• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2020.12a
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• pp.75-84
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• 2020

Modular construction is a construction method whereby prefabricated volumetric units are produced in a factory and are installed on site to form a building block. The construction productivity can be substantially improved by the manufacturing and assembly of standardized modular units. 3D printing is a computer-controlled fabrication method first adopted in the manufacturing industry and was utilized for the automated construction of small-scale houses in recent years. Implementing 3D printing in the fabrication of modular units brings huge benefits to modular construction, including increased customization, lower material waste, and reduced labor work. Such implementation also benefits the large-scale and wider adoption of 3D printing in engineering practice. However, a critical issue for 3D printed modules is the loading capacity, particularly in response to horizontal forces like wind load, which requires a deeper understanding of the building structure behavior and the design of load-bearing modules. Therefore, this paper presents the state-of-the-art literature concerning recent achievement in 3D printing for buildings, followed by discussion on the opportunities and challenges for examining 3D printing in modular construction. Promising 3D printing techniques are critically reviewed and discussed with regard to their advantages and limitations in construction. The appropriate structural form needs to be determined at the design stage, taking into consideration the overall building structural behavior, site environmental conditions (e.g., wind), and load-carrying capacity of the 3D printed modules. Detailed finite element modelling of the entire modular buildings needs to be conducted to verify the structural performance, considering the code-stipulated lateral drift, strength criteria, and other design requirements. Moreover, integration of building information modelling (BIM) method is beneficial for generating the material and geometric details of the 3D printed modules, which can then be utilized for the fabrication.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.707-726
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• 2015

This paper investigates the time dependent behaviour of Haarajoki test embankment on soft structured clay deposit. Half of the embankment is constructed on an area improved with prefabricated vertical drains, while the other half is constructed on the natural deposit without any ground improvement. To analyse the PVD-improved subsoil, axisymmetric vertical drains were converted into equivalent plane strain conditions using three different approaches. The construction and consolidation of the embankment are analysed with the finite element method using a recently developed anisotropic model for time-dependent behaviour of soft clays. The constitutive model, namely ACM-S accounts for combined effects of plastic anisotropy, interparticle bonding and degradation of bonds and creep. For comparison, the problem is also analysed with isotropic Soft Soil Creep and Modified Cam Clay models. The results of the numerical analyses are compared with the field measurements. The results show that neglecting effects of anisotropy, destructuration and creep may lead to inaccurate predictions of soft clay response. Additionally, the numerical results show that the matching methods accurately predict the consolidation behaviour of the embankment on PVD improved soft clays and provide a useful tool for engineering practice.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.319-336
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• 2024

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has attracted increasing attention in prefabricated steel-concrete composite beams as achieving the onsite construction time savings and structural performance improvement. The inferior replacement and removal efficiency of conventional prefabricated steel-UHPC composite beams (PSUCBs) has thwarted its sustainable applications because of the widely used welded-connectors. Single embedded nut bolted shear connectors (SENBs) have recently introduced as an attempt to enhance demountability of PSUCBs. An in-depth exploration of the mechanical behavior of SENBs in UHPC is necessary to evidence feasibilities of corresponding PSUCBs. However, existing research has been limited to SENB arrangement impacts and lacked considerations on SENB geometric configuration counterparts. To this end, this paper performed twenty push-out tests and theoretical analyses on the shear performance and design recommendation of SENBs. Key test parameters comprised the diameter and grade of SENBs, degree and sequence of pretension, concrete casting method and connector type. Test results indicated that both diameters and grades of bolts exerted remarkable impacts on the SENB shear performance with respect to the shear and frictional responses. Also, there was limited influence of the bolt preload degrees on the shear capacity and ductility of SENBs, but non-negligible contributions to their corresponding frictional resistance and initial shear stiffness. Moreover, inverse pretension sequences or monolithic cast slabs presented slight improvements in the ultimate shear and slip capacity. Finally, design-oriented models with higher accuracy were introduced for predictions of the ultimate shear resistance and load-slip relationship of SENBs in PSUCBs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.1202-1205
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• 2009

Embankment preloading, in conjunction with prefabricated vertical (PV) drains, was used to accelerate consolidation of marine clays in Pusan New Harbour project. UP to eightteen settlement plates were installed at the ground reclamated site under the embankment fill to monitor the preload performance. This analysis is carried out by five settlement prediction methods including the Asaoka, Hyperbolic, Hoshino, and back-analysis method based on optimization. The field settlement data can be analysed by settlement prediction methods to predict the ultimate settlement and the degree of consolidation of the reclaimed land under charge fill. The authors compared with the analyzed results of the methods.

