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ISSN: 2046-0546 (pape o ma ), ISSN: 2046-0554 (online), h p://www.wi p ess.com/jou nals
DOI: 10.2495/CMEM-V5-N4-539-550
J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017) 539–550
LIGHTWEIGHT AND QUICKLY ASSEMBLED: THE MOST
ECO-EFFICIENT MODEL FOR ARCHITECTURE
J.C. GÓMEZ DE CÓZAR, A. GARCÍA MARTÍNEZ, I. ARIZA LÓPEZ & M. RUIZ ALFONSEA
Depa men o A chi ec u al Cons uc ion 1, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain.
ABSTRACT
Fo o e 20 yea s, we ha e ollowed a line o esea ch ha seeks o p opose models o a chi ec u e
which minimize he en i onmen al impac caused by bo h i s cons uc ion as i s use. We unde s and
ha , in o de o educe he en i onmen al impac p oduced by cu en cons uc ions, i is necessa y o
change he way hey a e designed and buil .
The ollowed p ocess has been i s ly ocused on he sea ch o geome ies cons uc ed wi h ade-
qua e ma e iali y which would p o ide e ec i e a chi ec u al solu ions wi h a minimum consump ion
o ma e ial (ligh weigh solu ions). Secondly, we ha e expe ienced quick assembly and disassembly
p ocedu es (deployable mesh, modula sys ems, e c.) ha educed he assembly ime o he p oposed
sys ems and, he e o e, will minimize he impac (quick assembly/ e e sibili y). Finally, i has been
possible o ela e he p oposed models (ligh weigh , quick assembly and e e sible) wi h ools o li e-
cycle assessmen which allow accu a ely assess he en i onmen al impac o hem.
The use and de elopmen o LCA ools has allowed us o op imize he p oposed models. In addi ion,
in he desc ibed p ocess, o iginal pa ame ic con ol ools (geome y and p ocesses) ha e been used.
They allow o pa icula ize he p oposed models o each case based on hei possibili ies o manu ac-
u e.
The way ollowed by se e al made wo ks, which a e applica ions o he p oposed models, will be
desc ibed hen.
Keywo ds: a chi ec u e, li e cycle assessmen , ligh weigh , quick assembly, e e sible, sus ainabili y.
1 INTRODUCTION. PROPOSED MODEL, OBJECTIVES
In 1997, oge he wi h P o esso R. Ga cía Diéguez, P o esso J. C. Gómez de Cóza pa en ed
Flo in Sys em [1] as a ligh weigh and quick assembly p o o ype hough o a chi ec u e.
This was p esen ed a se e al in e na ional symposia [2, 3] and was ci ed in he li e a u e o
he ime [4]. The sys em a ose om he wo k o in luen ial au ho s o he second hal o he
wen ie h cen u y, as Fulle [5] and, especially, P ou é [6] and he wo k o B i ish a chi ec s,
N. Fos e , R. Roge s, M. Hopkins and N. G imshaw [7], who had changed how o de ine and
cons uc buildings in he las decades o he wen ie h cen u y.
F om he beginning, he aim was he design o a ligh weigh and quick assembly con-
s uc ion sys em o buildings ying o minimize he ope a ions o pe o m in wo k o a oid
excessi e con ol o his building. Beginning om Flo in Sys em, a line o wo k was s a ed
whose ob ained esul s we e he cons uc ion o se e al buildings based on a ia ions ( adi-
cals in some cases) o he i s p oposed models.
Un il hen, bo h esea ch and wo ks made om i aised he in ui ion ha he p oposed
sys ems p oduced less en i onmen al impac han adi ional cons uc ion sys ems. As i is
known, adi ional sys ems p oduce a lo o ene gy consump ion in bo h he amoun o used
ma e ials and he cons uc ion/demoli ion o he building [8]. Howe e , he e was a lack o
igh scien i ic ools o enable p ope e alua ion o he abo e s a emen .
In 2010, P o esso A. Ga cía Ma ínez published his doc o al hesis en i led Li e Cycle
Assessmen (LCA) o he de elopmen o En i onmen al Decla a ions o Dwellings in Anda-
lusia [9]. The me hodology de eloped in his esea ch allowed o pe o m he Li e Cycle
Assessmen (LCA) o a pa icula building in i s mos impo an phases (manu ac u e,
540 J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017)
cons uc ion, demoli ion and inal use), ob aining he en i onmen al impac p oduced in di -
e en impac ca ego ies ela ed o a chi ec u e and i s means o p oduc ion.
