{"title":"Predicting maintenance cost overruns in public school buildings using a rough topological approach","authors":"Gökhan Kazar , Uğur Yiğit , Kenan Evren Boyabatlı","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cost overruns in maintenance projects should be monitored and effectively managed by construction professionals using proactive systems. To establish more effective proactive systems for addressing cost overruns in maintenance projects, this paper presents a topological approach for machine learning-based prediction, integrated into various machine learning models to enhance the feature selection process. Project data from 1807 public schools renovated between 2016 and 2022 was collected to test the proposed mathematical method. The results indicate that the proposed method demonstrates superior performance in 6 out of 7 machine learning algorithms and hybrid models, achieving higher accuracy. This method will enable construction professionals to establish and achieve more efficient proactive systems for managing cost problems in maintenance projects. In addition, this paper will open new doors for developing effective machine-learning models without using optimization methods for other construction issues such as time, quality, or safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dual hierarchical attention-enhanced transfer learning for semantic segmentation of point clouds in building scene understanding","authors":"Limao Zhang , Zeyang Wei , Zhonghua Xiao , Ankang Ji , Beibei Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Targeted to the challenge of indoor scene understanding for intelligent devices, this paper question focuses on enhancing accuracy in semantic information extraction. A framework including a dual hierarchical attention network, transfer learning, interpretability analysis, and modeling module is applied to segment and reconstruct the indoor scene. A high-rise as-built building case is used to verify the method, the results show that: (1) the method achieves a high mIoU of 0.970 in point cloud segmentation and outperforms state-of-the-art methods, both demonstrating strong performance; (2) the method has sound feature extraction and learning ability in term of the interpretive analysis; (3) the method accelerates by 37 % than manual operations, achieving higher accuracy and efficiency. Overall, the method provides an effective solution to segment multi-class objects for indoor scene understanding and can serve as a basis for automated modeling to contribute to an accurate BIM model with great potential for practical application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Siwei Lin , Liping Duan , Jiming Liu , Xiao Xiao , Ji Miao , Jincheng Zhao
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Automated geometric reconstruction and cable force inference for cable-net structures using 3D point clouds” [Automation in Construction, 165 (2024), 105543]","authors":"Siwei Lin , Liping Duan , Jiming Liu , Xiao Xiao , Ji Miao , Jincheng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105821","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105821","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vincent Gbouna Zakka , Minhyun Lee , Ruixiaoxiao Zhang , Lijie Huang , Seunghoon Jung , Taehoon Hong
{"title":"Non-invasive vision-based personal comfort model using thermographic images and deep learning","authors":"Vincent Gbouna Zakka , Minhyun Lee , Ruixiaoxiao Zhang , Lijie Huang , Seunghoon Jung , Taehoon Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An efficient method for predicting occupants' thermal comfort is crucial for developing optimal environmental control strategies while minimizing energy consumption in buildings. This paper presents a non-invasive vision-based personal comfort model that integrates thermographic images and deep learning. Unlike previous studies, the entire thermographic image of the upper body is directly used during model training, minimizing complex data processing and maximizing the use of rich skin temperature distribution. The proposed method is validated using thermographic images and corresponding thermal sensation votes (TSV) from 10 participants under different experimental conditions. Results show that the model based on a 3-point TSV scale achieves exceptional classification performance with an average accuracy of 99.51 %, outperforming existing models. The model performance using a 7-point TSV scale is slightly lower, with an average accuracy of 89.90 %. This method offers potential for integrating thermal comfort models into real-time building environmental control, optimizing occupant comfort and energy consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing bucket-filling strategies for wheel loaders inside a dream environment","authors":"Daniel Eriksson , Reza Ghabcheloo , Marcus Geimer","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reinforcement Learning (RL) requires many interactions with the environment to converge to an optimal strategy, which makes it unfeasible to apply to wheel loaders and the bucket filling problem without using simulators. However, it is difficult to model the pile dynamics in the simulator because of unknown parameters, which results in poor transferability from the simulation to the real environment. Instead, this paper uses world models, serving as a fast surrogate simulator, creating a dream environment where a reinforcement learning (RL) agent explores and optimizes its bucket-filling behavior. The trained agent is then deployed on a full-size wheel loader without modifications, demonstrating its ability to outperform the previous benchmark controller, which was synthesized using imitation learning. Additionally, the same performance was observed as that of a controller pre-trained with imitation learning and optimized on the test pile using RL.