Richard Kelly, buildingSMART International • What is DfMA (Design for Manufacture & Assembly)? • Benefits delivered through DfMA • DfMA links to other initiatives and enablers • Issues holding back universal adoption of DfMA • How can open sharable BIM standards enable DfMA?

1. BIM to support DfMA &
Lean Construction
Proposed Activity
Richard Kelly, buildingSMART International

2. Agenda
• What is DfMA (Design for Manufacture & Assembly)?
• Benefits delivered through DfMA
• DfMA links to other initiatives and enablers
• Issues holding back universal adoption of DfMA
• Discussion
• how can open sharable BIM standards enable DfMA?

3. What is DfMA in the Built Environment?

4. What is DfMA in building design?
• DfMA: developed since the 1970s in
several industries
• Led by US National Science Foundation,
Salford University, IBM, Xerox, Ford, GM,
Lucas & others
• DfMA is the combination of Design
for Manufacture (DfM) and Design
for Assembly (DfA)
• It is a structured process
• It is a primary driver of reduced lead
times, whole life cost and quality
improvement
Image courtesy of Heathrow Ltd

5. Designing for Manufacture
• Understand manufacturing
processes, capabilities & cost
drivers
• Select materials & processes
• Estimate cost of designs
suggested by the DfA stage
• Refine designs, model, simulate
and prototype
A new lounge designed
within manufacturing
capabilities of steel and
panelised systems
suppliers
Image courtesy of Heathrow Ltd

6. Designing for Assembly
• Does a part need to move
independently of others?
• Does the part need to be made of a
different material or be isolated?
• Does it need to be separate to
enable assembly of other parts?
• Would combining it with others
exceed limitations for transport or
lifting?
• Does the part’s assembly time
exceed the time allocated in the
build rhythm?
If “No” to any of these look to
combine it with other components
or eliminate it
BEFORE
AFTER
Source: Boothroyd, Dewhurst & Knight Source: BAA T5
BEFORE
AFTER
Source: Boothroyd, Dewhurst & Knight Source: BAA T5

7. Modularity & mass customisation
Image courtesy of Heathrow LtdModularity definitions from Joseph Pine II, Mass Customisation
Havard Business School Press

8. DfMA in summary
• A way of looking at the whole facility or product and
determining the optimal way of making the parts and
assembling them
• Applies equally to on-site & off-site
• A methodology that the (whole) design team needs to
engage with
• Can be applied to bespoke buildings or mass production
• An enabler of “mass customisation”

9. Benefits of DfMA

10. The objectives of a DfMA approach
The optimised design enables a more efficient build phase.
• Cost less
• Schedule duration less
• Quality and maintainability improved
• No of site trades less
• Impact on operations & the public less
• Safety improved
NOT value engineering which is often:
• scope reduced
• suppliers squeezed
Image courtesy of Heathrow Ltd

11. Benefits of DfMA
Modular and innovative design combined volumetric and flat-pack solutions.
Cost savings through:
• Optimised and improved tolerance
• Minimised interfaces
• Shorter schedule by 75% (100 weeks of stand availability saved)
• Factory predictability
• Modular standard design
• Fewer on site trades – 33,000 hours removed from site
• Minimal stand closure (only 2 weeks per stand)
Capex 11% less than traditional build.
Opex savings c. £2.5million due to schedule reduction
12 large buildings assembled in a complex, time constrained environment
with ZERO accidents
Safety
Quality
WL Cost Time
Courtesy of Heathrow Ltd
Heathrow T5C
Nodes

12. Aspects influenced
Procurement
Installation
Operational
Maintenance
Risk
Training
• Less components
• Trades offsite
• Low level working
• Tighter tolerances therefore more predictable fit
• Better capabilities
• Repeatable processes
• Reduced schedule
• Better ergonomics in use (specification & orientation)
• Access for maintenance, refurb & renewal
• Optimised decisions for
• Maintenance access & frequency
• Renewal / replacement access
• End of and through life asset failure behaviour
• Visual instructions direct from the design
DfMA opportunitiesDfMA elements

13. Aspects influenced
Facility / asset life - years
Disposal
Procurement
Installation
Operational
Maintenance
Risk
Training
Opex
Capex

14. Links to other initiatives

15. Quicker, Better (Q & CO2), Cheaper (wlv), Safer
Linking the built environment initiatives
DfMA
Contractual mandate
Lean6sigma
Offsite
Capability
Some Governments
Some clients
Much has been done
since “Rethinking
Construction” but in
pockets of
excellence.
Linking it together
remains a problem.
AM(ISO55001)
The goal

