Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Modular buildings can be built through a more efficient and cost-effective method, but in the current manufacturing-based approach a gap still exists between design and production. Civeo is one of North America's largest fully integrated suppliers of remote site buildings and services and has two modular manufacturing plants in the Edmonton area. The aim of the proposed research is to improve Civeo's productivity by targeting improved efficiency and cost reduction throughout the design, engineering, and manufacturing processes. In the proposed methodology, first all the required information needs to be front-loaded to a building information modelling (BIM) platform as the first step to improving design and drafting. Information to be frontloaded to the 3D model includes material quantity take-off lists and dimensional properties of building components to be used in cost estimation. A time study will then be performed in order to quantify resource requirements for component fabrication at each station in order to extract a resource allocation plan from the BIM model to increase accuracy in budget planning. Another goal is to develop accurate and optimal scheduling for manufacturing, transportation, and assembly of modules, which will be extracted from the BIM model and analyzed through simulation and an optimization model. The next step will be to integrate the BIM model with mathematical algorithms to optimize material usage. Another task will be to develop a simulation visualization model of the production line which visualizes the manufacturing process prior to implementation. The proposed study is expected to decrease production costs and time; extend the construction season; and increase quality and durability by developing an efficient and cost-effective construction manufacturing system. The success of this research project will also benefit Canada by improving productivity and the competitive advantage of the Canadian construction industry through the application of lean manufacturing and the automation of design and drafting. By facilitating the incorporation of sustainable, low environmental impact materials, designs, and practices, the proposed study will also serve to curtail GHG emissions and waste.