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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish manufactured construction as a good potential alternative to meet the growing housing needs of China. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses literature review and case study as research methodologies. Literature review is used to identify the need for housing and establish the manufacturing...
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Context 1
... construction, off-site construction, off-site manufacturing and modern methods of construction are some terms used interchangeably in the literature and in this paper to describe pre-fabricated construction, where the intent is to move some of the effort that goes into construction off-site into the controlled environment of a manufacturing facility. Although, Gibb (2001) traces back the history of manufactured construction as far back as 1851, Arif (2009) actually goes one step further and argues that the use of big boulders instead of smaller bricks in pyramids is no different than using prefabricated wall panels. Mankind has always looked for better ways of building faster; and the use of pre-cut rocks and boulders leveraged the opportunity to fill large volumes of pyramid structures more quickly. In the UK the size of off-site construction industry grew from £2.2 billion in 2004 (Goodier and Gibb, 2007) to £6 billion in 2006 (Gibb, 2007). This paper analyzes the benefits of manufactured construction; subsequently it investigates the housing needs and the manufacturing capabilities of China to make a case for using off-site construction techniques more extensively in China. There are several factors that have impacted the construction industry in the past decade. All these factors have an impact on the outlook and mindset of strategic planners in the construction sector. The first and foremost of these is the emergence of knowledge-based rather than skill based environment: The second factor impacting the change in the construction industry is the information revolution. With the growth of information technology new tools, techniques, systems and platforms have provided construction professionals the ability to simulate every possible function and scenario on computer and assessing the different what-if scenarios. The emergence of information technology has also changed the information transfer structure from hierarchical to hyperarchical (Evans and Wurster, 1998): The third key factor in changing construction industry is the changing marketplace and competition (Chinowsky and Meredith, 2000). With increasing competition among the players of construction industry, and the downturn in the USA and now the UK housing markets; has forced the industry into a huddle to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness. In order to harness the potentials of improvement and mirror success of manufacturing sector in improving efficiency, people have looked at shifting the construction process from the construction sites to the manufacturing floor. Tangible benefits of using this approach include: a controlled environment which can maximise quality control; more effective resource utilisation; improved waste reduction; improved health and safety performance; tighter integration of the supply chain; greater economies of scale etc. The UK government identified manufactured construction as a tenet of improving construction in the twenty-first century by its inclusion in the Egan (1998) report titled Re-engineering Construction . The Australian construction industry has likewise more recently identified manufactured construction as a key vision for improving the industry over the next decade (Hampson and Brandon, 2004). This new method of construction has lent itself to serious rethinking about how construction projects are conceived planned and executed, in order to harness the maximum benefits of both manufacturing and construction. The philosophy behind manufactured construction is that the amount of effort needed to achieve the same result would be significantly less if some activities are moved to a manufacturing facility rather than being performed on a construction site where the workers will be exposed to the elements. Gibb and Isack (2003) classify manufactured construction into four categories as depicted in Figure 1. The first of the four categories is the component manufacture and sub-assembly. This includes items that have always been made in a factory and would never be considered for on-site production. Items in this category include bricks, tiles etc, the second category is non-volumetric pre-assembly. This technique deals with manufacturing components in a factory that do not create a usable space like pre-fabricated wall panels. The non-volumetric units are then brought on the construction site and installed onto a structure of either steel frame or concrete frame. The third category is the volumetric pre-assembly. In this technique the pre-assembled unit which create usable space are usually factory finished and installed on the construction site onto an independent structural frame. This type of technique is used to manufacture plant rooms, toilet pods, shower rooms etc. The last category is modular building. In this type of construction pre-assembled volumetric units which form the actual structure and fabric of the building are manufactured in a factory and then transported on-site to be assembled. In this type of construction the majority of effort is concentrated in the manufacturing floor and only the final assembly and the finishing activities are performed on construction site. There is always a possibility of a fifth category we will call the “hybrid” system which could be a combination of any two or more of these techniques. Hybrid systems specially consisting of volumetric and non-volumetric systems are used extensively in commercial and residential buildings. There are several benefits associated with manufactured construction as well. Gibb and Isack (2003) have documented a list of benefits of off-site construction as perceived by the clients (see Table I). Pan et al. (2007) have also presented a list of barriers for off-site construction as perceived by people related to the off-site construction sector in the context of the UK (Figure 2). These barriers can easily be contextualized for other countries as well. However, what is interesting to note is that there are barriers on the list that manufacturing powerhouses like China can easily use as strategic advantage; for example costs, economies of scale and manufacturing capacity. We will elaborate more on this in a subsequent section on manufacturing capabilities of China. This is a positioning paper where we have established the case for support for promotion of manufactured construction in China. In order to make a case, we have primarily relied on literature review as a methodology but have also used one case study to demonstrate how a similar problem is being tackled in the UK. The literature review has covered the areas of construction sector capabilities of China, the housing needs of China and its manufacturing capabilities. The case study we have used was developed through the interaction of the research team with a company which is in the process of establishing a factory in order to manufacture modular homes for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in the UK. This case study provided us with the structure for a business case for using manufactured construction in order to respond to the housing needs fast, and at an affordable cost and helped us recommend a strategic direction for ...
