This article investigates the evolution of Industry 4.0 in construction related to a scientific, technological, and commercial perspective. Initially, it was determined which technologies could be ...considered 4.0 to analyze construction and infrastructure results from scientific literature, patent publications, and market offerings. This study shows a panorama of the development stages of 4.0 industry technologies in the construction and infrastructure sector based on 3155 articles from Web of Science, 14,360 patents from Derwent, and 2346 companies. According to the technologies analyzed in this research, it is shown that in the Construction Industry 4.0, there are different levels of development for all its technologies. The main conclusion of this study was that there is notable scientific and technological activity related to 4.0 technologies in construction. Moreover, the transition from technology to market has been particularly pronounced in Building Information Modeling and artificial intelligence.
•There is notable scientific and technological activity related to 4.0 technologies such as the Internet of Things.•One key technology identified was Building Information Modeling.•From the commercial perspective, startups and companies are using 4.0 technologies to improve productivity.
Despite a well-understood potential to increase productivity of the global construction industry and sustained, international research efforts in recent years, wide-scale adoption of robotic ...technology currently remains elusive in the industry. As part of a larger industrial research effort to increase the efficiency of automation technologies within construction, this paper proposes a novel multi-layered knowledge encapsulation model to enable low-cost development of highly diverse robotic control applications within a parametric manufacturing paradigm. The effectiveness of proposed theoretical framework has been validated by developing multiple industrial applications and resulted in almost 40% reduction in development time.
•Process innovation and optimization.•Affordable robotic solutions for construction.•Construction 4.0 strategy.
Purpose Amid rapid technological progress, the construction industry is embracing Construction 4.0, redefining work practices through emerging technologies. However, the implications of Construction ...4.0 technologies to enhancing well-being are still poorly understood. Particularly, the challenge lies in selecting technologies that critically contribute to well-being enhancement. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the implications of Construction 4.0 technologies to enhancing well-being. Design/methodology/approach A list of Construction 4.0 technologies was identified from a national strategic plan on Construction 4.0, using Malaysia as a case study. Fourteen construction industry experts were selected to evaluate the implications of Construction 4.0 technologies on well-being using fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The expert judgment was measured using linguistic variables that were transformed into fuzzy values. Then, the collected data was analyzed using the following analyses: fuzzy TOPSIS, Pareto, normalization, sensitivity, ranking performance and correlation. Findings Six Construction 4.0 technologies are critical to enhancing well-being: cloud & real-time collaboration, big data & predictive analytics, Internet of Things, building information modeling, autonomous construction and augmented reality & virtualization. In addition, artificial intelligence and advanced building materials are recommended to be implemented simultaneously as a very strong correlation exists between them. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies in a comprehensive understanding of the implications of Construction 4.0 technologies to enhancing well-being. The findings can assist researchers, industry practitioners and policymakers in making well-informed decisions to select Construction 4.0 technologies when targeting the enhancement of the overall well-being of the local construction industry.
Construction projects and cities account for over 50% of carbon emissions and energy consumption. Industry 4.0 and digital transformation may increase productivity and reduce energy consumption. A ...digital twin (DT) is a key enabler in implementing Industry 4.0 in the areas of construction and smart cities. It is an emerging technology that connects different objects by utilising the advanced Internet of Things (IoT). As a technology, it is in high demand in various industries, and its literature is growing exponentially. Previous digital modeling practices, the use of data acquisition tools, human–computer–machine interfaces, programmable cities, and infrastructure, as well as Building Information Modeling (BIM), have provided digital data for construction, monitoring, or controlling physical objects. However, a DT is supposed to offer much more than digital representation. Characteristics such as bi-directional data exchange and real-time self-management (e.g., self-awareness or self-optimisation) distinguish a DT from other information modeling systems. The need to develop and implement DT is rising because it could be a core technology in many industrial sectors post-COVID-19. This paper aims to clarify the DT concept and differentiate it from other advanced 3D modeling technologies, digital shadows, and information systems. It also intends to review the state of play in DT development and offer research directions for future investigation. It recommends the development of DT applications that offer rapid and accurate data analysis platforms for real-time decisions, self-operation, and remote supervision requirements post-COVID-19. The discussion in this paper mainly focuses on the Smart City, Engineering and Construction (SCEC) sectors.
There is high demand for heavy equipment in civil infrastructure projects and their performance is a determinant of the successful delivery of site operations. Although manufacturers provide ...equipment performance handbooks, additional monitoring mechanisms are required to depart from measuring performance on the sole basis of unit cost for moved materials. Vision-based tracking and pose estimation can facilitate site performance monitoring. This research develops several regression-based deep neural networks (DNNs) to monitor equipment with the aim of ensuring safety, productivity, sustainability and quality of equipment operations. Annotated image libraries are used to train and test several backbone architectures. Experimental results reveal the precision of DNNs with depthwise separable convolutions and computational efficiency of DNNs with channel shuffle. This research provides scientific utility by developing a method for equipment pose estimation with the ability to detect anatomical angles and critical keypoints. The practical utility of this study is the provision of potentials to influence current practice of articulated machinery monitoring in projects.
