science

Industrialization of construction

Industrialization of construction is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Industrialization of construction rather than just read about it. In short: The industrialization of construction is the process through which construction aims to improve productivity through increased mechanization and automation. The process commonly involves modularization, prefabrication, preassembly, and mass production.

Key takeaways

Industrialization of construction belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Industrialization of construction to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Industrialization of construction from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The industrialization of construction is the process through which construction aims to improve productivity through increased mechanization and automation. The process commonly involves modularization, prefabrication, preassembly, and mass production.

Background Traditionally, construction has made use of manual labor such as tradesmen and subcontractors for tasks such as the installation of prefabricated elements. In the industrialization phase, construction uses manufacturing processes and technology to perform off-site prefabrication, assembling building components off-site rather than at the point of installation. Pre-assembled components are then sent to the building site in modular units. This type of prefabrication done away from the construction site is often referred to as externalizing work. The industrialization of construction also implements principles such as the Toyota Production System and agile construction for developing work information systems. These systems and information technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT) create real-time feedback loops for improved decision making. Scholars name five stages for the industrialization of construction: management of labor, management of work, lean operations, modeling and simulation, and feedback of the source based on the study of industrialization in other industries. Lean Industrial Construction has far-reaching potential. Industrialized construction offers a framework for the fundamental shifts needed across the construction industry — moving from a disconnected design process to fully digital designs based on project data and from buying one-off projects to buying sustainable, productized buildings. 

Effects Productivity in the construction industry has been far behind productivity in general manufacturing, due to the increased industrialization in general manufacturing and construction's continued reliance on field labor. The main aim of industrialized construction is to increase productivity and reduce costs and project time through mechanization. Industrialization makes production processes and methods more efficient and reduces loss of working hours due to adverse weather conditions. The industrialization of construction can have positive or negative effects on subcontractors and construction workers based on how well they are able to adapt to off-site working opportunities. Increased mechanization may result in a shift from price to performance competition for contractors.

Further reading Industrialization of the Construction Industry (2013) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore With Contribution from Greg Bau. Winds of Change: Industrialization of Construction (2017) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore With Contribution from Phil Nimmo. Applying Scalable Prefabrication to Industrial Construction Work (2015) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore. The Profitability of Agile Construction (2006) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore Prefabrication Handbook for the Construction Industry (2019) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore Agile Construction for the Electrical Contractor, 2nd edition, 2020, Dr. Perry Daneshgari, and Dr. Heather Moore. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2020). INDUSTRIALIZATION: Is Construction Next? CFMA, 43–49. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2020). THE OPERATIONAL MODEL FOR Modular Construction. CFMA. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2020). JOBSITE TO GARAGE: Changing the Mindset of Prefab and Modular Construction. CFMA, 35–43. Taiichi, O. (1988). Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-scale Production. New York: Productivity Press. Taiichi., O. (2009). Workplace Management. (J. Miller, Trans.) Makilteo, WA: Gemba Press. Winds of Change: Industrialization of Construction (2018) by Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Dr. Heather Moore With Contribution from Phil Nimmo. Taylor, F. (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. Harper & Brothers. Shewhart, W. A. (1923). Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product. ASQ Quality Press. Shingo, S. (1987). Non-Stock Production the Shingo System of Continuous Improvement. Productivity Press. Shingo, S. (1989). A Study of the Toyota Production System. Productivity Press. Sloan, A. P. (1972). My Years with General Motors. Doubleday. Industrialization of Construction: How it will happen, and how to stay ahead using Agile Construction (2024) Moore, D. H., and O'Dell, D (2022). Gang Boxes – Making them come alive with Agile Intelligence™. IEC, Insights Magazine. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2021). How Will Working from Home Catalyze Industrialization?. CFMA. Moore, D. H. and Parvin, S (2021). How Industrialized are You? Measuring Your Company’s Progress. CFMA. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2020). Jobsite to Garage: Changing the Mindset of Prefab & Modular Construction. CFMA. Daneshgari, D. P., & Moore, D. H. (2014). Is Prefabrication Making You Money?. EC&M. Daneshgari, D. P.(2013). The Industrialization of Construction. Dassault Daneshgari, Dr. Perry, and Dr. Heather Moore. Prefabrication Handbook for the Construction Industry 2019 [1] Daneshgari, Dr. Perry, and Dr. Heather Moore. Industrialization of Construction How it will happen, and how to stay ahead using Agile Construction 2024 [2] Daneshgari, Dr. Perry, and Dr. Heather Moore. Prefabrication or Electrical Installations for Construction NECA 5- 2022 [3]

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Industrialization of construction

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Industrialization of construction claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Industrialization of construction before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Industrialization of construction ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Industrialization of construction

In research: Industrialization of construction appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Industrialization of construction in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Industrialization of construction is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Economic history, History of construction, Industrialisation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Industrialization of construction outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Industrialization of construction in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Industrialization of construction means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Industrialization of construction out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Industrialization of construction in simple terms?

Why does Industrialization of construction matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Industrialization of construction?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Industrialization of construction.