Abstract
The need for advancements in residential construction and the hazard induced by the shrink–swell reactive soil movement prompted the development of the prefabricated footing system of this study, which was assessed and compared to a conventional waffle raft using a multi-criteria analysis. The assessment evaluates the structural performance, cost efficiency, and sustainability using finite element modelling, life cycle cost analysis, and life cycle assessment, respectively. The structural performance of the developed prefabricated system was found to have reduced the deformation and cracking by approximately 40%. However, the cost, GHG emission, and embodied energy were higher in the prefabricated footing system due to the greater required amount of concrete and steel than that of the waffle raft. The cost difference between the two systems can be reduced to as low as 6% when prefabricated systems were installed in a highly reactive sites with large floor areas. The life cycle assessment further observed that the prefabricated footing systems consume up to 21% more energy and up to 18% more GHG emissions. These can significantly be compensated by reusing the developed prefabricated footing system, decreasing the GHG emission and energy consumption by 75–77% and 55–59% with respect to that of the waffle raft.
Highlights
Prefabricated construction refers to the process of building a structure through offsite manufacturing of elements under controlled conditions and transporting and assembling it on-site
The main aim of this study is to present and assess the global structural performance, cost efficiency, and sustainability of a developed prefabricated footing system using a multi-criteria analysis
To provide an effective comparison of the structural performance of each footing system, the substructures were exposed to varying soil movements for both edge heaving scenarios (Figure 1a) and centre heaving scenarios (Figure 1b)
Summary
Prefabricated construction refers to the process of building a structure through offsite manufacturing of elements under controlled conditions and transporting and assembling it on-site. This can potentially alleviate the challenges experienced by the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry since prefabrication expedites the total construction period by eliminating delays due to weather impact and skilled labour shortages [1,2,3,4,5]. Most observed prefabrication advancements have been focusing on superstructures, while the conventional cast-in-situ method, for concrete structures, is still the preferred construction technique for footing systems [12]. The full potential of prefabricated construction is yet to be fully realised since most innovations have been focusing on the superstructures of buildings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
