The recent times have seen the rise in offsite construction (OSC) techniques, Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) being a significant one. The ever-increasing global population has made it necessary that housing be delivered both at a faster pace while keeping sustainability in consideration. Especially the pandemic has plunged the economies of various nations and their growth and has also dropped the construction of new houses all over the world. The pandemic restrictions had led construction companies to make adjustments in construction practices, to comply with the social distancing protocols and workforce safety – all that led to decline in housing construction all over the world. All these have furthered the need for affordable sustainable housing (ASH). In this regard, Modular integrated construction (MiC) and other offsite construction (OSC) techniques integrated with cutting-edge technologies have witnessed a boom as these can not only boost the production of ASH but also maintain the sustainable and efficient nature of the output product.
What is Modular Integrated Construction (MiC)?
Modular Integrated Construction, MiC simply defined is “the process of planning, designing, manufacturing, fabrication and preassembling of various elements of building, components and modules in an enclosed environment, often called factory production, prior to their final installation on site to support a rapid permanent structure”. It is known by different names in different countries like offsite fabrication (OSF), offsite construction, penalized assembly, modern methods of construction (MMC), offsite manufacturing (OSM), volumetric, industrialized construction, offsite production (OSP), non-volumetric preassembly, prefabrication, and component subassembly.
Thus, Modular Integrated Construction, MiC is an innovative construction method that involves prefabricating building components off-site and then assembling them on-site to construct complete structures.
What are the benefits of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC)?
Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) has the following benefits over traditional construction techniques:
Cost-effectiveness: Being based on the principles of concurrent engineering, MiC can reduce unnecessary cost escalation during the stages of a project.
Time Saving: The concurrent engineering process used in MiC makes it a time-saving construction method as it involves lesser designing and planning time, faster construction period, reduction in lead time, lesser weather disruptions, better implementation of schedule, shortened timescale for the project overall, and faster ROI.
Faster Method of Construction: In comparison to traditional construction, MiC can be completed approximately 50% faster, as here the modules can be constructed off-site at the same time while site preparation is still being completed. This allows faster completion of projects, with fewer delays due to weather or other site conditions.
Greater Quality Control: Since MiC is completed in a controlled factory environment, it allows greater quality control and consistency in the final product. This results in higher quality of building with lesser defects.
Sustainable Approach to Construction: Compared to traditional method, MiC is a sustainable method of construction as it can minimize the use of materials as well as reduce wastage.
How Can viAct Ensure Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) Safety?
Although Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) has several benefits over traditional method of construction, yet it involves several safety hazards during its operations. The common ones include: lifting and transportation hazards, electrical hazards, fire hazards, and exposure to hazardous materials. Of all these, lifting and transportation hazards constitutes the most common safety concern during MiC operations.
Looking into the increasing popularity of MiC for building construction and its associated hazards, viAct has leveraged the power of video analytics for construction safety to ensure Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) safety in the following ways:
MiC Modules Free-Fall Alert: Using video analytics for workplace safety, the workplace safety software can detect any instance of falling MiC modules from the overhead tower cranes during lifting, transportation and installation of the modules. Not only this, it can detect even minor slipping and/or near misses of modules during the lifting process to ensure full-proof tower crane lifting zone safety during MiC operations.
Cargo Overweight Alert: Lifting excessive weight by the tower crane during MiC operations can lead to overturing of tower cranes and/or load/module free-fall. But the smart AI monitoring solution can trigger local light and sound alerts as soon as any instance of overweight cargo lifting is detected. This helps to ensure safety in the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) jobsites.
Worker’s Lifting Zone Intrusion Detection: Automated construction monitoring can help detect and alert whenever any worker enters into the tower crane lifting zone during MiC operations. The instant and real-time alerts generated by the danger zone alert system acts as a ‘warning system’ against the dangerous situation for the tower crane operator, workers and other stakeholders. It helps them to take immediate insightful action to prevent fatalities from taking place.
Brake Failure Alerts: The workplace safety software can also detect if there is any technical problem, like brake failure, in the overhead crane while transporting and lifting the MiC modules. As soon as any such risky situation is detected, real-time alerts are sent out to both on-site and remote stakeholders via SMS, Email and/or Telegram so that instant action can be taken.
Worker-Object-Machine Collision Detection: Video analytics for construction safety can also detect if any worker is working/standing too close to operating machines like tower cranes, or the tower cranes are working in close proximity with some other property say any building, electrical cables or the like. In such cases, it triggers real-time alerts that informs the operator, worker as well as other stakeholders about the risky situation. Further, all the captured insights are also recorded in the centralized management platform for construction that can be later used for workers’ training and such other purposes.
Tower Crane Operator’s Distraction Detection: Safer tower crane operations are crucial to ensure safety during MiC operations as tower crane plays a crucial role in modular integrated construction. Even slightest of mistake by the tower crane operator can result in severe accidents. However, the construction management software can detect if the operator is inattentive or distracted while operating the tower crane and send immediate alerts to the operator and other stakeholders to prohibit any fatalities from taking place.
Thus, by monitoring different aspects of safety during MiC operations, and detecting even the minutest of safety non-compliances, AI video analytics helps ensure holistic MiC safety.
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More Information:
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How AI Video Analytics can Promote Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) Safety?
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