Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.5
2.7
Journals
Applied Sciences
Special Issues
The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process
share announcement

The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2017) | Viewed by 36502

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in the Industrialization of Building Construction, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nasseri School of Building Sciences and Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2W2, Canada
Interests: modular construction; offsite construction; lean manufacturing; construction process optimization; building information modelling (BIM); ergonomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) is a highly efficient construction practice that reduces costs, improves construction schedules, reduces worker injury rates, and contributes significantly to improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of building construction. 'Modular' refers to designing buildings in such a way that they can be prefabricated as several interconnected modules, which are installed at the construction site. On-site work consists of processes such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and final finishing. 'Offsite' construction is the process of fabricating these modules in highly efficient, automated facilities. These efficiencies translate to lower cost of production. Additionally, offsite manufacturing allows for building modules to be fabricated in parallel with site preparation, significantly reducing total construction time.

MOC has shown great promise around the world, used in construction of single family homes, multi-residential projects, and high rise buildings of 20 and 30 storeys erected in less than one week.

Current research initiatives seek to further improve design tools and processes; improve fabrication processes to employ lean manufacturing principles rather than mere 'construction under a roof'; and advance social and governmental support of advanced methods of construction.

I extend my thanks to contributing authors and the publishing team for their support in creating this excellent resource for the dissemination of knowledge in the modular and offsite construction field.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein
Guest Editor

 

 

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • modular;
  • offsite;
  • prefab;
  • MOC;
  • OSC;
  • MMC;
  • lean manufacturing;
  • automation technology;
  • building construction;
  • building information modelling;
  • BIM;
  • Visualization;
  • simulation

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

2209 KiB  
Article
BIM-Based Approach to Simulate Building Adaptive Performance and Life Cycle Costs for an Open Building Design
by Yi-Kai Juan and Nai-Pin Hsing
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(8), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7080837 - 15 Aug 2017
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 9073
Abstract
In the long-term use of buildings, renovations are sometimes required as usage behaviors have changed and residents’ demands for space are adjusted. However, the public in general are deficient in renovation knowledge and information regarding building use and its maintenance phases; thus, the [...] Read more.
In the long-term use of buildings, renovations are sometimes required as usage behaviors have changed and residents’ demands for space are adjusted. However, the public in general are deficient in renovation knowledge and information regarding building use and its maintenance phases; thus, the initial stage of planning and design often lacks flexibility, leading to waste materials in the subsequent renovation project. Theoretically, Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be used as a building unit resume and renovation benefit prediction tool; moreover, it plays an important role in the usage and maintenance phases. This study develops three design proposals that target different service lives (30 years, 50 years, 100 years), as based on the building’s expected life, and uses BIM technology to simulate the life cycle cost and design performance, as based on the renovation scenario analysis of the building’s life cycle. The findings show that under the service condition target of 100 years, when the open flexible technique is used for the design, space utilization flexibility is enhanced, pipeline maintenance is convenient, waste is reduced, and performance in life cycle cost is better. BIM can predict performance simply and rapidly according to future usage demand adjustments after the initial design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4848 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of a Laminated Reinforced Concrete Shear Wall with a Vertical Seam
by Jianbao Li, Yan Wang, Zheng Lu and Junzuo Li
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(6), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7060629 - 17 Jun 2017
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6560
Abstract
In this paper, 12 laminated reinforced concrete shear walls are designed for cyclic loading tests. Seismic performance of laminated reinforced concrete shear walls with vertical seams are evaluated by the failure mode, deformability, hysteresis curve, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, [...] Read more.
In this paper, 12 laminated reinforced concrete shear walls are designed for cyclic loading tests. Seismic performance of laminated reinforced concrete shear walls with vertical seams are evaluated by the failure mode, deformability, hysteresis curve, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, two different construction measures and construction techniques are designed to study their influence on the wall behavior, which provides a reference for the construction of laminated reinforced concrete shear walls. The numerical simulation of the specimen is carried out with ABAQUS, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. These results provide a technical basis for the design, application, and construction of the laminated reinforced concrete shear wall structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

