Axiomatic design framework for changeability in design for construction projects

Abstract

An approach to deal with changing requirements of construction projects is to develop a design that will have the ability to undergo various changes easily. Projects must be designed not only to meet client requirements, but also to meet requirements of construction, operation and throughout their entire project lifecycle. Hence, this paper introduces a modeling method that seeks to incorporate the changeability in designs of construction projects. The proposed method builds on Axiomatic Design approach to eliminate unnecessary changes due to requirements conflicts and to detect necessary changes throughout the project lifecycle. The results of this study indicate that changeability can be incorporated in the early stages of the project by analyzing relationships between functional requirements and design parameters. Changeability can be achieved when any change in functional requirement can be satisfied by a change in the design parameter independently or sequentially. Two construction projects—underground metro and hotel building are used as a case study to elaborate on how the method can be applied.