• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2024.07a
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

The construction industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, with its life cycle emissions posing significant environmental challenges. Despite its increasing importance, embodied carbon (EC) generated from the construction process is often ignored. Modular construction (MC), characterized by a combination of off-site manufacturing and on-site assembly, has been recognized for its potential to contribute to environmental benefits. However, there is still a lack of systematic explanation of urban high-rise MC. This study aims to identify whether and to what extent high-rise MC can achieve EC reductions and lay the foundation for effective carbon reductuons in the construction industry. To achieve this, the study develops a multi-level EC measurement framework for assessing EC during the construction process, using a real case to quantify the EC and determine carbon reduction performance. The innovation is a more comprehensive understanding of the boundaries of EC, as MC includes the amount of superstructure work and decoration integration. The results show that although the MC will increase EC from the transportation stage due to heavier modules, it achieves a net reduction in total EC by reducing on-site machinery energy consumption and waste rates. In conclusion, this study contributes to a better understanding of the EC emissions associated with high-rise MC, offering a valuable measurement framework for global regions evaluating the EC impacts of high-rise MC in similar contexts.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2023

Modular construction is popular as a smart building system because it can shorten the construction period. This study proposed a precast concrete (PC) core system that can further shorten modular construction time. The system was developed and its structural performance was verified through computational analysis. The proposed PC core system is a complete PC construction method using dry bonding. The results of the study indicated that the proposed PC core system has structural stability and performance suitable for modular housing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.14-15
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• 2020

The need for off-site construction has increased in the construction industry in Korea in recent years due to the enforcement of the 52-hour workweek, the increasing age of workers on construction sites, the deepening dependence on overseas workers, and the stagnation of productivity in the construction industry. Thus, studies on OSC started in April 2020. In addition, as a national policy study advocating the modular construction method, which is one of the OSC methods, was completed in the first half of 2019. 70 housing units in two complexes that satisfied the Housing Act requirements have been supplied to citizens. However, although modular construction methods have been recognized as a dramatic construction method that achieves shortened construction schedules and solves the issues of cost reduction and the shortage of technical workers on sites by combining the advantages of the manufacturing industry and applying the economies of scale, realistically it has issues due to the rising cost of steel and a low pre-fabrication ratio. Moreover, the construction time of core parts, such as those built by pouring concrete, has become a factor that hinders the shortening of construction times. Thus, this study aims to propose a precast concrete(PC) modular construction system, which fuses three-dimensional infill as an interior finish material and a three-surface PC module that can acts as a structure for a construction method that is economical and can shorten construction time.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.14-21
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• 2011

A unit modular system is a construction method which installs on site by manufacturing 50%~90% of the whole process in the factory. This method can minimize the process in the site and maximize the operation, which will reduce the duration and improve the overall quality. The recent paradigm of construction is to be sustainable building. Modular system can be regarded as a sustainable building construction method because it can reduce the amount of construction waste by recycling partial or whole part of overdue building be torn down. A unit modular system is the answer to cope with the increasing market of small size housings. A unit modular system is the most appropriate option at this point. This research proposes the standard operation and construction process of modular system, which enable to optimal system. A case study of reconstructing small-size housing was introduced to support this proposal. Finished unit modular is the reasonable way. However, 80% of complication rate of the modular is the most rational when a defect occurrence during delivery is considered.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.120-130
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• 2021

Recently, the government is reinforcing safety management at construction sites to prevent safety accidents in construction works, and the safety management plan of workers is an important situation. Meanwhile, modular construction is expected to be gradually expanded to middle and high-rise buildings, but active measures to ensure worker safety are insufficient. This study is a preliminary study of the development of a checklist for preventive worker safety management. The purpose of this study is to derive a checklist classification system for the safety management of workers in the field of modular construction by preceding studies, case analysis, and expert advisory opinions. The classification system consists of large categories of factory manufacturing, transportation, and on-site construction, and the sub-system consists of six sub-classes: foundation work, frame work, modular frame installation work, finishing work, and facility work. Among them, the sub-classification of modular frame installation work consists of 12 unit works, centering on module lifting and assembly module work, which are the main construction processes. And the classification system reflects the three main management factors and contents for defined safety management. It is expected that the research results of this study can contribute to efficient safety management at the modular construction site.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.628-631
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• 2006

Modular Construction is a method, which factory-produced units are transferred to on-site and assembled to form complete buildings. It is expected that its demand will increase gradually. Because it has some advantages such as duration reduction, movement, reuse and environmental friendliness etc. For the Modular Construction to be introduced and applied, we needs the objective and reasonable performance criteria. This study presents the acoustic performance criteria of the modular building. For this one, this paper reviews legal standard related to performance, analyzes the performance evaluation and survey on pilot projects. The presented performance criteria can be specifically asked the demand by owner in a design guideline. In addition, it makes designer and general contractor accomplish target performance. Eventually, it can improve the performance of Modular Building.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.305-314
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• 2014

The technology-intensive unit modular method of factory production method is attracting attention by the limit of the labor-intensive and field centered wet construction method. In recent years, the unit modular method has been applied to the construction of schoolhouse and BOQ(bachelor offices' quarters), dormitories, etc. But the modular method still is not used in housing construction by the lack of verification of resident performance and construction cost. Therefore, this study analyzed the economics of modular house to vitalize the constructed residential building by modular method and to develop the modular method. According to the study results, the construction cost of the modular house was analysed more about 6.2% expensive than that of the existing housing. However, if the construction duration of modular house is shortened or the productivity of modular house is increased, the construction cost of modular house will be similar to the that of the existing house.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.98-108
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• 2017

Recently, the development of middle and high-rise building technology using modular construction method has emphasized the importance of site construction error management. The modular construction method is very limited to adjust the construction error in the field because of the factory production characteristics. Therefore, in order to prevent the construction error in advance, a management plan reflecting the characteristics of the modular construction method is required, and it is important to make the decision of the construction participant at each stage. This study analyzed the factor of construction error of modular construction and suggested a decision support model for construction error management based on construction process. The result of this study is expected to be a guideline for the modular construction participant to derive the construction error management plan.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.164-174
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• 2013

It has been seriously difficult to create demand of modular construction because Korean modular method has been considered as container house or lightweight steel house. Actually, barrier factor of modular construction for activation was difficult to produce modular continuously in factories based on stable amount of demands. So, this research found successive factors of modular construction and proposed the method of demand creation through a plethora of case analysis by building types. In addition, this research found the scale of modular potential market. Owners will be able to use this strategy that is proposed in this research when they make a decision about construction system. Also, the modular construction can make potential market in Korea. As a result, modular system producer can make their business strategies and make continuous demand by conjugating the method of creating demand for modular construction which is proposed in this research.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.277-283
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• 2018

This study is conducted to improve the manufacturing process of the modular construction method, which is a pre-fabricated construction method recognized for its advantage on the shortening of construction time. This study first identified the factors that result in shortening of pre-fabrication processes in the current module-processing factory. In addition, those identified factors were further considered for installing the M.E.P. system that is being outsourced on the main module in the production line. A manufacturing process of the construction modules, which considers installation of a M.E.P. system most suitable for shortening the time on the outsourcing of modular construction, is introduced throughout the research. Furthermore, this study suggests the factors in need of improvement during design phase of modular construction and improvement measures to consider the quality of unit modules by focusing on the module parts that are most exposed to defects.