2929 KiB  
Article
Modular and Offsite Construction of Piping: Current Barriers and Route
by Xiaodan Li, Zhongfu Li and Guangdong Wu
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(6), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7060547 - 26 May 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8509
Abstract
To investigate current practices and identify challenges of piping prefabrication, this paper conducts a comprehensive survey to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractors. This paper is performed in three main steps. First, the current state of piping prefabrication, the attitude of MEP contractors [...] Read more.
To investigate current practices and identify challenges of piping prefabrication, this paper conducts a comprehensive survey to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractors. This paper is performed in three main steps. First, the current state of piping prefabrication, the attitude of MEP contractors to piping prefabrication, and the challenges of piping prefabrication are identified through a comprehensive data collection process that included semi-structured interviews, case studies, site visits, and questionnaires. The second step included suggesting a pattern and roadway of piping prefabrication. The results showed that: (1) The attitudes to feasibility of piping prefabrication differ in piping systems, piping connector modes, and types of project; and (2) building information modelling (BIM) promotes the adoption of piping prefabrication. Integrated project delivery (IPD), and distributor’s early involvement into projects have significant effects on the successful implementation of piping prefabrication. (3) The main barriers and challenges were identified including the low level of standardization of design, lack of preferential policy, economies of scale, low-skilled workers, as well as the availability of fittings and valves. In the final step, a four-phase route of piping prefabrication is suggested for MEP contractors to expand the prefabrication capacity incrementally. The main contributions of this paper include: (1) This paper proposes a route for MEP contractors to improve their piping construction through the Modular and offsite construction (MOC) method. (2) This paper finds that the level of feasibility of piping prefabrication differs in piping systems, connection modes, and types of project. Challenges and barriers of piping prefabrication are firstly identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

1239 KiB  
Article
The Index System for the Development Level Evaluation of Regional Construction Industrialization: A Case Study in Jiangsu, China
by Ping Liu, Qiming Li, Liangliang Song and Ruoyu Jia
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(5), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7050492 - 10 May 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5430
Abstract
In recent years, there have been concerns raised about construction industrialization in China, which have initiated a wave of policy change in both governmental and industrial organizations in order to change the mode of conventional construction. However, the current development level of regional [...] Read more.
In recent years, there have been concerns raised about construction industrialization in China, which have initiated a wave of policy change in both governmental and industrial organizations in order to change the mode of conventional construction. However, the current development level of regional construction industrialization (RCI) in China has not been well-characterized. This study screened preliminary index systems in five dimensions: technical, economic, sustainable, enterprise development and development environment. Based on the data gathered from the questionnaire surveys and subsequently analyzed, twenty-two critical evaluation indicators were identified. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was then employed to determine the weighting of each indicator. The evaluation method of the development level was formulated on the basis of the evaluation criteria. Jiangsu Province was used as an example in this study, with the development level of this province being comprehensively examined using a combination of the index system and evaluation method. The results show that Jiangsu has a relatively high RCI development level. The data from analysis scores of five dimensions and twenty-two indicators show that the index system is feasible, with evaluation results being consistent with actual practice. These findings provide a good practical reference for making decisions about how best to guide the development of RCI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

1849 KiB  
Article
Construction Industrialization in China: Current Profile and the Prediction
by Yingbo Ji, Fadong Zhu, Hong Xian Li and Mohamed Al-Hussein
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(2), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7020180 - 13 Feb 2017
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 5965
Abstract
The ongoing undertaking of construction industrialization in China is redefining the industry and creating a new era for building construction. In order to identify the construction industrialization status and progress, a national survey is conducted across 19 key provinces and municipalities in China. [...] Read more.
The ongoing undertaking of construction industrialization in China is redefining the industry and creating a new era for building construction. In order to identify the construction industrialization status and progress, a national survey is conducted across 19 key provinces and municipalities in China. Based on the collected data, construction industrialization is analyzed from various perspectives: (1) the industrialized building floor area is profiled using maps with colours showing the different levels of construction industrialization in China as of 2014; and (2) structural types and building types are analyzed for industrialized construction, and it is found that reinforced concrete is the predominant structure type, accounting for 77.1% of total floor area of industrialized construction in 2014. The industrialization trends are also predicted for the following five years using Holt’s and Delphi method. This research reveals the status and the promising trends of construction industrialization in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Industrialization of the Building Construction Process)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop