Lu, W; Tan, T; Xu, J; Wang, J; Chen, K; Gao, S and Xue, F (2021) Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) in construction: The old and the new. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 17(1-2), pp. 77-91. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) has become a buzzword amid the global resurgence of prefabrication and construction industrialization. Some argued that DfMA is hardly new, as there are concepts such as buildability, lean construction, value management, and integrated project delivery in place already. Others believe that DfMA is a new direction to future construction. This paper aims to review the development of DfMA in manufacturing and its status quo in construction, and clarify its similarities and differences to other concepts. A multi-step research method is adopted in this study: First, an analytical framework is generated; Secondly, a literature review is conducted on DfMA in general, and DfMA-like concepts in the AEC industry; The third step is to compare DfMA with related concepts. This study reveals that DfMA as a philosophy is hardly new in construction, and the empirical implementation of many DfMA guidelines has begun in the AEC industry. The findings suggested that DfMA is a new and mixed 'cocktail' of opportunities and challenges to improve construction productivity with the advancement of construction materials, production and assembly technologies, and ever-strengthened logistics and supply chain management. This study sheds light on three research directions: DfMA implementation and guidance strategies, DfMA frameworks and blueprints, and applications in cast in-situ or intermediate prefabrication construction. Our research findings provide a synopsis of DfMA research and development in construction. This paper can also serve as a point of departure for future theoretical and empirical explorations.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; construction industrialization; design for manufacture and assembly; prefabrication |
| Index terms: | philosophy, industrialization, strategy, integrated project delivery, literature review, buildability, lean construction, design for manufacture and assembly, implementation, prefabrication, construction productivity, analytical framework, value management, exploration, construction material, in-situ, research and development |
| Subjects: | management, economic development, manufacturing engineering, philosophical studies, design efficiency, research management, building construction, data analysis and analytics, contractual arrangements, building materials, environmental resource management, operations management |
| Topics: | Value Management, Design Practice, Site Management, Research Practice, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Construction Technology, Procurement, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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