Technology In Construction Industry Research Articles

ARank-FSC: Assessment and ranking of Industry 4.0 enablers using fuzzy SWARA and fuzzy COPRAS in Indian construction

Adoption of “Industry 4.0” technologies in construction is rising in recent years due to intervention of government and non government bodies for combating environmental challenges. In order to understand various enablers that influence “adoption of Industry 4.0” – technologies, this study is conducted for assessing degree of enablers in Indian construction. A hybrid MCDM approach using – Fuzzy SWARA and Fuzzy COPRAS named as ARank-FSC is proposed. Fuzzy “SWARA” aids in obtaining relative weights of enablers while COPRAS helps in ranking and selecting most efficient amongst them. The proposed approach is applied on a case organization engaged in construction. Results indicate that profitability acts as top ranked enabler that would significantly affect “Industry 4.0” acceptance in Indian construction. Stakeholders coordination, Governmental regulations, strategic planning, building information modeling and risk taking behavior are also critical enablers that significantly affect acceptance of “Industry 4.0” technologies in construction industry of developing countries like India. The present study aims to analyze-the-rank of enablers-in “adoption-of-Industry-4.0”. The proposed approach is put through a sensitivity analysis to determine its robustness. This research’s conclusions and ramifications-will-be-useful-to-practitioners-and-researchers-in-understanding degree of enablers for implementation-of-Industry 4.0-in-construction-industries of developing countries like India.

An extended UTAUT model study on the adoption behavior of artificial intelligence technology in construction industry

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Despite the proven economic growth brought by AI technology globally, the adoption of AI in the construction industry faces obstacles. To better promote the adoption of AI technology in the construction domain, this study, based on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, delves into the key factors influencing the adoption of AI technology in the construction industry. By introducing personal-level influencing factors such as AI anxiety and personal innovativeness, the UTAUT model is extended to comprehensively understand users’ attitudes and adoption behaviors towards AI technology. METHODOLOGY: The research framework is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) with the added constructs of artificial intelligence anxiety and individual Innovativeness. These data were collected through a combination of online and offline surveys, with a total of 258 valid data collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The study found that Usage Behavior (UB) in adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) is positively influenced by several factors. Specifically, Performance Expectancy (PE) (β= 0.266, 95%), Effort Expectancy (EE) (β= 0.262, 95%), and Social Influence (SI) (β= 0.131, 95%) were identified as significant predictors of UB. Additionally, Facilitating Conditions (FC) (β= 0.168, 95%) also positively influenced UB.Moreover, the study explored the moderating effects of Artificial Intelligence Anxiety and Individual Innovativeness on the relationships between Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) with the Usage Behavior of AI technology. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study lie in informing industry stakeholders about the multifaceted dynamics influencing AI adoption. Armed with this knowledge, organizations can make informed decisions, implement effective interventions, and navigate the challenges associated with integrating AI technology into the construction sector.

Testing, analysis and design of wire and arc additively manufactured steel bolted connections

Capitalizing on Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), 3D printed steel has shown significant potential in manufacturing large-scale steel structural elements in the construction industry. Due to the intrinsic difference in material properties, the mechanical performance of WAAM steel connections requires further investigation. In this paper, a total number of 24 WAAM steel coupon specimens with three different print layer orientations and 36 WAAM single-shear bolted connection specimens with one bolt of different design configurations were fabricated, dimensionally measured with 3D scanning technique, and tested under monotonic tension. The failure modes and ultimate capacities of the bolted connections were analysed, focusing on the print layer orientations of the WAAM steel plates. The current codified design provisions and design approaches proposed in the literature for steel structures were further evaluated by comparing the failure modes and ultimate capacities of the bolted connection specimens. This research shows that specimens with different print layer orientations present anisotropy phenomena in the coupon tests and bolted connection tests with differences of up to 10% and 20%, respectively. The relatively accurate predictions of the ultimate capacity of the WAAM steel bolted connection specimens following the current steel design standards are significantly compromised by predicting the incorrect failure modes, which could be attributed to the influence of anisotropic material properties of the WAAM steel plates and the failure modes of tilt-bearing and the end-splitting not being considered in current design provisions. This research conducted systematic experimental investigations focusing on the material properties of WAAM steel and the structural behaviours of WAAM single-shear bolted connections, which could potentially promote the application of WAAM technology in construction industry.

