Offsite Construction Industry Research Articles

The PreDI matrix-a common terminology for offsite construction: definition, verification, and demonstration in environmental impact studies

Given the increasing interest in offsite construction and the prefabricated components it produces, this paper aims to establish a common matrix, the PreDI, for the offsite construction industry. The effort is to enhance the comparability of research and practices in offsite construction, making it more universally understood. Offsite construction involves manufacturing components in a factory and then assembling them on-site. It is considered a more sustainable approach due to less material usage, energy consumption, and waste generation during component fabrication. However, the lack of common terminology for offsite construction poses many challenges in the industry and its research, hindering communication and research.The Prefabricated Dimensions and Integrations (PreDI) matrix, developed in the study, provides a solution for industry and research use. Thus, industry and academia can utilize the PreDI widely, accurately, and precisely in communication. This paper demonstrates the PreDI matrix’s application in life cycle assessment research on offsite construction, showcasing its utility and setting the stage for more robust research analyses in the future. Using the PreDI matrix in 24 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon houses further highlights its potential in the industry. Finally, the paper concludes with a broader outlook on its impacts on offsite construction.

Developing a Construction-Oriented DfMA Deployment Framework

Applying design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) principles in the construction industry has gained attention in recent years. Studies convey that the application of DfMA in construction projects can significantly enhance overall productivity. However, the literature on construction-oriented DfMA is still limited, and its application in real-life projects has been stifled due to various constraints. Following a design science research method, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify the construction-oriented DfMA implementation challenges. To address these challenges, a construction-oriented DfMA framework was theorized, verified in a project-based context, and validated through focus group discussions with off-site construction industry experts. In this study, 45 challenges were identified and categorized into eight main constraint categories: contractual, technological, procedural, cultural, commercial, geographical, financial, and technical/cognitive. The foremost challenges to the adoption of DfMA in construction projects seems to relate to the contractual and operational aspects and their associated stakeholders. This study provides insight into the challenges of implementing DfMA in the construction industry. The investigated challenges contribute to the theoretical and practice-based checklists of limitations for implementing DfMA methods and can inform future research. Finally, this paper introduces a framework for implementing DfMA and provides supporting field-based evidence for its application.

Digital Technologies in Offsite and Prefabricated Construction: Theories and Applications

Due to its similarity to industrialized products, the offsite construction industry is seen as a focus for the transformation of Construction 4.0. Many digital technologies have been applied or have the potential to be applied to realize the integration of design, manufacturing, and assembly. The main objective of this review was to identify the current stage of applying digital technologies in offsite construction. In this review, 171 related papers from the last 10 years (i.e., 2013–2022) were obtained by collecting and filtering them. They were classified and analyzed according to the digital twin concept, application areas, and specific application directions. The results indicated that there are apparent differences in the utilization and development level of different technologies in different years. Meanwhile, the introduction, current stages, and benefits of different digital technologies are also discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the current popular fields and speculates on future research directions by analyzing article publication trends, which sheds light on future research.

An Off-Site Construction Digital Twin Assessment Framework Using Wood Panelized Construction as a Case Study

Off-site construction is an innovative type of construction with the philosophy of standardizing the process and deploying the latest technological enablers. Many technologies, such as the Building Information Model (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), etc., are concerned with virtual representation and manipulation of the physical site. However, a holistic view of the off-site construction processes is lacking in the exploration of the technological advances, resulting in inconsistency when applying these advances in practice. The concept of Digital Twin is useful for addressing this challenge. Digital Twin is a philosophy and a collection of technologies aimed toward seamless physical and virtual connections. Therefore, a holistic Off-site Construction Digital Twin model is necessary for any research concerning this topic, and an assessment framework is useful in helping off-site construction industry companies in approaching systematic Digital Twin. This research first proposes a model for Off-site Construction Digital Twin. To quantify this model, an assessment tool named Off-site Construction Digital Twin Maturity Level is proposed. The validation and evaluation of this assessment framework are conducted through a case study with ACQBuilt, an off-site construction company in Edmonton, Canada. The resulting assessment framework contributes to the body of knowledge in two ways: Firstly, it sets the foundation for an Off-site Construction Digital Twin, which is anticipated to significantly reduce waste and to improve efficiency. Secondly, it enables easier technology application in practice by offering a holistic Digital Twin framework.

