Developing the Industrial Commons for The Off-Site Construction Sector

Abstract

The paper explores the application of the Industrial Commons concept to Off-Site Construction (OSC), highlighting the significance of shared assets like research and development facilities, educational institutions, standardization bodies, open-source models & industrial operations for fostering growth in OSC sector. Emphasizing the need for collaboration, the study addresses the current state of the Canadian Industrial Commons for OSC, noting challenges such as high costs of individual design and fabrication software, leading to disconnected workflows and a lack of collaboration in areas like off-site quality control, post-fabrication task management, and on-site visualization. The proposed solution introduces curriculum based on open-source components, leveraging Linux-OS, Git Version Control, IFCShell, IFC.js, and BlenderBIM. This comprehensive approach aims to cover design, version control, fabrication aligned with the CSA-A277 standard, BCF-based collaboration, and 4-D visualization. The ultimate objective is to revitalize the Industrial Commons specific to OSC, providing small businesses with accessible templates to enhance efficiency and delivery in the industry. The paper presents a practical demonstration of how this open-source workflow can contribute to a rejuvenated Industrial Commons in the realm of Off-Site Construction.