Knowledge and inco po a ion o he wo k o P o esso Ga cía Ma ínez has allowed ha ,
om he desc ibed pa ame e s, he esea ch will de ini ely ocus on he sea ch o new con-
s uc ion models o a chi ec u e (ligh weigh , quick assembly, e e sible and ecyclable) ha
minimize en i onmen al impac .
Basically, he p oposed cons uc ion model is cha ac e ized om he ollowing ela ion-
ships be ween he pa ame e s ha guide he model and he di e en phases discussed du ing
he Li e Cycle o a building:
Manu ac u e → Ligh ness
Cons uc ion → Quick Assembly
Demoli ion → Re e sibili y
Final Use → Recycling
I each p ojec is designed p ope ly add essing he abo e ela ionships, ob ained esul s will
g ea ly minimize hei impac du ing hei li e cycle and also will enjoy he known ad an-
ages o ligh weigh and quick assembly a chi ec u e.
Thus, once he gene al model we ollowed has been p oposed, he main objec i e o his
pape is p esen ing bo h he o iginal design me hodology de eloped and he buil esul s
which has been ob ained om a ious in e p e a ions o he de ined model.
2 DESIGN METHODOLOGY
A e nea ly 20 yea s de eloping a esea ch wo k ha has p oduced la ge bene i s in e ms
o ans e o esul s [10–12], he p oposed design me hodology and he e e ences ha ha e
guided i ha e been de ined om ou poin s ha a e de eloped below.
2.1 Sea ching o ligh weigh
One should no o ge ha we a e wo king in an a chi ec u al en i onmen and ha c ea i i y
and imagina ion p ope ly guided by echnology (ha dwa e and so wa e) mus be p esen a
all imes in he p ocess o each p ojec de ini ion (geome ic and ma e ial) om he de ined
cons uc ion model [13].
I should achie e an a chi ec u e ha will o mally ma ch (o exceed) he adi ional o
cus oma y conside ed. Al hough we mus be ca e ul no o all in o p oducing hea y con-
s uc ion designs wi h he appea ance o ligh ness. In 1995, in he book Ligh Cons uc ions
[14], Te ence Riley, who app ecia es he cons uc ion end we ollow, p oposes a lis o
buildings which, in some cases, a e buil wi h a ligh weigh appea ance, bu a e no ligh -
weigh cons uc ions by hemsel es.
I mus be no ed ha mos o he wo k we ha e p oposed a e loca ed in sou he n Spain, so
he mild clima e (especially in win e ) allows he use o ligh weigh solu ions which do no
equi e en elopes wi h excessi e he mal ine ia and, he e o e, oo hickness. In a eas whe e
he wea he is mo e ad e se, he necessa y passi e condi ioning s a egies should be comple-
men ed by o he a i icial clima e gene a ed om enewable ene gies. Fo ho wea he , he
bes buil e e ence ha can be ollowed is he Maison T opicale by Jean P ou é [6].
Thus, ollowing P. Weijma shausen in 2012 [15] (... The u u e p oduc ion is no doing a
lo o li le bu do a lo om li le bi …), speci ic s a egies ha in ol e designing a ligh -
weigh cons uc ion mus conside he ollowing:
J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017) 541
• Choose he mos sui able ma e ials o e e y occasion.
•Sui able geome y o minimize he s esses ha occu as a esul o ex e nal ac ions, espe-
cially he wind which each a g ea impo ance when he ligh e is he solu ion.
• Using ligh weigh en elopes. Es ablishing he igh balance be ween he ma e ial used o
he s uc u e and he elemen s o co e ing. Depending on he loca ion and use o he build-
ing o be cons uc ed, his a io will a y om meshes (highe pe cen age o s uc u e han
co e ing) o amewo ks (s uc u e has less p esence han he co e ing).
In each case, he decision o he ype o s uc u e o be used, i s size and compa ibili y wi h
he co e ing and he ype o connec ions be ween elemen s, g ea ly in luences he de ini-
ion o a ligh weigh and easy o assembly/disassembly model.
• Inc easing igidi y, bo h o he whole as each elemen , by using p es essed cables (i
necessa y).
2.2 Pa ame isa ion. Simula ion, op imisa ion
Twen y yea s ago, in he de elopmen o he Flo in Sys em, o iginal pa ame ic design ools
we e used [3].
O e ime, he use o hese ools has changed he concep o mobili y in a chi ec u e, om
a li e al iew o i ( eally mobile buildings) o a wide one, as Yona F iedman de ines [16],
which has o do wi h he abili y o adap a ion and a ia ion o a design o ce ain condi ions
(pa ame e s) which will p o ide a unique solu ion in each case, al hough i is cons uc ed
om he same model [17].
