Maraqa, M J; Sacks, R and Spatari, S (2021) Quantitative assessment of the impacts of BIM and lean on process and operations flow in construction projects. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(8), pp. 2176-2198. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The study aims to test, measure and quantify the impacts of lean construction and BIM implementation on flow in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach: Detailed control data from a set of 18 high-rise residential construction projects executed between years 2011 and 2020 were analyzed using the construction flow index (CFI), a measure of workflow quality. Seven comparable projects with a diverse range of LPS, BIM, VDC and 5S implementation were selected to compare the impacts of these innovations on flow. Findings: Implementing BIM in the big room and applying the last planner system and other lean construction techniques increased the CFI from 4.31 to 8.12 (on a 10-point scale). Avoiding trades crossing one another's paths between tasks was the most significant aspect of improved flow. Moreover, the benefits of implementing lean practices with BIM or VDC were found to be measurably greater than when these approaches were implemented separately. Research limitations/implications: The primary limitation of the study is that the degree of confidence in the results is limited by the nature of the case study approach. Although 18 is a respectable number of case study projects, it cannot offer the degree of confidence that a broader, representative sample of projects could. Similarly, the case studies are all drawn from the same construction context (residential apartments) and the same geographic region, which necessarily limits confidence concerning the degree to which the findings can be generalized. Originality/value: The research is the first of its kind to quantitatively assess the impacts of BIM and lean construction on flow. Use of the CFI to quantify flow quality also highlights the potential value of CFI in providing project managers and planners a clear view of the smoothness or irregularity of flow and of differences between subcontractors' production rates.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building information modeling; construction flow index; lean construction; location-based management system; quantitative assessment; virtual design and construction; workflow |
| Index terms: | planner, residential construction, virtual design and construction, implementation, case study, project manager, building information modelling, location-based management system, construction project, methodology, last planner system, subcontractor, workflow, lean construction |
| Subjects: | building construction, project controls, information systems, construction integration, research methods, management, digital design, production management, contractual arrangements, data collection methods, profession, control systems, practitioner |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Procurement, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Project Management, Time Control, Site Management, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here