Precast Construction Research Articles

Optimal Location for Tower Crane and Dynamic Trailer Parking in High-Rise Modular Building Construction Project

Optimization of tower crane positioning is essential in precast building construction to ensure that a crane is in the right position to offer the best value for placing precast elements. The first goal is the optimization of transportation distances made by tower cranes, which will address the issues of efficiency and cost. This is done in a way that provides for minimization of the distances that lie between the trailer parking where elements are parked, the tower crane, and the construction installation point. However, current research fails to address the dynamic movement efficiency of trailers, especially when handling multiple trailers and several models of tower cranes, making this scenario an optimization problem that is classified as NP-hard due to the likelihood of causing a combinatorial explosion. This work endeavors to present a new mathematical model that has been applied to the Genetic Algorithm (GA). The ideal demand-generated model is designed to solve the optimal model and position of tower cranes and the prospective positioning of trailers for parking. The feasibility and applicability of the method exploited in the study are also established through a project case study. When adopting the proposed planning model compared to the earlier planning scale, comparisons highlight a small yet significant saving of 6% in time and cost when lifting elements instead of providing them from the trailers by setting up a new on-site stockyard. In addition, a great deal of enhancement is also observed in the final solution aspects, where the developed GA has even reduced the operational time and cost by half a percent each. The results of this research offer best-practice approaches to the position analysis of tower cranes in precast building construction to bring scalability and cost optimization to bear on the construction business.

Customer order scheduling on a serial-batch machine in precast bridge construction

Prefabricated construction is widely adopted in the current bridge construction project, especially offshore bridges. The realistic requirements of large quantities of prefabricated parts and tight delivery schedules make it extremely challenging to develop optimal scheduling. We address a new customer order scheduling on a serial-batch machine (COS-SBM) to reduce the sum of inventory holding costs of finished jobs and tardiness costs of orders in precast bridge construction. In the COS-SBM problem, all jobs with incompatibility in orders need to be divided into batches, which are then scheduled for processing on a serial-batch machine. We develop a mixed-integer linear programming model to formulate this new problem. Since the COS-SBM problem is NP-hard, we propose a genetic algorithm based on a novel batch sequencing and forming encoding method (GA-BSFE), which makes the scheduling and batching decisions simultaneously to enhance its exploration. Moreover, we design an efficient three-stage heuristic based on the order weighted modified due date rule and batch weighted longest processing time rule. The three-stage heuristic is introduced into the initiation of GA-BSFE to enhance its exploitation. Finally, a set of instances generated based on the realistic production of precast girders is tested to validate the effectiveness of GA-BSFE. The performance analysis suggests that GA-BSFE is the most appropriate for the COS-SBM problem.

Experimental study and seismic assessment on base isolated precast concrete frame structure with box connectors

The precast construction method offers fast and environmentally friendly solutions for sustainable development in construction. Various connection methods, including wet and dry, have been proposed to enhance assembly convenience. However, challenges remain in achieving complete assembly and considering disassembly processes, hindering post-earthquake restoration. This study introduces a precast RC structure system with easily assembled joints that facilitate disassembly. To enhance the structural system's adaptability to regions with high seismic intensity, rubber-bearing base isolation technology is employed to optimize its seismic performance. Shaking table tests were conducted to evaluate the structure system's dynamic response and seismic performance. Test results indicate that the isolation layer significantly decreases the acceleration response, inter-story drift ratios, floor shear forces, and strain of reinforcements. The isolation structure has a high probability of entering operational and immediate occupancy states during rare earthquakes. The deformation of the isolation bearings has a decisive impact on the overall seismic fragility of the isolation structure system.

Blockchain-based security-minded information-sharing in precast construction supply chain management with scalability, efficiency and privacy improvements

Blockchain and Interplanetary File System (IPFS) integration holds great promise for enhancing transparency and traceability in precast construction supply chain management (PCSCM). However, such integration faces challenges regarding unauthorized access to confidential data, which can lead to significant consequences, such as financial losses and legal issues. Regarding this gap, this paper proposes a hybrid privacy-preserving access control mechanism for securing blockchain-IPFS information-sharing in PCSCM with confidentiality considerations. Multiple privacy-preserving techniques (e.g., information-sharing channels, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and lightweight proxy re-encryption) are leveraged. A prototype system demonstrates its feasibility and effectiveness, achieving demonstrably low network latency (millisecond level), efficient encryption (millisecond level), and robust data security within both blockchain and IPFS. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of blockchain-IPFS integration and provides a valuable reference point for future research and practical adoption.

