The term ‘Platforms,’ most commonly used in manufacturing, refers to a process whereby sets of components or assemblies can be put together in a multitude of different ways to create a multitude of different products..

learn more about Industrialised Construction hereHistorically, mathematical modelling and simulation have been confined to sectors and projects with a focus on manufacturing, operations, logistics and supply chain.Despite the availability of the technology since the 1980s, the construction industry has been much slower to apply these methods; most likely due to the nature of building design, with one-time projects using many unique elements and few repeatable processes.. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a method of modelling a system by evaluating a series of activities at the time they occur, or by evaluation at set points in time (every second, for example) with no change assumed to have occurred between the time steps.

This type of simulation is well suited for activity-based operational modelling where the complexity of continuous simulation is not required.. DES is typically used to understand and improve the performance of a system, in the research and development or design phase, or for processes already in operation..Bringing the construction industry up to speed with DES.Research in the sector has found that while construction-related spending is 13% of global GDP, productivity has been flat for decades – with an ageing workforce and additional post-Brexit losses affecting the UK.

Similarly, construction accounts for a large portion of global waste and carbon emissions, but is yet to see large improvements.With Discrete Event Simulation previously a niche activity requiring a specific skill set and often costly software, the industry has not been able to see and leverage the benefits, which include predicting the full effects of a project – whether related to efficiency, cost or the environment – until site work is completed.. A recent shift in the construction landscape has been an increasing focus on Design for Manufacture and Assembly, or DfMA, which aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the construction centre, improving productivity, reducing waste and aiming for net-zero carbon emissions.

Bryden Wood have been pioneers of DfMA and successfully delivered benefits around the world with Platform Construction (P-DfMA) and other types of solutions [.

constructionplatformsforasia/s90575/. ]Still, despite the challenges ahead, it’s clear to see that the tide is turning and, of course, urgency related to the climate crisis will only continue to increase.

We must be ready to act and put the right strategies into place globally: licensing, siting, public acceptability, supply chain strategies etc.All of these elements need to be designed and ready to go as soon as the world is ready for them.

The opportunity will soon be here.If we look back at the last twenty years, examining large sectors like retail, ecommerce and entertainment, we see that all of these areas have undergone enormous, fundamental shifts as a result of rapid technological adoption.