Once he ype o geome y and possible ma e iali y o use i is decided (depending on he
con ex condi ions and s a egies o ligh ness es ablished in he p e ious poin ), all geome -
ic pa ame e s a e compiled in an o iginal pa ame ic ool (G asshoppe ™ implemen ed in
Rhinoce os®, Dynamo o Au odesk® Re i o any o he isual p og amming language wi h
g aphical exchange) which allows ob aining all possible con igu a ions. By his way, he
pa ame ic p ocess designed se s hese pa ame e s om he ollowing simula ion p ocesses:
• Beha io agains wind h ough i ual wind unnel.
•Highly s eng h and s i ness h ough ma ix calcula ion o od elemen s so wa e o ini e
elemen calcula ion so wa e as app op ia e.
•Ene gy balance unde he use h ough he so wa e o calcula ing ene gy lows ha occu
be ween he inside and he ou side o he building.
•Sunligh and shadow p oduc ion.
• Maximum sola gain. Fo cases whe e sola collec ion elemen s a e inco po a ed in o he
en elope.
Once he op imiza ion o he design is pe o med, he inal mas e model is p oduced o
ab ica ion (using BIM so wa e).
2.3 Wo k a wo kshop. Quick assembly, e e sibili y
Wi h he p emises o he abo e wo poin s, ligh weigh models can be ob ained, op imized
and adap ed o p ope ly use and en i onmen . Howe e , o ensu e ha he model will be a
quick assembly/disassembly and/o e e sible, i is necessa y o es ablish co ec ela ions
wi h indus y. To do his, yea s ago, oge he wi h P o esso I. A iza [18], we ocused on
542 J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017)
he s udy o cons uc ions o epheme al ypes which, because o hei assembled/disassem-
bled cha ac e , p o ided aluable in o ma ion on building sys ems and, abo e all, ypes o
join s employed. In u n, we ha e kep in con ac wi h specialis s in digi al manu ac u ing
companies who ha e shown us he cu en po en ial o he indus y. This has o do wi h he
possibili y o manu ac u ing elemen s o inc easingly size whene e i is possible i s ans-
po and si e assembly. The e o e, s udying and aking in o accoun he design o pieces and
size o p oposed geome ies and hei assembly op ions om a p ope design o connec ions
be ween di e en sys ems (s uc u e, en elope, e c.) is he undamen al ask in his s age o
he p ocess.
The e o e, he undamen al s a egy o p oduce a quick assembly and a e e sible design
and, hus, o ge o minimize he impac and ene gy consump ion in hese phases, is based on
educing he numbe o i ems o be used (inc easing i s size i necessa y) and designing join s
o expedi e he assembly p ocess.
As will be seen below, in he ollowed p ocess, he e ha e been designed mobile join s ha
ha e led o deployable sys ems and ixed join s ha ha e enabled quick assembly hanks o
he minimiza ion o he elemen s o be joined (Fig. 1).
2.4 LCA as a ca alys o design
F om he esul s o he abo e h ee poin s, which ha e aken in o accoun he minimiza ion o
he LCA di e en phases ha ha e been conside ed, he LCA o he p oposed model is made
o checking wha e e design aspec o any o i s phases (ma e ials, geome y, elemen s,
assembly/disassembly p ocedu es, e c.), o achie e he minimum possible en i onmen al
impac in each case.
3 BUILT PROJECTS: CLASSIFICATION
Wi h he pe spec i e ha gi es he ime, he wo ks ha ha e been buil om he p oposed
model, ollowing he design me hodology desc ibed in he p eceding pa ag aph, ha e e ol ed
om a cons uc ion poin o iew, om ligh weigh and deployable models o ligh weigh
and quickly assembled models wi h pa ame e ized geome y pieces. These ones end o adap
Figu e 1: Example o wo kshop’s mas e model wi h all de ailed join s.
J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017) 543
be e o he a chi ec u al discipline conside ing ha hey allow gene a ing unique solu ions
ha ollow he same cons uc ion model, hanks o his pa ame e iza ion.
The inal classi ica ion o buil models, acco ding o hei cons uc ion/s uc u al sys em,
is as ollows:
• Spa ial meshes o deployable ba s.
•F amewo ks wi h lexible co e ings ( ensioned memb anes).
• F amewo ks/Meshes wi h igid co e ings.
3.1 Deployable and quick assembly spa ial meshes
Flo in sys em was widely desc ibed in MARAS 2000 [3]. Based on a wo-laye ed mesh
o hombuses and scisso s connec ed by diagonals, i allows he possibili y o cons uc ing
plana geome ies, wi h single and double cu a u e (sinclas ic and an iclas ic). The whole
sys em was de ined om an o iginal pa ame ic p ocess which ixed he geome y and p e-
dic ed he s uc u al beha io .
