A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Lessons Learned from UNLV’s Solar Decathlon 2017 Competition Experience—Design and Construction of a Modular House
Many modular projects experience accidents and problems in practice, as there are many unique issues and challenges compared to conventional “stick-built” structures. In 2017, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) team designed, constructed, and transported a sustainable housing prototype for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. The competition requires students to build an efficient and innovative building powered by renewable energy. The project experienced several problems associated with its unique modular design. This paper presents the results of a qualitative case study to identify difficulties and generate recommendations for future modular projects. The authors collected data from key project participants using a survey comprised of specific questions. Results showed that the most critical problem throughout the project’s execution was communication among project participants and the managing organization. The main technical issues identified during construction were associated with the adequate performance of the integrated trailer chassis hitches. During the competition phase, the critical problem was the time crunch experienced due to delays caused by the chassis difficulties. Key suggested recommendations for future projects are: (1) integrating a general contractor for project organization to keep everything running smoothly; and (2) consistent and frequent communication throughout the design phase among all design and construction teams. These findings provide valuable information for future student modular project teams for designing, constructing, and transporting modular housing.
Lessons Learned from UNLV’s Solar Decathlon 2017 Competition Experience—Design and Construction of a Modular House
Many modular projects experience accidents and problems in practice, as there are many unique issues and challenges compared to conventional “stick-built” structures. In 2017, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) team designed, constructed, and transported a sustainable housing prototype for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. The competition requires students to build an efficient and innovative building powered by renewable energy. The project experienced several problems associated with its unique modular design. This paper presents the results of a qualitative case study to identify difficulties and generate recommendations for future modular projects. The authors collected data from key project participants using a survey comprised of specific questions. Results showed that the most critical problem throughout the project’s execution was communication among project participants and the managing organization. The main technical issues identified during construction were associated with the adequate performance of the integrated trailer chassis hitches. During the competition phase, the critical problem was the time crunch experienced due to delays caused by the chassis difficulties. Key suggested recommendations for future projects are: (1) integrating a general contractor for project organization to keep everything running smoothly; and (2) consistent and frequent communication throughout the design phase among all design and construction teams. These findings provide valuable information for future student modular project teams for designing, constructing, and transporting modular housing.
Lessons Learned from UNLV’s Solar Decathlon 2017 Competition Experience—Design and Construction of a Modular House
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Walbridge, Scott (editor) / Nik-Bakht, Mazdak (editor) / Ng, Kelvin Tsun Wai (editor) / Shome, Manas (editor) / Alam, M. Shahria (editor) / el Damatty, Ashraf (editor) / Lovegrove, Gordon (editor) / Prestia, Julian (author) / Choi, Jin Ouk (author) / Lee, Seungtaek (author)
Canadian Society of Civil Engineering Annual Conference ; 2021
Proceedings of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering Annual Conference 2021 ; Chapter: 45 ; 565-575
2022-05-26
11 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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