PostDoc Project
Title:
Digital Twin-Driven Synchronization of Off-Site and On-Site Panelized Construction Supply Chains and Logistics Processes
Dates:
2024/10/26 - 2026/02/28
Student:
Supervisor(s):
Description:
Project context:
Renovation projects are critical in France due to the aging building stock, rising energy costs, and the nation's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with European climate goals (Sebi et al. 2019). The construction sector alone accounts for 42% of the country's energy consumption and 26% of its carbon emissions (Chau et al. 2015). While France has implemented ambitious regulations like RE 2020 to improve the energy performance of new buildings, the renovation of existing buildings remains slow, with only 1% of the built heritage renewed each year (MTES 2020). This underscores the urgent need to focus on the massive existing building stock, where energy efficiency improvements are crucial for achieving national sustainability targets.
A key priority in these renovation efforts is the insulation of facades, which account for 25-30% of energy losses, as outlined in the Energy performance diagnosis (DPE) recommendations guide from the Ministry of Energy Transition (MTE) (MTES 2018). To address this, panelized construction has emerged as an effective solution. Prefabricated exterior insulated panels can be manufactured off-site and installed quickly on existing buildings, significantly improving thermal performance while minimizing on-site disruption. This method accelerates the renovation process and enhances energy efficiency, making it a critical component in France's efforts to industrialize renovation practices (Iturralde et al. 2023).
However, off-site construction presents its own set of challenges. Transporting prefabricated panels to construction sites increases CO2 emissions, creates complexities in supply chains anf logistics, and adds costs (Martínez et al. 2013). To overcome these limitations and enhance the efficiency of renovation projects, the BYWall project has been initiated. Funded by the ADEME organization, BYWall brings together a consortium of experts and stakeholders to develop innovative solutions throughout the renovation value chain. The project proposes a comprehensive process for exterior insulation, which includes:
Optimized and automated site studies, leveraging 3D scanning of facades for factory production.
A new, advanced facade insulation system.
An integrated, multi-level management system for renovation projects, combining classic off-site factories with local manufacturing and ephemeral factory concept.
Robotic installation equipment for increased efficiency and precision.
One of the core innovations within the BYWall project is the Modern Flying Factory concept. This approach establishes temporary, mobile manufacturing units near construction sites to reduce transportation needs, minimize emissions, and allow for greater flexibility in production, tailored to site-specific conditions (Haukka and Lindqvist 2015).
In such a system, synchronizing the supply chains and logistics processes between off-site manufacturing and on-site installation becomes essential. A Digital Twin, a virtual model of the construction process, offers real-time monitoring, optimization, and coordination of both production and installation activities. This ensures seamless operations, reducing bottlenecks and inefficiencies. This synchronization aligns with the deliverables from the CRAN laboratory within the BYWall project and aims to:
o Conduct a thorough analysis of existing literature on optimizing construction site logistics.
o Develop digital solutions for tracking and tracing logistical flows.
o Create a real-time synchronization model for off-site and on-site supply chains using Digital Twin technology.
o Develop simulation and visualization models to represent and analyze logistics flows.
o Optimize on-site operations, including the movement of equipment, workers, and materials, by utilizing the Digital Twin for dynamic control of flows.
Bibliography
Chau, C. K., Leung, T., and Ng, W. (2015). "A review on life cycle assessment, life cycle energy assessment and life cycle carbon emissions assessment on buildings." Applied energy, 143, 395-413, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.023.
Haukka, S., and Lindqvist, M. (2015). "Modern Flying Factories in the Construction Industry." Master of Science in Engineering Technology Architecture, sl Master's Thesis, Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, Sweden.
Iturralde, K., Das, S., Srinivasaragavan, A., Bock, T., and Holst, C. (2023). "An Automated Prefabricated Facade Layout Definition for Residential Building Renovation." Buildings, 13(12), 2981, https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13122981.
Martínez, S., Jardón, A., Gonzalez Víctores, J., and Balaguer, C. (2013). "Flexible field factory for construction industry." Assembly Automation, 33(2), 175-183, https://doi.org/10.1108/01445151311306708.
MTES (2018). "Plan de r´enovation ´energ´etique des batiments." Ministère de la Transition écologique (MTE).
MTES (2020). "RÉGLEMENTATION ENVIRONNEMENTALE DES BÂTIMENTS NEUFS (RE2020)." Ministère de la Transition écologique (MTE), France.
Sebi, C., Nadel, S., Schlomann, B., and Steinbach, J. (2019). "Policy strategies for achieving large long-term savings from retrofitting existing buildings." Energy Efficiency, 12, 89-105, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-018-9661-5.
Key missions:
Conduct in-depth research on construction site logistics, including literature review and data analysis, to identify best practices for optimizing renovation processes.
Develop digital solutions for tracking and tracing logistical flows in construction projects, with a focus on integrating off-site and on-site operations.
Build and validate real-time synchronization models between off-site manufacturing and on-site installation using Digital Twin technology.
Develop simulation and visualization models to analyze supply chains and optimize the flow of equipment, workers, and materials.
Collaborate with stakeholders across the BYWall consortium to implement new technologies, including robotic installation and the Modern Flying Factory concept.
Engage in field studies to test the integration of Digital Twin technology in live renovation projects.