Dissemination and Cultural Change as an Alternative Business Value Proposition in the Construction Industry: Manni Group Case Study

There is a gap of knowledge between practitioners about the off-site construction. For this reason, the Manni Group case study presented in this article highlights the positive role of dissemination as business value proposition support in the context of off-site construction industry. The Manni Group involved opinion leaders, professionals, universities and industrial partners in a network of dissemination that, going beyond the concept of advertising, it generated a multiple effect of value creation between the direct and indirect involved stakeholders. Dissemination emerges as a model of action that creates impacts on cultural change. It is scalable and applicable in many areas where actors have the right competences to manage the dissemination. Wherever there is a knowledge gap or friction towards new techniques and methodologies, the model is able to create value for companies and stakeholders involved in the emerging network.

A qualitative conceptual framework to tackle skill shortages in offsite construction industry: a scientometric approach

PurposeThis study assessed the key construction technology trends and tracked the impact of these developments on labor influencing factors in an effort to alleviate the limitations posed by skilled labor scarcity in offsite construction (OSC).Design/methodology/approachThe study followed systematic literature review to acquisition initial data sets. The data retrieved form identified databases was then subjected to scientometric analysis. In next stage, disruptive factors were identified to produce a conceptual framework followed by its practical application for an OSC firm.FindingsThis study identified seven construction technologies with a potential to disrupt OSC in future. The study also developed a conceptual framework as a benchmark to help establish further frameworks for policy interns in OSC.Research limitations/implicationsThe review conducted only takes into account the literature from 2009 to March 2021. Any prior to the date and unpublished studies were not included in study.Practical implicationsA proper utilization of conceptual framework can contribute to technological adoption significantly lowering the need of labor in OSC industry. Moreover, the established discussion on understanding the purpose of deploying latest technology may reduce additional costs, management, time and allocation of labor resources.Social implicationsThis study provides a mechanism to intern OSC policymakers to impartially incorporate the latest technology in OSC.Originality/valueThis study fulfilled an identified need to study latest technological trends in OSC by utilizing bibliometric tools with SLR. The disruptive categories and factors highlighted by the study were not identified in a systematic manner in previous studies, which could further enhance the implementation of latest construction technology in OSC.

Overview of the Characteristics of the Modular Industry and Barriers to its Increased Market Share

Modular and offsite construction approaches reduce project duration and cost by synchronizing offsite and onsite work. Project activities are undertaken in a controlled offsite facility to minimize the effects of inclement weather and site disruptions, while meeting safety and quality requirements. To study the characteristics of modular and offsite construction, questionnaires have been conducted during the last decade by many organizations, including the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the Buildoffsite campaigning organization in the United Kingdom, the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute, the National Institute of Building Sciences, McGraw-Hill Construction, and the Fails Management Institute. This paper introduces comprehensive analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey carried out in collaboration between members of the Department of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, the Modular Building Institute, NRB Inc., and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. The questionnaire focuses on two issues: (1) the characteristics of the modular and offsite construction industry, and (2) the barriers against increased market share in this industry. For the latter, an effort was made to address a set of five factors identified in a workshop on the topic of challenges and opportunities for modular construction in Canada held in Montréal in 2015 to analyze barriers to growth of modular construction in the Canadian context. Key findings of this survey include requests for use of a separate building code for modular construction design, innovative financing and insurance solutions, standards that consider procurement regulations, and for financial institutions to create lending programs suited for modular construction.

Perceptions of offsite construction in the United States: An investigation of current practices

New offsite construction practices are emerging in the construction industry to address a broad set of productivity issues that cut across organizational, technological, and strategic domains. Despite all its benefits from sustainable and economic perspectives, offsite construction still faces significant resistance from both the construction industry and the built-environment market. Evaluating advances in this industry is critical, especially because there is a need to determine the factors that are preventing the industry from more fully and rapidly adopting offsite strategies. This paper aims to investigate the industry perspective regarding the adoption of offsite strategies and provide an understanding of the development of the offsite construction industry over time. In this regard, the “State-of-the-Art of Modular Construction Symposium” was held in May 2017 at the University of Florida with the intent to bring together stakeholders engaged in multi-trade prefabrication to debate the drivers, challenges and future directions of the offsite industry. During this event, data was collected by means of unstructured interviews and a questionnaire for the purpose of determining the characteristics the U.S. offsite construction industry. A SWOT framework was used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the industry adopting offsite strategies as well as the external opportunities and threats. The questionnaire survey data analysis showed the current drivers, core elements, barriers, and possible solutions to the barriers of further implementation of offsite construction. The results are intended to help construction organizations understand the potential benefits of offsite construction and assist them in creating a roadmap for their future strategic development.

