Comparison between modular building technology and traditional construction

Modular construction is a relatively a new form of high-rise construction, which involves the assembly of prefabricated structural modules. In contrast to traditional on-site construction methods, it allows for parallel processes to occur where the modules can be manufactured offsite, before or during preliminary on-site works, and then be transported to the site and assembled progressively. However, modular construction raises some concerns, such as load bearing capacity and structural integrity, in comparison to traditional in-situ construction. Hybrid construction processes may also be required in order to satisfy load capacity requirements, particularly for high-rise buildings. Structural integrity must be fully engineered into the modules during the early design processes and include consideration of manufacturing, handling, transportation and lifting issues as well as their long-term post-assembly integrity. Structural integrity may also need to encompass the capacity to resist seismic forces for buildings constructed in earthquake-prone areas. The purpose of the paper is to specifically examine how the overall structural integrity is maintained through the use of modular construction. Moreover, the main aim of this paper is also to investigate the structural integrity of modular construction specifically for high-rise buildings. Finally, this paper will examine how the panels maintain their structural integrity in the module itself and in the overall structure.

Prefabricated Pre-finished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) is the advanced modular construction technology introduced by Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to promote a modern practice in construction sector which rectifying the fragmentation of construction industries towards higher productivity and more efficiency in project delivery. PPVC is an innovative approach to replace the traditional on-site construction method which construct a building using modular units away from the physical site but into a controlled factory environment. The adoption of PPVC has a significant solution to tackle the current level of quality, workmanship, productivity, non-environment construction, lacking on-site safety awareness, construction wastage and excessive reliance on unskilled foreign labors associated with conventional construction methods. In Malaysian, PPVC still lagging far behind in the development of Malaysian construction industry. The effectiveness of using PPVC can reduce the number of on-site contractors, increase the efficiencies in the use of resource and minimize the construction waste. This study is to investigate the factors affecting the adaptation of PPVC in Malaysia Construction Industry and recommend a mitigation to increase the possibility of using PPVC in future development of Malaysian industry. There is significant risk on using PPVC as the reliability is much harder to guarantee than conventional construction method. PPVC can be beneficial, but only if everyone involved has the proper experience and ability to perform such activities. This study contributes to industry practitioners to enhance their understanding of PPVC to increase the affordability and sustainability of houses in the future development of Malaysian industry.

Modular construction is the off-site fabrication and assembly of building components in a controlled factory environment, offering advantages in terms of time efficiency, quality control, and addressing labour shortages over traditional construction methods. While several studies have evaluated the seismic performance of steel modular buildings, limited studies have evaluated the seismic performance of composite modular buildings (CMBs) that incorporate composite elements, such as concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs). Moreover, the promising findings from steel modular buildings highlight the need to evaluate the seismic performance of CMBs, as this would facilitate the expansion of current design Standards to include modular construction. This study investigates the seismic performance of a 10-storey CMB with CFST columns. The methodology included developing a 3D finite element model in OpenSees software using advanced material models and modelling approaches to accurately simulate the nonlinear response. Modal analysis, nonlinear pushover analysis, and nonlinear time history analyses using a selected suite of ground motions were performed. Results indicated that Australian Standards underestimate the fundamental period, ductility, and overstrength of CMBs. The structure demonstrated robust performance, with generally low residual inter-storey drifts, suggesting minimal permanent deformation. The promising seismic performance of mid-rise CMBs with CFST columns in low-to-moderate seismicity suggests their potential safe application in high seismicity regions. • A novel joining method was used for composite modular buildings under earthquake. • Seismic performance of buildings is investigated using OpenSees software. • The joining method can be safely used for modular buildings under earthquake.

The construction industry produces buildings and infrastructure. These construction works are typically immobile and customised, and must meet many criteria to provide value to modern society: structural safety, durability, serviceability, aesthetics and integration, environmental sustainability and construction efficiency. Accordingly, traditional construction methods, along with the resulting construction works, have been adapted to comply with these multifaceted requirements for more than a century. However, the construction industry has a considerable environmental impact, with reinforced concrete as its primary driver due to its extensive use, and will be facing an ever-increasing responsibility to tackle climate neutrality in the upcoming years. Digital fabrication with concrete is a young yet already broad discipline that brings about the potential for the necessary reduction of the environmental impact and further industrialisation of the construction industry while being compatible with the multifaceted requirements for construction works. Still, it has not penetrated the construction mass market, which is paramount for making a significant difference towards improving the environmental impact of the construction industry. The present study tackles this issue by (i) assessing traditional construction and digital fabrication on a value-driven basis, identifying and summarising their inherent strengths and challenges, and (ii) proposing a value-driven ideation process to identify relevant mass-market levers of digital fabrication in the construction industry. The presented methodology indicates two exemplary applications of how traditional construction and digital fabrication processes can be combined to tackle the persistent environmental sustainability challenges.