Smart Technology in Construction Industry: Opportunity during COVID-19 Pandemic

The construction industry is a sector that plays an essential role in economic growth. The COVID-19 pandemic is an uncertain situation that significantly affects humans and industries, including the construction industry. The operational construction projects are complex with various activities and involve a large of workers. Prevention of the spread of COVID-19 that changes lifestyles and improves technology adoption. This study examines the relationship between increased technology adoption and limited workers’ social interaction in construction projects during the pandemic. A questionnaire survey was conducted to construction workers in DKI Jakarta, 74 valid responses were collected and correlation analyses were performed with SPSS version 28. The result of this study indicated a significant and positive correlation between increased technology adoption and limited workers’ social interaction in a construction project during the pandemic. There are opportunities for the construction industry to implement a digital transformation, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and intelligence visualization technologies to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction activities. This study provides evidence that smart technologies application has a significant role in supporting the construction industry to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and opportunities for continuous improvement towards post-pandemic.

Lean and BIM integration benefits construction management practices in New Zealand

PurposeThe construction industry is inefficient in terms of quality products, productivity and performance worldwide, including in Australia and New Zealand. The construction industry is becoming more innovative, competitive and complex; and more participants are involved in construction projects. There are new attempts to implement the Lean construction philosophy, integrated project delivery method and building information modelling (BIM) technology in construction industry to improve productivity and efficiency. This paper aims to identify Lean and BIM integration benefits in construction industry globally and in the New Zealand.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review and case studies were used to identify various benefits of the integrating Lean and BIM in construction industry. It focused on articles published between 1995 and 2021.FindingsLean and BIM benefits identified in the study were documented such as benefits over the traditional approach, critically increased efficiency and visualization, better building process, better building performance, mitigating risk and reduce cost. Also, several factors were identified as major benefits such as improved onsite collaboration, better coordination, improve onsite communication, increase productivity, mitigating risk, reducing waste and reduced cost. The study showed integrating Lean and BIM in construction management practice will help reduce several challenges which affect expected goals and customer anticipation. The research outcome ultimately will assist different stakeholders in applying Lean and BIM in construction management practice.Originality/valueThis study practically focused on using the integration of BIM and Lean principles to improve the construction industry productivity and performance.

A Review on Automation and Robotic Technology in Construction Industry

A Review on Automation and Robotic Technology in Construction Industry

Applications and Challenges of Adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Rwandan Construction Industry

The adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) is essential because it facilitates project information, saves time and cost and reduces risks on construction sites. The objectives of the study were to investigate the adoption, application and challenges of IoT technologies in the Rwandan construction industry. The survey research design (open- and close-ended questionnaire) was adopted for the study. The questionnaire was administered to registered construction professionals in Rwanda. The stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the study. The data for the study was analysed using frequencies, mean scores and student t-tests. The findings of the study indicated that none of the IoT technologies was well-adopted, two were adopted, eleven were averagely adopted and twenty-two were slightly adopted. Also, IoT technologies were used for project management, efficient transportation, time management and production of site plans. The significant challenges with the adoption of IoT technologies were a lack of training centres, lack of IoT awareness, lack of expertise, poor network connectivity, a requirement for extra budget to acquire IoT technologies and poor collaboration among construction stakeholders. The study concluded that the level of adoption of IoT technologies in the Rwandan construction industry was low and there was no difference in the opinions of the respondents on the adoption and challenges of adopting IoT technologies in the construction industry. The study recommends the spread of awareness of the adoption of IoT technologies and enact laws and policies that can foster the adoption of IoT technologies in the construction industry.

