Simulation-Driven Design of Wood Framing Support Systems for Off-Site Construction Machinery
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 7
Abstract
Off-site construction aims to shift construction work to a factory environment, thereby enabling automation of the wood framing process. Current automated or semiautomated solutions for wood framing are assisted by a series of support and buffer tables that occupy a large footprint within industrialized construction plants. As the wood panels become longer to minimize transportation costs, so do their necessary support systems. To provide a more cost-effective solution for wood framing support systems, this paper proposes a simulation-driven redesign. The simulation model was built on existing data from current machinery, enabling users to modify design parameters and machine logic without incurring costs associated with prototyping. The simulation results were then analyzed from performance and cost perspectives to decide on the final design parameters. The redesign of the wood framing support systems was found to be almost 40% less costly and more than 10% more productive than currently available systems, showcasing the importance of simulation within the field of construction automation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data generated or analyzed during the study are included in the published paper. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of all personnel involved in the development of the wood framing machine prototype, as well as the financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (File No. IRCPJ 419145-15).
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 7, 2019
Accepted: Dec 31, 2019
Published online: Apr 30, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 30, 2020
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