Integration of parametric design into modular coordination: A construction waste reduction workflow

Highlights

• Providing a developed workflow that integrates the parametric design into modular coordination

• Developing the algorithms and procedures necessary to implement the workflow

• Demonstrating workflow practicality in reducing the amount of post-optimization paneling waste by 2%

• Accelerating the rate by which waste reduction moves into the design stage

• Justifying the resources needed to enhance the proposed algorithms and workflow

Abstract

The construction industry is under pressure as to reduce the sizable quantities of construction waste generated during construction operations. Modular coordination (MC) and parametric design both have great potentials in reducing waste at the design stage. And anecdotal evidence suggests that great volumes of waste can be reduced through integration of parametric design into MC. The issue of proposing workflows in this context, however, is under-researched, and practical applications, if any, are at the rhetorical stage. To accomplish this, an integration attempt is made in this study to provide the details of a developed-and-experimented workflow for this purpose; a generative algorithm is developed through the Rhinoceros 3D–Grasshopper platform, subject to MC rules. Two sets of horizontal and vertical modules are obtained from a prototype model, while an evolutionary solver function is applied in reducing the generated construction waste volume. According to a pre-defined standard specification, different modular design variants that fully conform to the design constraints in modules array are developed, providing an operational workflow in construction waste reduction at the design stage. Introducing this workflow, and how the proposed workflow reduces the volume of post-optimization paneling waste by 2% at its minimum are the major findings here. The insights derived from this study, would promote the interest of both the construction practitioners and researchers; the practicality of integrating parametric design into MC is proven.

Introduction

Construction waste is defined as materials or products that need “to be transported elsewhere from the construction site or be used in-situ for other applications than the intended specific purpose of the project due to damage, excess or non-use, or which cannot be used due to non-compliance with the specifications, or which is a by-product of the construction process.” [1] Construction operations have many detrimental impacts on the environment, like depletion of natural resources and generation of sheer quantities of construction waste, among others [2], [3]. There exists a pressure for reducing the construction waste volume [4], [5]. In waste management policies, to implement construction waste reduction in an effective manner, the issue should be dealt with at design stages [6], [7].

The emergence of Building Information Modeling (BIM), rich in digital information, can facilitate the actualization of this major issue. BIM improves communication among project stakeholders, provides better planning, and reduces raw material consumption, through providing accurate measurements [1]. With all these said and done, many of the BIM potentials with respect to waste reduction at design stages remain to be assessed and implemented [7]. In practical terms, lack of accurate and standardized dimensions of components in early design phase is a major barrier [7].

Designers in practice need to deliver generative modeling(s) of pre-designed sets of rules, to explore various design schemes, and apply their domain-specific knowledge into BIM authoring tools [8], [9]. Anecdotal evidence has promoted implementing Modular Coordination (MC) as one of the solutions in meeting these requirements [10], [11].

The parametric design principles provide a common platform for both MC and BIM, where, generating innovative compositions, applying a group of criteria in line with MC rules in authoring tools, and automating intricate modeling activities be accomplished [12], [13].

A review run on the related literature, reveals that the available studies on this context are almost entirely conceptual, or are based on practitioners' perceptions [13], [14]. The most relevant study on this topic is conducted by Singh et al. [9], where the potentials for integration of MC and parametric modeling capabilities of BIM are explained. However, to date, there exist no integrated MC and parametric design proposed through a practical workflow within the reflected literature.

To address this identified drawback, at the objective here is to introduce a practical automated workflow where MC principles are simulated through parametric design, and the design quality is enhanced through a generative design algorithm. This study will be of interest to both researchers and practitioners due to its: (1) establishing the practicality and potentials of applying a workflow in integrating parametric design into modular coordination, and (2) presenting a practical case of implementing the workflow, as a workable procedure for reducing construction material waste at the design stage.