Investigating the Level of Sustainability in Off-Site Construction

A framework for the evaluation of the decision between onsite and offsite construction using life cycle analysis (LCA) concepts and system dynamics modeling

“…This can be especially important in parts of the world where it is desirable to keep the heat inside during the winter months. Some other researchers [39] mentioned that with the present knowledge, it is not possible to claim that prefabrication is more sustainable than traditional methods in all aspects as everything is dependent on the choice of materials and how the building performs. The authors noted that a full LCEA be done to be sure that both pollution and energy are minimized.…”

“…In terms of the environmental impacts of construction works, various contentions exist about whether onsite construction is better than offsite construction and vice versa. Some scholars [39] noted that when it comes to the use of energy resources and the consequent environmental pollution, the literature mentioned that prefabrication can help achieve savings in both energy and CO2 emissions. However, the authors found that the efficient use of energy resources in a construction project is more dependent on the design approach, the amount and type of materials that are used, and whether the construction is onsite or offsite.…”

“…Some researchers [38] noted that one step towards a more sustainable construction industry during the production stage is the production of precast construction components in manufacturing facilities but most precast facilities are not yet able to track value losses like wastes from time and scrap. When it comes to material use and environmental impacts prefabrication or offsite construction is seen as more sustainable than traditional methods [39]. Another study [40] also reported that as a game-changing technology with lots of economic, social, and environmental benefits, prefabricated technology has attracted attention and has seen increasing adoption in the construction industry.…”

“…𝑛 is the number of employees involved in the building construction work. Some scholars [39] mentioned that when compared with conventional methods, offsite manufacturing has extra transportation and this could affect emissions. The authors also mentioned that more investigation is needed to see how significant this may be.…”

A machine learning approach for predicting critical factors determining adoption of offsite construction in Nigeria

“…Offsite Construction (OSC) is rapidly becoming the new normal in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) world, recording more significant popularity in the past 20 years (Wang et al, 2020). Its numerous advantages, such as time-saving (Smith & Quale, 2017), quick on-site assemblage (Gusmao Brissi et al, 2021;O'Neill & Organ, 2016), eco-friendliness (Moradibistouni et al, 2019 (Abueisheh et al, 2020;Babalola et al, 2019), controlled and quality production (Abanda et al, 2017;Tam et al, 2007), ease of handling (Ramos & Lorini, 2013), waste reduction properties (Ajayi et al, 2019;Osmani, 2012) etc., has made it more endearing to construction stakeholders. With countries like the United Kingdom, China, USA, Germany, Malaysia, Hon-Kong, Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland (Badir et al, 2002;Li et al, 2014), and so on vastly employing OSC in most of their construction works, OSC usage around the globe is projected to increase in the coming years.…”