Optimisation of large concrete DfMA structures for the Nuclear Industry

该项目的总体目标是优化核能和其他大型建筑项目中钢筋混凝土结构的大型预组装部件的制造和组装（DfMA）设计。为了将这些优势和能力带给英国核建设供应链，并建立世界领先的能力，该项目将验证英国目前可用的预装结构部件的可靠性，并开发符合核环境严格设计和组装要求的新部件。项目团队包括LaingO'Rourke（目前的核电新建建造商），伦敦帝国理工学院（优化，物流和智能运输系统的专业知识），ARUP（新核电站设计的专业知识）和BRE（测试原型设计的能力）。该项目将探索多种建筑方法的潜力，包括一系列元素尺寸和连接技术，用于核建设中的子结构和上层结构应用。研究的关键考虑因素是此类系统和关节的结构性能、可靠性以及与相关制造和装配技术相关的创新。因此，本项目包括6个主要子项目：1)地下大型构件设计，2)上层建筑大型构件设计，3)联合小尺度可靠性，4)系统可靠性评估，5)制造技术优化与自动化，6)装配技术优化与自动化。伦敦帝国理工学院土木与环境工程系将领导优化和自动化装配技术的研究。在核建设中使用预组装组件为将这种专业知识应用于建筑部门提供了一个重要的机会。这些技术的结合将使该行业重新思考并简化核电厂建设及以后的整个设计和组装过程。在帝国理工学院进行的这项研究的目的是解决在处理比平常大的建筑部件时遇到的困难，并利用它们的预制特性。要确定的三个关键数量将是施工过程中使用的塔吊的数量、尺寸和位置，每一个组合都直接影响施工现场的总体布局和组装过程的完成速度。由于将考虑的预组装组件的规模可能会有很大差异（重量在20到1000吨之间），因此将考虑各种场景。将开发的优化模型和解决方案将寻求平衡整体运输和处理成本与施工速度，同时确保满足安全和其他操作限制。模型和解决方案将通过使用具有真实数据的模拟进行测试，并以迭代的方式向负责所使用组件设计的各方提供反馈，以确保整体设计和施工过程能够从预装组的使用中获得最大的收益。

The overall aim of the project proposed is to optimise the design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) of largepreassembled components for reinforced concrete construction in nuclear and other large construction projects. To bringthese benefits and capability to the UK nuclear construction supply chain, and to establish a world-leading capability, theproject will verify the reliability of preassembled structural components currently available in the UK and develop new onesthat meet the stringent design and assembly requirements of the nuclear environment. The project team includes LaingO'Rourke (a current nuclear new build constructor), Imperial College London (expertise in optimisation, logistics andintelligent transport systems), ARUP (expertise in the design of new nuclear power plants) and BRE (capability of testingprototype designs).The project will explore the potential of a number of construction approaches, consisting of a range of elemental sizes andjointing techniques, for both sub- and super-structure applications in nuclear construction. Key considerations for researchare the structural performance of such systems and joints, their reliability, and innovation with regards to associatedmanufacturing and assembly techniques. Therefore, the project consists of six main sub-projects as follows:1) Design of large underground components,2) Design of large superstructure components,3) Joint small scale reliability,4) Reliability assessment of systems,5) Optimisation and automation of manufacturing techniques and6) Optimisation and automation of assembly techniques.The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London will lead research in the optimisation andautomation of assembly techniques. The use of preassembled components in nuclear construction presents a significantopportunity to apply this expertise in the construction sector. The combination of these technologies will allow the industryto rethink and streamline the entire design and assembly process in nuclear plant construction and beyond.The aim of the research carried out at Imperial will be to address the difficulties in handling larger-than-usual constructioncomponents as well as taking advantage of their prefabricated nature. The three key quantities to be determined will be thenumber, size and location of tower cranes to be used in the construction process, with each combination having directconsequences on the overall layout of the construction site and the rate at which the assembly process is accomplished.As the scale of preassembled components that will be considered can vary significantly (with weights between 20 and1000t) a variety of scenarios will be considered.The optimisation models and solution approaches to be developed will seek to balance overall transport and handling costsagainst the speed of construction, while ensuring that safety and other operational constraints are satisfied. The modelsand solutions will be tested through the use of simulation informed with real data and provide feedback to the partiesresponsible for the design of the components used, in an iterative approach that will ensure that the overall design andconstruction process will be able to extract the maximum benefit from the use of preassembly.