The study described in this thesis investigates how the implementation of raised floor system (RFS) for the fitout of office buildings can be promoted in the Australian construction industry. It essentially achieves this goal through justifying the RFS fitout advantages, improving industry practitioners' awareness of the innovative technology, and identifying the barriers hindering RFS application, and exploring integrated approaches to overcome these barriers. Due to increasing levels of technological, environmental and organizational changes in office buildings, the traditional office building fitout method cannot deliver flexible services economically and in a timely manner. RFS is highlighted for its superior underfloor distribution technologies and ability to promote healthy workplace environments and organizational flexibilities. Despite the many benefits RFS may bring, this innovative technology has not been widely used. Therefore, for countries with potential growth in the office building market, including Australia, how to make this state-of-the-art fitout technology more acceptable is of great importance. To encourage the RFS implementation in office buildings, the research set up five objectives: (1) to justify the RFS advantages for office building fitout compared with traditional fitout method; (2) to identify and present appropriate specifications of RFS products and applications in order to improve industry practitioners' awareness on RFS fitout; (3) to identify and seek potential solutions to barriers hindering RFS fitout implementation; (4) to integrate the barriers and their solutions into RFS project delivery using constructability study; and (5) to formulate guidelines for RFS fitout implementation in office buildings in the Australian construction industry. A comprehensive research methodology consisting of questionnaire, semi-structured interview, site observations, focus groups, life cycle cost (LCC) comparison, and constructability study was structured to support the exploratory research. With a combined qualitative and quantitative data analysis method, the questionnaire and interview surveys revealed the low level recognition of RFS within the industry, and identified 20 significant influence factors (SIFs) and 15 real problems associated with RFS fitout implementation. The site observations and focus groups validated the survey findings and justified the RFS fitout advantages. Then, the LCC comparison established a model and verified the LCC benefits of RFS fitout through a case study. The final discussion on the SIFs, real problems and their solutions uncovered 36 project level critical factors pertaining to RFS fitout design, construction, operation and maintenance. A constructability study was employed to integrate these key factors into RFS fitout project delivery, such as construction knowledge inputs, team skills, and RFS fitout programs. More importantly, five key issues with significant influences were revealed. Further investigation of these key issues led to a framework for the constructability implementation, a contracting strategy with nominated specialist contractors under CM/GC, and a process-based conceptual model for the selection of RFS products. Based on these findings, a set of guidelines for the RFS fitout implementation in office buildings was formulated as a contribution to practice. Questionnaires were again used to invite comments on the key issues and guidelines, and the results proved the validity of the research outcomes.

The project, constituting one of the initial stages of the construction process and defining the building s characteristics, influences decisively to the execution of the work and the performance of the built environment. The adoption of a rationalized constructive system provides quickness, facility and quality to the construction, and, consequently, a better building performance if compared with traditional ways of construction. Therefore, the structural masonry, system whose rationalization comes from modular coordination and integration from the projects, has been increasingly used in Civil Construction. In Brazil, although, the resistance for its adoption resides, most times, in the lack of knowledge about the structural masonry constructive techniques proper from the system, and the fear of abandoning the connected with reinforced concrete, already dominated and accepted. Allied to this fact, comes the necessity of specific literature directed to the architects, responsible for the project idealization. To search for quality of building, this work propose the application of the principles of building s constructability and performance for projects elaboration, and shows the main points about the practice of the structural masonry projects, addressing the explanation to the architects / O projeto, constituindo uma das etapas iniciais do processo da construção e definindo as características