106 results on '"Hong, Xian Li"'
Search Results
2. Achieving affordable zero carbon housing design through an integrated approach
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Hong Xian Li, Yan Li, and Meng Du
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Zero carbon housing ,Integrated design ,Capital cost ,Indoor thermal comfort ,NatHERS ,Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering ,TK1-9971 - Abstract
CO2 emissions from building operations have increased to their highest level, moving away from the Paris Agreement goal of below 2 °C. Zero carbon housing (ZCH) has been identified as a viable solution to realise carbon neutrality. However, ZCHs are barely recognised by the mainstream market due to the misconception of high up-front cost. This research aims to identify affordable solutions for ZCH by synergising building design, mechanical services, and renewable energy, and to balance capital cost and environmental benefits. An integrated framework of energy simulation, sensitivity analysis, and multi-objective optimisation is employed to achieve the goals. A representative house design is selected to demonstrate the proposed methodology, and a national energy rating scheme in Australia, NatHERS, is used for validation. The optimisation identified eight optimal solutions, resulting in a CO2 emission reduction between 1.894 tCO2 to 2.259 tCO2 with increased indoor comfort of 1.3%–2.6%. This research also finds that given the policy incentives, the actual incremental cost is marginal after the government rebate. This research addresses the major barriers of the high up-front cost associated with ZCH through an integrated approach. The research facilitates the paradigm shift in the mainstream market, promoting the development and market expansion of ZCH.
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- 2023
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3. An Improved Visual Assessment with Data-Dependent Kernel for Stream Clustering.
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Baojie Zhang, Yang Cao 0011, Ye Zhu 0002, Sutharshan Rajasegarar, Gang Liu 0021, Hong Xian Li, Maia Angelova, and Gang Li 0009
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- 2023
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4. Effect of physio-cognitive dual-task training on cognition in pre-ageing and older adults with neurocognitive disorders: A meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trial
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Hong, Xian Li, Cheng, Ling Jie, Feng, Ruo Chen, Goh, Jorming, Gyanwali, Bibek, Itoh, Sakiko, TAM, Wai San Wilson, and Wu, Xi Vivien
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- 2024
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5. An integrated framework of ground source heat pump utilisation for high-performance buildings
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Hong Xian Li, Daniel E. Okolo, Amir Tabadkani, Tony Arnel, Dongming Zheng, and Long Shi
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract CO2 emissions from building operations have increased to their highest level globally, moving away from the Paris Agreement goal of below 2 °C. While geothermal is recognised as a promising renewable source, the lack of an integrated framework guiding investigating ground source heat pumps for building operations, along with the incapability of well-known simulation tools in accurately capturing ground thermal performance, hinders its application. This research aims to unlock ground source heat pumps for building operations through an integrated framework, including an overarching improved U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) monitoring guideline, a sensor-based monitoring prototype, and a g-function-based simulation approach. This research proposes amendments and improvements to the NREL guideline for monitoring geothermal energy by separating Thermal Energy Net Production from Thermal Energy Gross Production. A state-of-the-art case building located in Melbourne, Australia, housing advanced technologies, including ground source heat pump systems, is used to demonstrate and validate the research framework. A typical winter month in the southern hemisphere, July 2021, is monitored for the ground source heat pump systems designed and used for space heating. The findings reveal that the thermal energy generation during working days in July 2021 is close to the simulation results, with a difference of 2.2% in gross thermal energy production and a difference of 0.92% in inlet temperature. This research develops and validates an integrated approach for evaluating ground source heat pump systems, contributing to the utilisation of geothermal energy for building operations.
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- 2023
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6. Performance evaluation of two grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems under temperate climatic conditions in South Korea
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Abdulhameed Babatunde Owolabi, Abdulfatai Olatunji Yakub, Hong Xian Li, and Dongjun Suh
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Solar PV ,Energy output ,Performance ratio ,Capacity factor ,Final yield ,System efficiency ,Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering ,TK1-9971 - Abstract
This study evaluates two grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems using five criteria: final energy output, system yield, performance ratio, capacity factor, and system efficiency. The PV systems were installed on the rooftop of the Engineering building, Kyungpook National University, the Republic of Korea. The system was monitored, and necessary environmental data was recorded from January 2021 to December 2021. From the result, the annual electricity exported to the grid by the m-si solar PV was 9521 kWh, and that of the p-si was 8263 kWh. The m-si has a better annual average daily final and array yield of 5.23 h/day and 5.45 h/day than the annual final and array yield of p-si with 4.93 h/day and 5.12 h/day, respectively The composite solar PV saved the environment from 9.7 tons of CO2per year, equivalent to 9.7% of people reducing energy use by 20%. Based on the analysis for this location, the m-si solar cell technology showed a better annual performance than the p-si solar cell when considering the five evaluations, except for the performance ratio where the p-si solar cell outperformed the m-si solar technology. Finally, this study provides insightful information to researchers, PV installers, and PV manufacturing companies on the actual performance of grid-connected solar PV in Korea.
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- 2022
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7. Extensive Analysis of a Reinvigorated Solar Water Heating System Using Low-Density Polyethylene Glazing
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Balamurali Duraivel, Natarajan Muthuswamy, Saboor Shaik, Erdem Cuce, Abdulhameed Babatunde Owolabi, Hong Xian Li, and Miroslava Kavgic
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flat plate solar water heater ,transmissivity ,low-density polyethylene (LDPE) glazing ,exergy efficiency ,recovery efficiency ratio ,dynamic time ,Technology - Abstract
Solar energy is one of the most promising forms of alternative energy because it has no adverse effects on the environment and is entirely free. Converting solar energy into thermal energy is the most common and straightforward method; the efficiency of solar thermal conversion is approximately 70 percent. The intermittent nature of solar energy availability affects the performance of solar water heaters (SWH), which lowers the usefulness of solar energy in residential and commercial settings, particularly for water heating. Even at low temperatures, the performance of a collector can be improved by using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) glazing instead of traditional glass because it is less expensive and lighter than glass. Using a comprehensive experimental-simulative study, the Glass Solar water heater (glass SWH) and the low-density polyethylene solar water heater (LDPE SWH) are analyzed, examined, and compared in this work. These solar water heaters have galvanized iron (GI) as their absorber material. The SWHs were operated in a closed loop at a constant mass flow rate of 0.013 kg/s, and a 4E analysis (which stands for energy, exergy, economics, and efficiency recovery ratio) was carried out. This analysis included a look at the dynamic time, uncertainty, weight reduction, carbon footprint, and series connection. An LDPE SWH has an energy efficiency that is 5.57% and an exergy efficiency that is 3.2% higher than a glass SWH. The weight of the LDPE SWH is 32.56% lower than that of the glass SWH. Compared to the price of a conventional geyser, installing our SWH results in a cost savings of 40.9%, and monthly energy costs are reduced by an average of 25.5%. Compared to October, September has the quickest dynamic time to reach the desired temperature, while October has the most significant dynamic time. The efficiency recovery ratio (ERR) of a glass SWH is 0.0239% lower than that of an LDPE SWH. LDPE SWHs had a carbon credit worth INR 294.44 more than glass SWHs. The findings of these tests demonstrate that the LDPE SWH is a practical replacement for traditional means of heating water, such as SWHs and geysers.
