive elements, such as a fresh air supply duct. Within the scope of this paper a 12 mm thick ballistic panel made of aramid was tested. Ballistic panel, thermal conductivity, and fire resistance of wooded construction panel with embedded air duct were analyzed for the various modelled exterior wall solutions. The main advantage of the proposed technology is fast and qualitative modular construction of unclassified buildings, providing all modern requirements not only for safety, but also for the energy efficiency and indoor air quality. It was found that bullet proof aramid panels do not reduce overall fire safety in comparison to traditional construction materials. However embedded outdoor air supply ducts significantly reduces construction heat transfer coefficient.