da edificação, influencia decisivamente a exeqüibilidade da obra e o desempenho do ambiente construído. A adoção de um sistema construtivo racionalizado propicia maior rapidez, facilidade e qualidade à execução e, conseqüentemente, melhor desempenho do edifício se comparado aos regimes tradicionais de construção. Por isso, a alvenaria estrutural, sistema cuja racionalização se deve à coordenação dimensional e integração dos projetos, vem sendo crescentemente empregada na construção civil. No Brasil, contudo, a resistência em sua adoção reside, na maioria das vezes, no desconhecimento das técnicas construtivas próprias do sistema e no receio de abandonar as relacionadas ao concreto armado, já plenamente dominadas e aceitas. Alia-se a isso a carência de literatura especificamente direcionada aos arquitetos, responsáveis pela idealização do projeto. Visando a qualidade da edificação, este trabalho propõe a aplicação dos princípios de construtibilidade e desempenho das edificações na elaboração de projetos, e apresenta os principais pontos concernentes à prática do projeto de alvenaria estrutural, direcionando a explanação aos arquitetos

A falta de integração entre áreas de conhecimento pode gerar efeitos negativos no processo de projeto em uma construtora-incorporadora. Em muitos casos, o projeto do produto é elaborado pela incorporadora sem qualquer participação da área responsável pela produção e de outras áreas da construtora. O trabalho apresenta uma análise sobre a gestão de projetos na construção de edifícios, valorizando a participação da engenharia de produção nessa fase, apoiando-se nos conceitos de Projeto Simultâneo, e propõe diretrizes para sua aplicação na construtora-incorporadora Cyrela, com enfoque na construtibilidade e manutenibilidade. Para desenvolver a pesquisa foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre as características da gestão de projetos, da Engenharia de Produção na construção de edifícios, e sobre a Engenharia Simultânea no desenvolvimento de produtos com comparativo de modelos de indústrias seriadas para a construção civil, incluindo a interação entre os agentes do processo. Como resultados são apresentados: uma análise da interação entre os agentes do processo; a ligação entre pessoas, processos e tecnologia; os conceitos de construtibilidade, manutenibilidade e retroalimentação na interface com projetos. São igualmente feitas análises das tendências de modernização na gestão dos projetos por meio da modelagem da informação da construção e, apoiado em estudo de caso, são apresentadas as experiências do Projeto Simultâneo aplicadas na Cyrela. Por fim, são apresentadas as diretrizes para participação da Engenharia de Produção da Construtora e Incorporadora Cyrela no Projeto Simultâneo, sendo essa a principal contribuição do trabalho. Embora suas contribuições possam servir de referência para demais empresas do setor, essa pesquisa foi desenvolvida para aplicações práticas da Cyrela, construtora-incorporadora que atua na construção de edifícios em todas as regiões do Brasil. / The lack of integration between knowledge areas can generate negative effects in the design process in a construction-real estate developer. In many cases, the product design is prepared by the real estate developer without any involvement of the area responsible for production and other areas of construction. This thesis presents an analysis of the project management in building construction, valuing the participation of engineering production in this stage, basing on the concepts of Concurrent Design and proposes guidelines for its application at Cyrela constructionreal estate developer company, focusing on constructability and maintainability. To develop the research was performed a literature review about the characteristics of Project Management, Production Engineering in building construction, and the Concurrent Engineering in the development of products with comparative serial industries models for the construction industry, including interaction between agents of the process. As results are presented: an analysis of the interaction between the agents of the process; a link between people, processes and technology; the concepts of constructability, maintainability and feedback on interface with projects. Modernization trends in project management are analyzed also through building information modeling and, through case study, are presented the Concurrent Design experiences applied at Cyrela. Finally are presented the guidelines to the participation of the Production Engineering of Cyrela construction-real estate developer on Concurrent Design, being the main contribution of this thesis. Although the contributions may serve as a reference for other companies in the sector, this research was developed for practical applications at Cyrela, constructionreal estate developer that acts in the construction of buildings in all regions of Brazil.