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- 2023
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8. Daylight in Buildings and Visual Comfort Evaluation: the Advantages and Limitations
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Amir Tabadkani, Astrid Roetzel, Hong Xian Li, and Aris Tsangrassoulis
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building envelope ,daylighting systems ,occupant comfort ,quantitative metrics ,Details in building design and construction. Including walls, roofs ,TH2025-3000 - Abstract
Exposure to daylight significantly affects the psychological well-being of occupants by diminishing headaches, eye tensions, or stress. Daylight penetration is a matter of collaboration between building façade and perimeter zones that can be controlled through façade design features. This study reviews available daylighting systems to block or redirect natural light inside the space and their overall performance. Adaptation found to be the main key feature of daylighting systems to improve their effectiveness in indoor environments. As the main implication of such systems on the visual comfort performance of occupants, a list of quantitative indices is studied based on their mathematical equation to outline their advantages and limitations. Findings revealed a lack of agreement on acceptable indoor illuminance thresholds for most of the indices and the absence of a reliable glare index in presence of sun within the view field of the occupant. Similarly, many green building certifications propose a specific criterion to assess view out but remained a challenge for future studies.
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- 2021
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9. Detecting Change Intervals with Isolation Distributional Kernel.
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Yang Cao 0011, Ye Zhu 0002, Kai Ming Ting, Flora D. Salim, Hong Xian Li, and Gang Li 0009
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- 2022
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10. Towards zero carbon housing in Victoria, Australia: A policy and incentive framework
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Hong Xian Li, Trivess Moore, Jiaxin Huang, Peng Zhang, and Glenn Costin
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Zero carbon housing ,Policy ,Economic incentives ,Energy-efficient houses ,Australia ,Energy industries. Energy policy. Fuel trade ,HD9502-9502.5 - Abstract
Zero carbon housing has been forwarded by researchers and policymakers as a way to reduce carbon emissions from the residential sector globally. Although policies promoting zero or low carbon housing have been set in several regions, there has been limited policy development towards this performance outcome in Australia. The research in this paper aims to address this issue through evaluating existing policy and incentives frameworks and proposing adaptations that can be used to promote and increase the delivery of zero carbon housing in the studied region, i.e., Victoria, Australia. The research utilised a systematic qualitative and quantitative research approach across three key phases. In the first phase, a literature review was conducted to provide a depiction of the existing policy framework and incentives in Australia and other representative countries. In the second phase, a workshop with key policymakers and academics was conducted to refine a draft online questionnaire for different stakeholders of zero carbon housing. Additional semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the policy departments of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Victoria. In the third phase of the research, the online survey was finalised and distributed to randomly sampled key stakeholders. The study reveals that builders lack experience in the construction of zero carbon houses, which was identified as a critical factor hindering the adoption of such houses. Financial incentives of state governments were identified as essential to stimulate the adoption of zero carbon houses in order to overcome any additional capital costs. The analysis informs the development of a proposed policy framework that could shape and scale up the development of policies and financial support to deliver zero carbon housing, not only in Australia but also in other jurisdictions, as the residential sector plays an increasing role in the transition to a low carbon future.
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- 2022
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11. Study on Complexity of Precast Concrete Components and Its Influence on Production Efficiency
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Yan Liu, Wenjing Tong, Qianqian Li, Fuyi Yao, Yan Li, Hong Xian Li, and Jiaxin Huang
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
Prefabricated construction has been well recognized for its benefits, including accelerated construction cycle time and improved sustainability. However, low efficiency in the production of precast concrete components due to component and production complexity has not been sufficiently addressed in previous research. This paper explores the complexity of precast concrete components by establishing complexity indices and evaluating their influence on production efficiency. First, referring to research on product complexity in the machinery manufacturing industry, we define the complexity of precast concrete components in the construction industry. Then, based on a literature review, field studies, and expert interviews, we systematically construct the complexity indices of precast concrete components using the three-stage coding method, Grounded Theory. The overall complexity index system for precast concrete components constructed comprises 16 constituent complexity indices in three dimensions (i.e., structural complexity of the component, production complexity, and management complexity). The relationship between complexity indices and production efficiency is then explored using structural equation model analysis based on the data collected through a questionnaire survey. The results reveal that complexity indices have a significant impact on the production efficiency for precast concrete components, where the number of embedded parts, waiting time in production, operating proficiency of workers, and degree of automation of the production line are found to be the most influential complexity indices. This study provides a foundation upon which production managers improve production efficiency for precast concrete components based on an analysis of their product complexity.
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- 2022
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12. Effect of Physio-Cognitive Dual-task Training on Cognition in Pre-ageing and Older Adults with Neurocognitive Disorders: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression of Randomized Controlled Trial
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HONG, Xian Li, primary, CHENG, Ling Jie, additional, FENG, Ruo Chen, additional, GOH, Jorming, additional, GYANWALI, Bibek, additional, ITOH, Sakiko, additional, TAM, Wai San Wilson, additional, and WU, Xi Vivien, additional
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- 2023
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13. Factors Influencing Sleeve Grouting Quality for Prefabricated Building: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach
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Yingbo Ji, Zihao Zhao, Fuyi Yao, Hong Xian Li, Yanyao Li, and Xiaoyun Du
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
The defect in quality caused by the noncompactness of sleeve grouting has become the main obstacle restricting the further implementation of the prefabricated building in China. Studies have been conducted to explore the influencing factors of inadequate grouting; however, few studies attempt to investigate the complex interrelationship and lack of systematic cognition among these factors. To fill this gap, this study conducted a comprehensive literature review to collect the influencing factors of sleeve grouting and verified the reliability of these factors using the combined methods of brainstorming and semistructured expert discussion. A total of 18 key factors were identified and determined. The structural interpretation model (SIM) and Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) approaches were then used to analyze, depict, and explain the internal relationships between the factors. The results indicate that all factors were classified into six levels, among which poor responsibility of supervisors and weather conditions are the most basic factors, while grouting speed and a loose-sealing rubber plug are the most important factors. Finally, a three-level control strategy was proposed to improve the compactness quality of sleeve grouting. The research findings provide valuable guidelines for managers to eliminate the grouting quality defect and to further the development of prefabricated buildings in China.
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- 2021
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14. Design for Manufacturing and Assembly: A BIM-Enabled Generative Framework for Building Panelization Design
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Hexu Liu, Yuxuan Zhang, Zhen Lei, Hong Xian Li, and SangHyeok Han
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
Offsite construction (OSC) is attracting increasing attention from both industry and academia due to its benefits, such as improved productivity and quality, as well as reduced waste. However, the current building panelization design in OSC is a time-consuming and experience-based manual process, and the generated panelization design may result in unbalanced manufacturing processes. One reason is that the prefabrication of building components involves a highly variable product mix and there is a lack of a computational framework to evaluate panelization design. The objective of this research is, thus, to propose a BIM-based generative framework that automatically generates the design of production components with the aim of improving production productivity. This framework consists of a building information extraction module, a generative design algorithm, and a simulation-based performance evaluation model. The building information extraction module is designed to extract building component information from a BIM model and classify building components into different production groups in accordance with functionalities and materials. The generative design algorithm is then developed to formulate panelization design alternatives in consideration of the structural, production, and logistics constraints. On this basis, the generated panelization designs are quantitatively assessed by a simulation-based evaluation model in terms of productivity. A case study was used to verify and validate the framework. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by a computational framework of building panelization design, which leverages the generative design algorithm and BIM-simulation integration for optimized panelization design.
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- 2021
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15. Building Information Modelling- (BIM-) Based Generative Design for Drywall Installation Planning in Prefabricated Construction
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Jose Daniel Cuellar Lobo, Zhen Lei, Hexu Liu, Hong Xian Li, and SangHyeok Han
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
In prefabricated construction, building components are manufactured off-site before shipping to the site for installation. Accurate design and planning are essential for smooth on-site execution and improved efficiency, which requires evaluations of various design options. However, due to the design process’s complexity, such evaluations cannot be achieved without automation and optimization. Meanwhile, the recent advancement of digital design technologies (e.g., building information modelling (BIM)) has enabled flexibility in the design process. The integration of BIM with other analytical algorithms also allows optimization of designs, such as the generative design that can parametrize the design. This study proposes a generative design approach that utilizes the optimization of the drywall installation layout to improve overall project efficiency. The framework includes a decision support module that considers environmental, cost, and aesthetic aspects to identify the optimal layout. The framework’s practical applicability has been successfully demonstrated through a case study. After implementation, three “best” design alternatives were found according to the decision aspects. The design improvements achieved were 37.5%, 7%, and 54% for the environmental, cost, and aesthetic factors, respectively. Accordingly, practitioners can make better decisions on planning drywall projects. This approach has proven effective in planning drywall installation and can be applied in similar design scenarios for other prefabricated construction processes.
