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Abstract
PurposeThis study aims to develop a more inclusive working definition and a formalised classification system for offsite construction to enable common basis of evaluation and communication. Offsite manufacturing (OSM) is continuously getting recognised as a way to increase efficiency and boost productivity of the construction industry in many countries. However, the knowledge of OSM varies across different countries, construction practices and individual experts thus resulting into major misconceptions. The lack of consensus of what OSM is and what constitutes its methods creates a lot of misunderstanding across Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry professionals, therefore, inhibiting a global view and understanding for multicultural collaboration. Therefore, there is a need to revisit these issues with the aim to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and ascertain what is deemed inclusive or exclusive.Design/methodology/approachA state-of-the-art review and analysis of literature on OSM was conducted to observe trends in OSM definitions and classifications. The paper identifies gaps in existing methods and proposes a future direction.FindingsFindings suggest that classifications are mostly aimed towards a particular purpose and existing classification system are not robust enough to cover all aspects. Therefore, there is need to extend these classification systems to be fit for various purposes.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the body of literature on offsite concepts, definition and classification, and provides knowledge on the broader context on the fundamentals of OSM.
Highlights
The construction industry has for a long time been associated with inefficiencies, which is argued to be mostly facilitated by the traditional procurement and method of construction (Barbosa et al, 2017)
This paper contributes to the body of literature on offsite concepts, definition and classification, and provides knowledge on the broader context on the fundamentals of Offsite manufacturing (OSM)
This study aims to further the work of these researchers by synthesizing existing knowledge on OSM in construction through systematically evaluating the concepts of OSM from reviewed publications, and developing a more inclusive working definition and a comprehensive formalised classification of offsite vocabularies to enable common basis of evaluation and improve communication
Summary
The construction industry has for a long time been associated with inefficiencies, which is argued to be mostly facilitated by the traditional procurement and method of construction (Barbosa et al, 2017) This together with the increasing expectations of clients and end users creates pressure and opportunities for the industry to improve. Many governments, those from the developed countries have created various incentives to encourage cross-industry learning from other industries such as automotive, aerospace and manufacturing with focuses on developing more efficient alternative construction methods through accommodating automation and standardisation of processes (Hairstans and Smith, 2018; Pan and Sidwell, 2011). Use of keyword phrases is considered more application due to the need of ensuring that an exhaustive coverage by means of including as much work relevant for developing a comprehensive list of different definitions and classifications of OSM is achieved
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