The effectiveness of Building Information Modelling, or BIM, in the construction industry has become a hot topic of debate. Used in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry for over a decade now, its effectiveness to certain aspects and sectors of the industry is under constant review. Its implementation into the Swedish bridge construction sector is relatively new, especially when used during the production phase of a projects delivery. This paper aims to investigate how using a 3D BIM during the production phase can improve the performance of production, whilst exploring ways in which to improve the handling of 3D BIM for future projects. This is achieved by following the production phase of the Roforsbron project in Arboga, Sweden. The first of its kind to utilise 3D BIM tools throughout its entire production phase. The theoretical framework focuses on the concepts of constructability, lean construction and productivity as well as reviewing a variety of literature on the benefits and drawbacks of BIM. The empirical data has been gathered through personal involvement of the Röforsbron project, where structured and semi-structured interviews with the workforce make up the bulk of the findings. Empirical observation and practical participation of activities on-site complement the opinions of the personnel. The interviews focus on individuals’ experiences using 3D BIM and their opinions on its effect of the production of the Röforsbron. The problems affecting current production performance often stem from a lack of detailed design and planning that affect constructability. Designing with a larger consideration on how to build and addressing constructability issues early is the means in which production can improve. The Röforsbron project was successful where no rework was performed and attributed many of its savings to the use of 3D BIM. Extra resources and experienced personnel were also a factor in the success of the project. 3D BIM is shown to have the most beneficial effect on the reinforcement works, but also offers a broad range of tangible and intangible benefits to widespread aspects of a bridge project. It is concluded that 3D BIM provides an effective tool in which to improve constructability through facilitating a more detailed design and effective means of understanding through visualisation and communication.

Although change orders occur on many construction projects, data examined in this paper suggest that many change orders can be avoided on roadway construction projects through improved project planning and scoping. Statistical analyses of change orders on 610 Kentucky roadway construction projects from 2005-2008 examined how the causes of change orders varied between construction versus maintenance projects, different road types (e.g., state highways, interstate, and county roads), and construction type (e.g., earth work, structures, and road surfacing). The research examined the risk posed by engineering change orders by measuring the frequency and average percentage change in project costs for different types of change orders. Although the relative impacts did vary by analyses, the leading causes of change orders within the state consistently included contract omissions, owner-induced enhancements, and contract item overrun. The paper's primary contribution to the overall body of knowledge is the establishment of evidence that many high risk change orders on roadway construction projects can be avoided through improved front end planning, whereas avoidance of other change orders, such as fuel and asphalt price adjustments, are more challenging because they can be caused by rapidly changing market conditions. The results show not only distinctive trends that are useful for constructability reviews on future projects, but also identify the need for new directions in front end planning and project scoping to minimize change orders on highway projects.

No description available.

Macro Planning of construction projects is among the most challenging tasks faced by the project team. Decisions made during this process have a tremendous impact on the successful execution of the project from its early conceptual phases, through the project construction and completion. For a large majority of construction projects, the current planning practices remain manually based. General and project specific data are communicated among project participants through design drawings in a 2D paper-based format. Due to the interdependence between the different elements and the large amount of information that needs to be manually processed, the current manual implementation approach is very difficult to undertake, and imposes a heavy burden on the project team to carry out the planning process. Various research efforts have been undertaken in an attempt to capture current planning techniques and allow for the development of new innovative and automated ways in planning. The developed planning systems are characterized as responsive decision systems, relying mainly on programmed knowledge and heuristics for decision making, hence reducing or eliminating the role of the human planner. This research presents the framework for a new interactive planning environment called the Virtual Construction Environment (VCE) that supports the thinking process of the project team during the macro planning phase of design-build projects. Unlike previous responsive-type systems developed, the approach utilized in the VCE is supportive to the project team enabling them to be an active participant in the decision making process. The main purpose of the VCE is to assist the project team during decision making, by providing pertinent information necessary for making appropriate decisions in a structured format. This information may be organized, stored, and retrieved by the project team whenever needed during the virtual sessions. The VCE also provides the project team with appropriate tools to test different work execution and site layout planning scenarios early during project development. During the virtual sessions, the project team reconstructs the facility by bringing graphical elements together. The project team's movements and interactions are recorded to capture their thinking process on how to construct the facility (i.e. sequence of major assemblies). Other project participants can retrieve recorded decisions for further review or modification. The project team is also able to specify construction methods, and allocate resources required for the implementation of major assemblies. The VCE guides the project team to perform these interdependent planning functions interactively and concurrently. Using system graphical libraries, major equipment and temporary facilities can be superimposed and displayed as graphical objects for site layout planning. This enables the project team to visually check for space and accessibility conflicts during different virtual construction time intervals. In order to define required information in the VCE, the author has developed a MAcro Planning Information Classification (MAPIC) model under which information required for macro planning decision making could be classified and organized in a structured standardized format. The project team may then retrieve and utilize this information whenever needed during the virtual sessions. A prototype computer tool is developed to illustrate the framework of the VCE. The computer prototype is implemented using available commercial software tools. / Ph. D.

