Search Results (40)

Offsite construction (OSC) offers a promising alternative for accelerating refurbishment projects across Italy and Europe. However, its adoption remains limited due to technical, regulatory, and cultural barriers. This study, conducted as part of the OFFICIO project, maps the current European OSC landscape, with a focus on wood and light-steel technologies for sustainable building refurbishment. Combining a literature review, analysis of funded projects, and market data for 541 OSC products, the study develops tailored KPIs to assess these products’ technical maturity, prefabrication level, and environmental integration. The results reveal that wood-based OSC, although less widespread, is more mature and centered on the use of multi-layer panels, while steel-based systems, though more prevalent, remain largely tied to semi-offsite construction, indicating untapped development potential. Research efforts, especially concentrated in Mediterranean regions, focus on technological integration of renewable energy systems. A significant literature gap was identified in information concerning panel-to-wall connection, critical for renovation, limiting OSC’s adaptability to regeneration of existing buildings. The findings highlight the need for cross-sector collaboration, legislative clarity, and better alignment of public procurement standards with OSC characteristics. Addressing these issues is essential to bridge the gap between research prototypes and industrial adoption and accelerate the sustainable transformation of Europe’s construction sector to help meet climate neutrality targets. Full article

Offsite construction (OSC) is fragmented and involves a complex network of stakeholders in all the stages such as planning, design, legal approval, site preparation, modular manufacturing, transportation, storage, and onsite installation. The barriers include complexity of the process; lack of awareness; supply chain challenges in capacity and knowledge; cultural perception; lack of viable business process models or solutions; scarcity of skills in design/manufacturing/construction and lack of government regulations and legislation. This study, therefore, categorises the barriers according to political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) analysis. The PESTEL analysis aims at providing organisations a comprehensive list of all the external barriers against the adoption of offsite construction. A wholistic list of all the barriers and understanding the barriers will help them to improve the overall productivity and contribute to the economy metrics. Utilising popular databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, a systematic literature review of 56 papers relevant to OSC adoptions in the construction industry research was conducted. From the review, the barriers to the adoption of OSC in the construction research and relevant organisations reports were identified. The research shows that countries such as Australia, UK, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand have been the top countries in which papers on OSC were published. A relationship analysis shows that political barriers amounting to 5 out of the 101 barriers identified having the most causal effects on the low adoption of OSC. Full article

Increasing environmental pollution has reinforced the necessity of implementing circular economy (CE) as a sustainable approach to reducing resource consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions. Despite the construction industry’s significant environmental impact in terms of global carbon emissions, water consumption, and biodiversity loss, only 12% of its materials exhibit circular characteristics, necessitating improvements in terms of circularity in construction projects. This study develops a CE-based decision-making model for contractor selection, focusing on off-site construction (OSC), which offers greater circularity potential than conventional construction methods. The decision-making model, established through literature analysis and expert discussions, utilizes the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate CE criteria and employ the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to determine contractor suitability. The findings indicate that Material Circularity, Energy Circularity, and Product Circularity are the most influential criteria, with green procurement emerging as the highest-priority factor. The model was validated through a hypothetical case study involving four contractors experienced in sustainable construction. The results demonstrate the model’s capacity to produce sensitive outcomes in terms of decision-making. Full article

The construction industry continues to face challenges such as increased costs, time overruns, and low quality. Off-site construction (OSC) methods are increasingly being adopted as alternatives to traditional construction practices to address these issues, with off-site manufacturing (OSM) representing a key difference in construction methods. However, existing studies have largely neglected the systematic evaluation of OSM risks on quality, cost, and delivery (QCD) outcomes, leaving a significant gap in understanding the complex interdependencies among risk factors. To improve risk management in OSC projects, it is crucial to evaluate the impact of OSM risks on QCD outcomes. This study applies the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) method to develop an evaluation model that measures the impact of OSM risks on QCD outcomes in OSC projects. The results identify 12 significant risk factors affecting QCD outcomes in OSC projects. Five key risk groups were identified as critical for managing OSM risks. This approach provides a systematic framework for managing OSM risks and optimizing OSC practices in China. Full article

