Martinez, P; Livojevic, M; Jajal, P; Aldrich, D R; Al-Hussein, M and Ahmad, R (2020) Simulation-driven design of wood framing support systems for off-site construction machinery. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(7): 04020075, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Off-site construction aims to shift construction work to a factory environment, thereby enabling automation of the wood framing process. Current automated or semiautomated solutions for wood framing are assisted by a series of support and buffer tables that occupy a large footprint within industrialized construction plants. As the wood panels become longer to minimize transportation costs, so do their necessary support systems. To provide a more cost-effective solution for wood framing support systems, this paper proposes a simulation-driven redesign. The simulation model was built on existing data from current machinery, enabling users to modify design parameters and machine logic without incurring costs associated with prototyping. The simulation results were then analyzed from performance and cost perspectives to decide on the final design parameters. The redesign of the wood framing support systems was found to be almost 40% less costly and more than 10% more productive than currently available systems, showcasing the importance of simulation within the field of construction automation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | automation, off-site construction, industrialized construction, buffer, construction work, framing, redesign, wood, design parameter, prototyping |
| Subjects: | innovation and technology management, operations management, financial risk, design constraints, traditional and composite building materials, design methods, building construction, automation and robotics, conceptual models, construction type |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Project Management, Construction Technology, Engineering Principles, Construction Materials, Digital Applications, Research Practice, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here