Integrating Advanced Building Materials And Automated Manufacturing For Energy-Efficient Modular Construction

Professor Ye, Hailong   (Principal Investigator (PI))

24

2023-07-01

4915100

Integrating Advanced Building Materials And Automated Manufacturing For Energy-Efficient Modular Construction

Integrating Advanced Building Materials And Automated Manufacturing, Energy-Efficient Modular Construction

Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction

ITS/041/22MS

Innovation and Technology Support Programme

2023

On-going

Due to the shortage of construction workers, megacities such as Hong Kong are adopting more efficient construction methods including Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) for buildings. Embracing DfMA, Modular integrated Construction (MiC) employs the technique of having freestanding integrated modules fabricated off-site and transported to site for assembly. The concept of MiC requires advanced building materials and module-fabrication techniques that can fully exploit its benefits to Hong Kong. Moreover, as the existing Hong Kong buildings account for nearly 90% of total electricity consumption and 59% of total carbon emissions, the future modular buildings are to be designed with energy efficiency. To achieve remarkable energy-efficiency of MiC buildings without compromising the prevailing mechanical and fire safety requirements, this project will develop innovative ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) incorporating artificial lightweight aggregates with unprecedented thermal inertia. Full-scale walls based on innovative UHPC composites will be fabricated using automated slurry-infiltration and additive manufacturing (3D Printing) techniques. The mechanical performance (e.g., against wind loads), fire resistance, durability, and thermal energy performance of UHPC-based walls will be investigated via integrated experimental and simulation approaches, and design recommendations of prefabricated energy-efficient UHPC walls will be provided. Life-cycle assessments of thermal and energy performance, carbon-footprint, and cost of high-rise modular buildings fabricated using innovative UHPC-based wall systems will be conducted.