Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) teams need more efficient and effective decisio... more Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) teams need more efficient and effective decision-making methods, particularly in the pre-construction phase when decisions have the most significant impact on building performance. This paper discusses the selection and application of decision-making methods for the preconstruction phase of a lean corporate campus project. Findings are based on the project team's review of several value-based decision methods and final selection of the Choosing By Advantages (CBA) approach. CBA was implemented first using group preferences, then with simple additive weighting of individual preferences. In general, decision makers found that CBA enabled multi-disciplinary stakeholder participation and added value to decision-making for simple decision problems. However, decision makers also believed that CBA was inefficient and ineffective for more complex decision problems and did not adequately clarify decision rationale. Switching to individua...
Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction
Given the development of Additive Manufacturing (AM), popularly known as 3D Printing, the coexist... more Given the development of Additive Manufacturing (AM), popularly known as 3D Printing, the coexistence of AM and conventional manufacturing (CM) in AEC will be a reality for the foreseeable future. Case studies on two AM metallic building components demonstrated that AM for building components is technologically feasible but cost-prohibitive today, and, in some cases, has lower environmental impacts than CM. Firstly, a feasibility study was conducted to assess the applicability, time to manufacture, and manufacturing cost of AM vs. CM of specific metallic building components. Secondly, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to assess environmental impacts of AM and CM for those two cases. The case studies were the first well-documented comparative analyses of AM vs. CM for building components, and they contribute to the emerging "AM-in-AEC" knowledge base with their assessment approach, findings and documented baseline efforts for the analyses. The studies also revealed that ...
Natural fiber composites are of increasing interest in research because of their potential to pro... more Natural fiber composites are of increasing interest in research because of their potential to provide a low environmental impact material for applications, such as in the construction industry. In this analysis, fully bio-based composites with varying natural fiber reinforcement in a biosynthesized polymer matrix were assessed. The biopolymer was analyzed with two different carbon feedstock sources: simple car- bohydrates and biogas. While both carbon feedstock sources result in the ability to cultivate rapidly renewable polymers, biogas as a feedstock source allows for use of a waste greenhouse gas emissions flow to produce a commodity. The bio-based composites were compared both on constant volume and for a decking application relative to a type of natural fiber filled petrochemical based polymer composite. When material properties and end-of-life considerations were incorporated, the biogas carbon feedstock biopolymer composites showed the potential to have a net beneficial globa...
Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings repre... more Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings represents one of the major challenges currently facing developed countries. While engineering tools and methods for structural modelling and design of new reinforced concrete infrastructure are mature, methods and tools for modelling decades-long deterioration and maintenance are much less developed. In this paper, a multi-physics and multi-scale modelling approach for structural deterioration of reinforced concrete components due to reinforcement corrosion is presented. The multi-disciplinary modelling approach includes physical, chemical, electrochemical, and fracture mechanical processes at the material and meso-scale, which are further coupled with mechanical deterioration processes at the structural scale.
Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings repre... more Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings represents one of the major challenges currently facing developed countries. This deterioration leads to economic costs for maintenance and replacement, environmental impacts such as increased global warming potential as a result of cement production and traffic emissions, and social costs related to traffic congestion and human health concerns. While engineering tools and methods for structural modelling and design of new reinforced concrete infrastructure are mature, the methods and tools for modelling decades-long deterioration and maintenance are much less developed. An approach for modelling structural deterioration of reinforced concrete components due to reinforcement corrosion is presented and a procedure is introduced to estimate the time-dependent structural response, described using timedependent seismic fragility curves. The approach is part of a multi-disciplinary framework which...
Building stakeholders cannot easily quantify the sustainability impacts of constructed facilities... more Building stakeholders cannot easily quantify the sustainability impacts of constructed facilities. They lack information to perform effective analysis, management, and decision-making. In part, this is due to inadequate tools and methods to assess building life cycle impacts from design through construction. Currently available methods lack interoperability between design, analysis, and management software and life cycle inventory datasets that enable full life cycle assessment (LCA). To methodically manage the reduction of life cycle environmental impacts of buildings during construction, it is necessary to link environmental targets with modern construction management methods. This work develops a construction activity-based computational framework to enable stakeholders to reliably and efficiently construct dynamic life cycle models. Methods have been developed for time dependent impact budgets to provide construction managers and building owners a basis for process control. Spec...
Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) teams need more efficient and effective decisio... more Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) teams need more efficient and effective decision-making methods, particularly in the pre-construction phase when decisions have the most significant impact on building performance. This paper discusses the selection and application of decision-making methods for the preconstruction phase of a lean corporate campus project. Findings are based on the project team's review of several value-based decision methods and final selection of the Choosing By Advantages (CBA) approach. CBA was implemented first using group preferences, then with simple additive weighting of individual preferences. In general, decision makers found that CBA enabled multi-disciplinary stakeholder participation and added value to decision-making for simple decision problems. However, decision makers also believed that CBA was inefficient and ineffective for more complex decision problems and did not adequately clarify decision rationale. Switching to individua...
Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction
Given the development of Additive Manufacturing (AM), popularly known as 3D Printing, the coexist... more Given the development of Additive Manufacturing (AM), popularly known as 3D Printing, the coexistence of AM and conventional manufacturing (CM) in AEC will be a reality for the foreseeable future. Case studies on two AM metallic building components demonstrated that AM for building components is technologically feasible but cost-prohibitive today, and, in some cases, has lower environmental impacts than CM. Firstly, a feasibility study was conducted to assess the applicability, time to manufacture, and manufacturing cost of AM vs. CM of specific metallic building components. Secondly, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to assess environmental impacts of AM and CM for those two cases. The case studies were the first well-documented comparative analyses of AM vs. CM for building components, and they contribute to the emerging "AM-in-AEC" knowledge base with their assessment approach, findings and documented baseline efforts for the analyses. The studies also revealed that ...
Natural fiber composites are of increasing interest in research because of their potential to pro... more Natural fiber composites are of increasing interest in research because of their potential to provide a low environmental impact material for applications, such as in the construction industry. In this analysis, fully bio-based composites with varying natural fiber reinforcement in a biosynthesized polymer matrix were assessed. The biopolymer was analyzed with two different carbon feedstock sources: simple car- bohydrates and biogas. While both carbon feedstock sources result in the ability to cultivate rapidly renewable polymers, biogas as a feedstock source allows for use of a waste greenhouse gas emissions flow to produce a commodity. The bio-based composites were compared both on constant volume and for a decking application relative to a type of natural fiber filled petrochemical based polymer composite. When material properties and end-of-life considerations were incorporated, the biogas carbon feedstock biopolymer composites showed the potential to have a net beneficial globa...
Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings repre... more Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings represents one of the major challenges currently facing developed countries. While engineering tools and methods for structural modelling and design of new reinforced concrete infrastructure are mature, methods and tools for modelling decades-long deterioration and maintenance are much less developed. In this paper, a multi-physics and multi-scale modelling approach for structural deterioration of reinforced concrete components due to reinforcement corrosion is presented. The multi-disciplinary modelling approach includes physical, chemical, electrochemical, and fracture mechanical processes at the material and meso-scale, which are further coupled with mechanical deterioration processes at the structural scale.
Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings repre... more Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings represents one of the major challenges currently facing developed countries. This deterioration leads to economic costs for maintenance and replacement, environmental impacts such as increased global warming potential as a result of cement production and traffic emissions, and social costs related to traffic congestion and human health concerns. While engineering tools and methods for structural modelling and design of new reinforced concrete infrastructure are mature, the methods and tools for modelling decades-long deterioration and maintenance are much less developed. An approach for modelling structural deterioration of reinforced concrete components due to reinforcement corrosion is presented and a procedure is introduced to estimate the time-dependent structural response, described using timedependent seismic fragility curves. The approach is part of a multi-disciplinary framework which...
Building stakeholders cannot easily quantify the sustainability impacts of constructed facilities... more Building stakeholders cannot easily quantify the sustainability impacts of constructed facilities. They lack information to perform effective analysis, management, and decision-making. In part, this is due to inadequate tools and methods to assess building life cycle impacts from design through construction. Currently available methods lack interoperability between design, analysis, and management software and life cycle inventory datasets that enable full life cycle assessment (LCA). To methodically manage the reduction of life cycle environmental impacts of buildings during construction, it is necessary to link environmental targets with modern construction management methods. This work develops a construction activity-based computational framework to enable stakeholders to reliably and efficiently construct dynamic life cycle models. Methods have been developed for time dependent impact budgets to provide construction managers and building owners a basis for process control. Spec...
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