New execution process of a panel-based façade system that reduces project duration and improves workers' working conditions

This study tries to solve some issues in the construction sector related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) numbers 3 (health and well-being) and 8 (decent work and economic growth) of the 2030 Agenda, improving the working conditions of workers in the construction sector, at certain latitudes, since they are constantly exposed to inclement weather conditions and their safety may be adversely affected. Therefore, a design of a new procedure for the installation of a panel-based façade is proposed, which allows the complete closing of the building during its execution and thus improves the comfort and safety of workers. In addition to the constructive definition of the proposed system, its implementation procedure and the energy consumption during the interior air conditioning phase are analyzed. In addition, a comparative study of execution times between the proposed procedure and a conventional solution is performed. The conclusions of the study highlight that the proposed system improves: the working conditions in extreme climates and prevents risks derived from work in extreme weather conditions; the precision in the formation of window and door openings and their coordination with the modular façades; the ease of execution and delays the placement of the exterior scaffolding. Overall, the proposed procedure reduces the weight of the façade and the thermal transmittance by 13.5% and reduces not only costs due to the modulation of the system, but also execution times in the façade and interior work phases (around 40%) and the structure phase (around 32%). © 2021