Structural design of multi-story modular building with emphasis on sustainability
The project addresses problems of stagnatingconstruction industry, scarcity of affordablehousing and plastic pollution. Innovative productiontechnology is introduced, which uses industrialwaste plastic, more specifically polyoxymethylene(POM). The manufacturing processcombines continual extrusion and additivemanufacturing.Corner supported modular system withstiff modules is adopted. The modules arefully produced, assembled and outfitted offsite,in controlled environment. This allowmass production and mass customization of themodules, which decreases manufacturing costs.More affordable houses of superior quality canbe produced.Several versions of multi-story buildingsare designed and analysed. Load acting onthe structures are calculated and their effectsanalysed. Based on that, structural elementsare designed. Emphasis is put into stiffnessof the structure, due to relatively low stiffnessof the POM material. Therefore, serviceabilitylimit state is determining. For taller buildings,steel bracing rods are used to provide structuralstiffness.Joints between the structural elements andmodules are designed so they allow completedisassembly. This provides a benefit that themodules can be reused, used as self-standingstructures, reallocated and at the end of thelifetime easily recycled.
https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/334973689/Structural_design_of_multi_story_modular_building_with_emphasis_on_sustainability.pdf