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Special Issue "Performance of Modular Building Systems"

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2024 | Viewed by 21685

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: steel structures; thin-walled structures; optimisation of steel sections; innovative steel products and systems; fire safety of buildings; aluminium structures; lightweight concrete; enhanced plasterboard; modular building systems; advanced numerical modelling; fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures
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Dr. Brabha Nagaratnam

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Guest Editor

Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: innovative and sustainable construction materials
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Dr. Muhammad Rahman

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Engineering & Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: energy; retrofitting buildings; sustainable construction materials; computational structural mechanics; composite materials; water and wastewater treatment and slope stabilization
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Dr. Sathees Nava

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Guest Editor

STEM|School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: prefabricated building; sustainable construction materials; timber-framed construction; mass timber construction; structural and fire testing; structural analysis and design; life-cycle assessment of mass timber and prefabricated building; wind loading on timber-framed house; finite element model analysis; automation in construction
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modular construction has gained increasing attention in both industry and research fields. This method of construction largely differs from conventional construction methods and is recognised as the most efficient construction method. The advantages of modular construction include faster delivery to market, reduced disruption, minimal waste generation, improved quality, reduced cost, and a safer working environment. Moreover, the modular building technique can be applied to different types of buildings: residential, commercial, educational and healthcare. Many countries have started promoting modular construction, for example, as a solution to solve housing shortages. Moreover, there has been an increased use of modular building systems during the present covid-19 pandemic for the immediate requirement of medical infrastructure.

This Special Issue absorbs a selection of papers that present the latest novel investigations across the world towards the better performance of modular building systems. This covers a spectrum of investigations related to the structural, fire, energy, acoustic, and sustainability performances, optimisation, materials including steel, timber, and concrete, and other related modular investigations. This research is essential to addressing challenges associated with modular building systems and to make this method appealing to consumers in terms of enhanced performance.

Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan
Dr. Brabha Nagaratnam
Dr. Muhammad Rahman
Dr. Sathees Nava
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Modelling of Timber Beams with GFRP Pultruded Reinforcement

Satheeskumar Navaratnam

Deighton Widdowfield Small

Marco Corradi

Perampalam Gatheeshgar

Keerthan Poologanathan

and

Craig Higgins

Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1992; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111992 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1223

Abstract

Timber structural members have been widely adopted and used in construction due to their inherent characteristics. The main objective of this work is to assess the performance of timber beams with GFRP pultruded beam reinforcement subjected to flexure. A finite element model (FEM) using ABAQUS FEM software is developed, aiming to provide a benchmark modelling procedure. The modelling method considers the fundamental role of the connections among timber beams, the reinforcing GFRP pultruded profile (adhesive and screw connections), and the grain direction in the timber. To understand the influence of the grain direction, different angles of deviations between the longitudinal direction (along the grain) and the beam axis are considered. The robustness of the developed FEM procedure is validated by the experimental results of timber beams with and without GFRP pultruded reinforcement under flexure. It is demonstrated that the angle of deviation (grain deviation) produces high reductions in the strength of unreinforced timber beams. However, this effect is minimal for GFRP-reinforced timber beams. The experimentally derived benchmark FEM procedure can be used as a computational tool for timber beams with GFRP pultruded reinforcement to capture the capacity, failure mode, and load–displacement response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Analyses of Structural Robustness of Prefabricated Modular Buildings: A Case Study on Mid-Rise Building Configurations

Thisari Munmulla

Satheeskumar Navaratnam

Julian Thamboo

Thusiyanthan Ponnampalam

Hidallana-Gamage Hasitha Damruwan

Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis

and

Guomin Zhang

Buildings 2022, 12(8), 1289; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081289 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2105