The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive aim to accelerate the energy transition of the European building stock; however, progress remains insufficient. Off-site construction (OSC) and industrialised systems, such as Plug-and-Play (PnP) systems, are considered pivotal towards more efficient renovation practices. In this study, a PnP facade for building renovation—developed in an H2020 EU-funded research project—has been analysed with the following objectives: (i) benchmarking and assessing the construction process with a PnP facade system through the data gathered in two renovation scenarios, and (ii) identifying advantages and limitations related to implementing the technology. Two buildings—an early adopter in Budapest and a demonstration case in Pamplona—have been selected as renovation scenarios to validate the implementation of the system, testing different levels of technological integration and prefabrication. Key findings reveal that the PnP system offers significant advantages, including streamlined installation processes and reduced on-site waste compared to a conventional ventilated façade. However, the need for high workers’ tolerance, sensitivity, and precision during installation, as well as coordination protocols, has been highlighted to ensure a smooth implementation. This research contributes to the body of research on OSC technologies for building renovation, offering practical insights towards developing more sustainable construction practices. Full article

As an essential domain of project management, inter-organization collaboration (IOC) is crucial for stakeholders in off-site construction (OSC) projects because of the high linkage between design, production, and site construction stages. Current studies focus on the static relationships between project governance approaches and the OSC project stakeholder collaboration. This study proposes the OSC project stakeholder’s IOC activity as an adaptive system to explore the practical project governance mechanisms to achieve IOC from a dynamics perspective using a survey and Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction simulation experiment. The finding suggests that project organizational structure and project governance mechanisms are complementary rather than substitutive for improving inter-organizational collaboration between the OSC project stakeholders. The impact paths are practical between project organizational structures and IOC via mediating roles of contract and trust. Moreover, project organizational structure, contract, and trust are a dynamic combination instead of independent. Our study deepens our understanding of the OSC project stakeholders’ IOC by exploring its emergence mechanism, enriching project stakeholder management research on inter-organizational behavioral foundations of collaboration emergence in a temporary projected organization. It also provides practical project governance tools to improve a temporary projected IOC by coordinating project governance mechanisms and project organizational structures. Full article

Recently, the adoption of offsite construction (OSC) has been gaining prominence in the building industry due to its unmatched efficiency, quality, and eco-friendliness. Despite its numerous advantages, OSC faces significant hurdles, notably the challenge of inadequate information sharing among stakeholders, which compounds other issues. While acknowledging its importance and challenges, researchers have predominantly focused on different aspects of OSC. Therefore, this study aims to systematically explore key aspects of information sharing in OSC, identify barriers, and propose strategies for improvement. By analyzing 53 articles published between 2013 and 2024, we found that most studies originated from developed countries, and almost 83% were published in the last 5 years. A thematic analysis revealed various information needs across project stages, from market analysis to safety protocols. Moreover, it uncovered factors hindering stakeholder communication and collaboration, including fragmented supply chains, inconsistent standards, and communication barriers. This paper discusses strategies to improve information sharing and proposes a conceptual framework to guide stakeholders in improving information sharing within OSC projects. Full article

The growing adoption of off-site construction methods has increased the critical role of mobile cranes within the construction sector. This study develops a Construction Digital Twin (CDT) framework to optimize crane lifting positions and capacities for the installation of prefabricated bridge decks. By integrating 3D site modeling, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and crane simulations within the Unity game engine, the CDT overcomes the limitations of conventional 2D-based planning by providing a three-dimensional representation of site conditions. An exhaustive search method identifies optimal crane configurations, enhancing precision and efficiency. Simulation calibration using video analysis of real bridge deck installations aligns crane speed and cycle times with actual operations, improving reliability. Case studies demonstrate the CDT’s ability to reduce crane operation costs by 27% when employing a smaller capacity crane while maintaining operational efficiency. Additional DFA-focused simulations with varying deck dimensions revealed a potential 10% cost reduction by optimizing crane operations and deck design strategies. The CDT framework supports early-stage planning, reduces operational risks, and contributes to cost-effective and safer construction practices, offering a scalable solution adaptable to various construction scenarios. Full article

