Deciphering the key characteristics of on-site industrialized construction: Inspiration from China

Industrialized construction (IC) has been adopted worldwide for its potential benefits, and prefabricated construction (PC) has traditionally been considered the primary method for promoting and implementing IC. However, IC is not equivalent to PC, especially in the field of concrete buildings. Certain major Chinese companies have amassed valuable experience in on-site industrialized construction (OIC), providing new inspiration and direction for the implementation of IC. Nevertheless, OIC-related research has received very limited attention. Therefore, to deeply explore and decipher the key characteristics of OIC, this study adopts a case study method to review and analyze the OIC systems developed by four large construction and real estate companies in China. After analyzing findings from four cases, the eight key characteristics of OIC were identified: Temporary factory, prefabrication, integration, standardization, modularization, mechanization, digitization and intelligence, and interspersed construction. Subsequently, compared with PC, in-depth analysis and discussion were conducted on each characteristic of OIC. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between IC, PC, OIC, and traditional cast-in-situ construction (TCC), incorporating both PC and OIC into the framework of IC. The main contribution is that the key characteristics of OIC reflect a series of strategies for achieving industrialization on construction sites, and thereby aid decision-makers in balancing the "prefabrication and cast-in-situ"or "off-site and on-site"trade-off. Furthermore, these findings enhance the understanding of OIC within both the industry and academia, enrich the theoretical knowledge body of IC, and provide valuable insights and alternative paths for countries and regions to implement IC.