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... Importantly, Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) is a technically advanced branch of prefabrication which recorded a high level of productivity compared to other prefabrication methods (Shang et al., 2021;Xu et al., 2020). It involves manufacturing completed modules with finishes for walls, floors, and ceilings in off-site factories, transporting them to the construction sites and installing them (Arif & Egbu, 2010;Kamali & Hewage, 2017;Mao et al., 2016). The execution of PPVC is significantly higher in developed countries compared to developing economies such as Sri Lanka (Jayawardana et al., 2023;Kamali & Hewage, 2016). ...
Low productivity is an inherent characteristic of the construction industry. Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) is widely acknowledged for its high level of productivity. Thus, this study focuses on increasing the Construction Productivity (CP) in Sri Lanka through the implementation of PPVC. Herein, the research objectives are to explore the role of PPVC in increasing the CP and investigate the barriers to implementing PPVC in Sri Lanka. The research aim was accomplished by collecting data through expert interviews and analysing it through manual content analysis. Findings revealed that in Sri Lanka, the average CP rate can be doubled by implementing PPVC. Overall, PPVC increases the CP by reducing labour, accelerating project duration, making project management much more effective and minimising wastage. Nonetheless, the use of PPVC is relatively limited in Sri Lanka. The high initial cost is the main barrier to the adoption. Findings identified the necessity of specialised machinery, production plants, and skilled labour as the main cost drivers. Complications and high costs in transporting PPVC modules are critical barriers to the implementation of PPVC in Sri Lanka. Additionally, less demand, lack of technical expertise and less enthusiasm for research and development act as barriers. Most of the contractors do not have the technical capability needed for PPVC. Moreover, less governmental support and material shortages hinder the adoption of PPVC. Having an in-depth understanding of the barriers forms the foundation to tailor strategies and overcome the challenges. Accordingly, this research sheds light on the realm of concurring PPVC in Sri Lanka.
... Findings through research suggests that there are benefits that can be reaped while using relocation as an option to meet fluctuating demands with challenges regarding relocation that can be faced even on low scale projects. (Egbu 2010) studied the "Making a case for offsite construction in China" with research aimed to provide extensive overview of benefits that can be offered to cater demands of growing population needs in China. The methodology for research adopted by researcher was to evaluate the existing literature that is available for review in developed countries for catering demand of growing population and then researching through population demands that exists in China along with assessing of current facilities and adaptability potential of such kind of housing. ...
The objective of undertaking this research topic is to have an outlook of the Project Management techniques that are being used for Modular Construction. This aim for the report has helped the researcher in understanding from the people working in construction industry at any professional role regarding the knowledge and experience of theirs for Project Management Techniques as well as regarding understanding for Modular Construction. Since, Modular Construction being a technique that is more practiced in developed countries and countries where the manufacturing industry has very tight grip on the financial interest of the people. The study has helped in many ways to understand the level of difficulties and challenges that are being faced by construction professional people as well as understanding the behaviors of their companies and colleagues in case if new technology gets introduced in form of Modular construction. For this purpose, Researcher has prepared a questionnaire and circulated to the professional people in construction industry. The results of the survey have been shown in the later part of report with recommendation interpreted for ease of understanding.
