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ABSTRACT
Volumetric steel structures are commonly used in the construction of modular buildings to overcome environmental hazards, control wastage, minimise construction safety issues, improve productivity and cost-effectiveness, reduce labour, and execute quick project completion. An adequate structural design and effective manufacturing are both integral processes to produce efficient and durable volumetric steel structures. Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles known for efficient design in the automobile industry can significantly improve the design of volumetric steel structures in terms of overall cost, safety, sustainability, productivity and time. The current research presents a case study of a volumetric steel structure in which structural design and DfMA approaches were integrated, and 3D visualisation was achieved by Building Information Model (BIM) and Solidworks that has limited previous research. The findings of this research reveal sustainable, material and cost optimised design for the prefabricated 3D steel structures. Furthermore, the novelty of the current research is enhanced by proposing a model for the automated efficient design and production of volumetric steel structures.
Acknowledgments
The first author would like to acknowledge funding from the Australian Government through the Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) Advanced Manufacturing and Construction of Smart Building Modules secured by Prof Tuan Duc Ngo of the University of Melbourne. The assistance of the Schiavello Group Pvt Ltd is also acknowledged.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data Availability Statement
All data are presented in this paper.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Muhammad Wasim
Dr Muhammad Wasim is working as a senior research fellow in the University of Melbourne. Here, he worked on number of governmental funded and other research projects. He has 15 years of diverse local and international experience in various fields of civil engineering such as structural engineering, modular construction, advanced manufacturing, durability, material engineering, structural health monitoring, infrastructure maintenance etc.
Osmar Oliveira
Engr Osmar Oliveira has several years of experience in the advanced manufacturing of volumettric modules, quality control and management, construction and supervision etc.