advices for advancing the productivity of the construction industry: 1. Widespread deployment of Building Information Modeling (BIM)   2. Improved job-site efficiency 3. Greater use of prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication techniques. 4. Innovative, widespread use of demonstration installations 5. Effective performance measurement to drive efficiency and support innovation.

Manufacturing building components off-site: More controlled conditions for weather, quality control, improved supervision of labor, easier access to tools, and fewer material deliveries.   Fewer job-site environmental impacts Compressed project schedules Fewer conflicts in work crew scheduling and better sequencing of crafts persons. Reduced requirements for on-site materials storage, and fewer losses of materials. Increased workers safety.

Definition of Modular Construction: A resource efficient, off-site delivery method to construct code-compliant buildings in a quality-controlled setting

Advantages of Modular Construction: Less Materials Waste Less Material Exposure to Inclement Weather Less Site Disturbance Safer Construction Flexibility Adaptability Built to Code With Shorter Build Times

Modular Building Usage: Permanent Modular Construction Temporary Buildings Education Healthcare Commercial Housing Office Administration Security Emergency Workforce housing Assembling the entire fleet of modules rely on optimization of the crane position Based on one case study in Muhlenberg college in Pennsylvania , over 90 modular units were delivered in a record time of 10 days by optimizing of crane position.

Issues and Impediments about Modular Construction: Typically 40-50% of modular building construction is left to be completed in the field Geographic location of the factory Engineering requirements Specific dimension or loading limitations due to transportation constraints Changes in design during manufacturing can be difficult and expensive to accommodate. the complexity of transportation activity is increased in modular construction. The increased demand for very effective coordination and communication among participants For a factory and manufacturer the repetition of prefabricated components is essential in order to meet quantity for cost effectiveness.

The regulations set down by transport Quebec:

Suitable project delivery system in Modular Construction: Most modular building projects are fixed-price contracts many modular construction projects are being completed faster and for less money by utilizing Design-Build or Construction Manager at Risk(CMR). most architects are not experienced enough in the modular construction when modular manufacturing is responsible for the design or is involved the project is more likely to be successful. If projects use Design-Build: direct line of communication between the owner and modular manufacturer costs are easier to control workload upon the owner is increased publicly funded projects

In case of using Design-Bid-Build: amount of involvement of owner in the project is reduced if the designer firm is not familiar with modular construction it could bring high initial cost to the project because of additional layers of communication the project duration would be increased in case of using CMR: it works very well when the modular company is either the construction manager or is a key subcontractor with a design assist role.

Implementation of BIM in Modular Construction: The MEP coordination and fabrication process extensive demand of pre project planning Implementation of BIM systems in modular construction: Visualization Modeling Code reviews Fabrication/ shop drawings Communication Cost estimating Construction sequences Conflict, interference and collision detection

six factors which influence the productivity of Nuclear Power Plants: low material availability low tool availability high rework rates needless interference with other crews overcrowded work areas and time consuming inspection delays Reducing the amount of on-site labor with factory produced power plant modules

References: “Improving Construction efficiency & productivity with Modular Construction” , by Modular Building Institute Christopher W.Lapp , Michael W.Golay,1997, “ Modular Design and Construction techniques for nuclear power plants”,nuclear engineering and design  Na Lu ,Thomas Korman , 2010 , “Implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM)in Modular Construction: Benefits and Challenges” , Construction Research Congress 2010  J.Olearczyk,Mohamed Al-Hussein,Ahmed Bouferguène,2014, “Evolution of the crane selection and on-site utilization process for modular construction multilifts” , Automation in Construction 43 (2014) 59–72  Calvin van Mulligen, 2012, Master thesis, “Improving the efficiency, productivity and cost-effectiveness of modular design and construction processes”, University of Alberta Lara Jaillon,C.S.Poon, 2009, “ the evolution of prefabricated residential building systems in Hong Kong: A review of the public and private sector’, Automation in Construction18(2009)239-248 Thesis by Stefan J. Wiedeman ,McGill University, “ Modular prefabrication versus conventional construction as a cost effective alternative for the construction of single family detached housing in the Montreal area” Thesis by Yasir Kadhim, University of New Brunswick,” Analysis of the adoption and implementation of virtual reality technologies for modular construction”