I was i s used in 2003 o build a hea ed pool in Gines (Se ille, Spain) [12] o 20.00 ×
30.00 m2 size on g ound le el (Fig. 2). I gene a es a e y simple se o elemen s based on ian-
Figu e 2: Pool in Gines (Se illa). Main space and owe ’s acili ies.
544 J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017)
gula modules, scisso s and s i ening ba s. The sys em is comple ed by mobile join s ha allow
he olding/un olding o he s uc u e as assembly/disassembly ac ion, educing assembly ime on
si e and media and ene gy consump ion o his p ocess. A ex ile memb ane en elope was used.
I was ancho ed o he loo and ensioned om he co e so i gene a ed a con inue capsule which
was p epa ed o hea /cool he ai inside. Thus, i became a e y ligh weigh se (0.20 KN/m2).
In 2004, he sys em wi hou deployable join s was again used as a s uc u e o he owe ’s
acili ies which se es he pool desc ibed abo e. This ime, used join s, apa om joining he
di e en elemen s o he mesh, allowed he suppo o he slabs o he lowe loo s. The sys-
em hus showed i s po en ial o accommoda e mul iple con igu a ions and si ua ions and i s
abili y o all buildings. Cu en ly, double sinclas ic cu a u e meshes wi h double co e ing
laye a e being de eloped o condi ioning a chaeological si es. Passi e condi ioning s a egies
a e being used o ea ing he apped ai be ween he wo laye s o he co e ing sys em [19].
3.2 F amewo ks wi h lexible co e ings ( ensioned memb anes)
As no ed in sec ion 2.1, he ela ionship be ween s uc u e and en elope de e mines he inal
weigh and, he e o e, he ligh ness o he whole building. Taking in o accoun clima e condi-
ions in sou he n Spain (which allow he use o e y ligh weigh solu ions) and di ec con ac
wi h indus y explained in sec ion 2.2, se e al buildings based on amewo k sys em ha e
been buil . In hese cases, he s uc u e has been educed o bounda y elemen s and s i ening
aming la ge ensioned memb ane clo hs o co e ing. This sys em allows o build ou ligh -
es buildings (0.15–0.17 KN/m2).
Basically, once de ined he mos op imal geome y and ma e iali y, om pa ame ic
p ocesses, se ializa ion o elemen s is se , depending on he possibili ies o anspo and
assembly, and he di e en ypes o join s ha will allow quick assembly. All geome ies use
bows because o hei high igidi y and abili y o ans e ac ions o he con ou wi h mini-
mum ma e ial consump ion. All he join s a e based on b idles o hasps join s, acco ding o
he equi ed compa ibili y wi h he co e ing elemen s. Fo he join s o he s uc u e wi h he
co e ing memb ane, he e mus be p o ided p ocedu es o in oduce he necessa y ension
(and subsequen con ol) o memb anes.
Since 2004, mul iple solu ions based on he abo e de ini ion ha e been buil , abo e all,
buildings o equipmen s (se ices, ec ea ional, cul u al, e c.) which equi e la ge co e ed
su aces wi h lexible p og am. This g oup includes he ollowing wo ks in Spain (Fig. 3):
Ex ension o a School in Bollullos (Se ille), Mul ipu pose Cen e in Pilas (Se ille), Gas
S a ions in Ronda (Malaga), Thea e in Gines (Se ille), Res au an in Ibiza (Balea ic Islands)
[12]. Wi hin his g oup s ands ou o i s ligh ness (0.16 KN/m2) a sys em de eloped o co -
e ing spo cou s o 10.00×20.00 m2 size (Fig. 4). I leads o end design s a egies o ge an
ex emely ligh weigh cons uc ion and educe assembly ime o 2 days.
3.3 F amewo ks/Meshes wi h igid co e ings
When i comes o he design o esiden ial, eaching o e ia y (o ices and ho els) building,
using condi ions equi e mo e ma e iali y in he en elope. In hese cases, i is necessa y o
combine he mesh/ amewo k wi h he size and shape o he panels, b inging he s uc u e o
a mesh o a amewo k acco ding o he ype o en elope ha is going o be used.
The p ocess ollowed in buil p ojec s has been using a single mesh ha se es as s uc-
u e and as a suppo (wi hou adding new elemen s) o enclosu e panels. By his way, e y
J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017) 545
ligh weigh elemen s a e achie ed. Once he geome y and inal assembly ma e iali y om
pa ame ic p ocesses ha e been de ined, we p oceed o de ine a he wo kshop he maxi-
mum size o each o he al eady o med s uc u e’s modules and he ype o join s ha will
come up.
