The term ‘industrialised construction’ carries the promise of an industry transformed, an industry driven by improved processes and higher quality products. One of the more obvious differences between industrialised construction and traditional construction is the factory. Yet it is often undervalued as a secondary consideration to the seemingly more important factors of speed, efficiency and economic rationalisation. This paper offers a reconsideration of the history of the factory as a critical feature in shaping contemporary sites of production in the construction industry. While the manufacturing mega-factories of today continue to develop at a rapid rate, their composition has been shaped by all three previous industrial revolutions and the current fourth. Drawing on the legacies of mechanisation, mass production and automation, today’s factory is informed by ideas of lean and agile production, and the connected factory forecast by Industry 4.0 looks towards the internet, cloud and IoT in visions of the future. By charting the evolution of the preceding three phases of industry in relation to key architectural developments of the factory, this paper reflects upon which aspects of these earlier chapters of manufacturing have affected the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the industrialised construction sector. Research in this area has often asked what the production sites of industrialised construction can learn from contemporary manufacturing, such as the automotive, aerospace or technology industries. By contrast, this paper questions the how the potential requirements of industrialised construction might differ from other forms of manufacturing and how this might in turn inform future sites of production in this sector. This paper speculates that a contemporary industrialised construction industry would be wise to re-evaluate the factory as a space specific to construction, distinct from manufacturing origins, in order to better address the broad range of new, or previously under-considered, industry specific requirements.
The purpose of this research is to explore logistics strategies in construction. There are very few studies on logistics and SCM practices in construction, especially when it comes to the long-term strategic work of construction companies. Therefore, this research takes a contractor's perspective and addresses logistics strategy based on the empirical examination of two case companies in the construction industry. The main focus is the contents of the strategy and possible components of the logistics strategy are identified through a literature review. Also the process of the strategy is treated through exploring logistics strategy in two case companies exemplifying two strategic approaches to construction logistics. However, the approaches differ, implying a spectrum that at one end responds in a standardized manner to a pre-determined design solution and at the other reveals a re-configurable modular approach. The main contributions of this study lie in exploring logistics strategy in construction and providing examples of how construction companies work with logistics strategies, adding empirical knowledge to the field of construction logistics.
Purpose Construction suffers from “peculiarities” that concern the temporary natures of the construction site, project teams and unique product design. Considering the digital transformation of construction, new solutions are being investigated that can provide consistent data between changing projects. One such source of data manifests in the tracking of logistics activities across the supply chain. Construction logistics is traditionally considered a site management activity focused solely on the “back end” of projects, but an expanded logistics focus can unlock new avenues of improvement. This study aims to understand the requirements and benefits of such a consistent thread of data. Design/methodology/approach From a research project with one of Australia’s largest contracting companies, this paper details a series of construction tracking tests as an empirical case study in using Bluetooth low energy aware tracking technology to capture data across the manufacture, delivery and assembly of a cross-laminated timber structural prototyping project. Findings The findings affirm the tracking of expanded logistics data can improve back-end performance in subsequent projects while also demonstrating the opportunity to inform a project’s unique front-end design phase. The case study demonstrates that as the reliability, range and battery life of tracking technologies improve, their incorporation into a broader range of construction activities provides invaluable data for improvement across projects. Originality/value As a live case study, this research offers unique insights into the potential of construction tracking to close the data loop from final site assembly back to the early project design phase, thus driving continual improvement from a holistic perspective.
Over the past decade, Australia has witnessed increased interest in industrialised building, particularly in the production of housing. This has happened under many different banners, including: prefabricated, modular, transportable and offsite construction methodologies. This interest has grown from a combination of factors, including: increased rate of housing construction and density; rising property and construction costs; the desire for increased efficiency and productivity; and a concern for the quality and sustainability of building systems. Historically, Australia has played an episodic role in the emergence of prefab and transportable buildings since the colonial era, but it does not have a longstanding industrialised building industry. In this context, an analysis of the experiences of North American, European and Japanese examples, provides valuable insights. This paper focuses on Swedenäó»s approach to industrialised building and the lessons it holds for the emerging Australian sector. Sweden represents a valuable case study because of similarities between the two countries, including: the high standard of living, cost of labour, and design and quality expectations; along with geographic and demographic similarities. Conversely, stark differences between the national situation also co-exist, notably climate, business approaches, political outlook, and cultural factors. In the 1950s, Swedish companies exported prefab houses to Australia to combat the Post-War housing shortage, which also supplies a historical dimension to the comparison. Most importantly, Sweden boasts a longstanding industrialised building industry, both in terms of practice and theory. This paper will survey and compare the Swedish industry, and its potential relevance for Australia. Areas of discussion include: the relationship between industry and academy (practice and theory); the diversity of technique and methodologies and how they may be adapted; platform thinking (technical and operational); the staged industrialisation of conventional practices; and the importance of a socially, environmental and design-led practice of building.
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