The rising demand for housing continues to outpace traditional construction processes, highlighting the need for innovative, efficient, and sustainable delivery models. Off-site construction (OSC) has emerged as a promising alternative, offering faster project timelines and enhanced cost management. However, current research on cost models for OSC, particularly in automating material take-offs and optimising cost performance, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by proposing a new cost model integrating Digital Twin (DT) technology and AI-driven decision models for modular housing in the UK. The research explores the role of DTs in enhancing cost estimation and decision-making processes. By leveraging DTs and AI, the proposed model evaluates the impact of emergent technologies on cost performance, material efficiency, and sustainability across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. As proposed, this integrated approach enables a cost model tailored for OSC systems, providing a data-driven foundation for cost optimisation and material take-offs. The study’s findings highlight the potential of combining DTs and AI decision models to enhance cost modelling in modular construction, offering new capabilities to support sustainable and performance-driven housing delivery. The paper introduces a dynamic, data-driven cost model integrating real-time data acquisition through DTs and AI-powered predictive analytics. This dynamic approach enhances cost accuracy, reduces lifecycle cost variability, and supports adaptive decision-making throughout the OSC project lifecycle. Full article

Stakeholder management is a crucial component in the implementation of off-site construction (OSC) projects, while stakeholder mapping serves as a practical technique to facilitate an in-depth understanding of different project stakeholders. Various topics have been explored in the OSC stakeholder management field, but research on OSC stakeholder analysis based on stakeholder mapping is still lacking. This study addresses this gap by developing two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) stakeholder mapping models. Data were collected from 167 stakeholders involved in OSC projects. The 2D model utilizes a power–interest matrix to classify 12 identified OSC stakeholder groups, while the 3D model further explores these groups by incorporating an additional dimension of stakeholder salience across different stages of project implementation. The results show that OSC stakeholders predominantly fall into the “key players” or “minimal effort” categories across various project stages. Key players include the client, modular manufacturer, main contractor, government, and designer, while the public and industry organizations generally require minimal effort. Additionally, stakeholders such as the supervision company, supplier, and subcontractor play key roles at specific stages, with varying levels of salience throughout the project lifecycle, reflecting shifts in their influence and involvement. The findings contribute to stakeholder management knowledge by providing an in-depth understanding of OSC stakeholders’ interrelationships during project implementation, especially through uncovered stakeholder mapping in the OSC field. Full article

Lean practice is recognised for having a great potential in promoting safety risk management in off-site construction (OSC). This paper presents results of a study conducted to assess the impact of lean practice on safety risk management in OSC in a developing country. A quantitative approach using a survey-based questionnaire was adopted. Lean management practices (LMPs) identified from a literature review were empirically tested using a sample survey of 103 OSC contractors. The survey responses were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The top ranked LMPs for safety risk management in OSC included two mistake-proofing practices, i.e., use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and use of hazard warning equipment; two last planner system (LPS) practices, i.e., involvement of workers in safety planning and providing necessary working equipment; and one first run studies (FRS) practice, i.e., critical analysis of work methods. These LMPs are useful in controlling high-consequence safety risks in OSC. Based on evidence found in this study, the paper argues that lean practice can bring great value to safety risk management in OSC in countries where OSC is transitioning. Full article

The shift from traditional on-site to off-site construction marks a significant evolution in the construction industry, characterized by increasing levels of prefabrication. These advancements enhance construction efficiency, reduce lead times, and mitigate environmental impacts, leading to modular integrated construction (MiC). However, MiC presents complex supply chain challenges, particularly in the transportation of prefabricated components and fully integrated modules. This study addresses these challenges by employing a multi-agent simulation using AnyLogic to optimize MiC transport logistics. The simulation models the interactions of various agents involved in the MiC process to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. Results demonstrate that using three vehicles per supplier minimizes total transport costs, effectively balancing fixed and variable expenses while eliminating penalties for project delays. The findings highlight the cost efficiency of MiC, showing potential savings due to centralized assembly and optimized logistics. These significantly reduce material transportation and related costs, contributing to the overall efficiency and sustainability of construction projects. These insights underscore the value of multi-agent simulation in addressing the complexities of MiC supply chains. Full article