... The studies showed that the subsidy also plays an important role in prefabricated construction supply chain. Arif and Egbu (2010) pointed out that the policy perception degree of construction enterprises is closely related to the promotion impact of prefabricated construction. Construction enterprises are ready to accept policy guidance and realize transformation and upgrading. ...
Prefabricated construction, a sustainable construction method, has become the inevitable trend for the future development of the construction industry. The subsidy policies for prefabricated construction enterprises can influence their strategies to promote the development of prefabricated construction. The paper considers a two-echelon prefabricated construction supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and an assembler, aiming to investigate pricing and the assembly rate strategies and coordination under different subsidy objects. The findings demonstrate that subsidy policies can increase the assembly rate. When the government subsidizes the manufacturer, the wholesale price decreases with the subsidy rate, while subsidizing the assembler, the wholesale price does not change. The impacts of subsidy policies on the retail price depend on price sensitivity and the consumer preference for the prefabricated construction market. When the subsidy rates are equivalent, the profit of supply chain with subsidizing the assembler is greater than that with subsidizing the manufacturer. Finally, the paper proposes the revenue-cost sharing contract to coordinate prefabricated construction supply chain with government subsidies. A numerical study is carried out to verify conclusions, and illustrates that a certain range of subsidy affects positively prefabricated construction enterprises by adjusting the retail price and increasing the assembly rate.
... In industrialized off-site construction, the idea is to achieve standardized products with minimized project specifications [18]. The predefined product improves the predictability and stability of the business processes [44], reduces the manufacturing complexity enabling repetitive units [45], reduces delivery time [44,46] and production costs [47,48], and improves quality [49]. ...
Productivity has been modest in construction due to many reasons, especially project-specific operations and fragmentation. The main aim of this research is to map the challenges toward industrialization in construction through a comparative study of the manufacturing industry. An inductive approach and a qualitative method are followed by applying semi-structured interviews and node-based thematic analysis. The key elements of industrialization in mature manufacturing companies are benchmarked. The findings indicate a specific order of steps for industrialization in construction. Data and information management with achieved systematization have been sources of productivity in manufacturing companies. However, the systematization starts from the offering, and construction companies need to define their offering, that is, their products, and define their respective data. Only accurate and good quality data on products enable the systematization of order delivery processes, which are the engine for a company’s success or failure. Continuous efficiency improvement is only possible with systematized processes and the respective data related to these processes. The originality involves clarifying the industrialization of construction companies via products, respective data, and processes, considering industrialized manufacturing companies.
... In industrialized off-site construction, the idea is to achieve standardized products with minimized project specifications [18]. The predefined product improves predictability and stability of the business processes [44], reduces the manufacturing complexity enabling repetitive units [45], reduces delivery time [44,46] and production costs [47,48] and improves quality [49]. ...
Productivity has been modest in construction due to many reasons, especially project-specific operations and fragmentation. The main aim of this research is to map the challenges towards industrialization in construction through a comparative study of the manufacturing industry. An inductive approach and a qualitative method are followed by applying semi-structured inter-views, and node-based thematic analysis. The key elements of industrialization in mature man-ufacturing companies are benchmarked. The findings indicate a specific order of steps for indus-trialization in construction. Data and information management with achieved systematization have been sources of productivity in manufacturing companies. However, the systematization starts from the offering, construction companies need to define their offering, that is the products, and define their respective data. Only accurate and good quality data on products enables the systematization of order delivery processes, which are the engine for a company’s success or failure. Continuous efficiency improvement is only possible with systematized processes and respective data related to the processes. The originality involves clarifying the industrialization of construction companies via products, respective data, and processes considering industrialized manufacturing companies.