Performance Evaluation of Sand Screening Machine: Effect of Sieve Size and Moisture Content

In construction industry, sand is a major raw material besides water, cement, gravel and steel. The quality of sand is vital in development of firm structures in construction. Thus, for construction industry to remain competitive, it is critical to develop efficient sand screening technologies that produce high quality sand while reducing labour cost. Therefore, the main objective of this research paper was to assess sand sieving technologies used in construction industry in Kenya and to design and evaluate performance operation of the sand screening machine that would help improve the efficiency and quality of sand while lowering the overall construction cost. The specific objectives were to design sand screening machine and to investigate the effect of moisture and sieve sizes on screening time. Experiments were conducted on semi-automatic machine driven by motor to determine fine sand produced at different moisture levels and time consumed. The machine designed consist a motor, sieve, shaft, steel hollow tubes, flat steel bars, sheet metal plates, hinges, eccentric sheaves, and angle bars. The study found that screening raw sand of 10 kg using a designed semi-automatic machine with a sieve of 3mm x 3mm and densities 1442 kg/m3, 1602 kg/m3, 1682 kg/m3, 1922 kg/m3 and 2082 kg/m3 were found to produce 8.1kg, 6.8kg, 6.1kg, 4.1kg and 2.8kg respectively with sieving time of 24s, 26s, 27s, 30s and 32s respectively. Designed semi-automatic sand sieving machine displayed a labour reduction cost of 66% leading to savings of Ksh. 39,600 per month. In addition, the output of the machine screening dry sand (1442 kg/m3) 8 hours per day was found to be 9,720 kg. In conclusion, low density sand and optimal sieve size results to high efficiency and significant labour cost savings. The study recommends the use of sand with low density (dry) and adoption of semi-automatic screening machine technologies in construction industry in order to attain Kenya’s affordable housing programme

Drone Readiness in the Indonesian Construction Industry

Despite being perceived as a traditional industry, the construction industry is slowly being ushered into the Construction 4.0 era. Drone technology is seen as a disruptive, game-changing technology that has the potential to improve performance across all construction phases. However, despite the size of the country and its rapidly growing construction industry, research on drone technology in the Indonesian construction industry is limited. This research, therefore, aims to assess the drone readiness of construction practitioners in Indonesia and use the findings to recommend ways to promote its use. Readiness in this research is reflected by levels of understanding, utilisation, and interest in drone technology, as well as barriers to using drones at work. Data collected using a questionnaire survey from Surabaya, the second largest city in the country, reveal that, despite the relatively high level of interest, levels of understanding and utilisation are low. Furthermore, the lack of skilled human resources, risks associated with using drones, high costs, and limited information about drone suppliers are barriers that hinder the adoption of this technology in the Indonesian construction industry. This study fills the gap in the current research on the use of drone technology in the construction industry and provides a basis for practitioners or researchers to promote the application of the technology.

Exploring the Current Technologies Essential for Health and Safety in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Technology has undoubtedly played a vital role in improving construction procedures and processes for many years. However, its application for health and safety monitoring and management has not been fully exploited in the Ghanaian construction industry. This study aims at exploring the current technologies essential for health and safety in the Ghanaian construction industry. Three specific objectives are set: (1) to identify the current health and safety technologies important in the Ghanaian construction industry; (2) to examine the level of utilization of the current health and safety technologies in the Ghanaian construction industry; (3) to identify the barriers to the adoption of the current health and safety technologies in the construction industry. A structured questionnaire is used to solicit the views of 123 construction professionals who double as health and safety officers in large construction firms in Ghana. The questions are developed through a critical comparative review of the related literature. The data are analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reveal that key among the current technologies important for health and safety in the Ghanaian construction industry are wearable safety devices, geographic information systems, sensing technologies, virtual reality, and BIM. The findings further reveal a moderate level of usage of the key technologies among construction professionals in Ghana. Key among the barriers to the adoption of these technologies for health and safety in the Ghanaian construction industry are the factors ‘excess costs related to acquiring new technologies’, ‘weak innovation culture’, ‘lack of continuous training of the workforce in adapting to the technologies’, ‘resistance to change with aging workforce’, and ‘little or no governmental support and regulations for the use of the technologies’. The findings from this study provide insight into the ever-increasing state-of-the-art technologies used in the construction industry.