Prefabs in the North of England: Technological, Environmental and Social Innovations

Advances in digital technology have inaugurated a ‘fourth industrial revolution’, enabling, inter alia, the growth of ‘offsite’ housing construction in advanced economies. This productive transformation seems to be opening up new opportunities for styles of living, ownership, place-making and manufacturing that are more sustainable, democratic and bespoke. However, the full potential of this transformation is not yet clear nor how it will interact with—in the UK context—ongoing crises in housing provision rooted in an increasingly financialised and critically unbalanced national economy, timid state housing policies and a longstanding cultural preoccupation with mortgaged ‘bricks and mortar’ housing. In this paper, we report on an ongoing mixed method project interrogating the technological, environmental and social implications of the emergence of offsite housing construction in the UK. To a degree, we situate this interrogation in the Northern English region of Yorkshire, an emerging focal point of the growing offsite construction industry in the UK but an area afflicted by entrenched, post-industrial economic imbalances. The results show that offsite house engineers, designers and builders are innovatively embracing digital methods, a low carbon agenda and new approaches to place-making but that they have had little role, so far, in resolving the deeper structural problems affecting housing production in the UK, bringing the sustainability of their innovation into question.

Data Analytics of Production Cycle Time for Offsite Construction Projects

Offsite construction has been widely used in the construction industry. The process improves productivity that leads to shortened project schedule and lower budget. Over the decades, offsite construction industry has continuously evolved with the aspects of management and technology. However, offsite construction companies still have various challenges such as accurately obtaining productivity metrics, which helps in production planning. These challenges result from lack of understanding the process itself because of high variation of wall panel design specifications along with high variability of cycle time at each work station. To solve the problem, productivity data needs to be collected in context to offsite construction. In this paper, a time study was conducted in one of Alberta’s-based offsite construction factory. From the collected data and product design specifications, multiple linear regression models were developed to represent the actual work station time. The comparison between actual collected duration and modeled duration for assembly station demonstrate its accuracy that ranges from 80 -99%. In the near future, findings will be used for simulation to forecast factory production and optimize the utilization of the resources.

Evaluation of Existing Layout Improvement and Creation Algorithms for Use in the Offsite Construction Industry

Construction is traditionally depicted as a labor-intensive industry which involves considerable inefficiency inherent to the common practices. Offsite construction offers a change to the current stigma, in which most of the work is transferred to a facility with a controlled environment and later transported to its destination, considerably reducing the amount of movement required by people and materials. Proper planning for such a facility is crucial for the success of offsite construction operations, since the effectiveness of such a space will determine the efficiency of the process and the quality of the final product. Several methods exist for layout creation and improvement in the manufacturing industry; however, there are advantages and disadvantages to using the different methods in an offsite construction facility. A review of the literature is conducted to summarize commonly used methods and respective considerations of each. The identified methods are then applied to an existing case study plant to create the optimized layout for each. The resulting layouts are then compared and evaluated based on the ease of transporting modules and components within the facility, and the estimated waste reduction and productivity increase. This evaluation will identify the usefulness of each method and identify common issues related to facility layouts that should be taken into consideration in future layout planning for offsite construction facilities.

Modular Industry Characteristics and Barriers to its Increased Market Share

Modular and offsite construction reduces project duration and cost by synchronizing offsite and onsite work. Project activities are constructed in a controlled offsite facility to minimize effects of inclement weather and site disruptions, while meeting safety and quality requirements. In recent years, many organizations have conducted questionnaires to study characteristics of modular and offsite construction, such as the Modular Building Institute (MBI), Buildoffsite campaigning organisation in the UK, Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI), National Institute of Building Sciences, McGraw-Hill Construction, and Fails Management Institute (FMI). This paper introduces a summary of results for a new questionnaire carried out in collaboration between the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering (BCEE) at Concordia University, MBI, Niagara Relocatable Buildings, Inc. (NRB) in Canada, and the Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering at the University of Alberta. This questionnaire focuses on two issues: (1) the characteristics of the modular and offsite construction industry, and (2) detected barriers to the increased market share of this industry. For the latter, effort was made to address five factors emanated from a workshop on äóěChallenges and opportunities for modular construction in Canadaäóť held in Montreal in October 2015 to analyze barriers to growth of modular construction in Canada. Key findings of this questionnaire include requests for use of a separate code of modular construction design, innovative financing and insurance solutions, standards that consider procurement regulations, and lending institutions that partner with financial houses to create special lending programs for modular construction.