Again, he lowes numbe o i ems o be anspo ed and assembled on-si e ha e been
enhanced agains o he s based on building he whole s uc u e in si u, which ha e a high
ene gy consump ion inc easing, he e o e, hei en i onmen al impac . Fo he en elope,
comme cial panels a e used (cellula polyca bona e sandwich insula ing co e s eel, cemen
bonded pa icle boa d, imbe , e c.) wi h p ede e mined cha ac e is ics, as app op ia e. F om
2007 o da e, we ha e buil se e al solu ions ha sol e indoo pools, schools and houses
Figu e 3: F amewo ks wi h ensioned memb anes.
546 J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017)
Figu e 4: Sys em o co e ing spo cou s. Join s and ex e nal iew.
Figu e 5: Mesh wi h igid co e ing. Join s and s uc u e.
(Fig. 5): Pool o a nu se y in Gines (Se ille), Nu se y in Paloma es (Se ille) o House in
Almensilla (Se ille) [12].
4 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF LIGHTWEIGHT AND QUICK ASSEMBLY
CONSTRUCTIONS. APPLICATION TO FLORIN SYSTEM
As i was said in he in oduc ion, his sec ion will show he p og ess ha has been done by
ou esea ch eam on he use o LCA as a ool o he design and op imiza ion o ligh weigh
cons uc ion and quick assembly models. The de eloped me hodology ha is indica ed below
has e ol ed om he wo ks o P o esso A. Ga cía Ma ínez and om se e al Deg ee Wo ks
made in he Mas e in Inno a ion in A chi ec u e a he Uni e si y o Se ille, di ec ed by
P o esso s J.C. Gómez de Cóza and A. Ga cía Ma ínez.
J.C. Gómez de Cóza , e al., In . J. Comp. Me h. and Exp. Meas., Vol. 5, No. 4 (2017) 547
This pape p esen s he LCA o he s uc u e o he pool in Gines (Se ille), inaugu a ing a
line o wo k which will be applied o o he models in he u u e.
This analysis was ca ied ou wi h he collabo a ion o Mas e s uden s A. Mesa Gonzalez
and M. Ruiz Al onsea.
In o de o alue he cons uc ion/s uc u al model o he Flo in Sys em, he deployable
solu ion is compa ed wi h o he s which a e on-si e assembled ( ein o ced conc e e s uc u e,
quick assembly aluminum s uc u e and s eel s uc u e buil on-si e. Figu e 6).
Li e Cycle Assessmen is a s anda dized me hod (ISO, 2006). I consis s o ou phases:
scope and goal de ini ion; li e cycle in en o y (LCI); li e cycle impac assessmen (LCIA)
and he in e p e a ion and esul s. The li e cycle in en o y is ob ained om a g aphic model
and Ecoin en Da abase [20]. The CML me hod and he Cumula i e Ene gy Demand a e
used o assess he en i onmen al impac . The s udy lows LCA “c adle o g a e” me hodol-
ogy. In o de o co obo a e he building model p oposed in he in oduc ion, he ollowing
phases ha e been aken in o accoun , acco ding o he classi ica ion es ablished in EN 15804
[21]: Phase 1: P oduc ion s age: includes he supply o aw ma e ials (A1) and anspo (A2);
Phase 2: T ea men a wo kshop s age. includes manu ac u e o p oduc s and p ocesses a
wo kshop (A3); Phase 3: cons uc ion and disassembly s age: includes anspo a ion om
he ac o y o he si e (A4), cons uc ion (A5), disassembly (C1) and anspo a ion om
he si e o he ecycling cen e (C2); Phase 4: End o Li e s age: was e ea men s (C3) and
discha ge (C4).
Acco ding o ISO 14044, Li e Cycle Impac Assessmen (LCIA) is a way o e alua e he
pe o mance and en i onmen al impac o a p ojec based on a unc ional uni . Th oughou
his esea ch, he e is a ocus on he assessmen o Cumula i e Ene gy Demand (CED) and
Global Wa ming Po en ial (GWP) o he s age a ea cons uc ion [22].
Resul s a e shown in Fig. 7. Fo he wo analyzed ca ego ies (GWP & CED), Flo in Sys em
p oduces less han hal impac han he second model which p oduces lowe impac (alumi-
Figu e 6: Geome y o 4 s udy cases. Case 1: Flo in Sys em, Case 2: Rein o ced conc e e
s uc u e, Case 3: Aluminium s uc u e and Case 4: S eel s uc u e buil on-si e.
