Prefabricated Construction in Sri Lanka: A Proposed Adoption Strategy and a Pilot Case Study from Sustainability Perspective

Abstract

Prefabricated construction (PFC) has increasingly been recognised as a viable construction solution that has the potential to address the typical issues of conventional construction. Portability, quick fixing ability, less labour intensity, a massive potential for quality, productivity enhancements, and environmental savings are some of the most highlighted benefits of PFC. Developed nations and other industrialised regions have been applying these construction methods more successfully compared to developing economies such as Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is slow in adopting PFC because of some inherent barriers. Thus, this study aims to strengthen the case for shifting to PFC in Sri Lanka. Firstly, the current status of the PFC in the Sri Lankan context is described, including the barriers to adoption. Subsequently, an adoption strategy is proposed using the learnings from successful countries. This adoption framework discusses in-depth strategies/ initiatives to overcome current barriers to adopt prefabrication in construction projects. Finally, a pilot case study is carried out to assess the potential of PFC from a sustainability perspective. The results show that PFC has potential time savings and slight improvements in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than traditional construction in the selected case studies. Reduced times have a huge positive impact on sustainability by cost savings and environmental benefits from less on-site waste and emissions from fuel and electricity usage of construction machines. The outcomes of this study can influence construction industry stakeholders, including government and academia, towards escalating the use of prefabricated technologies to maximise sustainability and project-specific benefits.

Evaluating the Circular Economy Potential of Modular Construction in Developing Economies—A Life Cycle Assessment

“…In the present context, only a few construction companies use prefabrication in construction projects in Sri Lanka. Among them, the main focus is still on building elements, such as non-volumetric wall panels and infrastructure-based bridge components [5]. The application of modular technologies under prefabrication is still slow in Sri Lanka compared to other developed and industrialised economies [22].…”

“…The application of modular technologies under prefabrication is still slow in Sri Lanka compared to other developed and industrialised economies [22]. Under a modular construction space, container-based modules and steel-framed building units are the main modular products currently in Sri Lanka [5]. The use of timber technologies such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (Glulam) is yet to be achieved in the modular construction stage of Sri Lanka.…”

“…MC manufactures modular components in an off-site production facility and then transports, erects, and assembles them on the final construction site to build the desired construction outcome [3]. Faster delivery, cost competitiveness, improved productivity and environmental savings are some of the well-recognised advantages of MC over in situ construction [4][5][6]. The increased capability for quality controlling and monitoring in the modular unit production process elevates the material consumption efficiencies and reduces waste generation [7,8].…”

Suitability of Modular Technology for House Construction in Sri Lanka: A Survey and a Case Study

“…Regarding the Sri Lankan construction practice, there is a delay in adopting new technologies [32]. The industry adopted panelised construction in the past few decades [33], but the knowledge and expertise about PVMBs are minimal.…”