Abstract

The limited knowledge of the behaviour of modular buildings subjected to different loading scenarios and thereby lack of design guidelines hinder the growth of modular construction practices despite its widespread benefits. In order to understand the robustness of modular building systems, a case study was carried out using the numerical analysis method to evaluate the robustness of ten-storey braced frame modular buildings with different modular systems. Two types of modules with different span lengths were used in the assessments. Then, three different column removal scenarios involving (1) removal of a corner column, (2) an edge column, and (3) an interior column were employed to assess the robustness of modular building cases considered. The forces generated in the elements in close proximity to the removed column were verified to assess the robustness of each building case analysed. The results showed that the change in damping ratio from 1% to 5% has no significant influence on the robustness of the modular building cases considered, where the zero-damping leads to collapse. Corner column removal has not considerably affected the robustness of the braced modular building cases studied. The axial capacity ratio of columns is 0.8 in dynamic column removal in the building subjected to corner column removal, while in interior column removal capacity ratio reached up to 1.2, making it the most vulnerable failure scenario. Doubling the span of the modules (from 2.5 m to 5 m) has influenced the robustness of the buildings by increasing the axial forces of columns up to 30% in the interior column removal scenario. Thus, this study highlights that proper guidelines should be made available to assess the robustness of modular building systems to effectively design against progressive collapse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Thermal Performance of LSF Wall Systems with Vacuum Insulation Panels

Heshachanaa Rajanayagam

Irindu Upasiri

Keerthan Poologanathan

Perampalam Gatheeshgar

Paul Sherlock

Chaminda Konthesingha

Brabha Nagaratnam

and

Dilini Perera

Buildings 2021, 11(12), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120621 - 07 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2259

Abstract

Lightweight Steel Frames (LSF) in building construction are becoming more popular due to their fast, clean, and flexible constructability. Typical LSF wall panels are made of cold-formed and thin-walled steel lipped channel studs with plasterboard linings. Due to the high thermal conductivity of steel, these LSF components must be well engineered and covered against unintended thermal bridges. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the heat transfer of the LSF wall of different configurations and reduce heat loss through walls by lowering the thermal transmittance, which would ultimately minimise the energy consumption in buildings. The effect of novel thermal insulation material, Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP), their position on the LSF wall configuration, and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and plasterboard’s effect on the thermal transmittance of LSF walls were investigated through numerical analysis. A total of 56 wall configurations and 112 finite element models were analysed and compared with the minimum U-value requirements of UK building regulations. Numerical model results exhibited that using plasterboards instead of OSB has no considerable effect on the U-value of the LSF walls. However, 77% (4 times) of U-value reduction was exhibited by introducing the 20 mm VIP. Moreover, the position of the VIP to the U-value of LSF was negligible. Based on the results, optimum LSF wall configurations were proposed by highlighting the construction methods. Additionally, this study, through literature, seeks to identify other areas in which additional research can be conducted to achieve the desired thermal efficiency of buildings using LSF wall systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Behaviour of Lightweight Concrete Wall Panel under Axial Loading: Experimental and Numerical Investigation toward Sustainability in Construction Industry

Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman

Timothy Zhi Hong Ting

Hieng Ho Lau

Brabha Nagaratnam

and

Keerthan Poologanathan

Buildings 2021, 11(12), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120620 - 06 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2135

Abstract

Awareness of sustainability in construction has led to the utilization of waste material such as oil palm shell (OPS) in concrete production. The feasibility of OPS as alternative aggregates in concrete has been widely studied at the material level. Meanwhile, nonlinear concrete material properties are not taken into account in the conventional concrete wall design equations, resulting in underestimation of lightweight concrete’s wall axial capacity. Against these sustainability and technical contexts, this research investigated the buckling behavior of OPS-based lightweight self-compacting concrete (LWSCC) wall. Failure mode, load-deflection responses, and ultimate strength were assessed experimentally. Numerical models have been developed and validated against experimental results. Parametric studies were conducted to study the influence of parameters like slenderness ratio, eccentricity, compressive strength, and elastic modulus. The results showed that the axial strength of concrete wall was very much dependent on these parameters. A generalized semi-empirical design equation, based on equivalent concrete stress block and modified by mathematical regression, has been proposed. The ratio of average calculated results to test results of the proposed equation, when compared to ACI 318, AS 3600, and Eurocode 2 equations, are respectively improved from 0.36, 0.31, and 0.42 to 0.97. This research demonstrates that OPS-based LWSCC concrete can be used for structural axial components and that the equation developed can serve a good guideline for its design, which could encourage automation and promote sustainability in the construction industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Performance of a Modular Building System Made of Built-Up Cold-Formed Steel Beams

