ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 70
INDUSTRY 4.0
Column
Michael Cooper
Using Prefabrication
To Improve Efficiency
BY MICHAEL COOPER, P.E., MEMBER ASHRAE
Prefabrication, also known as design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) began with
simple assemblies such as building pump and chiller skids fabricated away from the
construction site. Now, air-handling units, full mechanical rooms and super skids with
chillers and boilers are built off-site in a manufacturing facility. When these prefabricated systems arrive at the construction site, they are installed directly into existing or
new buildings. Some assemblies can be installed in hours, as opposed to in days.
In Asia, apartments and hotels are being built almost
like building with Legos®. The building's mechanical,
electrical, plumbing and other systems are built inside
these "Lego" blocks, and hotels are being assembled
room by room. This type of construction isn't commonly
done in North America because codes vary, and not all
jurisdictions have adapted to these types of strategies.
Off-site prefabrication helps to simultaneously construct buildings block-by-block in different locations. As
the technique becomes more mainstream, prefabrication's benefits include reducing costs, reducing schedule timelines, creating a safer work environment, maintaining a steady workforce and eliminating the need for
corrective work.
Over the last several decades, design and fabrication
tools have changed. The days of drawings done by hand
transitioned to computer-aided drafting, and now 3D
drawings allow assemblies to be manufactured using
automated machining.
Integrated design and fabrication have different
meanings according to a person's role. For a consulting
engineer, integrated design could mean designers of
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N OVEM BER 2020
multiple trades coming together in a coordinated effort.
This has been going on for centuries. Fabrication has
been part of the design business since its inception, with
manufacturing and assemblies of systems. However, the
evolution in how both the design and fabrication come
together to form a seamless entity on construction jobs
is evolving. And now, the industry needs to perform
design and fabrication seamlessly.
Too often designers work in "silos," and in that silo
they create what they believe to be the most efficient
and cost-effective design to meet the owner's needs.
Contractors are always looking for ways to put an assembly together to save just one fitting or become more
productive with the limited availability of skilled labor.
Bringing designers and contractors together is what the
industry finds difficult. How the design and construction industry moves forward is critical.
How It Works
Off-site fabrication allows engineers, designers,
Michael Cooper, P.E., is an executive vice president for Bernhard based out of New
Orleans.
https://www.ashrae.org/
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - November 2020
Contents
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 11
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ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - 14
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ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - November 2020 - Cover4
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