Atualmente a utilização de sistemas modulares na indústria da construção tem crescido significativamente, e, dentre estes, destaca-se o sistema construtivo de alvenaria estrutural. Entretanto, diversos estudos apontam para um grande número de manifestações patológicas relacionadas a este sistema, em especial com a interface alvenaria/ esquadria como um dos locais de maior incidência, além de representar um gargalo construtivo, pela necessidade de realização de inúmeras atividades dependentes. Dentro deste contexto, a equipe do projeto COMPOHIS (FINEP) desenvolveu uma nova proposta de solução a estas questões, denominada Elemento de Integração (EI). Para a implementação deste novo elemento, foram necessárias avaliações que garantissem o comportamento adequado do produto nas construções e, um dos requisitos considerados foi a construtibilidade, visto que sua consideração e implementação trazem benefícios relacionados ao custo, tempo e qualidade das construções. Desta forma, o objetivo principal desta pesquisa foi avaliar a construtibilidade do EI. Para que esta avaliação fosse realizada, foram identificados, a partir de revisão bibliográfica, vinte e sete requisitos de construtibilidade. Dentre estes, foram selecionados vinte e dois e, agrupados em dez requisitos básicos. Estes dez requisitos foram utilizados na análise ao longo do desenvolvimento da pesquisa, considerando protótipos virtuais e físicos (construídos com diferentes materiais). Mais especificamente, foram utilizados quatro protótipos virtuais e três protótipos físicos do EI, sendo um em MDF e dois em GRC, e duas modelagens de seqüências construtivas, sendo uma com o EI e a outra com o método tradicional de construção. Sendo que, na última fase, foi construída uma parede experimental real com o EI e, submetida ao ensaio estrutural. Os principais resultados demonstram a adequação e aplicabilidade, formal, funcional e conceitual do EI ao sistema construtivo considerando os requisitos selecionados, com algumas ressalvas quanto à conexão entre o Elemento e a alvenaria (devido às fissuras identificadas nesta interface), quanto à dificuldade de manutenção dos componentes em GRC (considerando a necessidade de execução de substituições), quanto à exclusão de ajustes em canteiro, com relação à necessidade de cuidado com as arestas do EI e, finalmente com relação à segurança (pela instabilidade do EI logo que assentado). / Nowadays, the use of modular systems in the construction industry has grown substantially and, among those, the structural masonry system gains relevance. However, several studies point to a high incidence of pathological manifestations related to this system, particularly the interface between masonry and windows being one of the places with the highest number of problems, besides being a constructive bottleneck, since several activities depend on it. Within this context, the COMPOHIS project developed new solutions to these problems, named Element of Integration (EI). However, to implement this new element, performance evaluations were needed to ensure the adequate performance of the product in buildings, and one of these performance requirements that must be considered is the constructability of the solution. The use of this requirement brings benefits related to cost, time and quality of constructions. Thus, the main objective of this research is to evaluate the constructability of the EI. For this evaluation, 27 constructability requirements were identified in the literature. From those, 22 were selected and grouped into 10 major requirements. These 10 requirements were considered for analysis along the preparation and execution phases of this work, and the analysis was carried out considering physical and virtual prototypes (built with different materials). More specifically, 4 virtual prototypes and three physical prototypes of EI we used - one in MDF and two in GRC - and two sequences of constructive modeling, one with the EI and the other with the traditional method of construction. The last GRC prototype was used to build a wall, which was used for a structural resistance test. The main results demonstrated the formal, functional and conceptual adequacy of EI to the selected requirements, with some reservations about the connection between the element and the structural masonry, due to cracks observed in this interface, the difficulty of maintenance of GRC components, considering the need for repairs and replacements, the need to use protective elements at the edges of the GRC components and finally, in regard to safety, due to the instability of the EI when set in place.

