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Engineering

Platform Concepts in Bridge Construction

Profile image of Thomas OlofssonThomas Olofsson

2014

Abstract

Improving productivity and innovation is a central challenge in all industries, but particularly in construction where improvements have been slow. The Swedish Transportation Administration, the largest public client in Sweden, has launched a research and innovation program to increase productivity by foster an industrial approach and identify ways to increase the standardization of products and processes. The use of customizable platforms in bridge construction is in this paper explored as a tool for increasing the standardization. Especially the connection between the product and process platforms is exemplified using a developed bridge concept by a Swedish contractor. The development of modular platforms needs to consider which components and processes that can be specified (standardized) in advance and which that needs to be uniquely adapted to the specific project. Also, the encapsulation of knowledge in standardized design and construction modules in supporting platforms and configuration tools turn tacit personal know-how into formal explicit knowledge that can be managed and continuously improved by the construction company.

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