Implementation of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) Principles in Construction: A Case Study

Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) has been increasingly advocated by the global construction industry since it provides methodological procedures for evaluating and improving design for both manufacture and assembly. Many studies have investigated the DfMA principles suitable for different types of construction projects and advocated a wide implementation of DfMA in construction. However, it would be difficult to persuade stakeholders to implement DfMA principles in their projects without a clear specification of implementation procedures. This study aims to offer an intelligible description and analysis of implementation procedures of DfMA in a real construction project. It does so by undertaking a case study on a prefabricated bamboo building, in which a DfMA-focused design was required by the client. The study reveals how the knowledge of designer, engineer, and contractor has been integrated to implement DfMA principles in the design of building components and sub-components. This study also identifies the best practice of ensuring engineering performance and meanwhile attaining aesthetics in the application of DfMA principles.