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- 2021
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16. A Dynamic Just-in-Time Component Delivery Framework for Off-Site Construction
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Tongguang Si, Hong Xian Li, Zhen Lei, Hexu Liu, and SangHyeok Han
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
Off-site construction entails various advantages compared with the traditional construction method; however, the fragmentation of the prefabrication and assembly results in a complex supply chain. Both general contractors and factories often encounter production deviation, making the original component delivery plan nonoptimal. Traditionally, both parties tend to rely on internal resources or third-party resources to manage schedule changes, paying little attention to the optimisation of the component delivery process. The static compensation mechanisms reported in existing literature require factories to manage demand fluctuations but fail to encourage general contractors to control schedule deviations. Therefore, a dynamic compensation mechanism is proposed to achieve just-in-time component delivery, with which a factory shares possible changes for each component’s delivery date to its clients on an inverse Kanban system. First, unfavourable changes for the factory schedule are allocated with surcharges, and the general contractor should compensate the factory if it accepts the date changes; secondly, schedule changes that are beneficial for the factory are assigned as incentives, and the general contractor receives the factory’s incentive upon agreeing to the changes. Based on these two scenarios, genetic algorithm-based optimisation models are developed to achieve optimal delivery planning solutions. General contractors can obtain an optimal component delivery date to reduce the additional cost when they have changed the assembly schedule. General contractors can also optimise their component delivery schedule to trade their duration flexibility for incentives offered by factories. The models can help both parties to reduce component delivery waste when either side has the motivation to change the original component delivery schedules.
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- 2021
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17. Evaluation of Informatization Performance of Construction Industrialization EPC Enterprises in China
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Fuyi Yao, Yingbo Ji, Hong Xian Li, Guiwen Liu, Wenjing Tong, Yan Liu, and Xiaowei Wang
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
An enormous amount of investment has been spent towards informatization for the construction industrialization engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) enterprises in China; however, the performance output remains uncertain. This paper aims to evaluate the informatization performance of the construction industrialization enterprises in China based on a proposed evaluation framework. The proposed framework entails a hierarchical input and output structure; the input metrics include 4 first-level and 17 second-level indicators, and the outputs include 6 first-level and 27 second-level indicators as the metrics, respectively. Survey and interview are utilized to collect data, with effective responses from thirty construction industrialization EPC enterprises. The informatization performance of these enterprises is evaluated using an improved D-FCA method, which incorporates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), data envelopment analysis (DEA), and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation analysis (FCA). The research results indicate that all the surveyed enterprises meet the performance requirement, and 60% of the thirty enterprises show excellent performance, reaching A level, AA level, and AAA level. Furthermore, for those enterprises with DEA scores less than 1, which indicates inefficient use of the resources during the informatization process, strategies are proposed to improve the performance of these enterprises. This study contributes a comprehensive framework to evaluate the informatization performance of construction industrialization enterprises in China. The enterprises studied currently mainly come from some developed areas, and the overall situation for construction industrialization needs to be further studied in future research.
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- 2020
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18. Applying Solar PV to Heat Pump and Storage Technologies in Australian Houses
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Tom Simko, Mark B. Luther, Hong Xian Li, and Peter Horan
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self-consumption ,solar photovoltaics ,heat pumps ,thermal storage ,space heating ,space cooling ,Technology - Abstract
Innovative mechanical services coupled with renewable energy systems are crucial for achieving a net zero energy goal for houses. Conventional systems tend to be vastly oversized because they lack the means to buffer energy flows and are based on peak loads. This paper presents an approach to achieve a net zero energy goal for houses by using a solar PV system, heat pumps, and thermal and electrical storage batteries, all off-the-shelf. Constraining one part of the system and then showing how to manage energy storage and flow is a paradigm shift in sizing. The design is for a modest-sized house built in Melbourne, Australia. The output of a solar photovoltaic array drives a small-scale heat pump to heat water, buffering its energy in a thermal battery to energise a radiant space heating system. Space cooling is provided by a separate heat pump. Through energy storage in electrical and thermal batteries, it is possible to meet the electricity, heating and cooling needs of the house for the Melbourne climate with a heat pump that draws less than 1 kW. The design methodology is detailed in an appendix and can be applied to similar projects. This paper contributes to similar work worldwide that aims to reinforce innovative renewable energy driven service design.
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- 2021
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19. Modular Construction/Off-Site Construction
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Hexu Liu, Mohamed Al-Hussein, Zhen Lei, Hong Xian Li, and SangHyeok Han
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Strategy and Management ,Industrial relations ,Building and Construction ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Published
- 2023
20. Estimating long-term impacts of tunnel infrastructure development on urban sustainability using granular computing.
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Limao Zhang, Yan Zhang, Hong Xian Li, and Zhen Lei
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- 2021
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21. Guidance on Implementing Renewable Energy Systems in Australian Homes
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Peter Horan, Mark B. Luther, and Hong Xian Li
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solar PV ,battery ,costs ,CO2 emissions ,electric vehicle ,Technology - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine several real house cases as renewable energy resources are installed. It is an empirical study, based on first principles applied to measured data. In the first case presented, a PV solar system has been installed and a hybrid vehicle purchased. Battery storage is being considered. Smart Meter data (provided in Victoria, Australia) measures the electrical energy flowing to and from the grid in each half hour. Missing is the story about what the house is generating and what its energy requirements are through each half hour interval. We apply actual (on site) solar PV data to this study, resolving the unknown energy flows. Analysing energy flow has revealed that there are five fundamental quantities which determine performance, namely energy load, energy import, energy harvesting, energy export and energy storage. As a function of PV size these quantities depend on four parameters, easily derivable from the Smart Meter data, namely the house load, the night-time house load (no PV generation), the rating of the solar PV system and the tariffs charged. This reveals most of the information for providing advice on PV array size and whether to install a battery. An important discovery is that a battery, no matter what size, needs a PV system large enough to charge it during the winter months. The analysis is extended to two more houses located within 5 km for which detailed solar data is unavailable.
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- 2021
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22. An analysis of quality liability insurance for prefabricated components using evolutionary game theory
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Hong Xian Li, Zhen Lei, Yingbo Ji, Yan Liu, Chenyao Lv, and Yan Li
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Prefabrication ,Risk analysis (engineering) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Evolutionary game theory ,Quality (business) ,Business ,Liability insurance ,General Environmental Science ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,media_common - Abstract
Managing quality risks of prefabricated components is one of the challenges for prefabricated construction. The quality liability insurance for prefabricated components (QLIPC) is an effective approach to transfer such risks; however, limited research has been conducted on the development of QLIPC. This study introduces an evolutionary game theory (EGT)-based approach incorporating decisions from both government and insurance companies. In the EGT model, a payoff matrix under disparate strategies is constructed and the evolutionary stable strategies (ESS) are deduced. The simulation calculation is then carried out by MATLAB using virtual sample data to demonstrate the analysis. The results show that the government should act as the game promoter because the QLIPC can reduce governance cost and has significant social benefits. This research contributes a theoretical framework to analyze the QLIPC development using the EGT theory, and it could help the government develop long-term strategies for developing the QLIPC market.
