Salih, F and El-Adaway, I H (2024) Quantifying the impact of technology utilization on schedule and cost performance in construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 150(8): 04024078, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
There has been a plethora of research on the performance of schedule and cost in construction projects. However, current research falls short in investigating the combined contribution of different construction technologies on project performance metrics. Specifically, none of the previous efforts have used integrated earned value management (EVM) parameters and utilized construction technologies to assess project schedule and cost performance. This paper fills this knowledge gap. To this end, a multistep research methodology was employed to (1) explore the utilization ratings of 13 construction technologies based on data collected from 52 industry experts; (2) rank these technologies in terms of their contribution to schedule and cost savings; (3) map the utilization ratings of construction technologies to schedule and cost variances by leveraging data from 48 construction projects with varying levels and scopes of technology integration to gauge the impact of using these technologies; and (4) develop an associated decision-support model that underwent rigorous verification under extreme conditions and sensitivity analysis. This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the existing body knowledge, revealing that the major drivers for schedule savings are building information modeling (BIM), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), while additive manufacturing (AM), digital twin (DT), and Internet of Things (IoT) are the most significant contributors to cost savings. Moreover, the study reveals strong correlations between various technologies, such as UAVs and laser scanning, geographic information system (GIS) and GPS, AR/VR and digital twins, as well as robotics/automation and AR/VR. Furthermore, the study introduces a novel model that enhances the prediction of project performance, specifically in terms of schedule and cost variations resulting from the adoption of various construction technologies. Eventually, it improves the decision-making process related to the deployment of the investigated construction technologies.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | decision-making process, savings, falls, building information modelling, geographic information system, cost saving, automation, internet, construction technology, cost variance, unmanned aerial vehicle, virtual reality, research methodology, robotics, project performance, earned value management, sensitivity analysis, digital twin, cost performance, construction project, additive manufacturing, variation, integration, laser scanning, technology utilization |
| Subjects: | analytical methods, economic analysis, innovation and technology management, digital engineering, research design and methodology, virtual reality, computing systems, control systems, decision analysis, organizational analysis, geographical techniques and analysis, information systems, environmental hazards, financial analysis, economics, manufacturing engineering, health risk and incident analysis, project management theory and practice, production management, automation and robotics, contractual condition |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Contract Administration, Organizational Design, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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