https://doi.org/10.24928/2017/0193

Supply Chain Design for Modular Construction Projects

Pei-Yuan Hsu¹, Marco Aurisicchio² & Panagiotis Angeloudis³

¹PhD Student, Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK, [email protected]
²Senior Lecturer, Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK, [email protected]
³Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, Imperial College London, UK, [email protected]

Abstract

The construction sector is currently undergoing a shift from stick-built construction techniques to modular building systems. If construction supply chains are to support this transformation, they need to be modified and strengthened using an adapted logistics system. The aim of this study is to establish a mathematical model for the logistics of modular construction covering the three common tiers of operations: manufacturing, storage and construction. Previous studies have indicated that construction site delays constitute the largest cause of schedule deviations. Using the model outlined in this paper we seek to determine how factory manufacturing and inventory management should be adapted to variations in demand on the construction site. We propose a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model that captures construction scenarios with demands for modular products that are either foreseeable or abruptly disrupted. The use of the model is illustrated through a case study of bathroom pods for a building project. The model outputs include supply chain configurations that reduce total costs across a range of scenarios. The model could serve as a decision support tool for modular construction logistics.

Keywords

Logistics, modular construction, inventory, supply chain, mixed integer programming

Files

Reference

Hsu, P. , Aurisicchio, M. & Angeloudis, P. 2017. Supply Chain Design for Modular Construction Projects , 25th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 797-804. doi.org/10.24928/2017/0193

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format