- Published
- 2022
23. A BIM-Based Study on the Comprehensive Benefit Analysis for Prefabricated Building Projects in China
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Yingbo Ji, Siwei Chang, Yuan Qi, Yan Li, Hong Xian Li, and Kai Qi
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Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
Prefabricated construction has been widely accepted as an alternative to conventional cast-in-situ construction, given its improved performance. Great efforts have also been made to develop prefabricated construction technologies in China. However, there is a lack of an appropriate pattern for evaluating its comprehensive economic merits, and reasonable mathematical models for providing a comparative analysis of conventional cast-in-situ and prefabricated building projects have yet to be developed. Therefore, the research in this paper aims to comprehensively evaluate the economic benefits of implementing prefabricated construction techniques in order to surpass the economic barrier and promote the development of prefabricated buildings in China. The comprehensive economic evaluation is formulated in terms of resource-use efficiencies, project progress, and incentive policies. An apartment building in Shanghai is selected as a case study. Construction progress is simulated on the BIM platform when the same case study is rationally transformed from the prefabricated to the conventional cast-in-situ construction technique. The results reveal that the comprehensive economic merit can reach ¥739.6/m2 when selecting the prefabricated construction process. The economic benefit brought by shortening the construction period can be regarded as the most significant contributor. Yet, the current incentive policies only contribute 7.1% of the comprehensive economic evaluation. Overall, this research contributes an assessment framework for decision-making in the technique management of building construction. The BIM-based simulation approach can greatly help investors to identify the relevant economic factors and adopt the latest incentive policies.
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- 2019
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24. The impact of COVID-19 on construction supply chain management: an Australian case study
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Peter Sutterby, Xiangming Wang, Hong Xian Li, and Yingbo Ji
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Architecture ,Building and Construction ,General Business, Management and Accounting ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
PurposeEffective maintenance of construction supply chains is paramount to business continuity during the pandemic. Focusing on a large private Australian construction company, this research aims to investigate to what extent the current pandemic has affected the daily operations of this company. This research touches on the broader effect on the industry, while it narrows the focus on how effective construction supply chain management can minimise a pandemic's negative impact on a company. The critical question will be how private contractors that primarily rely on social infrastructure projects can fortify their supply chains and general operations during the global pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA mixed qualitative and quantitative approach is employed in this research. Based on literature review and question design, data is collected through interviews with various stakeholders. Moreover, operation data is also collected from the case company to support the results and findings.FindingsThe respondents have generally agreed that the case company has effectively managed its supply chains to this point of the pandemic through the implementation of supply chain monitoring processes and maintaining stable relationships with stakeholders. This is supported by the operation data of the case company.Originality/valueThis is timely-conducted research, and it is original research with invaluable operation data. This case study is conducted during a pandemic and provides lessons learned for global supply chain management in the post-pandemic period.
- Published
- 2023
25. Quality Control for Offsite Construction: Review and Future Directions
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Yan Liu, Fuyi Yao, Yingbo Ji, Wenjing Tong, Guiwen Liu, Hong Xian Li, and Xin Hu
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Strategy and Management ,Industrial relations ,Building and Construction ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Published
- 2022
26. Effects of anthocyanin-rich supplementation on cognition of the cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
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Feng, Ruo Chen, primary, Dong, Yan Hong, additional, Hong, Xian Li, additional, Su, Ya, additional, and Wu, Xi Vivien, additional
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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27. Development Strategy Optimization for Off-Site Construction Projects: Synergy of the Government and Developers
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Yudan Dou, Xiaolong Xue, Hong Xian Li, Xiaowei Luo, and Zhongfu Li
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Strategy and Management ,Industrial relations ,General Engineering ,Building and Construction ,Management Science and Operations Research - Published
- 2022
28. Charting Participatory Action and Interventionist Research Processes for Community-Based Stakeholders in Peri-Urban Contexts: The Proposed St. Cuthbert’s Community Centre, Lorne, Australia
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Igor Martek, Mark B. Luther, Stewart Seaton, Glenn Costin, Hong Xian Li, Olubukola Tokede, and David Sydney Jones
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stakeholder engagement ,social change ,participatory action ,actor network theory ,interventionist research ,project feasibility ,Lorne ,Geography. Anthropology. Recreation ,Social Sciences - Abstract
Participatory action combined interventionist research approaches can offer possibilities for community-based facilities and institutions attempting to re-engage with their communities and assert their presence. St. Cuthbert’s Church is a heritage-listed property, located on a major landholding, right in the heart of the summer tourist town of Lorne, on Melbourne’s peri-urban ‘sea change’ fringe. Its sloping hillside vantage offers spectacular views to the beach and Bass Strait, beyond. The congregation, however, is aging, while the broader community is increasingly secular. In response to these circumstances, the Church is looking to assert its relevance with the procurement of a community centre to be erected on the property. Using an interventionist research approach, with a professional facilitator in ‘participatory action design’, it was found that while both residents and visitors to Lorne were favourably disposed to the idea of a community centre, it was also clear that the locus of power that needed to realise this objective lay outside the congregation’s control. A conclusion of this research is that community-based organisations may have to pro-actively engage in professional marketing and prepare business plans, as well as engage in substantial political lobbying both within and external to the Church, if the project is to progress and succeed.
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- 2019
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29. Assessing and Prioritising Delay Factors of Prefabricated Concrete Building Projects in China
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Yingbo Ji, Lin Qi, Yan Liu, Xinnan Liu, Hong Xian Li, and Yan Li
- Subjects
construction delay ,prefabricated construction ,decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) ,analytic network process (ANP) ,multi-criteria decision making ,Technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Physics ,QC1-999 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
Prefabricated construction has been widely accepted as an alternative to conventional cast-in-situ construction, given its improved performance. However, prefabricated concrete building projects frequently encounter significant delays. It is, therefore, crucial to identify key factors affecting schedule and explore strategies to minimise the schedule delays for prefabricated concrete building projects. This paper adopts the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) model and analytic network process (ANP) method to quantify the cause-and-effect relationships and prioritise the key delay factors in terms of their importance in the Chinese construction industry. The DEMATEL model evaluates the extent to which each factor impacts other factors. The quantified extents are then converted into a prioritisation matrix through ANP. The delay factors of prefabricated construction projects are selected and categorised based on a literature review and an expert interview. Questionnaires are then implemented to collect the data. The results reveal that the issue of inefficient structural connections for prefabricated components is found to be the most significant factor and most easily affected by other delay factors. This research also suggests prioritising major delay factors, such as ‘lack of communication among participants’ and ‘low productivity’, in the Chinese construction industry during scheduling control. Overall, this research contributes an assessment framework for decision making in the scheduling management of prefabricated construction.
- Published
- 2018
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30. Digital Twin in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industry: A Bibliometric Review
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Manea Almatared, Hexu Liu, Shengxian Tang, Mohammed Sulaiman, Zhen Lei, and Hong Xian Li
- Published
- 2022
31. An integrated framework of ground source heat pump utilisation for high-performance buildings
- Author
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Hong Xian Li, Daniel E. Okolo, Amir Tabadkani, Tony Arnel, Dongming Zheng, and Long Shi
- Subjects
Multidisciplinary - Abstract
CO2 emissions from building operations have increased to their highest level globally, moving away from the Paris Agreement goal of below 2 °C. While geothermal is recognised as a promising renewable source, the lack of an integrated framework guiding investigating ground source heat pumps for building operations, along with the incapability of well-known simulation tools in accurately capturing ground thermal performance, hinders its application. This research aims to unlock ground source heat pumps for building operations through an integrated framework, including an overarching improved U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) monitoring guideline, a sensor-based monitoring prototype, and a g-function-based simulation approach. This research proposes amendments and improvements to the NREL guideline for monitoring geothermal energy by separating Thermal Energy Net Production from Thermal Energy Gross Production. A state-of-the-art case building located in Melbourne, Australia, housing advanced technologies, including ground source heat pump systems, is used to demonstrate and validate the research framework. A typical winter month in the southern hemisphere, July 2021, is monitored for the ground source heat pump systems designed and used for space heating. The findings reveal that the thermal energy generation during working days in July 2021 is close to the simulation results, with a difference of 2.2% in gross thermal energy production and a difference of 0.92% in inlet temperature. This research develops and validates an integrated approach for evaluating ground source heat pump systems, contributing to the utilisation of geothermal energy for building operations.
