Uptake of Off-site Construction: Benefit and Future Application

Authors: Faisal Alazzaz, Andrew Whyte

Abstract:

Off-site construction methods have played an important role in the construction sector in the past few decades. It is increasingly becoming a major alternative technique and strategic direction compared to traditional in-situ method. It produces a significant amount of value for the construction industry and the economy more generally. To date, an impressive number of studies have been lunched on the perceived perception of off-site construction. However, it seems that a quantifying benefit on the offsite construction area is lacking. Therefore, this paper examines the recent research literature on the benefits of off- site construction and provides future direction. In the beginning, this paper provides a brief history and current value of the off-site construction followed by a detailed discussion on the benefit of off-site construction. These benefits include but not limited to time saving, quality improvement, relieving skills shortages, cost reduction and productivity improvement. Toward this end, off-site construction should learn from other productive industry similar to services or manufacturing industry by applying operational management tools and techniques with extensive focus on employee empowerment will shed the light on future uptake of Off-site construction. This study is of value in providing scholars have a clear picture of perceived benefit of off-site construction research and give an opportunities for future uptake of off-site method.

Keywords: Building projects, Employer empowerment, Off-site construction benefits, Productivity.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1097068

References:

[1] W. Nadim, J.S. Goulding, Offsite production in the UK: the way forward? A UK construction industry perspective, Construction innovation, 10 (2010) 181-202.
[2] H. Doloi, Twinning motivation, productivity and management strategy in construction projects, Engineering Management Journal; EMJ, 19 (2007) 30.
[3] C.M. Eastman, R. Sacks, Relative Productivity in the AEC Industries in the United States for On-Site and Off-Site Activities, Journal of Construction Engineering & Management, 134 (2008) 517-526.
[4] M. Abdel-Wahab, B. Vogl, Trends of productivity growth in the construction industry across Europe, US and Japan, Construction Management and Economics, 29 (2011) 635-644.
[5] F. Alazzaz, A. Whyte, Towards Assessing Productivity in Off-Site Building Methods for Engineering and Construction Projects, in: V. Vimonsatit, A. Singh, S. Yazdani (Eds.) Research, Development, and Practice in Structural Engineering and Construction, The 1st Australasia and South East Asia Conference in Structural Engineering and Construction (ASEA-SEC-1), Research Publishing Services, Perth, Western Australia, 2012, pp. pp. 915-920.
[6] H. Bernstein, B. Morton, J. Gudgle, M. Russo, Prefabrication and Modularization Increase Productivity; Details Outlined in New McGraw-Hill Construction Report, PR Newswire, (2011).
[7] Z. Li, G.Q. Shen, X. Xue, Critical review of the research on the management of prefabricated construction, Habitat International, 43 (2014) 240-249.
[8] A.G.F. Gibb, Standardization and pre-assembly- distinguishing myth from reality using case study research, Construction Management and Economics, 19 (2001) 307-315.
[9] A. Gibb, F. Isack, Re-engineering through pre-assembly: client expectations and drivers, Building Research & Information, 31 (2003) 146-160.
[10] M.D. Taylor, A definition and valuation of the UK offsite construction sector, Construction Management and Economics, 28 (2010) 885-896.
[11] A.G.F. Gibb, Off-site fabrication: prefabrication, pre-assembly and modularisation, 1999.
[12] B. Finnimore, Houses from the Factory: System Building and the Welfare State 1942-74, 1989.
[13] T. Venables, J. Barlow, D. Gann, Manufacturing Excellence: UK Capacity in Offsite Manufacturing, in, The Housing Forum, London., 2004.
[14] J. Egan, Rethinking construction: The report of the construction task force, DETR, London, (1998).
[15] HousingForum, Homing in on Excellence – A Commentary on the Use of Offsite Fabrication Methods for the UK Housebuilding Industry, in, Housing Forum, London, 2002.
[16] K.D. Hampson, P. Brandon, Construction 2020-A vision for Australia's Property and Construction Industry, 2004.
[17] C.I. Goodier, A.G.F. Gibb, The Value of the UK Market for Offsite, in, Buildoffsite, 2005.
[18] C.L. Pasquire, A.G.F. Gibb, Considerations for assessing the benefits of standardisation and pre-assembly in construction, Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, 7 (2002) 151-161.
[19] N. Blismas, R. Wakefield, Drivers, constraints and the future of offsite manufacture in Australia, Construction innovation, 9 (2009) 72-83.
[20] W. Pan, A.G. Gibb, A.R. Dainty, Strategies for integrating the use of off-site production technologies in house building, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138 (2012) 1331-1340.
[21] J.T. O’Connor, W.J. O’Brien, J.O. Choi, Critical Success Factors and Enablers for Optimum and Maximum Industrial Modularization, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140 (2014).
[22] C. Goodier, A. Gibb, Future opportunities for offsite in the UK, Construction Management and Economics, 25 (2007) 585-595.
[23] N. Lu, R.W. Liska, Designers' and General Contractors' Perceptions of Offsite Construction Techniques in the United State Construction Industry, International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 4 (2008) 177-188.
[24] W. Pan, A.G.F. Gibb, A.R.J. Dainty, Perspectives of UK housebuilders on the use of offsite modern methods of construction, Construction Management and Economics, 25 (2007) 183-194.
[25] N.G. Blismas, M. Pendlebury, A. Gibb, C. Pasquire, Constraints to the Use of Off-site Production on Construction Projects, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 1 (2005) 153-162.
[26] W. Pan, A.G. Gibb, A.R. Dainty, Leading UK housebuilders' utilization of offsite construction methods, Building Research & Information, 36 (2008) 56-67.
[27] N. Blismas, C. Pasquire, A. Gibb, Benefit evaluation for off‐site production in construction, Construction Management & Economics, 24 (2006) 121-130.