Search

Purpose: This study, a research project, aims to examine the distinct characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), with a focus on construction. Following this examination, the paper presents a field study to evaluate the impact of the 4IR on the construction process. Design/methodology/approach: The first half of this project is dedicated to defining the 4IR by reviewing existing literature. The other half of the project presents a case study to demonstrate the concept of the 4IR and measure the effect of its application. To validate the defined concept of the 4IR, the study focuses on the following: autonomous system for producing drawings and robotics in construction. Findings: The intensive literature review revealed three unequivocal features of the 4IR: defined tasks, undefined tasks and improvement possibilities. The following case study showed that the incorporation of the three 4IR features resulted in improved productivity and efficiency during the construction of the podium for the Lotte World Tower. For example, the macro-based autonomous system achieved 5.52 shop drawings per hour, highlighting the potential impact of independent, autonomous machinery. Originality/value: The originality of this project stems from its attempt to quantify the effectiveness of applying autonomous technologies to a practical project. While previous works in this field have focused on system development and improvement, this paper presents an autonomous system at work in an actual project, in which junior engineers were able to be entirely replaced. The system was successful in independently creating numerous required shop drawings. The value of this analysis is to generate scientific evidence to evaluate the efficacy of the adoption of 4IR-oriented technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The introduction of public participation (PP) in public projects is envisioned to be able to improve decision quality, accuracy and long-term social benefits. However, implementation of effective PP may not be a less challenging task given its complexity. Overall, PP experience and strategies in Western developed countries have been relatively ample and can be witnessed from their day to day operation of government agencies, non-governmental organisations and public affairs. In comparison, developing countries such as China, have introduced and practiced PP in some form but the overall maturity and degree remain relatively low. This study examined the PP practice from a few Western developed countries through the review of literature and legal documentation, and compared against the China's PP practice, which further revealed the bottlenecks of the nation being lack of driving force, information and participation forms. These findings were then verified and justified using a meticulously-designed research methodology which involved the surveys and interviews of a large number of respondents. To improve the China's PP practice and generalise the lessons learnt, the rest of the study was focused on formulating a seven-step conceptual framework, which incorporates operable models and methodical strategies. It needs to be made clear that despite this framework is of general value at the theoretical level, its practicality needs to be further validated by our future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient planning and scheduling of operations within the offsite construction supply chain is critical for the successful completion of projects. Despite significant efforts and the application of various approaches to improve planning and scheduling practices, the existing literature in this field lacks coherence and a comprehensive review that establishes the scope, boundaries, and categorization of planning and scheduling in supply chain operations remains unexplored. To address this research gap, this paper presents a structured framework for supply chain management that encompasses strategic planning, master planning and scheduling, and detailed planning and scheduling. Through an analysis of the literature, this paper identifies areas that have received insufficient attention from the research community, specifically strategic planning, the procurement stage, and logistics operations. To advance the field, future research should focus on the development of integrated planning and scheduling models that simultaneously consider multiple operations and incorporate realistic features of transportation and onsite tasks. [Display omitted] • A framework of offsite construction supply chain structure and operations planning and scheduling levels is proposed. • Three planning and scheduling categories are identified: strategic, master, and detailed planning and scheduling. • The scope of operations planning and scheduling is defined. • A mixed-review approach is adopted to categorize and analyze 214 relevant articles. • Gaps in the literature are identified, and future research directions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]