Abstract
Prefabricated construction (PC) is an eco-friendly and sustainable way of building that involves manufacturing construction components off-site, before delivering and assembling them on- site. Due to the use of various technologies and products, PC companies have a complex production process. As a result, the component supply chain mismanagement creates several challenges that can affect the entire construction project, such as early or late delivery, cost overruns, timeline overruns, and low or mass stock. To overcome these challenges, the use of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) is highly recommended. However, a thorough analysis that summaries the current research, identifies research gaps, and proposes a plan of action to improve the productivity of the prefabricated construction supply chain management (PCSCM) by implementing the right solution is largely absent. This research investigates the integration of supply chain management (SCM), building information modelling (BIM), and Internet of things (IoT) with the material requirements planning (MRP) system to develop a dependent supply chain process for prefabricated buildings. BIM-PCSC framework is developed to address the challenges of the PCSCM. BIM-PCSC incorporate a cloud-based management system that displays the data retrieved from BIM, which allows project stakeholders to actively participate in the whole prefabricated project from the early design stage to the close-out stage. BIM-PCSC framework utilises MRP system as a simulation tool that displays material quantities and times using BIM models.This research combines IoT and BIM to automate the entire PCSCM process. The research gap and theoretical knowledge are established using the literature review. Subsequently, a Delphi questionnaire is used to confirm the gap retrieved from the literature through engagement with industry leaders. The BIM-PCSC framework is developed to serve as a solution to the significant challenges identified. Additionally, experts in the prefabrication field are interviewed to evaluate and validate BIM-PCSC framework and the research findings.
Despite the validity of the research findings and the expected impact of BIM-PCSC in addressing PSCSM identified challenges; however, further work is needed to develop a proof- of-concept to test the practical implementation and effectiveness of the BIM-PCSC framework.
| Date of Award | 4 Mar 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Salam Al-Bizri (Supervisor) & Sepehr Abrishami (Supervisor) |