Platt, R T (1998) Development of a ready-to-assemble construction system. PhD thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Abstract
To accommodate an expanding global population, a renewable raw material resource base, in conjunction with new building technologies, must be applied to the residential housing sector. Desirable characteristics of housing systems are economy, safety, environmental sustainability, durability, design flexibility and a long service life. The system should be acceptable to the end-user, consist of renewable, indigenous resources, and require a minimum investment in labor and equipment for both production and erection. The objective of this research was to develop a ready-to-assemble (RTA) framing system. Integral to the framing system is a nail plate connector, developed in this project, that laminates wood or wood composite elements into larger building components. The laminated components can be bolted together to form various structural configurations. Decisions on the development of the RTA system were structured according to an Innovation Development Decision Model (IDDP) that was constructed from previous adoption and diffusion research. The IDDP model elucidates and illustrates the innovation process from conceptual idea to product adoption. The critical issues for product acceptance include system performance in terms of safety, cost, and building code approval. The objective of the experimental portion of the research was to test the performance of the RTA connection system in specific modes and to develop a theoretical method to predict the strength of the connection. A series of experiments to quantify the shear strength and stiffness of six joint configurations assembled with the RTA connector were designed and conducted. The joints were fabricated from solid sawn lumber and three different wood-base composites. The experimental results indicated that the strength of the RTA connector in perpendicular-to-grain and parallel-to-grain orientations can be predicted from a theoretical dowel yield model. The material properties used in the yield model were adjusted for duration of load and safety. Empirical test values were within ±6.3% of the predicted values from the theoretical model. Joint stiffness was evaluated, modeled and quantified in the linear and non-linear ranges. A structural analysis program was used to design and model a simple RTA building for realistic gravity and wind loads. The structural model was used to predict joint forces that the RTA connector must resist in-service. The computer model predictions were compared to the empirical joint test data. The results indicate that the RTA system can be designed to meet safety and serviceability criteria. A comparison between the estimated costs of a RTA building and the costs of traditional on site construction of a building of equal dimensions indicated that the RTA system is economically competitive.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Loferski, J R |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | durability; duration; flexibility; population; residential; sustainability; equipment; innovation; investment; safety; service life; experiment |
| Index terms: | material property, serviceability criteria, wood, structural analysis, approval, durability, program, composite, building code, critical issue, configuration, construction system, building technology, dimension, shear strength, service life, environmental sustainability, building component, innovation development, wind load, housing, population, duration, experiment, residential housing, framing |
| Subjects: | conceptual models, materials science, asset management, professional practice, structural engineering, systems engineering, health monitoring assessment and metrics, architectural elements, regulatory law, building construction, contractual role, traditional and composite building materials, material properties and characteristics, innovation studies, engineering systems, software systems, material degradation and durability, demography, health safety and environment, data collection methods, project controls, construction type, risk assessment |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Digital Applications, Construction Technology, Research Practice, Design Practice, Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Health and Safety, Construction Materials, Contract Administration, Time Control, Urban Studies, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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