Design for manufacture and assembly: A case study for a prefabricated bathroom wet wall panel

Abstract

The Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is increasingly called upon to adopt more efficient methods. While modular volumetric components and conventional construction techniques have been compared, the evaluation of alternative modular but non-volumetric strategies to improve construction efficiency has attracted less research attention. We report on developing a semi-modular flexible solution for a residential bathroom “wet” wall in high-rise buildings, using Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles on a selected case study in Melbourne, Australia. A prototype of the wall was first designed and assembled at the local factory located in Melbourne, Australia. All the wall components were manufactured off-site in a factory, and their assembly times were recorded. The comparison of conventional wall built on local high rise building with that of the prefabricated wall is also conducted by Design for Assembly (DfA) procedures. The research findings, validated through the case study, offer savings and efficiencies over conventional construction in terms of time, labour, and materials. The significance of the research is that it presents a practical demonstration of the benefits of DfMA based prefabrication in high-rise repetitive apartment buildings for the plumbing industry.