Front matter, MOC Summit 2019 Proceedings

Proceedings of the 2019 Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) SummitBanff, Alberta, CanadaMay 21 - 24, 2019 Editor(s): Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein, PhD, University of Alberta© University of Alberta Library, Edmonton, CanadaISSN 2562-5438

The Value Proposition of RFID Technology in Tall Prefabricated Timber Buildings

The 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's 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.

Critical Review of the Principles of Design for Disassembly

Design for disassembly (DfD) is a promising sustainable design paradigm for the construction sector development. Thus, the study provides a critical review on the principle of design for disassembly for a period of 8year. The study revealed that documentation of materials and methods, standardization of components and use mechanical joints instead of chemical joints were most frequent principle that are used for design for disassembly. The finding revealed that authors from Australia, United Kingdom and United states have made the most contribution to principles on DfD. Moreover, the study has provided a checklist to promote this design paradigm.

Parklet: A New Urban Platform for Emergent Forms of Communication and Social Interaction in the Cities

Social interaction is critical to the physical and intellectual well-being of a functioning democracy. The excessive influence of technology and lack of urban design and planning’s attention to pedestrian experience has caused our interactions to become more private, isolated, and mostly virtual. The following project presents the product of a design-build studio which uses adaptive/Kinetic systems to generate a creative solution to this social problem. Specifically, it will showcase the efforts of students working on a Parklet project, repurposing urban space to advance local business ethics and social justice issues. The Parklet replaces a parking space, fostering increases in social connections, public vibrancy, and support for local businesses. To move beyond schematic design, and offer students an experiment in real-world design issues, this studio provided a hands-on atmosphere for collaborative and consensus design experience, learning-by-doing, detailing challenges, and offsite construction strategies. It was structured to promote lessons in collaboration, construction detailing and process, and adaptive design, including working with city officials to meet code and zoning regulations. Since the project’s site is located in a neighboring city, students prefabricated the pieces in school and shipped and assembled them on site in one day. The studio sought to promote CAAD education, teaching design, and construction, but also innovation and entrepreneurship, through computational technology. The pedagogical framework was defined around various considerations such as structural, functional, financial, aesthetical, technological, and collaboration with other disciplines such as structural engineering and construction management

Developing an Analytical Solution that Mimics Simulation Modeling for Construction Planning: Earthwork Case

Deriving a reliable earthwork job cost estimate entails analysis of the interaction of numerous variables defined in a highly complex and dynamic system. Using simulation to plan earthwork haul jobs delivers high accuracy in cost estimating. However, given practical limitations of time and expertise, simulation remains prohibitively expensive and rarely applied in the construction field. The development of a pragmatic tool for field applications that would mimic simulation-derived results while consuming less time was thus warranted. In this research, a spreadsheet based analytical tool was developed using data from industry benchmark databases (such as CAT Handbook and RSMeans). Based on a case study, the proposed methodology outperformed commonly used estimating methods and compared closely to the results obtained from simulation in controlled experiments.

Automatic Material Estimation by Translating BIM Data into ERP Readable Data for Panelized Residential Construction

Offsite construction methods have been promoted and recognized globally as advanced construction techniques. Panelization, a two-dimensional form of offsite construction has brought about many benefits including lower transportation requirements and design flexibilities. In North America, the panelized construction technique has become popular particularly for wood-frame wall panels for residential construction. However, although utilizing this advanced construction method can greatly improve the working environment and productivity, the conventional mentality in construction, which overlooks the value of an automated management system to support offsite prefabrication and onsite installation, hinders its potential. An automatic material estimation system can capture all computer-aided design (CAD) data from building information modeling (BIM) files automatically and convert them into enterprise resource planning (ERP) readable data so that the ERP system can be updated for the purpose of material estimation. With the assistance of a feature-based modeling method, the proposed automatic material estimation system can save huge amounts of manual work for quantity take-off and all required CAD data can be captured by the system in a few seconds. Although highly dynamic market demands result in continual changes in design, production plan, schedule, and inventory levels, the adoption of an automatic material estimation system could account for these dynamic changes in order to maximize production. Therefore, in this paper, an automatic material estimation system is proposed in order to enhance the design and estimation process in the manufacturing environment. The proposed system is introduced and the development of supportive software is described. The proposed system is implemented as a case study in a panelized construction manufacturing facility, ACQBUILT, Inc., based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Characterisation of the Lateral Resistance of Stapled Shear Walls