BIM-Based and IoT-Driven Smart Tracking for Precast Construction Dynamic Scheduling

BIM-Based and IoT-Driven Smart Tracking for Precast Construction Dynamic Scheduling

Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of the composite prefabricated ultra-shallow slabs (PUSS) and hollow core slabs in the UK

Life cycle assessment studies of precast construction methods highlight their superiority over traditional cast-in-situ construction in reducing buildings’ environmental impacts. Among the extensively used precast structural elements, hollow core precast slabs have proven benefits with their practical implementation in flooring systems across various flooring spans and live loads. This paper presents a case study comparing the global warming potential and embodied energy impacts of a recently developed lightweight prefabricated composite flooring system (PUSS) with zinghollow core precast slabs in the UK. The analysis is based on 16 live load/flooring span scenarios, between 6 and 12m. The study examines the benefits and drawbacks of utilising different concrete types in PUSS flooring, namely normal weight concrete, lightweight aggregates concrete and geopolymer concrete. PUSS with GPC demonstrates potential savings of up to 50 % in GWP compared with hollow core slabs, while PUSS with LWC exhibits potential savings of up to 35 % in total EE compared with hollow core slabs.

Development and characterization of new lightweight waste-based plaster composites for building applications

The development of new environmentally friendly construction materials that incorporate waste as an alternative to traditional raw materials is becoming increasingly important and necessary for the construction sector. Gypsum plasters composites are characterised by their versatility and wide range of applications in precast construction due to their excellent technical performance and low cost. This research presents a new material that incorporates EPS waste in solution and recycled rubber aggregates as secondary raw materials, partially replacing traditional plaster material. In this way, partial mass substitutions of up to 12.5 % have been achieved compared to the reference composites without additions. The results show how the incorporation of EPS in solution allows a more homogeneous integration of the residue in the plaster composite matrix. Although it is true that the incorporation of both residues has slightly reduced mechanical resistance to bending and compression, reaching minimum values of 3.71 MPa and 5.08 MPa respectively, the results obtained greatly exceed the minimum values required by current regulations. On the other hand, in the study conducted with prefabricated false ceiling plates, it has been observed that the combined effect of both residues allows for greater resistance to simple bending than traditional composites, with a reduction in bulk density and thermal conductivity of up to 30.1 % and 26.5 %, respectively. Thus, this work presents a viable alternative for the development of new plaster composites that are more sustainable, lightweight and conducive to advancing towards the industrialisation of the construction sector.

Physico-mechanical and microstructural evolution of sintered pressed geopolymer: Dual effects of aging period and sintering temperature

Ceramics are highly valued for their exceptional thermal resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures. This study investigated the production of ceramic-like pressed geopolymer, focusing on the effects of aging period and sintering temperature. The results showed that the 7-day pressed geopolymer achieved the highest compressive (134.7 MPa) and flexural (34.9 MPa) strengths after sintering at 1000°C, with a density retention of 93.7 %, a mass loss of 7.9 %, and a thermal shrinkage of 1.4 %. Microstructural analysis at 1000°C showed a dense ceramic-like structure with nepheline formation. Phase analysis of the 7-day pressed geopolymer revealed a decrease in the amorphous phase as temperature increased, with nepheline formed at 800°C (26.0 %) and maximized at 1000°C (61.0 %). This work offers an optimal aging period and sintering temperature to maximize the mechanical strength and nepheline crystal formation, making them perfect for fire-resistant panels and precast construction products.

Role of self-curing mechanism in lightweight concrete: A state-of-the-art report

AbstractWorldwide, precast and hybrid construction methods are becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry. But many problems occur during the fabrication, such as segregation, bleeding, scaling, plastic shrinkage, dust formation, honeycombing, sintering, high sorptivity, and high permeability and transportation. This problem may be caused by an ineffective curing process that affects the quality of concrete and construction. In addition, it provides inadequate and incomplete cement hydration that has a 20% negative effect on the desired properties of the concrete. Various researchers have demonstrated the components of self-curing lightweight concrete that can enhance strength and physicochemical properties, and address the above-mentioned issues. In this review, the role of the self-curing mechanism in lightweight concrete based on the various self-curing chemical admixtures such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), superabsorbent polymer (SAP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium lignosulfonate and calcium lignosulfonate as self-curing agents are discussed in detail. Also, this paper briefly reports on the scope, significance, mechanisms, and tests for self-curing lightweight concrete. Overall, this review analyzes the possibilities of future research perspectives on self-curing lightweight concrete with sustainable materials and fibres with comparative technical information.