- Published
- 2022
32. Effects of anthocyanin-rich supplementation on cognition of the cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Author
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Feng, Ruo Chen, Dong, Yan Hong, Hong, Xian Li, Su, Ya, and Wu, Xi Vivien
- Subjects
BRAIN physiology ,ONLINE information services ,CINAHL database ,MEDICAL databases ,PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems ,MEMORY ,EXECUTIVE function ,META-analysis ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,PSYCHOLOGY of movement ,ACTIVITIES of daily living ,DIETARY supplements ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,AGING ,ATTENTION ,QUALITY of life ,MEDLINE ,BIOLOGICAL pigments ,COGNITION in old age ,NEURORADIOLOGY ,FLAVANONES - Abstract
Context The prevalence of age-related cognitive decline has been on the rise as the global population age, putting the independence and quality of life of elderly at risk. Anthocyanin, as a subclass of dietary flavonoids, may have a beneficial impact on cognitive outcomes. Objectives To examine the effects of dietary anthocyanin supplementation on cognition of the cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults. Data Sources PubMed, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, EMBASE, ProQuest and Cochrane databases were searched. Data Extraction and Analysis Thirteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Anthocyanin-rich supplementation was found to significantly improve the processing speed of the older adults (95%CI 0.08, 0.44; P = 0.004). No significant differences were observed between intervention and control groups on memory, attention, executive function and psychomotor performance. Current neuroimaging studies have found promising effects of anthocyanin supplementation on brain activation and cerebral perfusion. Conclusion Anthocyanin-rich supplementation may preserve cognitive processing speed and neuro-activities in older adults, which improves their daily functioning and quality of life. This review provides useful insights to guide direction and methodological designs for future studies to explore the underlying mechanisms of anthocyanins. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Registration PROSPERO registration No. CRD42021228007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Innovative control approaches to assess energy implications of adaptive facades based on simulation using EnergyPlus
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Astrid Roetzel, Hong Xian Li, Aris Tsangrassoulis, and Amir Tabadkani
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Schedule ,Automatic control ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Computer science ,020209 energy ,02 engineering and technology ,Energy consumption ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Automotive engineering ,Energy management system ,Adaptive system ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,General Materials Science ,Daylight ,0210 nano-technology ,Energy (signal processing) ,Envelope (motion) - Abstract
The current development of shading systems which respond to both environmental and human inputs; leads to envisioning an envelope that is multifunctional, responsive and dynamic, named as Adaptive Facades (AFs). The key aspect of any external shading system is to control solar radiation that might cause unwanted thermal and visual stresses for occupants which can lead to higher cooling loads significantly. Recent studies attempted to develop non-conventional AFs such as folding structures to fulfill the incapability of conventional systems (e.g. venetian blinds) for delivering multi-objective user demands due to their different design features. Therefore, in this paper motorized venetian blinds were initially used as conventional AFs in Energy Management System (EMS) of EnergyPlus to develop a reference case study. Furthermore, an automatic control was assigned to venetian blinds based on two indoor sensors to control slat angles on hourly basis, Daylight Glare Index (DGI) and task horizontal illuminance. Then, two new control algorithm were derived as hourly transmittance schedule (hTs) and shade factor through extended calculation methods that were used to modify the properties of a roller shade as to take into account the same adjustment of venetian blinds based on indoor sensors. Finally, a comparison was conducted based on annual energy consumption including heating and cooling loads, in which results showed that both methods have discrepancy lower than 6% and can be alternative solutions to evaluate the performance of non-conventional adaptive systems. However, there are several limitations and applicability of the suggested methodologies that were also discussed.
- Published
- 2020
34. Exploring and verifying BIM-based energy simulation for building operations
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Anthony Mills, Jun Wang, Zhiliang Ma, Mohamed Al-Hussein, Hexu Liu, and Hong Xian Li
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Schedule ,business.industry ,Computer science ,Interoperability ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,Building and Construction ,Energy consumption ,Data loss ,Application software ,computer.software_genre ,General Business, Management and Accounting ,Building information modeling ,021105 building & construction ,Architecture ,Systems engineering ,021108 energy ,Unavailability ,business ,Building energy simulation ,computer ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
PurposeThe operational phase of a building's lifecycle is receiving increasing attention, as it consumes an enormous amount of energy and results in tremendous detrimental impacts on the environment. While energy simulation can be applied as a tool to evaluate the energy performance of a building in operation, the emergence of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology is expected to facilitate the evaluation process with predefined and enriched building information. However, such an approach has been confronted by the challenge of interoperability issues among the related application software, including the BIM tools and energy simulation tools, and the results of simulation have been seldom verified due to the unavailability of corresponding experimental data. This study aims to explore the interoperability between the commonly used energy simulation and BIM tools and verifies the simulation approach by undertaking a case study.Design/methodology/approachWith Autodesk Revit and EnergyPlus selected as the commonly used BIM and energy simulation tools, respectively, a valid technical framework of transferring building information between two tools is proposed, and the interoperability issues that occur during the data transfer are studied. The proposed framework is then employed to simulate the energy consumption of a single-family house, and sensitivity analysis and analysis on such parameters as schedule are conducted for building operations to showcase its applicability.FindingsThe simulation results are compared with monitored data and the results from another simulation tool, HOT2000; the comparison reveals that EnergyPlus and HOT2000 predict the total energy consumption with a difference from the monitoring data of 8.0 and 7.1%, respectively.Practical implicationsThis research shows how to efficiently use BIM to support building energy simulation. Relevant stakeholders can learn from this research to avoid data loss during BIM model transformation.Originality/valueThis research explores the application of BIM for building energy simulation, compares the simulation results among different tools and validates simulation results using monitored data.
- Published
- 2020
35. BIM-based life-cycle environmental assessment of prefabricated buildings
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Yingbo Ji, Yan Li, Hong Xian Li, Zhen Lei, Kai Qi, Yan Liu, and Yuan Qi
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Consumption (economics) ,Architectural engineering ,Engineering ,Environmental evaluation ,Apartment ,Environmental analysis ,business.industry ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,Building and Construction ,General Business, Management and Accounting ,Prefabrication ,Building information modeling ,021105 building & construction ,Architecture ,Environmental impact assessment ,021108 energy ,business ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Building construction - Abstract
PurposeThis research aims to propose a comparative environmental analysis of conventional and prefabricated construction techniques utilizing a building information modelling (BIM) technique.Design/methodology/approachA set of indicators are selected to assess the environmental emissions throughout the construction life cycle, based on BIM platform. An existing project involving ten apartment buildings in Shanghai is selected as a case study.FindingsThe results reveal that prefabricated construction demonstrates environment-friendly performance with some exceptions of acidification and mineral resource consumption. Environmental impacts can also be further reduced by increasing the projected area ratio and percentage of project prefabrication.Originality/valueOverall, the proposed method can be used to identify relevant environmental merits and for decision-making of appropriate construction techniques in building construction projects.