BIM Standard in Off-Site Construction

AbstractBuilding information modeling (BIM) is rapidly gaining acceptance as the preferred method of communicating the design professional’s intent to the owner and various stakeholders. These data-rich models can be used effectively by other members of the design team to coordinate the fabrication of a building’s different systems. This has innumerable advantages in off-site construction domain including speed, economy, sustainability, and safety. However, the ultimate success of BIM will in part depend on the ability to capture all relevant data in the BIM model and to successfully exchange data between different project participants. This demand plus a desire to avoid claims have indicated the need for a common standard to enable BIM to be the legal construction model. This standard forms the foundation for accurate and efficient communication and commerce that are required by the off-site construction industry. This study reviews the current state of BIM standards and its impact on off-site constructi...

Promoting Off-Site Construction: Future Challenges and Opportunities

DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000081IntroductionWhile manufactured construction can be traced back to approxi-mately 1851 (Gibb 2001), in the last two decades, a resurgencehas occurred, which has now started to gain increased popularityand momentum (Arif and Egbu 2010). For example, in the UnitedKingdom (UK), the off-site construction industry grew from£2.2 billion in 2004 to £6 billion in 2006 (Goodier and Gibb2007); and the UK is not unique in the adoption of manufacturedconstruction, as different types of off-site construction techniquesare quite common worldwide.However, if off-site construction is to make a sustained positivecontribution in the marketplace, research is needed to identify thepervadingissuesthatconstraintheuptakeofthis,orconversely,canpromote this in a more reasoned and defendable way, especiallytaking into consideration the existing societal, cultural, and currentbusiness models associated with conventional thinking and prac-tice. Cognizant of this, a task group (TG74) was commissionedby the International Council for Research and Innovation in Build-ing and Construction (CIB). This group had a mandate to leadinternational research strategy to address theories relating to pro-duction and business models within the built environment disci-plines; it was also tasked with developing an off-site builtenvironment research roadmap for construction. This paperpresents preliminary findings of a TG74 workshop that focusedon identifying the core drivers, variables, and strategic prioritiesfacing the construction industry in the short to medium term.CIB Background and Task Group 74CIB is the acronym of the French (former) name ConseilInternational du Bâtiment (in English this is InternationalCouncil for Building). The name CIB was revised in 1998 toInternational Council for Research and Innovation in Buildingand Construction but the acronym CIB was retained. CIB was setupin1953 withfunding fromthe United Nations withamandatetostimulate and facilitate international cooperation and informationexchange between governmental research institutes in the buildingand construction sector. Currently, it has 500 organizations asmembers and 5,000 experts from these organizations who partici-pate in the research activities of CIB. CIB addresses issues relatedto current areas of research in the building and construction sectorwiththeformation oftaskgroupsandworking commissions.Thesetask groups and working commissions act as platforms for re-searchers and practitioners to exchange ideas. The funding of thesetask groups and working commissions is the responsibility ofmembers participating in them.Background for the WorkshopTG74 is a task group consisting of researchers, academics, andpractitioners associated with manufactured construction research,teaching, and practice. The purpose of this workshop was to de-veloptheresearchagendaforoff-siteconstruction,withaparticularemphasis on short- to medium-term (0–10 years) priorities. In thisrespect, the TG74 presented a nine-item agenda framework fordiscussion (see Table 1), the rubrics of which had been developedover the course of six months with leading domain experts andmembership participants of TG74. The individuals who led discus-sions on individual areas are listed in Table 1 below.Within the contextof off-site construction, each of the three ma-jor areas of process, technology, and peoplewere analyzed for theirimpact on design, manufacturing, and construction. The findingsfrom this workshop would help inform strategic thinking, leadingto the development of a research roadmap for off-site manufactur-ing. This paper presents the results of this workshop.Theinitialnineareasproposedfortheworkshopweredevelopedover a period of six months with academics and practitioners. Thisculminated in three online conference validation sessions hostedover the Internet. These conference sessions were used to garnerinternationalfocusandestablishcorepriorityareasforthein-personworkshop session. Individuals participating in these workshopswere located in the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, and Australia.The results of this in-person workshop are presented in this paper.Specific topics identified in these nine areas through onlineworkshops were:Design technology:• Technology embedded in the product (in the factory);• Technology underpinning the business process;• E-readiness of organizations (and the supply chain):holistic implications on the business;• Building information modeling (BIM) for off-site (productand process): potential to exploit.Manufacturing technology:• Justifiable automation: how much is enough? (e.g., optimi-zation, business case, payback);• Product and process design: design for manufacture (DIM)(software and systems development, decision supportsystem, integrated product delivery, etc.);• Supply chain management: manufacturing resourceplanning (MRP) and enterprise resource planning (ERP)expensive (inflexible and somewhat limited);• Modelingandsimulation:trainingneeded(e.g.,systemsana-lysis, discreet event simulation, and modeling).