Planning of Production Capacities of Precast Construction Plants under Conditions of Changes in Demand for Products

The main criterion for a feasibility study of the production efficiency of precast construction plants, analysis of internal production reserves and optimal production volume is the production capacity indicator. Thus, the study of various Factors influencing the production capacity indicators is an important task. The results of research of the influence of the number of storeys and the set of block sections in the configuration of industrial residential buildings on changes in the ratio of product types in the range of the production programme of plants are presented in the paper. Fluctuations in the ratio of product types during the construction of different types of houses have been established. Based on the obtained results, the dependence of the production capacity plants on fluctuations in the ratio of product types has been constructed. It has been determined that the main reason for the revealed facts of a decrease in production capacity is the uneven loading of production lines with fluctuations in the ratio of product types in the range of production programs of precast construction plants. Taking into account the known facts of the dependence of production capacity on the concrete capacity of block sections of houses, the results of a comparison of the degree of influence of concrete capacity on the production capacity and the ratio of the main types of products in the range of production programs of plants are presented in the paper. It has been established that a key influence on the indicators of production capacity is exerted by changes in the ratio of product types. On the basis of the conducted research, optimal reserves of production capacity have been determined with a high share of different types of houses in the production programs of the plants. Taking into account the established indicators of production capacity reduction, their optimal reservation is within 20–25 % of the design capacity of the plants, which should serve as a reference point when planning the functioning of the production management system under the conditions of changes in demand for products.

KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION TRAJECTORY OF BIM IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

In recent years, the construction industry worldwide has shown significant interest in Building Information Modeling (BIM). This study aims to analyze the dissemination of knowledge about BIM in construction engineering applications using Main Path Analysis (MPA). The research sample comprises 3,761 papers related to BIM’s application in the construction industry, sourced from the ISI Web of Science database. Initially, we investigate trends in paper publications, conduct country and journal analyses, and examine author statistics. Subsequently, we calculate traversal counts along the search path links to reveal the development trajectory of BIM. The trajectory of BIM’s evolution in the construction industry can be divided into four stages as identified through the global key-route main path analysis: 1) BIM standardization; 2) Integration of completed building projects using BIM; 3) BIM applications in precast construction projects; and 4) BIM applications in land management. These findings provide a clear understanding of how BIM has been applied and evolved within the construction industry.

Time-dependant effects on curved precast segmentally constructed balanced cantilever bridges

Excessive long-term deflections and diagonal cracking in the webs are two commonly reported issues in segmentally constructed balanced cantilever bridges. The design of superstructure in such bridges is rather complicated due to the staged construction, secondary restraint forces, and time-dependent effects such as shrinkage, creep, and steel relaxation. The influence of these factors significantly increases by the curvature of the bridge on plan, to the point where it can result in the failure of the bridge if special considerations are not made. In this study, stepwise numerical analyses of a curved pre-cast construction of a balanced cantilever bridge with time-dependent material properties are carried out. The results show the effects of time-dependent losses, especially creep, on deflections during cantilevering and in long-term. It is shown that the curvature of the bridge due to long-term effects can increase the transverse moments in segments that adversely affect the principal tensile stresses, which can lead to diagonal cracking in the web of the segments.

Study of Influence of Product Range on Production Capacity Indicators of Precast Construction Plants

The paper presents the results of research of the influence of product range parameters on the indicators of development of the design capacities of precast construction plants. The quantity and concrete consumption of products in terms of 1 m2 of total area, as well as the circulation of products, have been taken as the analyzed parameters of product range. It is noted that calculations of production capacity and basic technical and economic indicators of production at the stage of technological design are based on the product range of a typical block section of a house series. At the same time, architectural individuality, flexibility of planning and design solutions of prefabricated houses buildings in industrial design require a variety of modifications of block sections, which is inextricably linked with the growth of the range of manufactured products. Expansion of the range of products for modifications of block sections in the production program of plants is an objective regularity that should be taken into account in the technological design of new or reconstruction of existing precast constructions plants and planning production programs for housing construction. Significant fluctuations in the parameters of the product range in the production programs of plants have been recorded. A regression analysis of the parameters of the range products of production programs of precast construction plants has been carried out. The dependence of product range on the share of dotted houses in housing construction programs has been established. The main parameters of houses determining fluctuations in the range of products have been identified, which include the number of storeys and the number of sections in the house configuration. Taking into account the fact of the significant influence of the product range on the production capacity of plants, the dependence of the indicator of compliance of the concrete capacity of products with 1 m2 of total area on the production capacity indicators has been established. The reliability of the obtained mathematical models is confirmed by the results of statistical processing of research results and verification of models in calculations of the current production capacity of plants.

Automated generative design and prefabrication of precast buildings using integrated BIM and graph convolutional neural network

Precast construction is a productivity-improving technology in the architectural, engineering, and construction industry that improves construction efficiency by combining factory-based manufacturing and lean assembly. Many international efforts have encouraged the adoption of this approach. This study presents an integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) with technological automation interoperability to enable generative design and prefabrication for precast buildings. A generic BIM-based graph representation is established to explicitly formulate buildings' spatial and geometric features. Following this, a graph-constrained layout generator is developed, with a generative modelling algorithm and graph convolutional neural network, to extract pairwise spatial-geometric features for generating the optimal precast layout. This is followed by semantic enrichment of BIM data (i.e., Industry Foundation Classes) with precast data schema to facilitate data transformation for prefabrication automation until site delivery. The holistic approach presented in this study empowers pre-construction planning optimisation and fabrication automation in precast construction.

