Bryden Wood’s previous work with the first iterations of platform construction for the Ministry of Justice formed an early step on the P-DfMA path.
This allows the designers and stakeholders at an initial planning stage to see, digitally, how their assets could perform during production and provide feedback during the project at the earliest opportunities where large changes can be made to maximise value.. For the purposes of this project, operations upstream of raw material addition, and operations downstream of the final truss painting, were excluded from the simulation.The remaining process steps represented the core fabrication steps to transform raw materials into finished trusses, in addition to some of the largest investments in capital and automation and, therefore, the areas of highest interest.. We built the model itself in AnyLogic, primarily with the process modelling and material handling libraries.
We drew a spatial representation of the factory to define the arrangement, quantity and sizing of process stations and travel routes (including conveyors and forklifts) as well as crane zones to facilitate movement of raw materials and assemblies through parts of the line.We created a logic flow to define how all the raw materials and assembled trusses moved through the system, depending on their types and other parameters..Some aspects of the process were fixed, such as the quantity of welding stations and the routing of specific truss types (e.g.
truss type A and B can be processed in welding station 1).Others, for example the painting bays, were left as flexible station areas to allow recording of the capacity over time.. Other input data included:.
truss parameters, such as type, dimensions, and other product data.
production schedules, to specify the order in which truss types would be made.In addition, we support natural processes, use less water, increase biodiversity and replenish biological materials.
This is one of the most powerful ways we can tackle climate change.. What is the circular economy in sustainable construction?.The principles of a circular economy involve planning ahead for the reuse of products, materials and resources to minimise waste.
The key design principles are shown below:.Only once circular design principles are fully integrated can residual waste be identified and managed in a responsible manner to maximise its highest value..