Structural performance of prefabricated glass fibre concrete floor panel versus compressed fibre cement floor panel for an optimised volumetric module- A case study

Efficient design with an adequate selection of materials plays a significant role in the serviceability and durability of the volumetric modules in modular construction. Literature and experience indicate that the design life of the volumetric module is heavily dependent on its floor's serviceability. Improper design along with an inadequate selection of material for the floor of the volumetric module can lead to damages to the other structural and non-structural elements such as walls and services etc. This paper aims to present the sustainable, optimised and serviceable structural design for the floor of a volumetric module. A common volumetric module of the modular industry, i.e., a prefabricated bathroom pod is taken as an example to demonstrate the efficacy of sustainable Glass Fibre Concrete (GRC) over the existing Compressed Fibre Cement (CFC) system. The structural analyses and design were carried out using finite element modelling and optimization through Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) computations in the current research. The entire modules with GRC and CFC floor panels were subjected to various loading conditions in the numerical models to compare their serviceability. The outcomes of the models revealed the better performance of GRC material over the CFC for the floor of the prefabricated bathroom pod. Moreover, through Design for Assembly (DfA) computations the efficiency in the manufacturing of the module with GRC was proposed. Furthermore, statistical models for the prediction of deflections of the floors and their correlation were developed.