Shear walls are the major components of the lateral-force-resisting system (LFRS) in light-frame wood buildings. With the growing popularity of mid-rise prefabricated light-frame wood construction, engineers need basic design information on the shear walls to design and produce safe structures in case of high winds and earthquakes. The racking resistance of light-frame shear walls depends on many factors, including sheathing and hold-down devices and, most importantly, sheathing-to-framing fastenings. While the performance of nailed shear walls has been studied extensively, and design information is included in the design codes, there is little information on stapled shear walls, specifically in the US and Canada. The cost of staples is significantly less than that of equivalent nails; hence, the use of staples instead of nails would allow cost savings in mass production if they provide sufficient resistance and displacement capacity in the engineered shear walls. This paper presents the results of a pilot study which was focused on the comparison of the performance of nailed and stapled shear walls in laboratory tests under monotonic and cyclic loading in accordance with ASTM E564 and E2126, respectively. Several series of tests were performed on 2.4-m (8-ft) square shear walls with 11-mm (7/16-in) OSB sheathing with various hold-downs and various spacing of sheathing staples and nails on the perimeter of the sheathing panels (5-cm (2-in), 10-cm (4-in) and 15-cm (6-in)) and 19-mm and 10-mm edge distances. The staples were 16-gauge (50-mm (2-in) long with 11-mm (7/16-in) crown). The nails were 8d box steel wire nails (63-mm (2½-in) long with 2.87-mm (0.113-in) diameter). The test results revealed a similar performance of the nailed and stapled shear walls, and the need for careful detailing. Therefore, prefabrication of walls in the factory settings is preferable to the on-site construction to allow the production quality control.

A Pilot Study of Identifying Execution Plan Differences for Accelerated Bridge Construction

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is an innovative construction technique used to accelerate the construction of new bridges, as well as the renovation/replacement of existing bridges. Due to the benefits offered by ABC, transportation authorities have a higher preference in executing an accelerated approach over conventional bridge construction. The execution of an accelerated approach has differences when compared to the conventional approach, and it is important to identify such differences for the successful implementation of ABC projects. However, there have been no studies to identify such execution differences. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify execution plan differences relevant to ABC. For this purpose, an extensive literature review was conducted to prepare a preliminary list of execution plan differences. Then, a questionnaire survey was administered with the industry experts, who were previously involved in the execution of ABC projects, to validate the preliminary list. Based on the literature review and the responses from questionnaire survey, this study identified 61 execution plan differences relevant to ABC in different phases of execution. This study is expected to benefit owners, contractors, and road/bridge users for successful execution of ABC projects.

Smart Construction Site: Ontology of Information System Architecture

This 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.

Investigation of Influencing Factors on Air Leakage of Canadian Dwellings

Air leakage is one of the main influencing factors in buildings’ thermal performance. The adverse effects of poor air leakage include higher energy costs, consumption in space heating and cooling, poor thermal comfort, corrosion, and the growth of molds due to air leakage induced condensation. The main objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of air leakages of Canadian homes related to construction methods, age, size and climatic zones. The air leakage test results of 226,000 dwellings in three provinces of Canada were analyzed. Statistical analysis was utilized to compare the mean of air leakage with respect to different factors. Generally, the air leakage decreased by 40% in the period from 1960 until 2018, which has shown a remarkable effect of new construction techniques on air leakage. Investigations also indicated that the average air leakage rate of homes constructed by using the onsite technique is approximately 25% to 60% higher than those prefabricated in modular or panels, varying with respect to the workmanship and construction quality control. This study concluded that the prefabricated construction techniques could decrease the air leakage rate significantly, which will have a remarkable effect on buildings’ thermal performance as well as home’s heating and cooling costs. The findings contribute to estimating the effects of influencing factors on air leakage, also it is useful in performance simulations, HAVC sizing and energy management. And recommend the use of the prefabricated in modular or panel’s construction method to achieve better and acceptable air leakage performance.