AAU Student Projects - visit Aalborg University's student projects portal
A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Structural design of multi-story modular building with emphasis on sustainability

Term

4. term

Publication year

2020

Submitted on

Pages

66

Abstract

The project addresses problems of stagnating construction industry, scarcity of affordable housing and plastic pollution. Innovative production technology is introduced, which uses industrial waste plastic, more specifically polyoxymethylene (POM). The manufacturing process combines continual extrusion and additive manufacturing. Corner supported modular system with stiff modules is adopted. The modules are fully produced, assembled and outfitted offsite, in controlled environment. This allow mass production and mass customization of the modules, which decreases manufacturing costs. More affordable houses of superior quality can be produced. Several versions of multi-story buildings are designed and analysed. Load acting on the structures are calculated and their effects analysed. Based on that, structural elements are designed. Emphasis is put into stiffness of the structure, due to relatively low stiffness of the POM material. Therefore, serviceability limit state is determining. For taller buildings, steel bracing rods are used to provide structural stiffness. Joints between the structural elements and modules are designed so they allow complete disassembly. This provides a benefit that the modules can be reused, used as self-standing structures, reallocated and at the end of the lifetime easily recycled.