Blismas, N; Wakefield, R and Hauser, B (2010) Concrete prefabricated housing via advances in systems technologies: Development of a technology roadmap. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 17(1), pp. 99-110. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the roadmapping methodology and its application to concrete prefabricated housing in Australia. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes the concrete and housing industries of Australia collaboration in a project to develop a technology and innovation roadmap that will advance the concrete industry's supply chain capabilities by identifying and mapping innovation necessary for prefabricated concrete house construction. The roadmap lays out what is necessary for an off-site systems-based approach to housing construction in Australia. The systems-based approach to prefabricated concrete products is a relatively new and developing extension of the concrete industry supply chain in Australia. New manufacturing technologies and innovations, which are emerging locally and from overseas, make these potential extensions possible. For the long-term sustainability of the concrete industry, it is critical that it better understands how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication to realise these benefits in the housing industry and advance Australia's competitiveness. The first phase of the mapping involved the development of an industry-maturity model that determined the current state of the industry, and plotted this against the desired route for the future. Numerous industry-based workshops and interviews gathered the views of the industry towards existing concrete housing systems, and where their main difficulties are in relation to adoption. Using these data, a technology roadmap is developed, together with three options on how these might be realised using the roadmap. The options offered through the roadmapping process form the basis for ongoing experimental trials of concrete houses in the major cities of Australia. Findings - The system-based approach to prefabrication is seen as innovative and the industry needs to understand how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication in order to be competitive. Originality/value - The paper offers insights into the technology roadmapping process in Australia, offering an exciting prospect for moving the industry into a new model of delivery.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Australia paper type research paper.; housing; innovation; keywords cement and concrete technology |
| Index terms: | concrete industry, Australia, maturity model, workshop, prefabrication, option, competitiveness, residential construction, interview, research paper, house construction, concrete technology, housing, methodology, mapping, collaboration |
| Subjects: | research methods, spatial and geospatial analysis, construction integration, management, evaluation, Geography, building construction, decision analysis, market analysis, industry analysis, research dissemination and communication, data collection methods, construction type, building materials |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Risk Management, Construction Technology, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Research Practice, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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