- Published
- 2020
36. Improving the energy production of roof-top solar PV systems through roof design
- Author
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Yitao Zhang, M. Reza Hosseini, David J. Edwards, and Hong Xian Li
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Gable ,business.industry ,Photovoltaic system ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,Building and Construction ,Solar energy ,Automotive engineering ,Electricity generation ,021105 building & construction ,Software design pattern ,Environmental science ,021108 energy ,business ,Roof ,Energy (signal processing) ,Energy (miscellaneous) ,Efficient energy use - Abstract
Australia is receiving an average of 58 million PJ of solar radiation per year, which is about 1000 times larger than its total energy generation. Roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) systems alone can supply a phenomenal fraction of the nation’s total energy. The architectural design and orientation of roofs have considerable impacts on the energy efficiency of roof-top solar PV systems. These aspects, however, have received scant academic attention within the literature. To address this knowledge gap, this research seeks to increase the energy production of roof-top solar PV systems through roof design. The energy generation of roof-top solar PV systems is modelled using Helioscope software, and then validated using real-time monitored data. Based on the verified model, the impact of different tilt angles and shading from surrounding obstructions upon energy generation are analyzed in detail. To ground the research in practical terms, the aesthetic design of five typical roof design patterns (including flat, shed, gable, hip, and butterfly roof) are explored to compare the energy generated from solar PV systems fitted to each design. Findings indicate that: (1) the simulated energy generation from the solar PV system is close to the monitored data, with equal annual generation; (2) the shading of surrounding obstructions can reduce the energy generation of roof-top solar PV systems considerably, where up to 24% energy loss is reported; (3) the optimal tilt angle is about 35°, which is close to the latitude angle of the studied location; and (4) the shed roof design provides the maximum potential for solar energy generation when compared to that of other roof design patterns. The energy generation variation of other aesthetic roof patterns is also presented, providing support for informed decision making on the roof design. This study contributes to the field through improving the energy production of roof-top solar PV systems based on roof design along with considering aesthetic concerns. Novel insights generated will be beneficial for researchers and government policy makers alike; the work also introduces simulation-based methodological approaches for practitioners who seek to improve the energy generation of roof-top solar PV systems.
- Published
- 2019
37. Dynamic characteristics and drivers of the regional household energy-carbon-water nexus in China
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Hao Li, Song Wang, Jia-Ning Kang, Lu Zheng, Yuli Shan, Ya Liu, Long Shi, Yuhuan Zhao, Hong Xian Li, and Integrated Research on Energy, Environment & Socie
- Subjects
Consumption (economics) ,Family Characteristics ,China ,Drivers ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Urbanization ,Energy-carbon-water nexus ,Water ,General Medicine ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Pollution ,Agricultural economics ,Regions ,Absolute amount ,Dynamic characteristics ,Environmental Chemistry ,Income growth ,Nexus (standard) ,Socioeconomic status ,Household ,Water use ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Being a node of the energy-water consumer and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, the household is one key sector to pilot integrated energy-carbon-water (ECW) management. This study developed an integrated framework to explore China’s provincial household ECW nexus as well as their drivers from the years 2000 through 2016. The absolute amount and growth rate of household energy use (HEU), household CO2 emissions (HCE), and household water use (HWU) were abstracted to reveal the dynamic characteristics of the household ECW nexus. Efficiency advance, income growth, urbanization, family size, and household number were defined to explain the changes in the household ECW nexus. This study revealed that there is a huge regional heterogeneity in China’s household ECW nexus. Developed regions such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shanghai are the most important household ECW nexus nodes with larger amounts and growth rates of household ECW. Income growth overwhelmingly increases ECW, while efficiency advance effectively curbs its growth. Comparatively, household number, family size, and urbanization have small effects. Therefore, implementing differentiated management and focusing on the synergy of socioeconomic factors are the keys to achieving integrated household ECW management. And the analytical framework can be used to analyze ECW nexus from a sector, city, or country perspective.
- Published
- 2021
38. Informed decision making of battery storage for solar-PV homes using smart meter data
- Author
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Peter Horan, Tarek M.F. Ahmed, Mark Luther, and Hong Xian Li
- Subjects
Battery (electricity) ,business.product_category ,K200 ,Computer science ,Smart meter ,020209 energy ,Mechanical Engineering ,Photovoltaic system ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,H800 ,02 engineering and technology ,Building and Construction ,Environmental economics ,Energy storage ,Electricity generation ,021105 building & construction ,Electric vehicle ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Capital cost ,K100 ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,business ,Cost of electricity by source ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
As the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems decreases and incentives such as feed-in tariffs (FiTs) are offered, solar-PV homes are becoming popular. Furthermore, solar-PV homes integrated with hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as a paradigm for future homes. Given the fact that there exists a considerable price difference between grid electricity supply and FiTs, decision making of energy storage using batteries becomes an imperative topic. This research proposes an innovative and generic framework for the decision making of energy storage using batteries based on Smart Meter data, which incorporates the actual energy generation and consumption patterns of solar-PV homes. The proposed energy storage decision is based on a developed economic model, with the consideration of the electricity price from the grid, the FiTs, and the storage cost using batteries (i.e. the average price per kWh of battery capital cost and maintenance cost). Moreover, an intelligent algorithm is developed to calculate the electricity quantities, i.e. electricity supplied from the grid, fed into the grid and stored in a battery of a given capacity, based on the monitored data obtained from a Smart Meter over a year. The results reveal that at the present utility prices of $0.3/kWh and a feed-in-tariff of $0.10/kWh in the studied region, energy storage with a battery cost of $0.2/kWh or more is excessive and not economically feasible. However, with the increasing cost of electricity in recent years and constant changes in battery price, the outcomes could quickly reverse. This research contributes an innovative framework for battery storage decision-making of solar-PV homes, based on economic analysis and Smart Meter data.
- Published
- 2019
39. A BIM-Based Study on the Comprehensive Benefit Analysis for Prefabricated Building Projects in China
- Author
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Yan Li, Hong Xian Li, Yuan Qi, Siwei Chang, Yingbo Ji, and Kai Qi
- Subjects
Engineering ,Article Subject ,Process (engineering) ,business.industry ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,Construction engineering ,Prefabrication ,Improved performance ,Incentive ,Benefit analysis ,lcsh:TA1-2040 ,Order (exchange) ,021105 building & construction ,Economic evaluation ,021108 energy ,lcsh:Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,China ,business ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
Prefabricated construction has been widely accepted as an alternative to conventional cast-in-situ construction, given its improved performance. Great efforts have also been made to develop prefabricated construction technologies in China. However, there is a lack of an appropriate pattern for evaluating its comprehensive economic merits, and reasonable mathematical models for providing a comparative analysis of conventional cast-in-situ and prefabricated building projects have yet to be developed. Therefore, the research in this paper aims to comprehensively evaluate the economic benefits of implementing prefabricated construction techniques in order to surpass the economic barrier and promote the development of prefabricated buildings in China. The comprehensive economic evaluation is formulated in terms of resource-use efficiencies, project progress, and incentive policies. An apartment building in Shanghai is selected as a case study. Construction progress is simulated on the BIM platform when the same case study is rationally transformed from the prefabricated to the conventional cast-in-situ construction technique. The results reveal that the comprehensive economic merit can reach ¥739.6/m2 when selecting the prefabricated construction process. The economic benefit brought by shortening the construction period can be regarded as the most significant contributor. Yet, the current incentive policies only contribute 7.1% of the comprehensive economic evaluation. Overall, this research contributes an assessment framework for decision-making in the technique management of building construction. The BIM-based simulation approach can greatly help investors to identify the relevant economic factors and adopt the latest incentive policies.
