T. hey talk little about the diseconomies of scale.

The model was able to support several assumptions made for the design of the process, such as the allowances for buffers and painting bays.Additionally, the model could show that the system was sensitive to assumptions made for travel time of materials between stations, but that the different production schedules and variation in process time only resulted in slight variations in results.. With this simulation able to rapidly test multiple options and scenarios, the model can continue to be used to test further sensitivities in the process or be expanded to include even more of the system.

This could include raw material handling, truss packing and shipping, or even wider in the supply chain.. Long term changes supported by simulation and automation.This type of project demonstrates how simulation can support automation in construction, providing dynamic time-based results to design teams and stakeholders to aid in their decision making – particularly highlighting how and where automated processes can provide the biggest benefit for process or cost.As part of the wider construction industry, these types of approaches will be able to support the large changes that will need to occur within the next decade.

From the use of DfMA factories to supply increasing demands for buildings and infrastructure while making best use of diminishing workforce, to integrating the supply chain, and cutting building costs and carbon footprint, the application of DEM as a powerful form of automation in construction is an exciting proposition for the future of the construction industry.Above - in this video, Architecture Director Steven Tilkin describes Bryden Wood's approach to designing a new type of prison [image MoJ].. An innovative approach from an innovative Ministry.The cycle of re-offending is a huge cost to the UK economy.

A 2016 study of a group of offenders who re-offended within 12 months of release from prison estimated that the total economic and social cost of reoffending was £18.1 billion..

The Prison Estate Transformation Programme (PETP) was a programme of 10,000 ‘new for old’ adult prison places across six sites (plus one new house block) at an estimated value £1.3 billion.This is often the situation at the start of a design project.

Often called pre-project, this could be a time for exploration, broad thinking, analysis and imagination, however often it’s a time for reductive thinking.I have been in design meetings at these early stages where discussions are happening about what might be on the first, second or third floor of a building.

This is before the requirement for a building, let alone a building of a number of stories, has been established.Although, there is a good chance some sort of building will be required, the speed with which the teams grasp onto the physical and the detail is astounding.