• Journal of KIBIM
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.47-52
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• 2015

This paper presents a case study using Building Information Modeling (BIM) for planning, simulating, and implementing complex site logistics in a headquarter office building construction project in Silver Spring, MD. As part of the project a prefabricated 92ft structural tube steel pedestrian connector bridge was installed between two adjacent buildings in the city of Silver Spring, MD. There were multiple significant challenges to deliver, offload, prepare, and install the connector bridge safely, on time, and with the minimum disturbances to the neighbors. BIM was of the foremost importance to visualize, simulate, analyze, improve, and communicate the site logistics plan from delivery to installation of the connector bridge. As a result of the effort, GC of the project was able to prepare a highly detailed plan, communicate it effectively to all stakeholders, and flawlessly execute the work as planned. This case study would provide a useful reference for contractors who are seeking a better planning method that enables generation of more accurate, implementable, optimized plans for complex site logistics.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.185-199
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• 2019

Modular construction is an emerging technology to accommodate the increasing restrictions in terms of construction period, energy efficiency and environmental impacts, since each structural module is prefabricated offsite beforehand and assembled onsite using industrialized techniques. However, some innate structural drawbacks of this innovative method are also distinct, such as connection tying inaccessibility, column instability and system robustness. This study aims to explore the theoretical and numerical stability analysis of a tenon-connected square hollow section (SHS) steel column to address the tying and stability issue in modular construction. Due to the excellent performance of composite structures in fire resistance and buckling prevention, concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns are also taken into account in the analysis to evaluate the feasibility of adopting composite sections in modular buildings. Characteristic equations with three variables, i.e., the length ratio, the bending stiffness ratio and the rotational stiffness ratio, are generated from the fourth-order governing differential equations. The rotational stiffness ratio is recognized as the most significant factor, with interval analysis conducted for its mechanical significance and domain. Numerical analysis using ABAQUS is conducted for validation of characteristic equations. Recommendations and instructions in predicting the buckling performance of both SHS and CFST columns are then proposed.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.41-49
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• 2006

Precast concrete apartments were main stream of domestic industrialized housing around 90's, and Steel Houses applying Steel Stud technique with light weighted steel have been dominant portion since 1995. On the other hand, various building techniques including Steel Stud method and highly prefabricated and industrialized Unit method are prevailing in developed countries like Japan. Steel stud and unit box have their own merits and demerits, but the more crucial aspect is that the constant design standard should be applied in each design procedure. It entails the necessity of industrial housing development on the open system basis. In this study, the design standard for unit house will be established coping with the established preparing standard for design specifications defined by architectural law and promotion law of housing construction. That is for design standard of industrialized private housing on the open system basis. This study attempts to propose the design automation, with the method of unit construction of which the rate of pre-fabrication is the biggest, that can cope with the demand of user on the basis of open-system. Ticky-tacky is the biggest technical problem in suppling industrialization housing. Therefore, we will suggest a basic plan for design automation of unit modular housing which can raise the productivity of industrialization housing by applying open system, utilized by DB of component and unit, and solve the problem concerned about ticky-tacky.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2020

The hinge joint is the key to the overall cooperative working performance of the assembled beam bridge, and it is also the weakest part during the service period. This paper proposes a method for monitoring and evaluating the lateral cooperative working performance of fabricated beam bridges based on dynamic strain correlation coefficient indicator. This method is suitable for monitoring and evaluation of hinge joints status between prefabricated girders and overall cooperative working performance of bridge, without interruption of traffic and easy implementation. The remote cloud monitoring and diagnosis system was designed and implemented on a real assembled beam bridge. The algorithms of data preprocessing, online indicator extraction and status diagnosis were given, and the corresponding software platform and scientific computing environment for cloud operation were developed. Through the analysis of real bridge monitoring data, the effectiveness and accuracy of the method are proved and it can be used in the health monitoring system of such bridges.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.579-586
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• 2022

Modular building is a fast-growing construction method, mainly due to its ability to drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to construct a building and produce higher-quality buildings at a more consistent rate. However, while modular construction is relatively safer than traditional construction methods, workers are still exposed to hazards that lead to injuries and fatalities, and these hazards could be controlled using emerging smart technologies. Currently, limited information is available at the intersection of modular construction, safety risk, and smart safety technologies. This paper aims to investigate what aspects of modular construction are most dangerous for its workers, highlight specific risks in its processes, and propose ways to utilize smart technologies to mitigate these safety risks. Findings from the archival analysis of accident reports in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries indicate that 114 significant injuries were reported between 2002 and 2021, of which 67 were fatalities. About 72% of fatalities occurred during the installation phase, while 57% were caused by crushing and 85% of crash-related incidents were caused by jack failure/slippage. IoT-enabled wearable sensing devices, computer vision, smart safety harness, and Augment and Virtual Reality were identified as potential solutions for mitigating identified safety risks. The present study contributes to knowledge by identifying important safety trends, critical safety risk factors and proposing practical emerging methods for controlling these risks.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.463-464
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• 2010

Pre-tension Girder using Precast Concrete bed System have advantage of simplifying construction process, reducing prestress-loss and cost compared with post-tension Girder. That is because it is possible to produce pre-tension Girder by prefabricated concrete bed in site not factory. This paper present pre-tension girder method using precast concrete bed system and field application.