Choi, J O; Chen, X B and Kim, T W (2019) Opportunities and challenges of modular methods in dense urban environment. International Journal of Construction Management, 19(2), pp. 93-105. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
When properly implemented, modular construction offers considerable opportunity to improve project performance. However, the construction industry continues to struggle to achieve higher levels of modularization. Since the characteristics and environments in dense urban areas differ to those in rural areas, strategy, pre-project planning, project execution planning, and actual execution of modular construction should also differ. However, research so far has not focused on the implementation of modular methods in urban environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify unique challenges and opportunities for implementing modular techniques in urban environments. To meet this goal, this paper examined the current practices, benefits, and barriers in highly dense urban areas by employing a three staged-sequential approach involving the preliminary investigation, main survey (106 responses from 39 companies), and ex-post in-depth interviews with 10 experts. The results show that (1) 'better site operations' was selected by practitioners as the greatest benefit, and 'site access and on-site storage area' was selected as the key barrier and (2) the practitioners experienced difficulties in transporting modules in urban areas. These findings offer valuable implications to modular technique implementation in urban areas around the world.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | benefits and barriers; modularization; off-site construction; prefabrication; urban environments |
| Index terms: | interview, survey, strategy, practitioner, urban area, modular construction, project planning, urban environment, project performance, investigation, site operation, module, modularization, rural area, off-site construction, implementation, prefabrication, construction industry |
| Subjects: | operations management, contractual arrangements, data collection methods, control systems, urban sustainability, practitioner, land use and regional development, building construction, industry analysis, management, architectural elements, urban form and morphology, project management theory and practice |
| Topics: | Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Procurement, Construction Technology, Roles and Professions, Design Practice, Urban Studies, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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