Le constat actuel concernant les projets de construction ou de rénovation de bâtiments est la persistance d’un niveau substantiel de non qualité des ouvrages qui vient à l’encontre des objectifs de développement durable de la filière. Pour preuve, les conditions d’usage des bâtiments sont dégradées, les coûts de réparation sont significatifs et l’empreinte environnementale du bâti peine à se réduire. Ces observations sont révélatrices de l’imperfection du processus de production des projets de construction. En effet, ce processus de production a pour finalité de mettre en œuvre des procédés constructifs dont l’intégration fournit des fonctions dites d’usage. Chacune de ces fonctions se décline alors en performances dont le niveau effectif, sur l’ensemble du cycle de vie du bâtiment, dépend de la qualité de mise en œuvre. La présente thèse s’est focalisée, premièrement, sur la quantification d’un indicateur de réussite d’un projet de construction. Pour ce faire, une modélisation de la dynamique du processus de production d’un bâtiment a été entreprise, en tenant compte des perturbations auxquelles il est assujetti, afin de quantifier, de manière prospective, l’écart entre le niveau effectif d’une performance et son niveau souhaité au cahier des charges fonctionnelles. Deuxièmement, à l’échelle d’une performance, la modélisation du processus de production a permis de formaliser une fonction de récupération dépendant des ressources allouées à une opération. Ainsi, avec la proposition d’expressions mathématiques décrivant la dégradation puis la récupération d’une performance, l’analyse de ce qui pourrait s’apparenter au processus globale de résilience, à l’échelle d’un bâtiment a été initiée. En guise d’illustration, deux solutions de réalisations de façades ont été analysées. Une analyse de sensibilité de la « satisfaction » du projet est, alors, conduite en fonction de paramètres comme la compétence du constructeur, la complexité des procédés constructifs ou les ressources allouées / It is widely observed that construction and renovation projects suffer poor quality in the case of buildings, for instance. This is a major drawback as it affects the sustaining development goals of the building industry. Often, the subsequent conditions of service do not meet the normative standards; the costs for renovating the buildings are significant high, and the carbon footprint increases. They result in imperfections of the whole process related to construction projects. In fact, the production process is intended integrate architectural elements and structural components by putting them together adequately with the purpose of providing functions defined as «building features». Each of these features is then expressed as performances whose level, spanning the whole life cycle of the building, depends on the quality of its implementation. The present thesis focuses, in a first part, on the quantification of a « satisfaction index » of any construction project. For this purpose, a dynamic production process modeling a building has been developed; it takes into account disturbances in order to predict quantitatively the gap between the effective performance level and the required and targeted level. In a second part, considering a given performance level, the production process modeling aims to develop « recovery functions » depending on the allocated resources. Therefore, hypothetic mathematical expressions are adopted in order to describe the deterioration and the recovery of a performance level. A theoretical approach is also developed; it is adapted by analogy with global resilience process, at the scale of a building scale. For illustrative and comparative purposes, two kinds of constructive methods, for exterior walls (façade) are considered. A sensitivity study of the project’s « satisfaction index» is then performed out according to parameters such as constructor’s know‐how and past experience, constructive process complexity as well as allocated and available resources

