Activity report - Free University of Bozen · Bolzano

6. Industrial engineering approaches to collaborative networks
in the construction industry
Technical background
The sustainability of the building environment is
affected by many factors including the construction
materials chosen and the arrangement of living
and working spaces. However, each building project
is unique, with different requirements, constraints
and client personalities. Thus, combined
with the fact that building planning is not integrated
with production, construction results in a loss
of efficiency unknown in any other industrial sector.
Therefore, we must consider both the environmental
and economic sustainability of construction
projects and learn how to apply lessons learned
from successful projects within the construction
industry and beyond on a larger scale.
Aims
The aim of this research topic is to apply innovative
approaches like mass customisation to construction
and integrate the concept of value stream engineering
into the process. This will allow a highly
efficient way of construction for highly sustainable
buildings.
Main reference people
Dominik Matt, Cristina Benedetti
Highlight
Re-engineering of a hotel building in South Tyrol
D. Matt
To develop a methodology (production method) which solves the previous mentioned problems a process re-engineering
of an existing building was done in collaboration with the participating key-players (architect, construction
manager, foreman of the masons, and so on).
The analysed case is a hotel building with an overall cost of 3 million euros in South Tyrol.
In a first step the design and planning process was strengthened by using the expertise of the mentioned participating
stakeholders in a structured and iterative manner leading to an improved product design.
On this basis a general process map was elaborated, visualized and optimized using an adapted value stream
engineering methodology. Then the mentioned building was subdivided into specific work sections to balance the
workload of craftsman teams on the construction site. In these sections the workload was subdivided into construction
pitches which have a work content of one week or one day per craftsman teams like electricians or masons. As
a result, an optimized construction schedule was elaborated (figure) which incorporates different “lean construction”
strategies.
In the on-going research field a real construction prototype will be realised using the developed methodology and
integrating an information management system to support the coordination process for the involved crafts.
Lean construction schedule
Activity Report of the Faculty of Science and Technology 31