Advanced Construction Methods Research Articles

Construction 4.0: A Systematic Review of Its Application in Developing Countries

This study conducts a literature review to analyse the incorporation of Industry 4.0 in the construction sector, known as Construction 4.0, in developing countries. This study utilises an effective technique, encompassing academic databases, journals, and conference proceedings, to carefully examine relevant studies published with respect to developing countries. The primary areas of emphasis involve the definition of Construction 4.0. The technologies of execution include six cutting-edge technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, 3D printing, UAVs, and artificial intelligence in construction procedures. This analysis also explores the awareness and understanding of Industry 4.0 in the construction sector (Construction 4.0) in developing countries before identifying where it is being applied therein. Furthermore, obstacles that impede the mainstream adoption in developing countries are identified, including but not limited to such things as insufficient technological infrastructure, skill deficiencies, and budgetary limitations. This review consolidates various studies to provide a thorough comprehension of the present condition of Construction 4.0 in developing nations. As such, this paper aims to provide a guide for future research, policy making, and industry practices in order to promote sustainable and technologically advanced construction methods in these settings.

Interpretable ensemble machine learning models for predicting the shear capacity of UHPC joints

Precast ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) structures (PUSs) have gained increasing research and application interest in civil engineering owing to the combination of advanced construction materials and methods. UHPC joints are critical parts of PUSs; thus, an accurate prediction of their shear capacity (SC) is essential to ensure structural safety and reliability. However, existing equations for predicting SC have limited accuracy and applicability owing to their simplified assumptions and restricted input parameters. To address these challenges, this study used machine learning (ML) approaches to develop a unified and accurate predictive model for various types of UHPC joints. A well-curated database containing 218 UHPC joints with diverse types and configurations was established. Six ensemble algorithms and four traditional algorithms were employed to develop predictive models, and eight existing equations were compared for performance evaluation. Both correlation-based and SHAP-based feature selection methods were used to optimize the model accuracy. The ensemble algorithms demonstrated better performance than the traditional individual algorithms, with the gradient boosting machine (GBM) model ranked as the best ML model for SC. The ML model outperformed existing equations in all evaluated metrics, demonstrating its accuracy and robustness. Furthermore, Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis was employed to interpret the ML model, thereby providing insights into influential features and their relationships. These findings demonstrate the advantages of ML methods in predicting the SC of UHPC joints and provide valuable guidance for the structural design and research on PUSs.

Appraising the Feasibility of 3D Printing Construction in New Zealand Housing

The construction industry in New Zealand is significantly impacted by the importance of housing, particularly as urbanisation continues to grow in major cities. Modern construction methods, such as offsite construction and building automation, evolving into digital manufacturing and construction in the industry, have become prominent. Despite the global recognition of 3D printing technology, its adoption in the construction industry in New Zealand is still relatively limited. This study aims to examine the feasibility of 3D printing construction in response to current market challenges, innovation, and the 2050 net-zero carbon goal. Utilising Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches, this study investigated the environmental impacts of three housing types: 3D printing (3DP), light steel framed (LSF), and timber. This study used cradle-to-cradle as the system boundary. The results indicate that the 3DP house emits 20% fewer carbon emissions than the traditional timber house and 25% less than the LSF house. Additionally, the 3DP house exhibits a 19% lower annual electric energy consumption than the timber house. Therefore, in response to the growing housing demand in New Zealand, the construction industry must innovate and embrace digital and advanced construction methods, including the adoption of 3D printing.

"Usprawnienie technologii rurowania odwiertu poprzez wiercenie z rozszerzalną kolumną rur okładzinowych "

This article discusses new (innovative) well completion technologies that reduce economic costs and construction time, including casing drilling, expandable casing and monodiameter technology. The advantages and disadvantages of these technologies are considered. Casing drilling is one of the most advanced well construction methods, which prevents complications in the wellbore, due to simultaneous drilling and casing of the wellbore with casing pipes directly in the process of work. Due to the dimensions of the casing, there is constant contact with the well wall, which leads to mechanical clogging. When drilling deep, ultra-deep wells and wells with a large quantity of waste, there is a need for a large number of casing strings of different diameters, and there is not always enough varieties of pipe to provide them. One of the technological solutions for maintaining the diameter of casing strings when designing a well is the use of expandable casing pipes. Of all the advantages of using expandable tubular products, only one of them has the greatest potential – a well with a single bore diameter (Monodiameter). Monodiameter technology reduces the telescopic effect inherent in traditional designs. The possibility of combining two technologies into one, namely drilling with expandable casing pipes will lead to obtaining a well of one bore diameter (monodiameter). It is shown that the use of an expandable casing instead of a drill string is subject to greater risks than drilling with an expandable liner. Based on this, expandable liner drilling is the best option for using expandable casing.