Applications and Analysis of the Composite wall on Construction in Heilongjiang Province

Prefabricated volumetric modular building construction is an emerging technology in many countries used to develop the construction industry through its value-added benefits. The adoption of these novel technologies in the Sri Lankan construction industry has been relatively slow compared with other developing countries, delaying the development of the construction industry and the attainment of the added benefits of these technologies. Therefore, this study aims to identify the suitability of modular construction for the Sri Lankan construction industry via a survey and case study. A questionnaire survey was developed and distributed to assess and identify the benefits of implementing the concepts and constraints in Sri Lanka. Then, the construction cost of a proposed single-story house delivered through conventional and modular practices was compared. The survey results showed that introducing a modular concept to the industry is suitable and would benefit the Sri Lankan construction industry. Further, survey participants believed that the economic benefits brought in by modular construction are significantly more important than environmental and social benefits when selecting modular construction. The case study on a single-story affordable modular house showed a 32% reduction in total construction costs and a 36% reduction in labour costs compared to conventional house construction. Further, costs for total modular construction and labour were 32% and 36% less than those of conventional construction costs and labour costs. Moreover, a 16% reduction in embodied energy was observed when compared with conventional construction. Therefore, the modular concept could be used to construct affordable houses and will be cost-effective with the correct choice of material.

This paper examines the time comparing efficiency between the two approaches namely the modular building system and the common ways of building a construction and cost efficiency with an emphasis on whether Primavera P6 is used as a means of project scheduling and project optimization. Using modules, prefabricated off site and assembled on site, modular construction does provide the opportunity to shorten project schedules through simultaneous work on activities, reduced occurrence of weather delays, and enhanced quality management. Nevertheless, adoption by industry is a problem related to difficulty in initial manufacturing costs, involved logistics of production, specialized labour, and also having an equal scarcity in domestic supply chains. Case study method was used which is comparative, focusing on two same-type multi-story buildings constructions, with the same type of products, but one is built using standard methods and the other with modular construction. Primavera P6 was used to model both scenarios so that they could be handled with the same delivery timing, career and cost control. Also, 25 professionals in the industry have been surveyed and the relative importance index (RII) was applied to their responses to measure benefits and barriers impression. The findings indicated that the modular approach to construction saved 65 days (12.7 percent) on the project and this was largely due to concurrent fabrication of the modules off-site and on-site site preparations. The total costs however, rose up by about 8.1 percent with the catalyst being fabrication, transport, crane procedures and special assembly needs. RII analysis proved that the most appreciated benefits were time savings and improved profitability and the most hindering barriers were high initial costs and constraints regarding logistics. This conclusion implies that modular construction can be vitally fast in delivering the projects when coupled with an advanced project management tool such as Primavera P6. Greater investments in strategic supply chain management development, training of the workforce and regulatory backing of the modular practices should be encouraged to render the modular practices cost-competitive and more popular. Keywords- Building performance, Cost optimization, Modular construction, Prefabricated systems, Primavera P6 scheduling, Time efficiency

Construction throughout the world is one of the most important sectors of the economy. Thestate's interest in modular construction technology is constantly growing. This paper examines the issues of using modular products in modern housing construction, such as forms of using prefabricated parts and the problems of their use in modern housing construction, and trends in the construction market. The author also formulated possible prospects for this technology in Russia. The subject of the study is modular solutions and their trends in construction. A study was carried out of the regulatory framework, which is not ready for the use of such technology –regulatory documents in the field of modular construction have not been approved. The author of the work reviewed the use of modular technology in construction, identified the directions of development and tasks of this construction industry. Ways of development and improvement are proposed to increase the popularity of the use of modular construction in our country.

The main goal of this study is to explore the adoption of a design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) and building information management (BIM) approach during the whole lifecycle of assets. This approach aims to tackle issues inherent in the design of traditional construction methods, such as low productivity and quality, poor predictability and building performance, and energy use, through the implementation of a BIM library of off-site components. In recent years, a renewed interest has been directed to the attempt to provide solutions to these urgent problems through the adoption of new advancements in technologies. However, while there are studies focussing on a BIM-DfMA approach, there is a lack of research regarding how this approach should be adopted during the whole lifecycle of the assets. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, defining an efficient way of developing a component-based BIM object library has not yet been included in any of the available studies. A mixed methodology approach has been used in this research. A conceptual framework was developed as the result of an extensive literature review to investigate new advancements in the AEC sector. Following the literature review, the framework was tested and validated through a case study based on the production and adoption of a BIM library of off-site components at the design stage of an asset. The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has recognised the necessity of a new approach that helps to resolve the well-known issues presented in traditional methods of construction. The conceptual framework and case study proposed presents a valuable new method of construction that support the implementation of a BIM and DfMA approach, highlighting their benefits. This framework has been created using many valuable and reliable sources of information. The result of this research supports the idea of a novel new construction method that focuses on a manufacturing-digital-driven industry, with the use of DfMA in a BIM-integrated approach. This novel method will add significance and be beneficial for a wide range of aspects in the construction sector, contributing to the theoretical and practical domain.