Author scientific papers, reports, and presentations based on the research outcomes.
Renovation projects are critical in France due to the aging building stock, rising energy costs, and the nation's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with European climate goals (Sebi et al. 2019). The construction sector alone accounts for 42% of the country's energy consumption and 26% of its carbon emissions (Chau et al. 2015). While France has implemented ambitious regulations like RE 2020 to improve the energy performance of new buildings, the renovation of existing buildings remains slow, with only 1% of the built heritage renewed each year (MTES 2020). This underscores the urgent need to focus on the massive existing building stock, where energy efficiency improvements are crucial for achieving national sustainability targets.
A key priority in these renovation efforts is the insulation of facades, which account for 25-30% of energy losses, as outlined in the Energy performance diagnosis (DPE) recommendations guide from the Ministry of Energy Transition (MTE) (MTES 2018). To address this, panelized construction has emerged as an effective solution. Prefabricated exterior insulated panels can be manufactured off-site and installed quickly on existing buildings, significantly improving thermal performance while minimizing on-site disruption. This method accelerates the renovation process and enhances energy efficiency, making it a critical component in France's efforts to industrialize renovation practices (Iturralde et al. 2023).
However, off-site construction presents its own set of challenges. Transporting prefabricated panels to construction sites increases CO2 emissions, creates complexities in supply chains anf logistics, and adds costs (Martínez et al. 2013). To overcome these limitations and enhance the efficiency of renovation projects, the BYWall project has been initiated. Funded by the ADEME organization, BYWall brings together a consortium of experts and stakeholders to develop innovative solutions throughout the renovation value chain. The project proposes a comprehensive process for exterior insulation, which includes:
Optimized and automated site studies, leveraging 3D scanning of facades for factory production.
A new, advanced facade insulation system.
An integrated, multi-level management system for renovation projects, combining classic off-site factories with local manufacturing and ephemeral factory concept.
Robotic installation equipment for increased efficiency and precision.
One of the core innovations within the BYWall project is the Modern Flying Factory concept. This approach establishes temporary, mobile manufacturing units near construction sites to reduce transportation needs, minimize emissions, and allow for greater flexibility in production, tailored to site-specific conditions (Haukka and Lindqvist 2015).
In such a system, synchronizing the supply chains and logistics processes between off-site manufacturing and on-site installation becomes essential. A Digital Twin, a virtual model of the construction process, offers real-time monitoring, optimization, and coordination of both production and installation activities. This ensures seamless operations, reducing bottlenecks and inefficiencies. This synchronization aligns with the deliverables from the CRAN laboratory within the BYWall project and aims to:
o Conduct a thorough analysis of existing literature on optimizing construction site logistics.
o Develop digital solutions for tracking and tracing logistical flows.
o Create a real-time synchronization model for off-site and on-site supply chains using Digital Twin technology.
o Develop simulation and visualization models to represent and analyze logistics flows.
o Optimize on-site operations, including the movement of equipment, workers, and materials, by utilizing the Digital Twin for dynamic control of flows.
Bibliography
Chau, C. K., Leung, T., and Ng, W. (2015). "A review on life cycle assessment, life cycle energy assessment and life cycle carbon emissions assessment on buildings." Applied energy, 143, 395-413, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.023.
Haukka, S., and Lindqvist, M. (2015). "Modern Flying Factories in the Construction Industry." Master of Science in Engineering Technology Architecture, sl Master's Thesis, Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, Sweden.
Iturralde, K., Das, S., Srinivasaragavan, A., Bock, T., and Holst, C. (2023). "An Automated Prefabricated Facade Layout Definition for Residential Building Renovation." Buildings, 13(12), 2981, https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13122981.
Martínez, S., Jardón, A., Gonzalez Víctores, J., and Balaguer, C. (2013). "Flexible field factory for construction industry." Assembly Automation, 33(2), 175-183, https://doi.org/10.1108/01445151311306708.
MTES (2018). "Plan de r´enovation ´energ´etique des batiments." Ministère de la Transition écologique (MTE).
MTES (2020). "RÉGLEMENTATION ENVIRONNEMENTALE DES BÂTIMENTS NEUFS (RE2020)." Ministère de la Transition écologique (MTE), France.
Sebi, C., Nadel, S., Schlomann, B., and Steinbach, J. (2019). "Policy strategies for achieving large long-term savings from retrofitting existing buildings." Energy Efficiency, 12, 89-105, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-018-9661-5.
Key missions:
Conduct in-depth research on construction site logistics, including literature review and data analysis, to identify best practices for optimizing renovation processes.
Develop digital solutions for tracking and tracing logistical flows in construction projects, with a focus on integrating off-site and on-site operations.
Build and validate real-time synchronization models between off-site manufacturing and on-site installation using Digital Twin technology.
Develop simulation and visualization models to analyze supply chains and optimize the flow of equipment, workers, and materials.
Collaborate with stakeholders across the BYWall consortium to implement new technologies, including robotic installation and the Modern Flying Factory concept.
Engage in field studies to test the integration of Digital Twin technology in live renovation projects.
Author scientific papers, reports, and presentations based on the research outcomes.
Keywords:
digital twin, off-site and on-site contruction, logistics
Department(s):
| Modelling and Control of Industrial Systems |