Continuous and adaptable printing path based on transfinite mapping for 3D concrete printing

Three-dimensional (3D) concrete printing is an advanced and promising construction method that shows great development potential in the field of construction engineering owing to its highly flexible and intelligent characteristics. The printing path design that is directly related to the 3D printing process is usually limited by the time-dependent rheological properties of concrete composites and the nozzle opening of the print head. Improper path design is liable to disruption, interfacial defects, self-intersection, and even a certain amount of unfilled areas. This paper proposes a flexible and adaptive transfinite mapping method for the path planning of 3D concrete printing by properly mapping a predetermined continuous-type path to the digital model to be printed. This method combines the morphological features of the digital model and path types to achieve a high-quality and high-continuity adaptive printing path. Meanwhile, the relationship between the extrusion process parameters of cementitious composites is experimentally measured and subsequently incorporated into the path design program to realize zero-gap printing by in-process controlling the extrusion parameters. The advantages of this method in adapting to the diversity of morphological features and path types are verified by a set of free-form structures, and the applicability is experimentally validated.

Motion planning for efficient and safe module transportation in modular integrated construction

AbstractModular integrated construction (MiC) is the most advanced construction method that involves off‐site manufacturing, factory‐to‐site transportation, and on‐site assembly of free‐standing integrated modules. Despite the growing interest in the manufacturability of MiC, little research is available on the passing ability issues where efficient and safe transportation of modules is critical to the project's success. This paper proposes (1) a novel computational method for formulating and solving the module's horizontal passing ability with road constraints as a motion planning problem and (2) a new index to assess the path performance in critical scenarios. The newly developed Truck‐Parallelized Hybrid A Star (TP‐Hybrid A*) has novelties in collision checking, cost function formulation, and parallel computing on different vehicle dimensions. The effectiveness of the developed algorithm was experimentally verified to be superior to the rapid random tree in computation time and path performance and further demonstrated by applying it to a real‐life MiC project. The new index can serve as a useful tool for decision‐making in module dimension design and transportation planning of MiC projects when tackling the module's horizontal passing ability issues.

Study on the support scheme in the construction of cast-in-situ beam with support method

Nowadays, under the background of the vigorous development of national transportation, the number of bridge engineering construction is also increasing year by year. Ensuring the construction quality of bridge engineering is of great significance to ensure vehicle traffic safety and maintain social stability. Therefore, the major construction units are also actively introducing advanced construction methods in order to improve the construction quality. The construction of cast-in-situ beam with support method is the most widely used construction technology at present. In the construction of cast-in-situ beam with support method, the determination of support scheme has become the top priority. In this paper, based on the Jianxin West Road overpass of the north section of the third longitudinal line of Chongqing Expressway and the coaxial common section of rail transit line 5, the determination of support scheme is studied.

Construction of 3D GIS based on VR and Edge Computing

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a subject that studies spatial information science and computer system for collecting, storing, retrieving, modeling, analyzing and representing geospatial data. GIS not only manages attribute information based on numbers and text, but also manages spatial information based on visual graphics and images. With the rapid development of computer technology, space technology and information technology, the expression form of map is gradually changing from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. 3D GIS can express 3D spatial information in detail and has powerful multi-dimensional spatial analysis function. However, 3D visualization technology can not be immersed in geographic information. The process of requesting information by each end user is energy intensive. If big data processing is adopted, it will greatly increase the computing pressure of big data center. The paper presents a 3D GIS construction method based on Virtual Reality (VR) and edge computing (gis-ve). Specifically, firstly, virtual reality equipment is deployed at the user terminal to realize the organic integration of real scene and virtual object in three-dimensional space, and build a real and perfect three-dimensional real world space. Secondly, under the edge computing architecture, virtual reality applications are deployed on edge computing nodes to reduce the number of device hops transmitted between virtual reality application data and end users, reduce network processing delay and reduce the computing pressure of big data processing center. Then, the deployment problem of GIS is transformed into a performance optimization problem, and the delay and cost are used as evaluation indexes. Finally, an improved artificial bee colony algorithm is proposed to solve the optimal GIS construction scheme. In order to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this method, the paper compares this method with two other advanced 3D-GIS construction methods, and experiments show that this method performs well in terms of delay and cost.