16. Lean construction
Design for Manufacture, Assembly and Commissioning (DfMA+C)
• Determines the constraints
• Analyses the build sequence and determine the optimal rhythm
• Identifies opportunities for offsite (in lean factories)
• Ensures rapid integration for the offsite elements to interface well onsite
• Identifies opportunities to eliminate components
Build phase establishes lean, continuous flow conditions onsite (& offsite)
Applies to bespoke buildings or mass produced “boxes”
An enabler of “mass customisation”

17. The Traditional vs DfMA approach
Traditional DfMA
Collaboration between trades & disciplines to:
• Manage interfaces
• Eliminate clashes
• Use innovative offsite practices effectively
• Reduce components
• Provide visual instructions for assembly and
maintenance
• Optimise for operational use & maintenance
• Predict through life and end of life behaviour
• Different disciplines designed in isolation
• Risk managed at company interfaces not
collectively
• Risk mitigated through high intensity at build
phase
• Opportunities to remove constraints from
project not able to be taken
• Whole life value measurement not possible at
the design stage
Improvement in WLC is through reduced schedules and optimised decision making NOT scope reduction or squeezing supply chain margins

18. Applying a DfMA Strategy
Strategy from the supplier is expected to remove wasteful aspects.
WORMPITT
14 tools provided for guidance.
1. Commercial
considerations – contracts
that drive collaboration &
flow.
2. Design for productivity
3. Design for logistics
4. Design for modularity
5. Simulation & correlation
(BIM)
6. Process capabilities
8. Use of common parts
9. Reduce parts
10.Reduce assembly risks
11.Make fabrication easy
12.Make handling easy
13.Reduce interfaces
14.Efficient methods of
jointing
DfMA in Construction Strategy Richard Kelly Nigel Fraser

19. Collaboration between trades

20. Progressive application through facility lifecycle
Concept Definition Development Implement Dispose
Hand
over
Strategy Operation
Project constraints identified
Build rhythm to meet schedule
1. Commercial considerations
2. Design for:
3. productivity
4. logistics
5. modularity
6. Simulation & correlation
7. Process capabilities
DfMA
8. Use of common parts
9. Reduce parts
10. Reduce assembly risks
11. Make fabrication easy
12. Make handling easy
13. Reduce interfaces
14. Efficient methods of jointing
Facility data
Continuous improvement
DfMA in Construction Strategy Richard Kelly Nigel Fraser

21. Issues holding back universal adoption of
DfMA

22. Quicker, Better (Q & CO2), Cheaper (wlv), Safer
Linking the built environment initiatives
DfMA
Contractual mandate
Lean6sigma
Offsite
Capability
Some Governments
Some clients
Much has been done
since “Rethinking
Construction” but in
pockets of
excellence.
Linking it together
remains a problem.
AM(ISO55001)
The goal

23. Linking the built environment initiatives
Some Governments
Some clients
More required
Open data has come
of age.
• Open standards
• Technology
• Cohesive
community
The goalQuicker, Better (Q & CO2), Cheaper (wlv), Safer
DfMA
Contractual mandate
Lean6sigma
Offsite
Capability
AM(ISO55001)

24. The Procurement dichotomy
Early engagement of specialist
• Solution lock-in
• Lack of commercial tension
• Is the client prescribing the
solution?
• Off-site solution that supply chain
can provide efficiently
• Reduced schedule duration
Engagement of specialist after scheme
design
• Non-optimised solution for offsite
• Design duration extended due to
rework for offsite
• Can test the market prices thoroughly
• Client not prescribing the solution

25. Next steps
DfMA / Lean / Offsite
Supply chains rationalised
Flowlines in offsite facilities
Use of semi skilled labour
Quality improvements
Reduction in trades on site
Safer site working
Reduced lead time for facility delivery
Less CO2 in construction and operation
Digital Engineering
Project software providers not rationalised
Information sharing protocols not rationalised
Without Digital Engineering improvements
the DfMA capabilities cannot be achieved;
holistically, routinely or consistently.
Facility whole life value will not be realised.Capability is being created
X Capability is missing

26. Proposal
How can open sharable BIM
Standards enable the universal
adoption of DfMA & Lean
construction?
IFC
Industry
Foundation
Class