Design optimisation towards lower embodied carbon of prefabricated buildings: Balancing standardisation and customisation

The design principle of standardisation is widely acknowledged for its potential in reducing embodied carbon emissions (CE) in prefabrications through the facilitated reuse of prefabricated elements. Yet, its effectiveness in optimising CE in precast constructions remains underexplored. This article introduces a micro-level sustainable design optimisation approach for precast projects that factors the CE of both building materials and concrete formwork. Using a parametric approach, the method generates design alternatives derived from the original architecture design. Structure analysis is then employed to determine the design of structure elements and formwork pieces. With the objective of minimising CE from building materials and formwork, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to explore solutions with the lowest CE. Comparative analysis shows this approach's effectiveness over standardisation-only designs, reducing concrete, reinforcement, precast formwork, and overall CE by 14.32%, 16.71%, 10.39%, and 10.51%, respectively. These findings underscore that increased standardisation does not necessarily lead to lower embodied CE. Integrating the benefits of element standardisation and customisation presents a promising carbon reduction strategy. The introduction of micro-level variables enhances the understanding of standardisation and offers novel carbon reduction strategies, such as increasing the adaptability of casting formwork and maximising the use of existing formwork pieces. Designers and manufactures can adopt these strategies for lower embodied CE of projects. This study also addresses the limitations of design tools used in early architecture design stages, providing designers with continuous decision-making assistance, thereby facilitating the implementation of sustainable strategies.

Enhancing the Construction Efficiency of Mid Rise Construction Projects with Partial Precast Construction Technique By IJISRT

The primary success parameter of every construction project is to achieve the better quality products, in the most reasonable time and at an economic cost. Along with the materials the method of construction used in mid rise construction projects contributes mainly for the cost of the project, time duration to complete the project & structural behavior such as stability, durability, quality etc. of these structures. This paper is about understanding the need for creating an awareness about the construction method to be adopted & enhancing the construction efficiency of mid rise construction projects with partial precast concrete construction technique. The study also speaks about the cost, time and quality effectiveness as compared to cast in-situ concrete construction techniques for the mid rise construction projects. The research findings shows that partial precast construction for mid rise construction projects is time and quality effective. Thus, we can achieve the cost effectiveness in partial precast concrete construction if the recommendations made are implemented.

Integration of Java Programming-Based Pert and Earned Value Management Methods Based on Residential Precast Case Study to Improve Project Cost Efficiency

The need for residential houses is still high for property and construction commodities. The availability of land and market prices for residential houses continue to increase yearly. Only 45.04% of Jakarta residents had a home ownership status in 2020. 2021 is the precast building mode. It is justified that precast construction structures can save 35% on construction costs and are 27.33% more reliable than ordinary concrete structures. The research examines the integration of the PERT method and earned value management (EVM) based on Java programming in residential precast case studies. The results of this study are that the implementation of the PERT method can increase the efficiency of project duration by 6%, and the implementation of the EVM method can increase project cost efficiency by 7% with the indicators Schedule Performance Index (SPI) = 1.01 (under schedule) and Cost Performance Index = 1, 07 (Under Budget)

Comparative Analysis of Precast and In situ Concrete and Their Effectiveness on Koga Irrigation Structures

Most construction projects in Ethiopia are built by using conventional cast in situ concrete. However, the latest technology reveals various priorities of the precast construction method over the cast in situ concrete. The main aim of this study is to analyze better irrigation lining concrete among two types of casting by conducting visual inspection methods and non-destructive tests to characterize defects. Koga irrigation main canal, which is found in Northwest Ethiopia, was used as a study area because it is made of both in situ and precast concrete linings. The study reveals that the lower strength, severe defects, and lower uniformity due to the high level of difficulty in pouring and vibrating the concrete on the side slopes of the canal were observed in the in situ lined canal. However, the growth of grass in the joints, and sealing of closely spaced and less water-tight joints are observed at the precast part of the canal lining. Providing reinforcement bars on the in situ canals and providing water-tight joints for the precast concrete part are viable solutions.

Secure and Formalized Blockchain-IPFS Information Sharing in Precast Construction from the Whole Supply Chain Perspective

Secure and Formalized Blockchain-IPFS Information Sharing in Precast Construction from the Whole Supply Chain Perspective

The Most Impactful Changes from ACI 318-14 to ACI 318-19

This paper discusses selected changes from ACI 318- 14 to ACI 318-19 that are likely to have the largest impact on precast concrete design and construction. Some of these changes have proved to be somewhat problematic. These concerns are described, and in a few cases, suggestions are offered that might mitigate some of the negative impact.