Manufacturing and Characterization of Customizable Flexible Carbon Nanotube Fabrics for Smart Wearable Applications

The integration of carbon nanotube fabric into textiles is paving its way into smart materials and wearable applications. Potential novel applications of carbon nanotube hybrid (CNTH) materials and fabric composites span across a range of market levels from high-level PPE appropriate for military and industrial applications down to consumer products that can be used in everyday scenarios. The high-level performance properties of CNTH materials and their ability to be customized provide new possibilities for constructing fabrics with properties that are made to order. Furthermore, CNTH in combination with advanced textile compositing and construction methods allows the CNTH material to further leverage material customization aspects to meet specific requirements. The unique synthesis process for nanotube fabric allows for modification of the physical properties of the CNTH itself. The CNTH fabric combined with the customizability of standard textile composite materials and with the use of apparel design features allows for the design of materials with new combinations of physical properties. These unique properties offer high potential for developing families of smart wearable garments that can be scaled for industrial production. This article discusses the synthesis of carbon nanotube hybrid fabric, the process of hybrid fabric and textile integration, properties of the hybrid textile, and potential applications. The paper also provides an outlook towards large scale production of the hybrid textile material.

An Adaptable Conceptual Model for Construction Technology Transfer: The BRI in Africa, the Case of Ethiopia

Unlike other developmental relationships, BRI is the most promising icon in transforming the construction industry and built environment in Africa; the infrastructure developments like highways, bridges, skyscrapers, and aviation take in advanced construction technologies, methods, and skills. However, the technological capability of Chinese construction firms is not transferred in the highest capacity to the host countries. Nevertheless, the main focus is on delivering modern railways, highways, and skyscrapers. Thus, this research aimed to propose an adaptable technology transfer model by identifying the theoretical concepts in the body of knowledge, exploring the prior technology transfer models and the best experiences. The findings indicated that the BRI inclusive countries in Africa benefit from infrastructure development with an investment amount of more than US$33 billion with potential technology spillovers, but in an unplanned, and not best suited to their conditions because of the lack of a single-country-based technology, transfer model ahead of project implementation. Using a systems thinking approach and a causal loop diagram tool, the authors created a conceptual model to guide the Africa’s construction technology transfer through BRI. The research also examined case study projects in Ethiopia to assert the new model’s practicability over the existing processes. Moreover, the university–industry linkage structures, can facilitate the process through R&D and innovation in the whole project life cycle.

The development of composite bridges with corrugated steel webs in China

The prestressed concrete girder with corrugated steel webs is one of the most promising steel–concrete hybrid structures applied to highway and railway bridges, owing to its excellent mechanical properties and efficient material utilisation. Composite bridges with corrugated steel webs (CBCSWs) have undergone rapid development in China since 2005, resulting in remarkable technical progress in many aspects. A state-of-the-art review of CBCSWs in China is presented. Based on data collected for over 90 CBCSWs built in China during the years 2005–2018, characteristics relating to bridge span, structural type and construction methods are comprehensively analysed. Some mechanical issues regarding the design and construction of typical CBCSWs are elaborated to understand fully their structural performance and promote their development. Furthermore, a few representative CBCSWs are expounded in relation to their innovative structural design and construction techniques; their respective characteristics are highlighted. Finally, several conclusions are drawn and future research directions are predicted: the CBCSW is a competitive bridge solution when 80–200 m main spans are required; advanced materials, innovative structure types and advanced construction methods making good use of corrugated steel web are the source of its development. The experiences in this study can serve as a useful base for constructing more excellent and impressive CBCSWs.

Automatic Material Estimation by Translating BIM Data into ERP Readable Data for Panelized Residential Construction

Offsite construction methods have been promoted and recognized globally as advanced construction techniques. Panelization, a two-dimensional form of offsite construction has brought about many benefits including lower transportation requirements and design flexibilities. In North America, the panelized construction technique has become popular particularly for wood-frame wall panels for residential construction. However, although utilizing this advanced construction method can greatly improve the working environment and productivity, the conventional mentality in construction, which overlooks the value of an automated management system to support offsite prefabrication and onsite installation, hinders its potential. An automatic material estimation system can capture all computer-aided design (CAD) data from building information modeling (BIM) files automatically and convert them into enterprise resource planning (ERP) readable data so that the ERP system can be updated for the purpose of material estimation. With the assistance of a feature-based modeling method, the proposed automatic material estimation system can save huge amounts of manual work for quantity take-off and all required CAD data can be captured by the system in a few seconds. Although highly dynamic market demands result in continual changes in design, production plan, schedule, and inventory levels, the adoption of an automatic material estimation system could account for these dynamic changes in order to maximize production. Therefore, in this paper, an automatic material estimation system is proposed in order to enhance the design and estimation process in the manufacturing environment. The proposed system is introduced and the development of supportive software is described. The proposed system is implemented as a case study in a panelized construction manufacturing facility, ACQBUILT, Inc., based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Effect of in-plan eccentricity in vertically mass irregular RC framed buildings under seismic loads