This paper explores the use of temporary buildings in COVID-19 emergencies, focusing on Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan. Data sources include literature, technical staff, and expert interviews. It highlights modular construction, BIM technology, adaptability, sustainability, and teamwork. The conclusion emphasizes modular construction and BIM technology's role in accelerating projects, while noting the importance of considering socio-cultural and environmental impacts.

Modular construction technology is one of the effective ways to shorten the construction period and reduce the cost of nuclear power plants. It is one of the important features of the development of nuclear power engineering construction technology. The application of the module in China has a history of more than 20 years, and it was first used in the construction technology of nuclear island workshop dome steel lining. As modularization is the technology of integrated design,procurement and construction,and is based on the three-dimensional design platform, the close cooperation among design, procurement and construction also needs the support of the corresponding information platform. It is more urgent and necessary for the unified, shared and rapid interface response processing of upstream, downstream and management information. Based on the actual needs of nuclear power project construction and relying on the modular three-dimensional model, this paper develops and constructs a three-dimensional visual modular comprehensive information management system integrating the business data of design, procurement, construction, commissioning and management, realizes the efficient coordination and fine management of modular advanced construction technology of nuclear power project, and provides an information management platform for modular construction of nuclear power project.

Modular construction offers several advantages, such as safe working conditions, fast construction, and high-quality end products. The project scheduling of modular construction should consider the time involved in the factory production, transportation, and erection processes of the units given limited resources (e.g., the number of modular units, available transportation, and workers) and project restrictions (e.g., the sequences of manufacturing production and on-site installation). However, current modular construction project scheduling techniques and previous academic approaches cannot deal with the overall project processes and production/on-site installation sequences simultaneously. This is one reason few mass-production multiple projects exist in the manufacturing industry. Moreover, it can lead to inappropriate project management guidelines and fail to minimize the overall project duration. This paper suggests a model for modular construction projects scheduling using a genetic algorithm. The results show that implementing both overall project processes and project requirements is an efficient way to develop a modular construction project schedule. The proposed optimization tool will help project managers allocate resources efficiently and reduce the completion time of multiple projects.

In the traditional scientific research and production activities, due to the lack of sufficient communication and communication between researchers, the phenomenon of waste of scientific research resources occurs from time to time, which hinders the efficiency of scientific research output. Based on the design principle of the semantic knowledge framework, this paper puts forward the definition of ontology and semantic relationship of the collaborative system of scientific researchers. In this paper, a framework of collaborative semantic knowledge among researchers is established through decentralized semantic information exchange architecture. In this article, the simulation is verified by experiments and compared with other exchange architectures. The results of the experiment confirmed the semantic information exchange architecture based on semantic knowledge proposed in this paper is 10.39% faster than the traditional centralized method in terms of data volume; the construction speed under the data node perspective is 12.84% higher than that of the traditional centralized construction method; the subject query speed is 36.84% higher than that of the traditional centralization method; the predicate query speed is 31.58% higher than that of the traditional centralization method. The experimental results confirm that the semantic information exchange architecture based on the semantic knowledge framework is feasible, and it has excellent performance in terms of construction speed and query speed. Under the background that researchers rely more and more on collaborative technology to interact with other members, this paper has a certain reference value and exploration value and proposes a new idea of group collaboration system under the framework of semantic knowledge.

At present, China's civil airport construction has entered a period of rapid development. Compared with traditional airport pavement concrete construction methods, slipform paving technology has the advantages of fast speed, high efficiency, and stable quality. It has a broad application in airport pavement concrete constructions. However, the application of slipform paving technology in airport concrete pavement construction is still in its infancy, and related research is still scarce. Based on the new airport pavement project in Zhanjiang, China, this article introduces the construction technology of the airport pavement concrete slipform paver. The two construction methods of slipform paver and traditional manual paving were compared and analyzed in terms of pavement flatness, texture depth, height difference between adjacent slabs, and flexural strength. The results show that compared with the traditional manual paving construction method, the slipform paver can significantly improve the quality of concrete and improve the construction efficiency in the main technical indicators. It has great promotion value in the field of airport pavement construction.

Modular construction technology is one of the main technical features of AP1000. But after the construction practices of two self-reliance supporting projects, we found that concrete poured in the module is extremely difficult, the advantages of shorter construction duration in modular construction will be seriously weakened, so we designed three different pouring methods: layered pouring method, layered continuous pouring method and loop continuous pouring method. Deep comparative analysis on the principle, characteristic and implementation effect of these three pouring methods are studied in this paper.