Set-Based Design for Lean Delivery of Reinforced Concrete Structures

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract for CMS 0511044 Research will be conducted to integrate and enhance the processes for design, fabrication, and installation of steel rebar in order to achieve systemic improvements. Today's rebar industry is highly fragmented. The current delivery process for rebar is predominantly sequential, employs a time-consuming and ineffective submittal process, under-rewards participants, discourages innovation and promotes local sub-optimization. To reveal the opportunities for process improvement, constructability is viewed holistically. A design is better if it can be constructed more safely, with less risk of defects, in less time and at less cost; at a higher lever, however- and the way it is viewed in this research - the constructability of a design is a function of the optimum work structuring strategy for the project. A promising and new approach to design rebar, following lean construction principles, will be investigated. The research includes (1) definition and development of a new methodology and meta-language to represent data about design and component attributes, do that this data can be carried forward through all phases of rebar delivery; (2) formulation of design rules to reflect the knowledge, skills, and ability of a specialists to work together to assure superior quality of reinforced concrete structures while taking into account the specific circumstances of the project they are jointly working on; (3) articulation and testing of modeling tools including set-based and visualization to enable teams to explore design alternatives with target characteristics in a systematic and efficient way and choose solutions that meet many if not all of their constraints and preferences, and (4) development of process- and organizational understanding of how to engage multi-disciplinary teams of specialists in concurrent engineering in order to generate a design that is of greater value than today's point-based design are. Adoption of this new approach may steer the industry towards restructuring so as to boost its global competitiveness. Numerous specialists are involved in the delivery of capital projects made of reinforced concrete. Specialization has evolved to reflect the advanced technological understanding and capabilities that we exploit today to build structures to meet increasingly stringent owner and societal requirements. The need to specialize, however, has gone hand-in-hand with fragmentation of the industry resulting in a far-from-optimal delivery process. This research focuses on the steel that is used as reinforcing bar in concrete (rebar) and studies the relationships between those who design it and those who make it. The goal is to develop new theory and illustrate its application practice, in order to increase the capabilities, performance, and competitiveness of this sector of the steel industry. A promising and new approach to design rebar, following lean construction principles, will be investigated. These principles build on teamwork, exploration of sets of alternatives and postponement of commitments until sufficient data is available for the team to make an informed decision. Adoption of this new approach may steer the industry towards restructuring so as to boost its global competitiveness.