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Buildings
Special Issues
Modular and Offsite Construction: Evidence-Based Benefits and Innovations
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Modular and Offsite Construction: Evidence-Based Benefits and Innovations

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2024 | Viewed by 6497

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Lei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Offsite Construction Research Centre (OCRC), Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
Interests: offsite construction; prefabricated construction; digital technologies in construction; data analytics and decision making in construction; building information modeling (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hexu Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Construction Engineering, Western Michigan University, 1903 W Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5316, USA
Interests: offsite construction; building information modeling (BIM); digital twin; human-centered AR/VR/AI application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. SeyedReza RazaviAlavi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: construction automation and robotics; digital twin; simulation and building information modeling (BIM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ke Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
Interests: modular steel buildings; prefabricated structures; behaviour of steel joints; building industrialization; smart construction; big data in construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modular and offsite construction (MOC), as an alternative to the traditional stick-built construction approach, has provided a cost-effective and efficient way for high-quality building products. Construction components are moved to an offsite controlled environment for prefabrication before shipping to the site for assembly. MOC is being adopted more globally with a fast growth rate due to local labor shortages and supply chain constraints. With more work being conducted in a controlled environment, technologies have become accessible and applied to improve the work process. For example, building information modeling (BIM) and design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) are a collection of technologies and methodologies implemented in MOC. Meanwhile, with the emerging Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies and Industry 4.0 initiatives, automation and real-time decision making have become possible for the MOC supply chain. With the emergence of disruptive technologies in MOC, innovation drivers and benefits are demanded to be captured in research endeavors, which is what has led to this Special Issue focusing on realizing the benefits and innovations of MOC. This Special Issue welcomes submissions on a wide range of research work in MOC, including but not limited to: (1) MOC case studies highlighting the evidence-based benefits and barriers of MOC practices; (2) technological innovations and applications in MOC; (3) strategies and organizational innovations to advance MOC adoption; and (4) reviews of the state of the art and state of the practice in MOC.

Dr. Zhen Lei
Dr. Hexu Liu
Dr. SeyedReza RazaviAlavi
Dr. Ke Cao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • modular and offsite construction
  • productivity improvement
  • digital technologies in construction
  • automation in construction
  • evidence-based benefits

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1211 KiB  
Article
Developing a Construction-Oriented DfMA Deployment Framework
by Sara Rankohi, Mario Bourgault, Ivanka Iordanova and Carlo Carbone
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13041050 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1951
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modular and Offsite Construction: Evidence-Based Benefits and Innovations)
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27 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
A Systematic Review of the Business Contingencies Influencing Broader Adoption: Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)
by Ali M. Saad, Mohammed Dulaimi and Sambo Lyson Zulu
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040878 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2480
Abstract
The existing body of knowledge on the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) reflects their benefits and relative advantages, particularly in addressing contemporary construction challenges. However, the uptake of such methods is minimal, particularly in the public construction sector. The low uptake has led [...] Read more.
The existing body of knowledge on the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) reflects their benefits and relative advantages, particularly in addressing contemporary construction challenges. However, the uptake of such methods is minimal, particularly in the public construction sector. The low uptake has led MMC firms to liquidation due to the lack of an economy of scale. Studies, particularly recently, explain that the low adoption rates are linked to the inappropriateness of existing business models responsible for driving broader demand. This paper assumes that the lag in MMC adoption could be related to the ability of supply business models to communicate confidence to demand. Public clients are foreseen as important target customers, acquiring influential status across the industry, with an expected potential to drive innovation adoption across the sector. A systematic review method allows scholars to assess existing literature by critically locating and analysing relative publications to approach the study’s aim. Through utilising this method, the study classifies the arguments against the Business Model Canvas (BMC), and argues the results with respect to contingency theory, and in turn, synthesizing a new meaning that reveals the considerations needed to boost business model performance when penetrating the public sector. Hence, the critical analyses of 70 studies relative to MMC, led to proposing the contingencies that are believed to better structure business models. Results suggest that MMC firms can embrace specific reforms and gain more momentum when communicating confidence to public client organisations; however, a guideline that conceptualises the interactions between the elements and their influence on the decision-making does not exist, and this may be inhibiting coherency on how MMC businesses drive broader demand. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to utilise the contingency theory as an attempt to disseminate previous efforts to explain the low adoption of MMC in the UK public sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modular and Offsite Construction: Evidence-Based Benefits and Innovations)
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Review

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21 pages, 3117 KiB  
Review
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) in Construction: A Holistic Review of Current Trends and Future Directions
by Sadaf Montazeri, Zhen Lei and Nicole Odo
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010285 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1235
Abstract
The construction industry, despite its anticipated significant growth, has struggled with low productivity over the past two decades. Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), a methodology with a history of success in other industries, presents a promising solution to enhancing efficiency in construction. [...] Read more.
The construction industry, despite its anticipated significant growth, has struggled with low productivity over the past two decades. Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), a methodology with a history of success in other industries, presents a promising solution to enhancing efficiency in construction. This article reviews the current state of DfMA in the construction industry, identifies the most recent research themes in the field of DfMA, and provides recommendations for future DfMA research based on the existing research gaps. The paper employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. Using Scopus as the literature database, the study identified 43 relevant articles published between 2013 and 2023. The bibliometric analysis reveals a growing interest in DfMA research, with an upward trend in publications over the years. The thematic analysis categorizes DfMA research topics into six main themes: Innovation and Technology Trends, Sustainability and Environmental Impact, Regulatory and Policy Considerations, Collaborative Approach, Applications, Benefits, and Challenges, and Project Lifecycle. Each theme is explored in-depth, providing insights into the transformative impact of technology, environmental considerations in DfMA, regulatory challenges, collaborative strategies, varied applications, and the project lifecycle phases influenced by DfMA. The article concludes by presenting identified research gaps and offering recommendations for future DfMA research. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach, continued collaboration, and a focus on unexplored aspects of regulatory frameworks and the entire project lifecycle. This study sets a new benchmark in DfMA research by employing a novel mixed-method approach and providing unprecedented insights into the multifaceted role of DfMA in advancing construction industry practices. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders in the construction industry by offering a comprehensive understanding of DfMA’s current state and guiding future research endeavors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modular and Offsite Construction: Evidence-Based Benefits and Innovations)
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