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatio-temporal heat risk analysis in construction: Digital twin-enabled monitoring","authors":"Yoojun Kim , Youngjib Ham","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To effectively mitigate heat risks, it is crucial to pinpoint areas of high vulnerability and assess the severity of heat-related threats to construction workers. This paper advances the understanding of heat risks in construction by mapping the associated risks across time and space to support informed decision-making. This paper presents a framework for heat risk monitoring, enabled by a construction site digital twin. This framework leverages geometric modeling, incorporates real-time weather data from a weather station, and utilizes computational simulations for assessing spatio-temporal heat risks. Its effectiveness was validated through a case study in Stephenville, Texas, USA, where it demonstrated superior fidelity when compared to using the conventional black-globe thermometer. Moreover, the results substantiated that incorporating the spatio-temporal variability of heat risks enhances heat risk surveillance in construction workplaces. This approach offers practical insights into imminent heat-related threats, aiming to prevent potential heat-related accidents in construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Data-driven logistics collaboration for prefabricated supply chain with multiple factories","authors":"Yishu Yang , Ying Yu , Chenglin Yu , Ray Y. Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prefabricated construction is increasingly replacing traditional methods due to its higher productivity, superior quality, and shorter construction time. This paper aims to optimize production and logistics collaboration within a three-tier prefabricated supply chain network to reduce overall costs and enhance response efficiency. A decision model was developed that integrates factory and logistics capacity, on-site assembly sequence, and outsourcing decisions to optimize resource allocation. The model demonstrates superior cost efficiency and resource allocation effectiveness over the Earliest Due Date (EDD) method through a hypothetical case study. This result provides robust decision support for supply chain professionals, offering significant practical implications for cost reduction and resource optimization. Our findings lay a foundation for future studies on supply chain management and optimization under dynamic conditions, offering new perspectives and methodologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luping Li , Jian Chen , Xing Su , Haoying Han , Chao Fan
{"title":"Deep learning network for indoor point cloud semantic segmentation with transferability","authors":"Luping Li , Jian Chen , Xing Su , Haoying Han , Chao Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105806","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105806","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semantic segmentation is crucial for interpreting point cloud data and plays a fundamental role in automating the creation of as-built BIM. Existing neural network models for semantic segmentation often heavily rely on the training dataset, resulting in a significant performance drop when applied to new datasets. This paper presents AttTransNet, a neural network model for automated point cloud semantic segmentation. Its attention-based pooling module improves local feature extraction from point clouds while reducing computational costs. The transfer learning framework enhances segmentation accuracy with minimal training on target datasets. Comparative experiments show that AttTransNet reduces training time by 80 % and improves segmentation accuracy by over 20 % compared with other SOTA methods. Cross-dataset experiments reveal that the transfer learning framework increases accuracy on new datasets by 150 %. By adding semantic information to point clouds, AttTransNet aids BIM modelers with direct reference, encouraging broader application of automated point cloud segmentation in the industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaohui Huang , Wanbin Yan , Guibao Tao , Sujiao Chen , Huajun Cao
{"title":"Energy-efficient configuration and scheduling framework for electric construction machinery collaboration systems","authors":"Xiaohui Huang , Wanbin Yan , Guibao Tao , Sujiao Chen , Huajun Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electrification of construction machinery has created a perceptible future trend of the development of electric construction machinery collaboration systems (ECMCSs). However, there is a lack of research on energy-efficient operation of ECMCS. This paper proposes a theoretical configuration and scheduling framework promoting the applications of ECMCSs. In the configuration stage, this paper considers the effect of charging time and proposes an electric matching factor to achieve an optimal system configuration. In the scheduling stage, a multi-objective scheduling problem is formulated for achieving energy-efficient system operation, which considers the transport volume, cost and idle time. A validation of the framework was carried out using a case study that found the optimal system solution, while the advantages of the considered ECMCS compared to a fossil fuel-powered system were discussed. The impact of battery and charging technology developments was also assessed. This framework can be widely applied to deployment of ECMCSs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Vollmer, Julian Ruck, Rebekka Volk, Frank Schultmann
{"title":"Detecting district heating leaks in thermal imagery: Comparison of anomaly detection methods","authors":"Elena Vollmer, Julian Ruck, Rebekka Volk, Frank Schultmann","doi":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>District heating systems offer means to transport heat to end-energy users through underground pipelines. When leakages occur, a lack of reliable monitoring makes pinpointing their locations a difficult and costly task for network operators. In recent years, aerial thermography has emerged as a means to find leakages as hot-spots, with several papers proposing image analysis algorithms for their detection. While all publications boast high performance metrics, the methods are constructed around very different datasets, making a true comparison impossible.</div><div>Using a new set of aerial thermal images from two German cities, this paper implements, improves, and evaluates three anomaly detection methods for leakage detection: triangle-histogram-thresholding, saliency mapping, and local thresholding with filter kernels. The approaches are integrated into a software pipeline with globally applicable pre- and postprocessing, including vignetting correction. While all methods reliably detect thermal anomalies and are suitable for automated leakage detection, triangle-histogram-thresholding is the most robust.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8660,"journal":{"name":"Automation in Construction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}