Multi-storey buildings with complicated geometry and structural systems are common due to various possibilities offered by advanced construction methods. When these irregular buildings are subjected to lateral loads such as wind or earthquake, torsional effects become significant. The present study aims to evaluate the seismic response of vertically irregular multi-storey RC buildings of varying aspect ratios with different location of masses along the height and also with a stipulated amount of in-plan eccentricity. For this, building frames up to 15 storeys height incorporating an integration of vertical and in-plan eccentric masses are subjected to earthquake loads. Transient analysis is carried out by subjecting the three dimensional finite element models of building frames to El-Centro ground motion and the torsional behavior is evaluated in terms of variation in base shear, fundamental natural period, roof deflection and floor rotation. The results show that the in-plan eccentricity of the mass irregularities has least influence on the seismic response when irregularities are present in the lower half of the frames. The study proposes a parameter to quantify mass irregularity with respect to its location and in-plan eccentricity in the vertically irregular building.

Framework for an IoT-based shop floor material management system for panelized homebuilding

Panelized construction, an emerging offsite construction method, is garnering increasing attention globally particularly for wood-frame wall panels as an advanced construction technology. Although utilizing this advanced construction method can greatly improve the working environment and productivity, the conventional mentality in construction, which historically overlooks the value of an automated management system to support off-site prefabrication and on-site installation, hinders its application. This research introduces an Internet of things (IoT)-based shop floor material management system that can capture dynamic data in real-time and effectively synthesize it along the supply chain. With the assistance of a feature-based modelling method, real-time information can be merged into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system rather than manually inputting data. Through the research presented in this article, IoT-based shop floor material management is shown to be highly effective in addressing dynamic changes in a cost-effective manner. As demonstrated in a case study, the proposed system can lead to cost reduction, improved efficiency, and improved compliance with just-in-time (JIT) inventory management principles.AbbreviationsBIMBuilding information modellingBOMbill of materialCADcomputer-aided designCAEcomputer-aided engineeringDMTdata management toolERPenterprise resource planningIoTInternet of thingsJITjust-in-timeRFIDradio frequent identificationUMLunified modelling language

IoT-based Inventory Control System Framework for Panelized Construction

Modular construction and panelized construction have been promoted and recognized globally as advanced construction techniques. Not only have these construction methods been utilized in the oil and gas industry, but they have also successfully been introduced into the residential construction industry. In North America, the panelized construction technique has become popular particularly for wood-frame wall panels. However, although utilizing this advanced construction method can greatly improve the working environment and productivity, the conventional mentality in construction, which overlooks the value of an automated management system to support offsite prefabrication and onsite installation, hinders its potential. An Internet of Things (IoT)-based management system can capture all dynamic data in real time and effectively synthesize it along the supply chain associated with various types of resources. Eventually, with the assistance of a feature-based modeling method, IoT-based information collection can be merged into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Although highly dynamic market demands result in continual changes in the production plan, schedule, and inventory levels, adopting an IoT-based system accounts for the dynamic changes characteristic of this advanced construction method in order to maximize production. Therefore, in this paper, a conceptual framework for an IoT-based inventory control system is proposed in order to enhance the production and satisfy Just-in-Time inventory principle. IoT-based real-time technology is introduced and the development of supportive software is described. Part of the proposed IoT-based inventory control system is implemented as a case study in a panelized construction manufacturing facility, ACQBUILT, Inc., based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Field study on axial bearing capacity and load transfer characteristic of waveform micropile

The waveform micropile is an advanced construction method that combines the concept of the conventional micropile with the jet grouting method. This new form of micropile was developed to improve shaft resistance, and has enabled a higher bearing capacity and greater cost efficiency. Two field tests were conducted to examine field applicability and to verify the effects of bearing capacity enhancement. In particular, waveform micropile construction using the jet grouting method was performed to evaluate the viability of waveform micropile installation. After testing, the surrounding ground was excavated to check the shape of the waveform micropile. The result showed that waveform micropiles can be installed by adjusting the grouting time and pressure. In the loading tests, the bearing capacity of the waveform micropile increased by 1.4–2.3 times that of the conventional micropile, depending on the shape of the micropile. The load transfer analysis using the strain gauge data showed that the waveform micropile increases the shaft resistance in the soil layer. This not only decreases pile settlement, but also contributes to the increase of overall bearing capacity. The overall results clearly demonstrate that the waveform micropile is an enhanced construction method that can improve bearing capacity.

