Besklubova, S; Zhong, R Y and Tan, B Q (2025) An integrated model of a prefabrication hub feasibility assessment: A Hong Kong case. International Journal of Construction Management, 25(11), pp. 1300-1312. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
Housing issues in densely populated, high-rise cities like Hong Kong place significant pressure on the local Housing Authority to devise effective housing strategies. In response to these challenges, prefabrication, promoting sustainable construction has gained traction, and addresses labour shortages, time constraints, safety concerns, and environmental impacts. However, cross-border logistics from Mainland China heighten supply chain disruptions and risks. Establishing a local prefabrication hub could mitigate these issues and streamline the construction process. There is a lack of research on standardized model solutions for prefabrication hub feasibility assessments, which is essential for objective project viability analysis. This article proposes an integrated model for assessing the feasibility of prefabrication hubs, considering financial, market performance, technical, social, and environmental aspects. The interrelationships among these five Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were formulated as hypotheses. A questionnaire survey collected expert opinions from industry and academia on influential KPIs and their measurement items, followed by Structural Equation Modelling and interviews for hypothesis testing and validation. The assessment of market performance appears foundational, with 'demand analysis for prefabricated components' and 'supply analysis' as the most critical factors. These findings could serve as a basis for developing strategies for smoothly integrating prefabrication hubs into Hong Kong's supply chain.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; integrated framework; prefabrication hub; project feasibility assessment; structural equation modelling |
| Index terms: | prefabricated component, construction industry, testing, prefabrication, housing strategy, academia, labour shortage, critical factor, key performance indicator, Hong Kong, integrated model, project feasibility, housing, China, questionnaire, validation, environmental impact, construction process, traction, demand analysis, survey, strategy, structural equation modelling, sustainable construction, interview |
| Subjects: | transportation engineering, housing and residential development, market analysis, building construction, Geography, sustainable construction, professional practice, analytical methods, environmental impact, construction type, industry analysis, statistical analysis, educational institutions, professional development, management, economics, project delivery, design methods, value management, data collection methods, risk assessment |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Site Management, Urban Studies, Design Practice, Sustainability, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Geographical Context, Education, Supply Chain 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