The Current Use of Offsite Construction Techniques in the United States Construction Industry

Abstract

Even though the use of offsite construction techniques provides numerous significant advantages the current level of using these techniques in the US construction industry is limited. This study aimed to 1) identify the driving forces and challenges in using these techniques in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, 2) investigate the perceived benefits and barriers, and 3) compare the perceived benefits and barriers in using these techniques in residential, commercial, and industrial construction sectors. The results indicated that benefits of using these techniques include 1) reducing the project schedule, 2) reducing the need for skilled craft workers, 3) reducing the negative environmental impact, and 4) increasing safety performance. The most significant barriers were 1) transportation restraints and 2) inability to make changes onsite. The top 3 driving forces for its use were 1) to reduce the construction duration, 2) to reduce the overall project schedule, and 3) to compensate for the effect of incremental weather conditions. The top 3 challenges were 1) the inability to make changes onsite, 2) transportation constraints, and 3) limited design options. Several practical recommendations were proposed in this study based on the findings.