On-site handling: Automated connecting device for modular construction used as lifting apparatus

Modular construction is an alternative method to traditional construction that differs mainly by its discretization of structural elements in modular forms and by three specific steps in its process: off-site manufacturing, transportation and on-site assembly (modular lifting and connection). The assembly process of modular buildings can highly benefit from inter-modular connections that comprise robust and functional features to guarantee a safe and efficient modular assembly procedure. Inter-modular connections are critical to the structural stability of the structure, and research has been conducted in recent years to tackle the challenges associated with modular assembly. Automated connecting devices have been identified as the inter-connections having the best potential to resolve both structural and functional requirements. Moreover, the assembly process itself must also take place in accordance with a safe and efficient lifting procedure that limits deformation of the lifted module so as not to affect its structural integrity nor damage aesthetical elements of the modules. This paper thus explores the possibility of combining the functions of modular assembly and modular lifting in a single device comprising a self-locking mechanism, namely an automated connecting and lifting device. Both functional and structural performances of this design were assess in a full scale experimental off-site project which demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of combining lifting and connecting features within a single device in light-framed wood modular buildings.