Automation and Digital Fabrication in the Building Construction Process
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 15287
Special Issue Editor
Interests: building construction technologies; building-performance; multi-criteria analysis; digital fabrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The building construction sector is undergoing one of the most profound transformations of its history. In particular, the “Digital Transition” of the building sector is profoundly changing building technologies and construction processes. Even if the innovation process still remains scattered and not really organized, automation and digital fabrication are certainly playing a significant role in this transformation and will be fundamental tools for the buildings of the future. In this context, the use of computer-aided design (CAD) has become extremely popular over the past decade. In addition, in recent years, the advent of modern technologies of the Industry 4.0 has allowed the wide diffusion of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) techniques in the building sector. In CAM, machines such as lathes, laser cutters, and milling machines (also integrated in powerful robotic arms) are directed by a computer to perform complex digital fabrication (a process called numerical control—CNC). Afterwards, in the early 21st century, CAM introduced the use of 3D printers that has become one of the frontlines of the transformations happening in the building sector.
Beyond 3D printing, automation is improving various processes in building production. Human intervention and error are more and more reduced, embodying decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions in machines. In support of this automated process, the application of modern intelligent sensor networks allows acquiring useful information about the building to pave the way for the visionary concept of the digital twin. All these new techniques open up new possibilities for high-performance and sustainable building production processes.
This Special Issue aims to gather research on the use of automation and digital fabrication in building construction. In particular, the Special Issue is open to the research contributions in the building sector dealing with digital models, computer-aided design (including point cloud surveys), computer-aided manufacturing, 3D printing, automation, novel sensor performance monitoring, and digital twins.
Dr. Valentino Sangiorgio
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- sustainable building
- building construction technologies
- automation in building construction
- building digital models
- computer-aided design
- point cloud surveys
- computer-aided manufacturing
- digital fabrication for building
- 3D technology for building
- 3D technologies and sustainable new building materials
- 3D technologies and sustainable construction procedures
- intelligent sensor system
- sensors for building monitoring
- digital twin
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