by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect The construction industry is experiencing a myriad of changes brought on by the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) over the past decade. Globalization, digitalization, internet of things (IoT), cyber-physical systems (CPS), and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to impact standard processes while changing the traditional ways business is conducted [Kagan 2023]. Typical activities and the enterprises that conduct them are heavily regulated, creating a lag behind advanced innovations seen in information technology (IT). As these modern methods are applied throughout the industry, there is a growing need for implementation of new digital standards. Documentation is.

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by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect The vast number of project elements and complex interdependencies between building systems necessitate prioritization of construction activities. The critical path method (CPM) and project evaluation and review technique (PERT) were developed to quantify the importance of project tasks. Schedule-based indexes further investigate the relative importance of tasks to determine probability and the degree of uncertainty [Zarghami 2022]. These include criticality index (CI), significant index (SI), cruciality index (CRI), uncertainty importance measure (UIM), and schedule sensitivity index (SSI) as shown in Table 1. Table 1. Defining schedule-based indexes [Zarghami 2022]. Utilizing several forms of construction.

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by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect Developed countries around the world are focused on achieving carbon neutrality. The construction industry remains a large consumer of natural resources and producer of carbon emissions leading to environmental degradation. Demolition further increase this impact creating 25% of global waste [Chen 2024]. The traditional linear model of production must be adapted towards a circular economy through restorative and regenerative design processes (see Fig 1). Figure 1. Life cycle of prefabricated modules in a circular economy [Chen 2024] Borrowing from procedures and techniques developed over the past century in the manufacturing industry, modular and prefabricated.

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by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect The rapid growth of city centers around the world are creating new challenges for engineers and infrastructures. Increased pollution, urban flooding and water scarcity have become apparent over the past decades. Low impact development (LID), best management practices (BMPs), sustainable urban drainage (SuDS), and water sensitive urban design (WSUD) have emerged as the prominent strategies to control urban runoff [Zhu 2022]. Bio-retention, green roofs, grassed swales, and permeable pavement are essential measures of a Sponge City (SC) to provide and maintain natural ecosystems. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) measure and.

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