... Construction and Table 2). Prefabricated construction is an affordable and high-quality solution that can meet the increasing demand for housing in China and reduce environmental impact (Arif and Egbu, 2010;Shen et al., 2010). China's urgent need for highspeed urbanization has resulted in a growing number of studies investigating the benefits and barriers of precast construction in different regions of the country (Hong et al., 2018;Arif and Egbu, 2010). ...
... Prefabricated construction is an affordable and high-quality solution that can meet the increasing demand for housing in China and reduce environmental impact (Arif and Egbu, 2010;Shen et al., 2010). China's urgent need for highspeed urbanization has resulted in a growing number of studies investigating the benefits and barriers of precast construction in different regions of the country (Hong et al., 2018;Arif and Egbu, 2010). ...
Purpose-This study aims to identify the primary research areas of modern methods of construction (MMC) along with its current trends and developments.
Design/methodology/approach-A combination of bibliometric and qualitative analysis is adopted to examine 1,957 MMC articles in the Scopus database. With the support of CiteSpace 6.1.R6, the clusters, leading authors, journals, institutions and countries in the field of MMC are examined.
Findings-Offsite construction, inter-modular connections, augmenting output, prefabricated concrete beams and earthquake-resilient prefabricated beam-column steel joints are the top five research areas in MMC. Among them, offsite construction and inter-modular connections are significantly focused, with many research articles. The potential for collaboration, among prominent authors such as Wang, J., Liu, Y. and Wang, Y., explains the recent rapid growth of the MMC field of research. With a total of 225 articles, Engineering Structures is the journal that has published the most articles on MMC. China is the leading country in this field, and the Ministry of Education China is the top institution in MMC.
Originality/value-The findings of this study bear significant implications for stakeholders in academia and industry alike. In academia, these insights allow researchers to identify research gaps and foster collaboration, steering efforts toward innovative and impactful outcomes. For industries using MMC practices, the clarity provided on MMC techniques facilitates the efficient adoption of best practices, thereby promoting collaboration, innovation and global problem-solving within the construction field.
... Offsite construction (OSC) has been a vital part of construction projects over centuries (Arif and Egbu, 2010), and the fourth industrial revolution-driven industrialised construction processes have given a newfound prominence to OSC (Goulding and Pour Rahimian, 2019). As OSC endorses sustainable, safe, lean and productive work environments, with quality improvements, time and cost savings, the uptake of OSC has incremented over the past years (Zolghadr et al., 2022). ...
Purpose-Offsite construction (OSC) is a modern method of construction (MMC) that involves manufacturing and assembly of buildings. Industry 4.0-driven technological advancements have accelerated OSC uptake causing many skilled construction workers requiring re-skilling or up-skilling. Quantity surveyors currently play an important role throughout a construction project life cycle, and hence, their knowledge on OSC projects is vital for the continuity of quantity surveying (QS) profession. The purpose of this paper is to critically review QS education in an OSC perspective and to propose strategies for up-skilling.
Design/methodology/approach-This research includes a detailed literature review of QS and OSC to evaluate how OSC affects the QS profession. Publicly available information on the university websites on accredited QS and construction management degrees was reviewed to identify OSC and MMC references, specifically the content listing and learning outcomes.
Findings-Out of the 315 degrees offered by 157 universities, only 69 degrees in 32 universities refer to OSC or MMC. OSC concept is explicitly referred in subjects related to construction technology, production management, lean construction, digital construction and MMC. As such, the research suggests including lean production principles, OSC techniques and design philosophies such as design for manufacture and assembly be added to the QS curricula.
Research limitations/implications-This research is a comprehensive desktop study that does not involve empirical data-based evaluation. Research findings inform strategies to improve QS education and professional competencies.
Originality/value-To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind that evaluates accredited QS degrees and learning requirements in an OSC perspective.
... Four levels of offsite completeness are identified from site observations and literature reviews (Arif & Egbu, 2010;Gibb & Isack, 2003). Subassembly (Level #1) presents the most traditional method of factory-oriented construction. ...