Atualmente a utilização de sistemas modulares na indústria da construção tem crescido significativamente, e, dentre estes, destaca-se o sistema construtivo de alvenaria estrutural. Entretanto, diversos estudos apontam para um grande número de manifestações patológicas relacionadas a este sistema, em especial com a interface alvenaria/ esquadria como um dos locais de maior incidência, além de representar um gargalo construtivo, pela necessidade de realização de inúmeras atividades dependentes. Dentro deste contexto, a equipe do projeto COMPOHIS (FINEP) desenvolveu uma nova proposta de solução a estas questões, denominada Elemento de Integração (EI). Para a implementação deste novo elemento, foram necessárias avaliações que garantissem o comportamento adequado do produto nas construções e, um dos requisitos considerados foi a construtibilidade, visto que sua consideração e implementação trazem benefícios relacionados ao custo, tempo e qualidade das construções. Desta forma, o objetivo principal desta pesquisa foi avaliar a construtibilidade do EI. Para que esta avaliação fosse realizada, foram identificados, a partir de revisão bibliográfica, vinte e sete requisitos de construtibilidade. Dentre estes, foram selecionados vinte e dois e, agrupados em dez requisitos básicos. Estes dez requisitos foram utilizados na análise ao longo do desenvolvimento da pesquisa, considerando protótipos virtuais e físicos (construídos com diferentes materiais). Mais especificamente, foram utilizados quatro protótipos virtuais e três protótipos físicos do EI, sendo um em MDF e dois em GRC, e duas modelagens de seqüências construtivas, sendo uma com o EI e a outra com o método tradicional de construção. Sendo que, na última fase, foi construída uma parede experimental real com o EI e, submetida ao ensaio estrutural. Os principais resultados demonstram a adequação e aplicabilidade, formal, funcional e conceitual do EI ao sistema construtivo considerando os requisitos selecionados, com algumas ressalvas quanto à conexão entre o Elemento e a alvenaria (devido às fissuras identificadas nesta interface), quanto à dificuldade de manutenção dos componentes em GRC (considerando a necessidade de execução de substituições), quanto à exclusão de ajustes em canteiro, com relação à necessidade de cuidado com as arestas do EI e, finalmente com relação à segurança (pela instabilidade do EI logo que assentado). / Nowadays, the use of modular systems in the construction industry has grown substantially and, among those, the structural masonry system gains relevance. However, several studies point to a high incidence of pathological manifestations related to this system, particularly the interface between masonry and windows being one of the places with the highest number of problems, besides being a constructive bottleneck, since several activities depend on it. Within this context, the COMPOHIS project developed new solutions to these problems, named Element of Integration (EI). However, to implement this new element, performance evaluations were needed to ensure the adequate performance of the product in buildings, and one of these performance requirements that must be considered is the constructability of the solution. The use of this requirement brings benefits related to cost, time and quality of constructions. Thus, the main objective of this research is to evaluate the constructability of the EI. For this evaluation, 27 constructability requirements were identified in the literature. From those, 22 were selected and grouped into 10 major requirements. These 10 requirements were considered for analysis along the preparation and execution phases of this work, and the analysis was carried out considering physical and virtual prototypes (built with different materials). More specifically, 4 virtual prototypes and three physical prototypes of EI we used - one in MDF and two in GRC - and two sequences of constructive modeling, one with the EI and the other with the traditional method of construction. The last GRC prototype was used to build a wall, which was used for a structural resistance test. The main results demonstrated the formal, functional and conceptual adequacy of EI to the selected requirements, with some reservations about the connection between the element and the structural masonry, due to cracks observed in this interface, the difficulty of maintenance of GRC components, considering the need for repairs and replacements, the need to use protective elements at the edges of the GRC components and finally, in regard to safety, due to the instability of the EI when set in place.