Kajaharan Thirunavukkarasu

Elilarasi Kanthasamy

Perampalam Gatheeshgar

Keerthan Poologanathan

Heshachanaa Rajanayagam

Thadshajini Suntharalingam

and

Madhushan Dissanayake

Buildings 2021, 11(10), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11100460 - 08 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 8508

Abstract

Modular Building Systems (MBS) offer numerous benefits in terms of productivity, sustainability and safety. Therefore, MBSs are considered as a viable option to sort out the housing crisis in Britain as well as to drive Britain towards sustainable construction. Development in materials, manufacturing techniques, connection types and structural designs with respect to offsite construction is essential to achieve sustainable goals. Recent advancements in steel manufacturing, including Cold-Formed Steel (CFS), have showed potential benefits in structural performance compared to concrete and timber. Meanwhile, research was conducted to enhance the structural capacities of CFS sections by introducing different cross-sections, composite sections and techniques including optimization. Built-up sections were developed by connecting more than one channel section, and various research studies were conducted to assess their structural performances. However, sustainable performance of built-up sections in modular constructions is still unknown. Hence, this paper intends to develop an MBS using built-up sections for better sustainable performance. Literature review was carried out on the sustainability benefits of MBSs in terms of economic, environmental and social aspects. In addition to that, numerical analysis was performed to investigate the flexural capacity of built-up sections with different screw arrangements to address the sustainable aspects of modular construction by introducing novel sections. The numerical description, results and validations are also stated. Numerical results revealed that flexural capacities of built-up sections are improved up to 156% than those of single sections. Finally, the utilization of built-up sections in modular construction with sustainability enhancement is addressed and illustrated in a conceptual diagram. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Prospects of Developing Prefabricated Masonry Walling Systems in Australia

Julian Thamboo

Tatheer Zahra

Satheeskumar Navaratnam

Mohammad Asad

and

Keerthan Poologanathan

Buildings 2021, 11(7), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11070294 - 06 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3519

Abstract

Prefabrication has been shown to be an effective way of construction in the modern-day context. Although much progress has been made in developing reinforced concrete (RC), timber and steel prefabricated elements/structures, prefabrication of masonry walling systems has received limited attention in the past. Conventional masonry construction is labour-intensive and time-consuming; therefore, prefabrication can be an effective solution to accelerate the masonry construction to make it more cost-effective. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate the effectiveness of prefabricated masonry systems (PMS) in terms of their structural characteristics and sustainability perspectives in an Australian context. Subsequently, the available studies related to PMS and the prospects of developing prefabricated masonry walling systems were appraised and reported. In order to assess the applicability of PMS, a case study was carried out by designing four types of prospective prefabricated masonry walling systems for a typical housing unit in Australia. It was shown that the reinforced (RM), post-tensioned (PT) and thin layered mortared (TLM) masonry systems are better suited for prefabrication. Later, in order to assess the sustainability of the considered masonry walling systems, life cycle energy analyses were carried using the Environmental Performance in Construction (EPIC) database. It was found that there can be nearly 30% and 15% savings, respectively, in terms of energy saving and CO₂ emissions in prefabricated construction than the conventional masonry construction. Finally, the prospects of developing PMS and the need for future research studies on these systems are highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance of Modular Building Systems)

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