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Applied Sciences
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Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction
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Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 12061

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ke Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Interests: BIM and emerging digital technologies; system modelling; safety management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building and infrastructure sector is currently among the primary consumers of resources and a significant contributor to climate change. Prefabricated construction has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact associated with this industry. The benefits of prefabrication include, but are not limited to, a reduction in construction waste, material waste, cost, time, defects, and health and safety risks. Moreover, prefabrication can lead to higher quality and improved productivity, among other advantages.

This Special Issue seeks to serve as a platform for discussing the technical, material, structural, and managerial challenges of prefabricated construction. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses a range of topics, including but not limited to those related to original research articles and reviews. Authors are encouraged to submit their work on these subjects to contribute to the discourse on prefabricated construction:

  • Prefabricated construction;
  • Modular construction;
  • Computational design and simulation;
  • Structrual analysis of prefabricated building and infrastructure;
  • Materials for prefabrication;
  • Integrated delivery of prefabricated construction;
  • Information technologies for prefabricated construction.

Dr. Ke Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • prefabricated construction
  • modular construction
  • buildings
  • infrastructures
  • prefabricated structures
  • information technologies

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 562 KiB  
Article
Modeling Volumetric Block Types in Residential Building Construction
by Pavel Oleynik and Vladimir Efimov
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 3565; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093565 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1037
Abstract
The article focuses on the erection of residential buildings from large-sized volumetric blocks as a modern and progressive trend in housing construction. It is noted that one of the major tasks in the development of this promising area of construction is to justify [...] Read more.
The article focuses on the erection of residential buildings from large-sized volumetric blocks as a modern and progressive trend in housing construction. It is noted that one of the major tasks in the development of this promising area of construction is to justify the choice of type of volumetric blocks. The authors propose a method of type formation that, depending on the set objective, can either be composed of large-sized volumetric blocks only, or include combinations of large-sized and smaller-sized blocks. The article details the steps and procedure of modeling the type of volumetric blocks, which comprises three stages. At the first stage, the parameters of boundary blocks are determined, and then, by changing these parameters step by step, the parameters of blocks between the boundary blocks are set. The second stage involves developing options for the placement of blocks in accordance with the space and layout design solutions employed in the residential buildings to be erected. At the third stage, blocks are selected, and their actual type is approved. The stages of modeling of the volumetric blocks type are illustrated by practical examples, tables, and figures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction)
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21 pages, 2341 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Hidden Cost Risk of Prefabricated Construction Based on SEM-MEECM
by Jiehui Zhang, Wei Wei, Leyan Chen and Zehao Jiang
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(13), 7902; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137902 - 5 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
Prefabricated construction offers numerous advantages, such as high efficiency and energy efficiency. However, its promotion is impeded by the significant associated costs. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the overall life-cycle costs of prefabricated construction, with a specific focus [...] Read more.
Prefabricated construction offers numerous advantages, such as high efficiency and energy efficiency. However, its promotion is impeded by the significant associated costs. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the overall life-cycle costs of prefabricated construction, with a specific focus on hidden costs. To achieve this objective, the study establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system comprising 31 factors that facilitate the assessment of hidden cost risks at each stage of the construction’s life cycle. In order to effectively evaluate these risks, the study proposes a novel evaluation method that combines the structural equation model (SEM) with the matter–element extension cloud model (MEECM). Subsequently, the proposed model is applied to an actual case of prefabricated construction projects. The findings prove valuable in managing the hidden cost risks associated with prefabricated construction and offer effective means for evaluating such risks. The stage considered in this paper is more comprehensive than that of previous studies, and a quantitative analysis of the hidden cost risk index is constructed and a SEM–MEECM evaluation model is established. Based on the model presented in this paper, future research can further enhance the hidden cost risk index and explore suitable quantitative indicators to facilitate cost risk control in prefabricated construction projects, thus promoting the widespread adoption of prefabricated construction in developing countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction)
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Review

