Towards individualised precast concrete construction-applying concepts of industry 4.0 to industrialised building components
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Rising global construction demand calls for greater economic efficiency and ecological sustainability. Precast concrete construction (PCC) can reduce on-site errors and waste by using controlled production environments. However, PCC remains limited by traditional, labour-intensive methods ill-suited to automation and individualised elements. Advances in digital fabrication enable customised concrete modules at scale, but realising this potential requires consistent digital representations that integrate design and production. This paper presents an integrated framework leveraging Industry 4.0 concepts to overcome these limitations, specifically employing the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) to implement modular Digital Twins (DTs). Drawing on perspectives from multiple disciplines, this research outlines design and optimisation methods that demonstrate the potential for highly differentiated, precise concrete modules from various digital production processes. Based on a conceptual multi-storey building as a case study, this work explores advances in the design and production of precast concrete modules to highlight the diverse requirements and use cases for DTs in PCC. Three DT case studies are developed, which support design, production, and quality control. These include the simulation-based geometric modularisation of building elements to support early design phases, the monitoring and structuring of production data for analytical insights, and the management of geometric deviations of individual building modules, assessed in relation to their cumulative effect on the overall structural assembly. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating the DT concept via the AAS to manage complexity across design and production phases of individualised precast structures, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient construction practices in concrete.
Source: Journal of Building Engineering
Authors: David Stieler, Simon Kosse, Patrick Forman, Daria Kovaleva, Agemar Manny, Tobias Teschemacher, Jan Stindt, Marco Lindner, Oliver Vogt, Vincent Betker, Thorsten Schmidt, Detlef Gerhard, Sandra Gelbrich, Kai-Uwe Bletzinger, Lothar Stempniewski, Lucio Blandini, Peter Mark, Markus König, Achim Menges
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,940
Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Awards: Kontinuierliche Fertigung von dünnwandigen faserverstärkten PräzisionsBetonelementen für freigeformte Modulbauweisen (KoBeMo), Entwicklung eines adaptierbaren Fertigungsverfahrens für modulare leichte Betonbauteile mittels vollrezyklierbaren Schalungssystemen, Intelligente Modularisierung für den skalierbaren Betonbau durch Adaption der Methoden zur Baukastenentwicklung, SPP 2187: Adaptive Modulbauweisen mit Fließfertigungsmethoden Präzisionsschnellbau der Zukunft, Entwicklung einer simulationsbasierten Methode zur Bewertung von Zerlegungsstrategien von Baustrukturen in einzelne Module aus produktionstechnischer Sicht in der frühen Phase der Modul bzw. Baukastenentwicklung, Toleranzfreie Serienfertigung von Hochleistungsbetonbauteilen durch transientinteraktive Kopplung von Entwurf und Produktion, Konzepte zur lebenszyklusbasierten Aktualisierung und Interaktion von Digitalen Zwillingen für vorgefertigte Betonmodule, Agentenbasierte Methoden für die fertigungsgerechte Planung adaptiver Modulbauweisen aus Betonfertigteilen, EXC 2120: Integratives computerbasiertes Planen und Bauen für die Architektur, Der digitale Baukasten – Simulationsbasierte Modelle und Methoden für den Entwurf modularer Tragsysteme aus Beton, 2. Phase
OpenAlex ID: W7160256184