- Published
- 2019
40. Construction Industrialization in China: Current Profile and the Prediction
- Author
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Yingbo Ji, Fadong Zhu, Hong Xian Li, and Mohamed Al-Hussein
- Subjects
construction industrialization ,industrialized construction map ,precast concrete ,survey ,Technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Physics ,QC1-999 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
The ongoing undertaking of construction industrialization in China is redefining the industry and creating a new era for building construction. In order to identify the construction industrialization status and progress, a national survey is conducted across 19 key provinces and municipalities in China. Based on the collected data, construction industrialization is analyzed from various perspectives: (1) the industrialized building floor area is profiled using maps with colours showing the different levels of construction industrialization in China as of 2014; and (2) structural types and building types are analyzed for industrialized construction, and it is found that reinforced concrete is the predominant structure type, accounting for 77.1% of total floor area of industrialized construction in 2014. The industrialization trends are also predicted for the following five years using Holt’s and Delphi method. This research reveals the status and the promising trends of construction industrialization in China.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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41. Simulation-based personalized real-time control of adaptive facades in shared office spaces
- Author
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Amir Tabadkani, Astrid Roetzel, Hong Xian Li, and Aris Tsangrassoulis
- Subjects
Control and Systems Engineering ,Building and Construction ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Published
- 2022
42. Vulnerability modeling, assessment, and improvement in urban metro systems: a probabilistic system dynamics approach
- Author
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Chen Bin, Limao Zhang, Hong Xian Li, Hongyu Chen, and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Subjects
Civil engineering [Engineering] ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Computer science ,Geography, Planning and Development ,Probabilistic logic ,Complex system ,Vulnerability ,Transportation ,Hybrid approach ,System Dynamics ,System dynamics ,Risk analysis (engineering) ,Vulnerability Modeling ,Workforce ,Risk assessment ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Metro system - Abstract
The urban metro system is a complex system that is vulnerable to various kinds of hazards and subjected to dynamics, where errors in any part are very likely to cause system failures and accidents. A better understanding of evolutional dynamics of the system vulnerability over time enables to ensure the safety and security in its operation and provide guidance for long-term operation and maintenance for the metro system. However, there are limited studies considering the long-term evolutional dynamics and uncertainties of the vulnerability in urban metro system. To solve the concern, the objective of this research is to develop a hybrid approach that integrates system dynamics (SD) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to evaluate the vulnerability of the metro system in operation from a long-term perspective. By merging multi-resource information, an SD model consisting of 4 sub-systems (i.e., workforce vulnerability, organizational vulnerability, equipment vulnerability, and environmental vulnerability) and 16 feedback loops is constructed to reveal complex relationships among various factors and simulate the overall system vulnerability. The MC simulation is used to analyze the sensitive factors and improvement strategies of vulnerability in urban metro systems under uncertainty. The operation network of the Wuhan metro system in China is utilized as a case study to verify the applicability of the proposed approach. Results indicate that (i) It is predicted that the overall system vulnerability will decrease at the early stage of operation and rise at the later stage with the rapid decline of equipment system status; (ii) The workforce sub-system is discovered to be more sensitive to the overall metro system globally than the other three sub-systems, with the 10% and 20% fluctuations in input factors’ variations considered; (iii) The strategy that aims to improve the safety training and equipment maintenance and operation frequency is identified as the most effective strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the overall metro system. The developed approach can be used as a decision tool that is capable of modeling the long-term vulnerability of the overall metro system and discovering appropriate improvement strategies towards more sustainable transit development. Ministry of Education (MOE) Nanyang Technological University The Ministry of Education Tier 1 Grant, Singapore (No. 04MNP000279C120, NO. 04MNP002126C120) and the Start-Up Grant at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (No. 04INS000423C120) are acknowledged for their financial support of this research.
- Published
- 2021
43. Energy-Efficient Technologies in the Apparel Industry: Limitations of Existing Energy Research
- Author
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Dumindu Soorige, Gayani Karunasena, and Hong Xian Li
- Published
- 2021
44. Factors Influencing Sleeve Grouting Quality for Prefabricated Building: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach
- Author
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Xiaoyun Du, Yingbo Ji, Yanyao Li, Hong Xian Li, Fuyi Yao, and Zihao Zhao
- Subjects
Article Subject ,Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,020101 civil engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Research findings ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,Construction engineering ,0201 civil engineering ,Key factors ,Brainstorming ,021105 building & construction ,Quality (business) ,TA1-2040 ,Reliability (statistics) ,Combined method ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,media_common - Abstract
The defect in quality caused by the noncompactness of sleeve grouting has become the main obstacle restricting the further implementation of the prefabricated building in China. Studies have been conducted to explore the influencing factors of inadequate grouting; however, few studies attempt to investigate the complex interrelationship and lack of systematic cognition among these factors. To fill this gap, this study conducted a comprehensive literature review to collect the influencing factors of sleeve grouting and verified the reliability of these factors using the combined methods of brainstorming and semistructured expert discussion. A total of 18 key factors were identified and determined. The structural interpretation model (SIM) and Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) approaches were then used to analyze, depict, and explain the internal relationships between the factors. The results indicate that all factors were classified into six levels, among which poor responsibility of supervisors and weather conditions are the most basic factors, while grouting speed and a loose-sealing rubber plug are the most important factors. Finally, a three-level control strategy was proposed to improve the compactness quality of sleeve grouting. The research findings provide valuable guidelines for managers to eliminate the grouting quality defect and to further the development of prefabricated buildings in China.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Building Information Modelling- (BIM-) Based Generative Design for Drywall Installation Planning in Prefabricated Construction
- Author
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SangHyeok Han, Jose Daniel Cuellar Lobo, Zhen Lei, Hong Xian Li, and Hexu Liu
- Subjects
Flexibility (engineering) ,Decision support system ,Article Subject ,Computer science ,business.industry ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,020101 civil engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,Automation ,Construction engineering ,0201 civil engineering ,Prefabrication ,Building information modeling ,021105 building & construction ,Drywall ,TA1-2040 ,Generative Design ,Engineering design process ,business ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
In prefabricated construction, building components are manufactured off-site before shipping to the site for installation. Accurate design and planning are essential for smooth on-site execution and improved efficiency, which requires evaluations of various design options. However, due to the design process’s complexity, such evaluations cannot be achieved without automation and optimization. Meanwhile, the recent advancement of digital design technologies (e.g., building information modelling (BIM)) has enabled flexibility in the design process. The integration of BIM with other analytical algorithms also allows optimization of designs, such as the generative design that can parametrize the design. This study proposes a generative design approach that utilizes the optimization of the drywall installation layout to improve overall project efficiency. The framework includes a decision support module that considers environmental, cost, and aesthetic aspects to identify the optimal layout. The framework’s practical applicability has been successfully demonstrated through a case study. After implementation, three “best” design alternatives were found according to the decision aspects. The design improvements achieved were 37.5%, 7%, and 54% for the environmental, cost, and aesthetic factors, respectively. Accordingly, practitioners can make better decisions on planning drywall projects. This approach has proven effective in planning drywall installation and can be applied in similar design scenarios for other prefabricated construction processes.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. A Dynamic Just-in-Time Component Delivery Framework for Off-Site Construction
- Author
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Zhen Lei, Hexu Liu, SangHyeok Han, Tongguang Si, and Hong Xian Li
- Subjects
Flexibility (engineering) ,Schedule ,Article Subject ,Operations research ,Computer science ,Supply chain ,05 social sciences ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Kanban ,ComputerApplications_COMPUTERSINOTHERSYSTEMS ,02 engineering and technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,Incentive ,Component (UML) ,021105 building & construction ,0502 economics and business ,Factory (object-oriented programming) ,Duration (project management) ,TA1-2040 ,050203 business & management ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
Off-site construction entails various advantages compared with the traditional construction method; however, the fragmentation of the prefabrication and assembly results in a complex supply chain. Both general contractors and factories often encounter production deviation, making the original component delivery plan nonoptimal. Traditionally, both parties tend to rely on internal resources or third-party resources to manage schedule changes, paying little attention to the optimisation of the component delivery process. The static compensation mechanisms reported in existing literature require factories to manage demand fluctuations but fail to encourage general contractors to control schedule deviations. Therefore, a dynamic compensation mechanism is proposed to achieve just-in-time component delivery, with which a factory shares possible changes for each component’s delivery date to its clients on an inverse Kanban system. First, unfavourable changes for the factory schedule are allocated with surcharges, and the general contractor should compensate the factory if it accepts the date changes; secondly, schedule changes that are beneficial for the factory are assigned as incentives, and the general contractor receives the factory’s incentive upon agreeing to the changes. Based on these two scenarios, genetic algorithm-based optimisation models are developed to achieve optimal delivery planning solutions. General contractors can obtain an optimal component delivery date to reduce the additional cost when they have changed the assembly schedule. General contractors can also optimise their component delivery schedule to trade their duration flexibility for incentives offered by factories. The models can help both parties to reduce component delivery waste when either side has the motivation to change the original component delivery schedules.
