Multifaceted productivity comparison of off-site timber manufacturing strategies in mainland Europe and the United Kingdom

Duncheva, T. and Bradley, F. F. (2019) Multifaceted productivity comparison of off-site timber manufacturing strategies in mainland Europe and the United Kingdom. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145(8), 04019043. (doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001641)

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Abstract

Offsite construction methods have been suggested as a necessity for improving the efficiency and productivity of the construction industry through implementation of automation and lean principles in a controlled factory environment, known as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The products, projects delivery and management strategies of offsite construction have been studied in this research through a multi-faceted qualitative exploration of offsite timber management strategies across ten manufacturers, including three UK panel, three UK volumetric and four European (EU) volumetric timber manufacturers. A comparative productivity analysis was carried out in this research project and its sensitivities were analysed which led to the conclusion that the labour productivity of the surveyed UK panelised and EU volumetric manufacturers were comparable, but the UK volumetric manufacturers’ productivity was lower. As a result, the level of automation and the lean and Design for Disassembly (DfD) applications of the manufacturers were all explored to understand these productivity differences within the context of current market trends.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This research was funded through an Engineering the Future PhD studentship generously provided by the University of Strathclyde.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Bradley, Professor Fiona and Duncheva, Tsvetomila
Authors: Duncheva, T., and Bradley, F. F.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering
College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
Journal Name:Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Publisher:American Society of Civil Engineers
ISSN:0733-9364
ISSN (Online):1943-7862
Published Online:25 May 2019
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2019 ASCE
First Published:First published in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 145(8):04019043
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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