Industrialised, Integrated, Intelligent sustainable Construction - I3con

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK 2
Co-operation should also extend to shared use of plant, equipment, support services, space on site,
off-site production facilities or consolidation centres remote from the site.
Efficiency
Logistics efficiency involves achieving the maximum level of support for assembly works for the
least logistical effort and the best use of finite logistical resources. This requires a clear, shared
understanding of how logistics supports the build process and precise definition of roles and
responsibilities for logistics activities within the project team.
Simplicity
Logistics arrangements on a construction project should be simple, both in concept and execution. A
project team will derive simplicity from the following approach:
� Robust and commonly understood project procedures
� Common logistics processes amongst all organisations involved in construction works
� Precise control of construction site works
� Clear channels of communication on the project
Agility
Logistics agility provides the construction project team with the ability to respond to constantly
evolving working environments and unexpected events, and adjust rapidly. Logistics agility is
promoted by:
� Resourceful and knowledgeable logistics personnel
� The provision of appropriate plant, equipment and resources
� A project team’s ability to adapt the logistics infrastructure and systems as operational
circumstances change
� Optimum use of resources
A project team needs to strike a balance between structures, equipment, systems that meet the
requirements of simplicity and the need for functional agility.
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Logistics as an enabler of improved construction project performance
The I3CON research project aims to enable the transformation towards the European Construction
industry using industrial production techniques, integrated processes and intelligent systems to deliver
ultra high performance buildings. An industrialised, integrated and intelligent approach to logistics
will help project teams apply the 6 key logistics principles to construction site works. This will in turn
help these teams meet the increasingly demanding time, cost, quality, health and safety, social and
environmental demands being placed on the organisations that create the built environment
Industrialised, integrated and intelligent construction project logistics will help project teams to
achieve this by:
� Developing new construction methodologies that reduce the time and resources required on site
� Transferring activities from the site to upstream stages of the supply process, which will help
avoid the inferior production conditions of a site and increase concurrent production
� Allowing project teams to computer-model things such as the site production environment,
building sequences, crane utilisation, site logistics infrastructures and external traffic flows.
This helps optimise build programme durations, construction costs and resource use on site
� Improving the visibility of planning and control information across the project participants,
hence improving the quality and speed of decision making
� Improving the robustness of logistics processes, making them less variable and more accurate
� Creating novel ways of distribution from A to B, both on site and external to the site
� Streamlining the supply of materials to site, reducing costs, inventory, lead time and
environmental and social impact