- Published
- 2021
47. Design for Manufacturing and Assembly: A BIM-Enabled Generative Framework for Building Panelization Design
- Author
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Yuxuan Zhang, Hong Xian Li, Zhen Lei, Hexu Liu, and SangHyeok Han
- Subjects
Article Subject ,Process (engineering) ,Computer science ,020209 energy ,media_common.quotation_subject ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Design for assembly ,02 engineering and technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,computer.software_genre ,Manufacturing engineering ,Body of knowledge ,Information extraction ,Component (UML) ,021105 building & construction ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Production (economics) ,Quality (business) ,TA1-2040 ,Generative Design ,computer ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,media_common - Abstract
Offsite construction (OSC) is attracting increasing attention from both industry and academia due to its benefits, such as improved productivity and quality, as well as reduced waste. However, the current building panelization design in OSC is a time-consuming and experience-based manual process, and the generated panelization design may result in unbalanced manufacturing processes. One reason is that the prefabrication of building components involves a highly variable product mix and there is a lack of a computational framework to evaluate panelization design. The objective of this research is, thus, to propose a BIM-based generative framework that automatically generates the design of production components with the aim of improving production productivity. This framework consists of a building information extraction module, a generative design algorithm, and a simulation-based performance evaluation model. The building information extraction module is designed to extract building component information from a BIM model and classify building components into different production groups in accordance with functionalities and materials. The generative design algorithm is then developed to formulate panelization design alternatives in consideration of the structural, production, and logistics constraints. On this basis, the generated panelization designs are quantitatively assessed by a simulation-based evaluation model in terms of productivity. A case study was used to verify and validate the framework. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by a computational framework of building panelization design, which leverages the generative design algorithm and BIM-simulation integration for optimized panelization design.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. A Solution to Just-in-Time Delivery for Off-Site Construction: A Conceptual Model
- Author
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Yingbo Ji, Hong Xian Li, M. Reza Hosseini, Tongguang Si, and Chunlu Liu
- Subjects
Schedule ,business.industry ,Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Conceptual model (computer science) ,Unexpected events ,Incentive ,Risk analysis (engineering) ,Manufacturing ,Management system ,Quality (business) ,Duration (project management) ,business ,media_common - Abstract
Off-site construction is receiving increasing attention as this construction method offers such benefits as improved productivity, shortened duration, greater quality, less whole-life cost, and less environmental impact. The concept of just-in-time has been applied in the manufacturing industry, improving performance and reducing waste; however, it has not been commonly used in the construction industry. When optimal delivery dates of components deviate from the schedule due to unexpected events, contractors and manufacturers tend to comply with contracts instead of seeking coordination to achieve just-in-time, which results in non-optimal solutions. In addressing this issue, the proposed conceptual model incorporates a dynamic and distributed solution: (1) manufacturers provide the surcharges or incentives of potential delivery changes via an information-sharing platform; (2) based on data from manufacturers and on-site resources, contractors carry out automated changes of the delivery plans when their progress deviates from the assembly schedule; (3) contractors make possible automated changes to the assembly schedule when manufacturers offer incentives for delivery delay. This paper investigates the development of just-in-time application in prefabricated building and proposes a solution to reduce the time and storage waste resulted from underutilised resources in component delivery. The proposed model incorporates a data-sharing platform, dynamic resource management system of manufacturers and optimisation system of contractors, which encourages stakeholders to coordinate to reach optimal. The model is expected to contribute to just-in-time delivery with dynamic compensation and offer a solution to balance the benefits of stakeholders.
- Published
- 2020
49. Carbon Dioxide Emission Linkage Analysis of Australian Construction Sector—Based on a Hybrid Multi-Regional Input-Output Model
- Author
-
Jie Du, Hong Xian Li, Bin Liu, Chunlu Liu, Jun Wang, and Lei Zhang
- Subjects
education.field_of_study ,Input–output model ,Natural resource economics ,business.industry ,Greenhouse gas ,Global warming ,Population ,Per capita ,Water supply ,Real estate ,Business ,Electricity ,education - Abstract
The construction sector contributes about 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and it is more active under great potential to reduce carbon emissions and speed down global warming. Even though Australia only takes 0.33% of the population in the world, its per capita carbon emission level is the biggest of the world, the Australian construction sector also accounts for a great part in economic development and carbon emissions. As there are extensive and complicated connections in industrial sectors, it is necessary to investigate the carbon emission linkages among the Australian construction sector and other sectors. Based on the data from the world input-output database (WIOD) during 1995 to 2009, this research aimed to quantify the CO2 emission linkages associated with the Australian construction sector by combing the hybrid multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model and hypothesis extraction method. As the net backward CO2 emission was much higher than the net forward CO2 emission, indicating the Australian construction sector was a final demand sector. From the inter-regional level, the construction sector in Australia had continual international trade with China, ROW, and Japan. For the inter-sectoral perspective, the construction sector imported most CO2 emissions from S17 (electricity, gas, and water supply), S11 (other non-metallic mineral), and S12 (basic metals and fabricated metal) and exported the biggest flows to S31 (public admin and defence; compulsory social security), and S29 (real estate activities). By using the results, the study tries to give some countermeasures for the construction sector in Australian, which is used to promote energy productivity, develop industrial structure promotion, and update the policy direction for CO2 emission reduction.
- Published
- 2020
50. Defect Occurrence and Management in Prefabricated Commercial Construction in Australia
- Author
-
Hong Xian Li, Callum Stutchbury Parrotte, and Linda Tivendale
- Subjects
Prefabrication ,Government ,Computer science ,Management system ,Legislation ,Profitability index ,Workmanship ,Management process ,Construction engineering ,Effective solution - Abstract
The uptake of prefabrication within the commercial construction sector has significantly increased over previous decades, given the proven benefits including provisions for lower construction costs, reduced project durations, and materials wastage, fewer defects, and improved profitability. However, it is found that defects caused by prefabrication cost significantly more to resolve compared with conventional construction, resulting in substantial impacts on project performance. Furthermore, defect management systems specific to prefabricated construction are found absent, especially within the commercial sector in Australia. This research studies the defect occurrence, identifies the causes of these defects, and proposes defect management for building prefabrication. A mixed research method of combined qualitative and quantitative approaches, i.e., literature review and an online survey, is employed in this research, based on which a depiction outlining common defects and stages of occurrence is presented, and a defect management process is proposed at an empirical level. It is found that most defects occur in manufacturing plant, and aesthetic defect is the most common type. The results also show that most defects can be linked to workmanship issues during fabrication. Subsequently, the management process of engaging an independent consultant employed by the government to undertake specialised inspections during design, manufacture, and installation has been proposed as an effective solution to reduce defect occurrence into the future, for which specific legislation for prefabrication is required.
- Published
- 2020
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