Development of conceptual model of construction factory for automated construction

The building construction industry has adapted well to the need to overcome traditional problems of safety. productivity, and quality on construction sites. Advanced technologies and systems developed outside the building industry are also being introduced to meet the new demands of today's challenges. In particular, the high-tech robots used in the erection of structural steel frames in high-rise buildings in order not to expose human workers to unsafe conditions. In addition, an automated construction system based on improved bolting robots has been developed in Korea. However, the harsh environment of construction sites adversely affects the various sensitive machines, sensors, and devices that comprise the robot construction systems. To minimize the effects of the adverse environment on robot performance, it is believed that a Construction Factory (CF) is required. This is a special workspace providing a stable and favourable work environment for the construction robot. In this study, we developed several CF alternatives for the realization of more desirable automated construction environment, and evaluated them from the aspects of wind speed and air temperature using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. The results showed that a CF with a closed roof and bottom was the best CF option for robot construction, and it can be helpful to reduce the potential cost overruns and time delays for CF construction. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.