Keywords: prefabrication, industry foundation classes, constructability, optimization, building information modelling, three-dimensional computer aided design.

This paper presents a framework to enhance the design of prefabrication for the construction of a facility using the industry foundation classes (IFC) model. The framework integrates architectural design with constructability analysis tools. The system utilizes the dimensions, positions and spaces characterized in the three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) to configure the structural and architectural elements of the building starting from the architectural design. The proposed prefabrication framework presents a method to adapt architectural design to prefabrication construction technologies. This framework introduce prefabrication at higher levels of prework such as component and system levels that will be constructed in a factory and just assembled on site. To achieve this, three important criteria have been identified for configuring the prefabrication components: space distribution, structural consideration and installation sequence. In this way, an optimal configuration of prefabricated components can be obtained which minimizes the number of types of identical components or maximizes the number of identical components. This will achieve economies of scale in terms of moulds and other production costs. At the same time, it is important to minimize the total number of components so as to reduce the installation and transportation cost and time.

The framework is based on the Autodesk, Revit Structure 2009, which is compatible with IFC. The core module in the framework is the processing unit (PU) which first parses data from the IFC into a usable format to derive element properties and element-space relationships. The elements are then combined using the prefabrication criteria and finally checked with regional and international regulations to satisfy requirements such as transportation or lifting limitations which are represented as constructability rules. An example of a housing apartment from Revit has been used to illustrate how the criteria can be applied. Future work in this area will focus on developing a three-dimensional representation of the framework and extending this method from component level to system and total building level using modularization principles.

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