The possibilities of using digital twin technology in the life cycle of buildings

The article deals with Digital twin (DT) technology, as one of the latest technologies, which, unlike construction, is already widely used in other industries. The theoretical knowledge basis of this technology in construction industry lies in understanding the characteristics of the digital twin and in using knowledge about it from other areas of application. Based on acquired theoretical knowledge and an example from construction practice, the aim of the article is to demonstrate the development process of a digital twin and to indicate the benefits of using Asset Information Model (AIM) as an essential source of information for development of DT during the phases of the life cycle of buildings. The case study analyses the process of development of a digital twin of the heating system in family house, from the initial design of a heating project, through use of 3D scanning to create a virtual model and the integration of various tools of Internet of Things technology to the creation of its virtual model. Reflexion on the benefits of AIM in various phases of the life cycle of buildings, induced from the study of theoretical knowledge and based on the case study, is an essential part of the article.

Importance of information & communication technology in construction industry

Importance of information & communication technology in construction industry

BIM-Enabled Virtual Reality Technology in Construction Industry

Construction 4.0 (a concept of Industry 4.0) is an ongoing transformation that aims at digitalization and automation of traditional construction and industrial practices using modern smart technology. The technological development especially of the construction sector is of utmost importance to meet the requirements of rapid construction projects aiming at quality work, increased productivity, and cost savings. One such technology that has come to the limelight is Virtual Reality (VR), which is a computer-generated smart environment that is artificially created using various types of hardware and software. This smart environment is created to resemble a real-life structure that can be explored, visualized, and interacted with by users using electronic devices for better decisionmaking before actual construction. The purpose of this paper is to design a Virtual Reality model using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and to examine the impact and influence of Virtual Reality Technology in the Indian construction industry with the help of a questionnaire survey. This study provides necessary information for implementing Virtual Reality technology in the construction industry. The results of this study provide a research road map to researchers for their future efforts.

The Challenges of Drone Application in the Construction Industry

Drone technology is currently being used in many areas, and the increasing prevalence of drones is evident in all areas. Drones were first used for military purposes and now they have become an important part of military actions. In recent years, drone technology has become widespread in various industries including journalism, filmmaking, aerial photography, shipping, delivery. However, drone technology is still in its infancy and has not had a significant impact on the construction industry in Malaysia. Therefore, the study's objective was to assess the challenges preventing the application of drone technology in the Malaysian construction industry. The methodology used for this research was qualitative, which is data collection through interviews with three drone experts. The respondents in this research were directors of construction companies that use unmanned aerial vehicles for their operations. The findings showed that drones faced the challenges of unfamiliarity, lack of knowledge, reticence to adopt new technologies, privacy issues, and security issues. These challenges faced by drone technology willnot prevent its application in the Malaysian construction industry. However, government support is important in promoting the use of drone technology and raising people's awareness of drone technology in the construction industry.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Emerging Technologies in the Malaysian Construction Industry

Technologies are tools or machines that solve real-world problems and, therefore, very important to all industries, including the construction industry. In some parts of the world, technology is a necessity as it helps to improve and increase the efficiency of day-to-day operations, especially in terms of time and budget management. However, there are still many companies that are refusing to apply technology in their construction projects. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of emerging technologies in the Malaysian construction industry. To achieve these objectives, this study analyses the extensive interview data with selected construction project managers. Nineteen factors were identified, and these factors can be categorized into two groups (internal; workable by project managers and external; uncontrollable by project managers). This work contributes to the body of knowledge in analysing the factors that affect the adoption of technology in the construction industry from industry practitioners’ angle, which could help researchers and industry practitioners draw up plans to reduce the rejection of technologies among the project managers. The findings of this study could help improve the success of adopting the technologies in any part of the construction industry.

