Project contact is Jean-François Lalonde at Université Laval
Summary
Mobile digital tools (tablets and mobile phones) are ubiquitous in our lives. The potential of the cameras of these tools is under-exploited if we consider the geo-spatial information that they can provide to the information management systems (BIM) via cloud platforms for example. The images captured by these cameras can be combined with information from other sensors (gyroscope, accelerometers, etc.) and thus aligned with a BIM model. Many of these technologies are commonly used for robotic localization. The project would aim to assess whether current technologies could be used to track construction progress and identify non-conformities. The project would also determine the level of precision that can be achieved.
Many strategies have been investigated seeking for efficiency in construction sector, since it has been pointed out as the largest consumer of raw materials worldwide and responsible of about 1/3 of the global CO2 emissions. While operational carbon has been strongly reduced due to building regulations, embodied carbon is becoming dominating. Resources and processes involved from material extraction to building erection should be carefully optimized aiming to reduce the emissions from the cradle to service. New advancements in timber engineering have shown the capabilities of this renewable and CO2 neutral material in multi-storey buildings. Since their erection is based on prefabrication, an accurate construction management is eased where variations and waste are sensible to be minimized. Through this paper, the factors constraining the use of wood as main material for multi-storey buildings will be explored and the potential benefits of using Lean Construction principles in the timber industry are highlighted aiming to achieve a standardized workflow from design to execution. Hence, a holistic approach towards industrialization is proposed from an integrated BIM model, through an optimized supply chain of off-site production, and to a precise aligned scheduled on-site assembly.
