As an introduction to this article, it will provide a brief overview of modular wind turbine building, planning trends, and why lean construction is suitable in this context. One distinction is that wind turbine construction is classified as modular, with a sequential technique for constructing the components [1]. Another point to consider is that the critical path method (CPM) has been and continues to be the main planning approach in the wind business [2]. The last section of this piece will concentrate on wind industry planning, with an emphasis on the more involved offshore wind building and how lean construction may be used. In a nutshell, the wind energy business is considerably younger than the building industry, but it is rapidly increasing. Figure 1 depicts the worldwide installed wind capacity for onshore and offshore wind turbine installations. telescopic crane hire is also the best choice that makes our construction work easy. If you are planning to start the new construction site contact BJW Crane Hire for best facility.
The wind farm development projects are modular in nature, with an Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract structure dividing the work packages according to the main components: a) foundations, b) wind turbines, c) cabling between assets, d) transformer stations, and e) grid connecting cabling. Custom kitchen cabinets
The high-level procedures for the wind turbine package are shown in Figure 2. The design step converts the sales contract into manufacturing orders for the actual project configuration, ensuring that the tower interface is aligned with the foundation and cabling package. The modules for towers, nacelles, and blades are then manufactured and transported to the appropriate pre-assembly ports, where they are prepped for installation. Wall unit
The installation boats (big crane vessels) receive the modules in batches from the port and carry the major modules to their ultimate assembly site. A crane vessel places the modules on the planned foundations, and a commissioning crew completes and tests the turbines. Also, you can prefer telescopic crane hire that make your construction work easy.
Lean construction principles are being used in the building of modular offshore wind turbines.
While thinking about lean construction methodologies, the Last Planner System (LPS), Location-Based Scheduling (LBS), and Takt Planning spring to mind, The modifications’ tagline was “perform projects that meet client objectives, develop production flow, and reduce waste.”
Managing modular wind projects is similar to managing building projects. It is a labor-intensive manufacturing method that varies in the use of vessels for turbine installation and commissioning.
With day rates of 200,000 EUR for an installation vessel and 35,000 EUR for commissioning boats, it is a legitimately interesting field for all levels of management. However, productivity, like building and manufacturing, cannot be achieved just by the use of a “fancy yellow robot” [4]. It is discovered via working with teams, trades, or operators. This was evident during the adoption of LPS [3] and Takt at the team level [5], where the foreman position offers for his team and turns to his manager for assistance and instruction while attempting to adjust to a new way of thinking about productivity. Preparing for activities and planning ahead become critical, similar to how Paul discusses the five levels of LPS here on the site.
Implementation Experiences
Implementing lean construction in an offshore wind scenario necessitated technique modification, but most importantly, it required the involvement of the individuals involved. Communication and examples from the lean construction community aided in the mindset shift. The lean construction process and its benefits were explained to the project team. Concerns were expressed among technicians in this regard.
“This lean stuff is merely here to get us to work quicker.” Workflows and task sequencing have nothing to do with working quicker. Its purpose is to provide both work safety and security while reducing lead times.
“We always do things this way,” a manager reasoned, “Why should we alter what has brought us this far?” Response: I can’t make you change. I’m providing you with resources to help you with your planning. In the end, you are the ones who must utilize it and may benefit from it.
Our findings indicate that this is not dissimilar to fully applying lean construction on a building project. People, guidance, and conduct are required to complete projects on schedule, within budget, and in a safe manner.
The results of our implementation in the wind turbine business may be transferred to other construction fields such as solar farms, nuclear power, oil and gas, rail, and infrastructure. For our team, the Last Planner System, Takt Time, Location Based Planning, and other Lean concepts have been shown to be universal and extremely successful. We hope that other subfields of construction will embrace LC techniques and concepts in order to enhance the quality of work on-site as well as the quality of life for the workers.
O’Connor, J.T., W.J. O’Brien, and O.C. Jin, Modular Industrial Plant Standardization Strategy, 141 (9), 04015026, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2015.
Lerche, J., et al., Modular Offshore Wind Construction Using the Last Planner System, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146 (11): p. 05020015, 2020.
Goldratt, “Theory of Constraints.” Great North River Press, 1999.
Continuous Improvements at the Operator Level Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2020.
