Zhe Zhang
Please Note
2 records found
1
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) is an emerging concept introduced from the manufacturing sector to transform the construction industry and accelerating “off-site” capabilities. Enhancing the sustainability of DfMA is challenging and requires accounting for various environmental and managerial impacts on the process of manufacture and assembly, especially for the parametric buildings with irregular shapes and unstandardised components. It is essential to compare and make decisions among design alternatives for the best-fit sustainability in the DfMA process. However, there is presently a gap in the DfMA field. This paper proposed a novel BIM-enabled Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for the sustainability assessment of parametric façade design. An under-construction parametric building was used to test and illustrate the method. A parametric façade was selected to demonstrate the application of DfMA to enable mass “off-site” customisation. This is a labour-intensive assembly process, which could significantly benefit from the implementation of such a method. Data collection involves archival data and semi-structured interviews. An integrated fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS was used to analysis the data. This research sheds new lights on DfMA sustainability and its decision support systems. Unlike the usual attention to the construction sustainability of on-site construction, the method involves consideration of both manufacture and assembly stages. It provides practitioners with a decision-making method to select the most sustainable façade alternative available for the parametric design. The findings carry implications for parametric façade design and show the deployment of mass customised unstandardised components. This research opens up new avenues for sustainable DfMA development.
Reinforcement effects and safety monitoring index for high steep slopes
A case study in China
High and steep slopes which have developed fractures and intercalations are a great threat to the operation of dams and reservoirs. In this work, the geological conditions and potential modes of failure of the slope found in the right bank of Suofengying hydropower station are investigated for the slope stability and the results are presented. In order to strengthen the slope, an innovative stabilization scheme is employed. The stabilization techniques include development of anti-shear tunnels, anti-slide piles, anchor cables, concrete support structure, etc. Further, the slope stability and reinforcement effects using various stabilization techniques are studied by using finite element strength reduction method. Moreover, in situ monitoring is carried out and the data obtained is analyzed. From the results, it is observed that the deformations that are detected using multipoint extensometers have decreased after the installation of remedial reinforcements. From the analysis of remedial reinforcement methods, it is found that the most critical reinforcement is the development of anti-shear tunnels. In order to monitor the stresses in stirrups and the propagation of cracks in the anti-shear tunnels, three levels of safety monitoring index are proposed. The safety monitoring index is developed based on the results obtained by the simulation of the process of failure of the reinforced slope. The developed safety monitoring index is further applied to the Suofengying project in order to evaluate the overall stability of the slope. The results obtained by monitoring indicate that the performance of the reinforcement structures is satisfactory and the slope has better stability. The methodology proposed in this work shall be useful for similar projects to obtain stability of slopes.