Abstract
The comprehensive utilization of prefabricated components (PCs) is one of the features of industrial construction. Trial assembly is imperative for PCs used in high‐rise buildings and large bridges. Virtual trial assembly (VTA) is a preassembly process for PCs in a virtual environment that can avoid the time‐consuming and economic challenges in physical trial assembly. In this study, a general framework for VTA that is performed between a point cloud, a building information model (BIM), and the finite element method is proposed. In obtaining point clouds via terrestrial laser scanning, the registration accuracy of point clouds is the key to building an accurate digital model of PCs. Accordingly, an accurate registration method based on triangular pyramid markers is proposed. This method can enable the general registration accuracy of point clouds to reach the submillimeter scale. Two algorithms for curved members and bolt holes are developed for PCs with bolt assembly to reconstruct a precise BIM that can be used directly in finite element analysis. Furthermore, an efficient simulation method for accurately predicting the elastic deformation and initial stress caused by forced assembly is proposed and verified. The proposed VTA method is verified on a reduced‐scale steel pipe arch bridge. Experimental results show that the geometric prediction deviation of VTA is less than 1/1800 of the experimental bridge span, and the mean stress predicted via VTA is 90% of the measured mean stress. In general, this research may help improve the industrialization level of building construction.
Highlights
Large-scale building components are manufactured in factories in industrial construction
A registration method with submillimeter accuracy is proposed to eliminate the geometric errors of point clouds in the registration process and a virtual assembly method that combines reverse building information model (BIM) and 3D finite element method (FEM) is developed to accurately predict the geometric shape and structural stress state of multiple prefabricated components (PCs) with manufacturing deviations after forced assembly
When virtual assembly of multiple PCs is performed simultaneously, contact analysis requires considerable computing resources and may enter the wrong state of convergence. e suggested method is to simulate the assembly gap with the connection displacement. e geometric parameter transfer and transformation are clear during the entire process because the coordinates of the bolt holes on the flange plate are accurately obtained using the point cloud and the initial assembly is completed in the BIM system. at is, the gap between the bolt pairs at any connecting joint is known
Summary
Large-scale building components are manufactured in factories in industrial construction. Erefore, the reduction of the registration error of a point cloud and assembly simulation that considers stress redistribution are two key points for the accurate prediction of engineering structures via VTA. In this framework, a registration method with submillimeter accuracy is proposed to eliminate the geometric errors of point clouds in the registration process and a virtual assembly method that combines reverse BIM and 3D finite element method (FEM) is developed to accurately predict the geometric shape and structural stress state of multiple PCs with manufacturing deviations after forced assembly. Physical assembly is simultaneously performed. e results of the physical and virtual assemblies are compared to prove the reliability of the proposed VTA method
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