Key constraints and mitigation strategies for prefabricated Building development in China

Abstract

<p>Many countries have earnestly installed prefabricated buildings for environmental protection, energy conservation, material saving, and improved construction time and quality management. Despite multiple benefits, many development constraints have remained unexplored. This paper employed a comprehensive literature review and a questionnaire survey of experienced professionals to identify five factors and 13 constituent indicators that can foster prefabrication promotion and development. Their relationships and influences were analyzed by structural equation modeling. The factors of cost, technology, policy, management, and components were assessed by system dynamics simulation to examine their relative contributions. A residential-building case study tested the assessment method and verified the empirical findings. The results indicate that technology is the most critical constraint, accounting for 23.4% of the impact, followed by policy (21.7%), cost (19.2%), management (18.2%), and components (17.5%). Among the secondary indicators, advanced manufacturing and connectivity technologies emerged as the most significant constraint. The findings underscore the importance of innovation and the adoption of new prefabrication technologies. Policymakers are encouraged to prioritize investments in advanced manufacturing of prefabricated components to expedite adoption. The results provide recommendations for developing coordinated strategies to advance the sustainable development of prefabricated buildings.</p>