This paper presents the measured effects of different resource qualities on construction performance. The paper describes a recommended method, proposed with the concept of prediction by understanding the causal effect of process resources on consequent work efficiencies. The project team measured and compared the different arrangements of resources and their effects on on-site work efficiencies. The paper includes a field study of 15 operations (40 piles) in Melbourne, on several worksites of prefabricated piles and installations. It aimed to determine the causality between the set of delivered prefabricated piles and relevant work efficiencies. This field includes its purpose of generating and providing scientific evidence in effectively implementing an offsite operation. One of the critical factors affecting the efficiency of the installation process was confirmed to be the location of the longest section in the sequence. It took 21.8 minutes longer with the middle part of the installation if the longest section was designed to be in the middle of the whole prefabricated steel pile. The findings confirmed the need for holistic communication along the supply chain. The originality of this project is to provide a case study that offers archival evidence of the proposed model in a practical situation.
... Several studies have explored the costs associated with prefabricated construction. Arif and Egbu (2010) demonstrated that worker training can reduce direct and indirect construction costs [9]. Chang and Zhang (2016) analyzed the cost of prefabricated construction across three stages: component design, production and transportation, and installation [10]. ...
... Several studies have explored the costs associated with prefabricated construction. Arif and Egbu (2010) demonstrated that worker training can reduce direct and indirect construction costs [9]. Chang and Zhang (2016) analyzed the cost of prefabricated construction across three stages: component design, production and transportation, and installation [10]. ...
Prefabricated construction offers numerous advantages, such as high efficiency and energy efficiency. However, its promotion is impeded by the significant associated costs. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the overall life-cycle costs of prefabricated construction, with a specific focus on hidden costs. To achieve this objective, the study establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system comprising 31 factors that facilitate the assessment of hidden cost risks at each stage of the construction’s life cycle. In order to effectively evaluate these risks, the study proposes a novel evaluation method that combines the structural equation model (SEM) with the matter–element extension cloud model (MEECM). Subsequently, the proposed model is applied to an actual case of prefabricated construction projects. The findings prove valuable in managing the hidden cost risks associated with prefabricated construction and offer effective means for evaluating such risks. The stage considered in this paper is more comprehensive than that of previous studies, and a quantitative analysis of the hidden cost risk index is constructed and a SEM–MEECM evaluation model is established. Based on the model presented in this paper, future research can further enhance the hidden cost risk index and explore suitable quantitative indicators to facilitate cost risk control in prefabricated construction projects, thus promoting the widespread adoption of prefabricated construction in developing countries.
... OSM is a useful technique espoused from manufacturing that can boost productivity rates in construction industries. The concept behind manufactured construction is that if some operations are shifted to a manufacturing facility rather than being conducted on a building site where workers would be exposed to the weather conditions, the amount of effort required to get the same outcome would be significantly less [2]. Prefabrication has several advantages for the construction sector, including increased control over operations, as well as improved safety and component quality. ...
Studies and research on the arena of prefabrication have prodigiously reported faster project delivery, improved quality and safer working conditions. More prominently, reduction in waste materials at project sites without any implications to environmental aspects has been a major breakthrough. Prefabricated building structures have been progressively recognized as a substitute to the conventional methods of construction at a rapid rate, however, there is a knowledge vacuum and inadequate data on the adoption of prefabrication in Bhutan. Hence, in the current study, the feasibility of Prefabricated Buildings in Bhutan with a case study was carried out. The study focused on the benefits, constraints and way forward of prefabrication works in Bhutan through field survey and questionnaire survey. In addition, economic, environmental assessments and insulation performance were carried on a Pre-Engineered building with prefabricated materials and subsequently compared to a conventional building. From the study, the major benefit found to be ease of construction whereas the constraints pertaining to the design and planning phase of the project were deemed to be the major constraint. In particular for prefabricated construction, the cost was found to be 24.18% higher but the duration of the project can be reduced by 25-31% and the environmental impact was found to be 20.81% less than for the conventional building. Therefore, adopting prefabricated construction will depend on the requirements of a particular project, the availability of funds and environmental standards to be followed. However, the use and acceptance of prefabrication in the construction industry can be improved by better advocacy and public awareness.