To select the optimal design alternative in off-site construction (OSC) projects, the building industry has turned to design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA). However, most DfMA developments in the OSC field until now have been on improving the production process in OSC projects and guideline strategies on how to apply them. The application of DfMA guidelines only provides background knowledge to designers on how to design. However, it cannot inspect whether the DfMA concept is fully reflected in a design draft to examine the suitability to the OSC production environment, and it cannot determine the optimal alternative from among multiple design alternatives. Thus, this study developed an integrated assessment model of OSC-DfMA consisting of the OSC-DfMA production suitability assessment model and the OSC-DfMA production efficiency assessment model to support decision-making for selecting the optimal design alternative of an OSC project. In this study, the scope of the main research was limited to precast concrete (PC)-based OSC projects. Firstly, we developed an OSC-DfMA production suitability assessment model to review whether design drafts are suitable in the OSC production environment by applying checklist and matrix techniques. Secondly, we developed an OSC-DfMA production efficiency assessment model to select an optimal alternative in terms of production efficiency among multiple design drafts. Thirdly, we conducted a case study to validate the usefulness of the OSC-DfMA assessment model developed in this study. Finally, we discuss the possibility of using AI technology to consider the facility capacity and resource constraints during the production of OSC building components. The study results are of practical value in providing the basis for expanding the applicability of DfMA by proposing a DfMA assessment model suitable for OSC contexts. Full article

Studies have shown that the implementation of OSC (off-site construction) is beneficial. However, most studies have relied on simulated project data to forecast the potential advantages of OSC, often using surveys or expert consultations as their primary research methods. Others have based their analyses on a specific sample size, focusing on cost savings and reduced construction time. Such approaches inherently possess limitations. In this study, we define “OSC level measurement” as the comprehensive process of quantifying the application of OSC elements throughout the project lifecycle. Numerous studies have proposed methods for OSC level measurements. However, they vary in their applicability to different facility types and project phases and employ country-specific quantification items and methods. These variations complicate the comparison or integration of OSC measurement methods on an international scale. The comprehensiveness of the representations in the existing industry foundation classes (IFCs), which is required to carry out automated OSC level measurement, is not yet investigated. This study aimed to systematically compare and analyze various methods for measuring OSC levels in construction projects. We intend to provide researchers and professionals with the necessary characteristics and requirements to develop standardized OSC level measurement methods in the future. The key takeaways emphasize the need for establishing the necessary standardization of the list of OSC elements, creating a framework for standardized quantification items using IFC elements based on BIM data to measure the extent of OSC elements’ application, and unifying the quantification methods for assessing the proportion of OSC elements. Ultimately, this standardization will pave the way for more informed decision making, innovation, and the implementation of sustainable solutions in the construction industry. Full article

Facing a significant decrease in economic working processes, Off-Site Construction (OSC) methods have been frequently adopted in response to challenges such as declining productivity and labor shortages in the construction industry. Currently, in most OSC applications, the assembly phase is traditionally managed based on the personal experience and judgment of the site managers. This approach can lead to inaccuracies or omissions, particularly when dealing with a large amount of information on large, complex construction sites. Additionally, there are limitations in exploring more efficient and productive alternatives for rapidly adapting to changing on-site conditions. Given that the assembly phase significantly affects the OSC productivity, a systematic management approach is crucial for expanding OSC methods. Some initial studies used computer algorithms to determine the optimal assembly sequences. However, these studies often focused on geometrical characteristics, such as component weight or spatial occupancy, neglecting crucial factors in actual site planning, such as the work radius and component installation status. Moreover, these studies tended to prioritize the generation of initial assembly sequences rather than providing alternatives for adapting to evolving on-site conditions. In response to these limitations, this study presents a systematic framework utilizing a Building Information Modeling (BIM)–Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach to generate Precast Concrete (PC) component installation sequences. The developed system employs Genetic Algorithms to objectively explore diverse assembly plans, emphasizing the flexibility of accommodating evolving on-site conditions. Real on-site scenarios were simulated using this framework to explore multiple assembly plan alternatives and validate their applicability. Comprehensive interviews were conducted to validate the research and confirm the system’s potential contributions, especially at just-in-time-focused PC sites. Acknowledging a broader range of variables such as equipment and manpower, this study anticipates fostering more systematic on-site management within the context of a digitized construction environment. The proposed algorithm contributes to improving both productivity and sustainability of the construction industry by optimizing the management process of the off-site construction projects. Full article