•Regression DNNs predict anatomical angles and critical joints of construction equipment.•Depthwise separable convolutions yielded the best estimation performance.•Vision-based tracking and pose estimation facilitates site performance monitoring.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have remarkable potential to be used in the supply chain management systems of the construction industry. RFID's ability to identify, track and locate ...objects provides tremendous flexibility in planning and operation of the industry. Consequently, RFID systems can contribute to on-time project completion, cost savings, enhanced reputation, and avoidance of regulatory fines. Moreover, RFID enhances visibility into inventory, equipment, and workforce, ensuring real-time safety measures. This paper conducts an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art RFID detection and localization techniques, identifying gaps specific to the construction sector. The paper proposes the integration of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and security mechanisms. This integration aims to solve challenges in using RFID systems in the construction industry's supply chain. It promises to enhance efficiency, security, and effectiveness of RFID technology, leading to a more efficient and resilient supply chain management system.
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•Provides an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art RFID detection and localization techniques, uncovering gaps and limitations specific to construction, and proposing innovative solutions.•Discovers how RFID, combined with emerging technologies like IoT, enhances supply chain efficiency and resilience, addressing specific challenges unique to the construction sector.•Addresses security concerns related to RFID localization and proposes a practical solution tailored to the construction industry's needs.
Today, the built environment is designed, built, and managed using digital technology, making it increasingly exposed to cyber security risks. Cybersecurity is a general topic, and the construction ...sector has been borrowing general solutions and frameworks. However, the construction industry is specific and needs a specialized framework that would assist in understanding and managing cybersecurity. We have studied general cybersecurity frameworks, cybersecurity standards, research literature, and first principles of systems theory and process engineering. Drawing from that, we developed an original framework that identifies three kinds of wrongful activities: stealing, lying, and harming. It identifies four elements that can be affected by wrongful activities: information asset, material asset, person, and system. It defines cybersecurity as the absence of the three wrongs across the four kinds of elements. The framework is construction-specific, and as such, a useful tool for senior management to understand security problems and organize security processes. It can lead to better standardization and also helps the researchers to structure future work on the topic. The latter should be concentrated in areas where construction was found to be different: the dynamic and overlapping process and organizational boundaries in the design stage, the exposed shared design information, and the vulnerability of control information of the built environment, particularly in critical infrastructures.
•Establishes the importance of cybersecurity in construction.•Introduces a novel framework to address cybersecurity in construction.•Bases the framework on sound foundations of ethics, systems theory, and process theory.•The framework can be used to identify where construction can borrow from general cybersecurity or if original R&D is needed.
The construction industry is a leading sector in terms of labor force development and economic involvement on a global scale. It is widely recognized that this industry faces numerous obstacles. The ...digital revolution has penetrated all aspects of every organization. It could offer potential solutions to the challenges faced in the construction industry, which has been generally resistant to adopting the efficiency provided by information technologies. Multiple studies are dedicated to examining the difficulties encountered by the construction industry, as well as the advancement of technologies in this field. However, further research is required to examine the extent to which construction professionals are aware of and acknowledge new technologies, as well as their expectations regarding the problem-solving capabilities of Construction 4.0 technologies. This study investigates the degree of awareness of Construction 4.0 technologies, the significance of the primary challenges frequently encountered in construction projects, the advantages expected from these technologies, and the level of consensus among various groups of construction professionals on these matters. Based on an extensive examination of existing literature, 13 specific technologies related to Construction 4.0, 11 primary challenges and 17 anticipated advantages were identified. A survey was devised and administered to Turkish construction experts, resulting in the collection of 188 valid responses. The gathered data was subsequently subjected to statistical analyses. The investigated data led to the conclusion that there was a substantial agreement among the respondents regarding the level of recognition of Construction 4.0 technologies, the primary challenges in construction projects, and the anticipated advantages of these technologies. The results of this study can guide professionals and academics in determining which innovations to endorse, considering practical needs.
This study explores and presents the roadmap of industry 4.0 for the Indian construction industry with particular reference to project management practices. Accordingly, this study explores ...stakeholder dynamics for adopting digital technologies in the construction sector, especially those affecting construction project management. The study adopted one focus group with five participating panellists that provided the qualitative data. This is followed by a questionnaire survey with wider practitioners from the public and private sectors to validate the findings and rank the hypothesis to enable the implementation. Based on a focus group, this study proposes thirteen hypotheses describing stakeholders' dynamics. Furthermore, based on the questionnaire survey validation, this study finds that the top four strategies are stakeholder integration, process re-engineering, training activities, and the need to generate federated data. We interpret the journey of industry 4.0 in the construction industry as having its effect from at least four perception frames: redundancy, accommodation, amplification, and introduction. Practitioners can make process changes in their organisations while delivering projects using industry 4.0 in the construction sector. The findings are contextual to the Indian construction industry. While there is a richness of data that emanated from experienced practitioners, future case studies could enhance the applicability of the findings. The article takes a visionary stand to enable practical aspects of adopting industry 4.0 in its full measure.
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