Comparison of Modern Structural Systems based on a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process

This article aims at comparison of three advanced construction methods to choose the appropriate one in four-storey buildings which could be suitable in mass construction. Comparison of modern structural systems is a qualitative and ambiguous notion, because there are numerous criteria in deciding a better method based mainly on expert’s experience of implementing, constructing and designing under complex conditions. The analytical hierarchy process is used here and remarks of experienced experts are collected by questionnaires. Comparison of three construction systems is undertaken: three-dimensional panels, lightweight steel frames, and reinforced insulating concrete formworks. This field research has involved reviewing the relevant literature, collecting questionnaires from experts, and based undertaking statistical analysis. Choosing structural system is complex especially for engineers and owners within new technologies because they hold new unknown criteria with them. When decision making has to be involved aesthetics, economic, environmental issues and social sides which are called sustainability, it becomes more important, so this result informs investors and owners to have a practical investigation by comprehensive and reliable research. By, Analytical Hierarchy Process AHP calculations, the best structural system has been chosen in which sustainability criteria affected. The result considered for four-storey building and it offers a useful guidance for mass construction.

An advanced automatic construction method of ROP

Automatic return oriented programming (ROP) technology can effectively improve the efficiency of ROP constructed, but the existing research results still have some shortcomings including needing more address space, poor generality. In order to solve these problems, this paper presents an improved ROP auto-constructor QExtd. Firstly, we design a Turing-complete language QExtdL and provide the basis of gadgets analysis. Secondly, we represent the MI instruction and realize precise process of side-effect instructions for improving the efficiency of automatic construction. At last, we establish a three-layer language conversion mechanism, making it convenient for users to construct ROP. Theoretical and experimental data show that the QExtd automatic construction method is much better than the ROPgadget based on syntax. In addition, the proposed method succeeds in constructing gadgets of ROP with the probability of 84% for programs whose sizes are more than 20 KB and whose directory is “/usr/bin” in Ubuntu, which proves that the construction capability improves significantly.

ANP Model for Evaluation of False-work Systems for Cast-in-place Cantilever Bridges

The terrain of Taiwan is characterized by large areas of mountains, while lands in urban areas have become increasingly difficult to acquire for developing infrastructures. To reduce environmental impacts and to improve traffic conditions, highway projects have adopted more and more bridges over the years and many advanced bridge construction methods have been introduced. In terms of construction of bridge superstructures, the cast-in-place cantilever method has seen wider use with many successful examples. This study investigated the false-work systems that may be selected for use in implementing the cast-in-place cantilever method in Taiwan, with the objective of developing a model for evaluating possible options. Based on a review of related researches, an evaluation framework for the false-work systems has been proposed first, which consists of six factors: system controllability, structural stability, initial cost, operating cost, segment cycle time, and closing segment construction time that are categorized into three aspects: reliability, cost, and speed. Because of the interdependencies among the factors, the model uses the analytic network process (ANP) to produce the weights of the factors and the ratings of the options in given project conditions. An illustrative example is provided, in which three false-work systems considered for a hypothetical box-girder bridge project are evaluated. The rankings of the options obtained for the example from best to worst were triangular truss, diamond truss, and suspension truss. Practitioners may use the model as a decision aid in evaluating and selecting false-work systems for the cast-in-place cantilever method for construction of bridge superstructures.

Experimental Evaluation of Fixing Equipment for Improving the Efficiency of Modular Unit Systems

Modular unit systems provide an eco-friendly advanced construction method that improves productivity and reduces carbon emissions and construction waste. In these systems, the prefabrication ratio of the modules should be high in order to support these eco-friendly features. The purpose of this study was to verify the functionality and driving safety of fixing a modular unit with a high prefabrication ratio to a vehicle for transportation to the site using two novel adapter blocks specially developed for this purpose. When asked to evaluate their performance for this study, the truck drivers selected adaptor block type B as providing the highest convenience and functionality. In real-world driving experiments, maximum loads of 15 kN and 25 kN were measured on adapter block types A and B, respectively. Future improvements in the adapter blocks that take the safety ratio and the improved convenience of use into account are confidently expected to contribute to the eco-friendliness and the improved productivity of modular unit systems.