BARRIERS TO NEW TECHNOLOGY DISSEMINATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Despite the common belief, there is a considerable amount of innovation that occurs in the construction industry. However, the construction industry has been relatively slow to embrace the full potential of many new technologies. Evidence suggests that there is a lag in the uptake and effective implementation of several new technologies such as mechanical rebar splicing system. The objective of this study is to identify the impediments or barriers to the implementation of innovative technologies such as mechanical rebar splicing systems in the construction industry. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify and classify the barriers to new technologies dissemination. The findings of this literature review are validated using interviews with the construction industry experts. This study contributes to the state of knowledge by identifying and classifying the barriers that generally hinder the dissemination of new technologies in the construction industry. The practitioners can utilize the findings of this study to design appropriate strategies to overcome the barriers for implementation of new construction technologies. As part of this study, the extent to which the identified barriers have hindered the adoption of rebar splices, a technology that has not been adapted to its full potential. A questionnaire was designed, which was categorized the identified barrier in five major categories of cost, society and regulation, knowledge, marketing, and technical matters. The findings of the survey it was concluded that the lack of knowledge has the highest level of impact.