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22 pages, 2175 KiB  
Review
Digitalizing Industrialized Construction Projects: Status Quo and Future Development
by Jiawang Fan, Leyan Chen and Ke Chen
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5456; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135456 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 3425
Abstract
The construction industry is being profoundly reshaped by the trends of industrialization and digitalization, which, when integrated, offer greater advantages than when applied in isolation. Despite an expanding body of research, a knowledge gap persists regarding the current state and future trajectory of [...] Read more.
The construction industry is being profoundly reshaped by the trends of industrialization and digitalization, which, when integrated, offer greater advantages than when applied in isolation. Despite an expanding body of research, a knowledge gap persists regarding the current state and future trajectory of this integration. This study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative review methods to elucidate recent advancements in digital technologies within industrialized construction projects. An analysis of 173 scholarly articles indicates that digital technologies primarily enhance efficiency, flexibility, visualization, and intelligence. The adoption of these technologies varies across different project stages, with a notable trend towards their convergence. However, the operation stage receives significantly less attention compared to the design, production, and construction stages. This study not only identifies specific research gaps for each project stage but also provides recommendations for future research, thereby paving the way for further advancements in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction)
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19 pages, 1379 KiB  
Review
Using Building Information Modeling to Enhance Supply Chain Resilience in Prefabricated Buildings: A Conceptual Framework
by Yuanyuan Hua, Ying Zhang, Sujuan Zhang, Fengmin Hou and Manlin Kang
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(23), 12694; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312694 - 27 Nov 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2780
Abstract
Prefabricated buildings usually involve various project participants and complicated processes of design, manufacturing, transport, assembly, and construction, which means they constantly face supply chain disruptions. As a tool to realize information integration and facilitate communication among project participants in the supply chain, building [...] Read more.
Prefabricated buildings usually involve various project participants and complicated processes of design, manufacturing, transport, assembly, and construction, which means they constantly face supply chain disruptions. As a tool to realize information integration and facilitate communication among project participants in the supply chain, building information modeling (BIM) is widely recognized as an important technology to foster supply chain resilience. However, it is unclear how BIM can facilitate supply chain resilience in prefabricated buildings. This study aims to construct a conceptual framework to better understand the influencing paths of BIM on supply chain resilience in the context of prefabricated buildings. It employs an integrative review method to identify key factors influencing the resilience of the prefabricated building supply chain and explore the effects of BIM on these factors. The role of BIM in linking these factors was verified through an empirical case. The results show that BIM resources and capabilities can enhance supply chain resilience by influencing participant factors (assembly construction capability, design capability) and partnership factors (information sharing, cooperation, coordination, and trust). This study incorporates supply chain resilience and BIM technology into a conceptual framework in the context of prefabricated buildings, providing new theoretical insights for future supply chain management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction)
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Other

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21 pages, 3966 KiB  
Systematic Review
Integration of Building Services in Modular Construction: A PRISMA Approach
by Kayode O. Kazeem, Timothy O. Olawumi, Jibrin J. Adam and Edmond Wai-Ming Lam
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4151; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104151 - 14 May 2024
Viewed by 2302
Abstract
Modular construction is gaining worldwide attention. Building services are the systems that make buildings comfortable and efficient. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems provide heating, cooling, lighting, energy distribution, and water services. Modular construction integrates building services into prefabricated modules at the manufacturing [...] Read more.
Modular construction is gaining worldwide attention. Building services are the systems that make buildings comfortable and efficient. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems provide heating, cooling, lighting, energy distribution, and water services. Modular construction integrates building services into prefabricated modules at the manufacturing site, which are then transported to the construction site. A systematic review (SR) of building services integration within modular construction is thus necessary. Prior to the SR, a quantitative analysis of the retrieved 115 publications from the Scopus database was explored. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guide, 13 relevant publications from the Scopus database and via the Research Rabbit application were profiled. MEP systems integration approaches and research needs were examined. Recent literature emphasizes technology integration and sustainability, while early studies laid the framework for modular approaches. The findings highlight the potential of digital technologies like building information modeling (BIM) and recommend a holistic framework for the entire building’s lifetime, from design to operation. Future research directions include performance studies, modular building service adaptation, and industry-wide standards building. Researchers and practitioners seeking to improve modular construction methods and integrate complex building services will gain insights from this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technical, Material, Structural, and Managerial Issues in Prefabricated Construction)
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