Construction 4.0: what we know and where we are headed?

Abstract

The last decade has witnessed unprecedented changes in the technologies and processes involved in the construction industry. The philosophies associated with Industry 4.0 now reverberate in construction 4.0. Digitalization and interconnectivity in the cyber-physical systems of the sector are at the heart of such transformation. Construction 4.0 brings to the table a plethora of technologies and associated processes over the construction project lifecycle. The current study performs a state-of-art literature review to summarize the knowledge advancement in construction 4.0. A layered conceptualization spanning across project lifecycle utilizing the people-process-technology dimensions is presented to summarize the current understanding of Construction 4.0. The cyber-physical space is classified into the physical, digital tool, data, and core data security and interoperability layers. The inter-layer and intra-layer interactions and information flows are then conceptualized based on the extant literature, including the human interaction and interventions. The people-process-technology dimensions were discussed across the project lifecycle through interactions in these layers. It is observed that Construction 4.0 is set to be driven by data creation, data flow, data transformation, and data storage across the project lifecycle to ensure a collaborative environment across the stakeholders who interact and associate with different layers of Construction 4.0. The article finally presents challenges with the current formulations and explores ways to further our knowledge in the area.