The Application of Ecological Elements of Digital Technology in Construction Industry

The application of digital technology in the field of construction is still in its infancy, and the existing concrete framework of digital technology application in the construction industry and the study of applied ecological elements are not enough. The ecological elements of digital technology application in the construction industry are important factors that promote the healthy operation of the entire digital technology application ecosystem. Using grounded theory, we compiled the data of 33 researchers who participated in semi-structured interviews, and obtained 4 main categories and 9 sub-categories of ecological elements of digital technology application in the construction industry. Among them, the digital technology application mechanism is the core category of ecological application elements. We also used the Bass model to analyze the application trend of digital technology in the construction industry. In 2040, the number of construction companies applying digital technology will reach 98.66% of the maximum market potential.

Разработка механизма диффузии BIM-технологий в строительную сферу Российской Федерации

This article considers digital technologies that can be used in construction industry. The opinions of various authors on this issue are discussed, and the benefits for companies implementing these technologies are revealed. Some factors that hinder the use of digital technologies in construction industry are considered. In addition, diffusion mechanism of BIM technologies in the construction process of organizations is proposed.

Implementation of innovative technologies in construction industry: Russian and foreign experience

Implementation of innovative technologies in construction industry: Russian and foreign experience

Understanding the impact of environmental regulations on green technology innovation efficiency in the construction industry

In the current environmentally constrained context, deploying effective environmental regulations (ERs) to promote greener technologies is necessary. Green technology innovation efficiency (GTIE) reflects the efficiency of an industry’s use of resources in the green technology innovation process. However, previous research has considered innovation as a black box regarding the potential contribution and diversity of ERs. In order to analyze the differential impacts of ERs on GTIE, this study classifies ERs into command-and-control, market-based and voluntary. By adopting China's 2000–2017 construction industry as a case study, this study analyzes GTIE evolution based on a network Epsilon Based Measure (EBM) model and analyze the impacts of ERs by Tobit Regression. Findings suggest that: (1) There is a significant disconnection between the Research & Development (R&D) and commercial application stages of green technology in construction industry. The construction industry is able to turn most R&D achievements into profits at the commercialization stage, but a large amount of R&D investment does not produce R&D achievements. (2) Different types of ERs have different impacts on GTIE, but their intended outcomes can only be achieved by a suitable combination of them.

A Decade of Modern Bridge Monitoring Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning: Review and Future Directions

Over the last decade, particular interest in using state-of-the-art emerging technologies for inspection, assessment, and management of civil infrastructures has remarkably increased. Advanced technologies, such as laser scanners, have become a suitable alternative for labor intensive, expensive, and unsafe traditional inspection and maintenance methods, which encourage the increasing use of this technology in construction industry, especially in bridges. This paper aims to provide a thorough mixed scientometric and state-of-the-art review on the application of terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) in bridge engineering and explore investigations and recommendations of researchers in this area. Following the review, more than 1500 research publications were collected, investigated and analyzed through a two-fold literature search published within the last decade from 2010 to 2020. Research trends, consisting of dominated sub-fields, co-occurrence of keywords, network of researchers and their institutions, along with the interaction of research networks, were quantitatively analyzed. Moreover, based on the collected papers, application of TLS in bridge engineering and asset management was reviewed according to four categories including (1) generation of 3D model, (2) quality inspection, (3) structural assessment, and (4) bridge information modeling (BrIM). Finally, the paper identifies the current research gaps, future directions obtained from the quantitative analysis, and in-depth discussions of the collected papers in this area.