The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Chi Sun Poon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the hindrance to using Prefabrication in hong kong s building industry
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Wei Zhang, Lara Jaillon, Ming Wai Lee, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Abstract Prefabrication is considered an important solution to tackle the issues of construction waste generation, and the high-risk and labour-intensive activities associated with conventional construction methods. This study assesses the key hindrances of adopting Prefabrication and provides recommendations for promoting Prefabrication in Hong Kong. Twenty-two hindrances were identified in the literature and classified in six groups. A questionnaire survey and face-to-face interviews were conducted to examine the level of importance of the barriers, and to provide comprehensive analyses of each hindrance. The most significant hindrances were “Inflexible for design change”, “Lack storage space on site”, “Long lead-in time”, “Long design time”, “High initial cost” and “High total cost”. Based on the findings of the survey and interviews, six recommendations were proposed to promote the usage of Prefabrication in Hong Kong such as “Just-In-Time management”, “BIM technology”, “Legislation for refabrication”, “Potential government measures”, “Encouragement of design and building procure” and “Increase the consumer's confidence”.
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life cycle design and Prefabrication in buildings a review and case studies in hong kong
Automation in Construction, 2014Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Abstract Prefabrication has been increasingly used in buildings. It is recognised as a solution to reduce waste arising during design and construction phases. However, there is little emphasis on life cycle design issues for prefabricated buildings located in dense high-rise building environments. The purpose of this paper is to review the application and identify benefits and impediments of design for deconstruction and Industrialised, Flexible and Demountable building systems when applied to precast concrete construction. The paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review, and two case studies of recently completed institutional buildings using Prefabrication. The literature review shows that, so far, design for deconstruction is not a common practice in the building industry. The case studies showed some limitations such as the dense urban environment conditions and limited site area. The promotion of a closed-loop material cycle is critical to contribute to sustainability thus minimising CO2 emissions, natural resources consumption.
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design issues of using Prefabrication in hong kong building construction
Construction Management and Economics, 2010Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Prefabrication techniques have been adopted for the last two decades in public housing projects in Hong Kong, but the use of Prefabrication in the private sector was encouraged only after the implementation of the Joint Practices Notes which promote its use. Although previous studies acknowledge the environmental benefits of using Prefabrication, only a few studies have addressed sustainable design concepts (closed‐loop) in the adoption of precast construction. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced Hong Kong construction professionals, and case studies of recently completed building projects were compiled to ascertain the use of Prefabrication with reference to life cycle approach. The findings revealed that Prefabrication, combined with modular design and standard components, saved time and construction/design costs, as buildings systems were used across projects. However, in some projects, specific site conditions restricted the use of similar prefabricated building systems across proje...
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the evolution of prefabricated residential building systems in hong kong a review of the public and the private sector
Automation in Construction, 2009Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Prefabricated building components have been adopted in Hong Kong for over two decades for high-rise buildings. In the public sector, Prefabrication together with standard modular design was introduced in the Housing Authority's public housing projects in the mid-1980s. Over the years, precasting techniques have significantly evolved in public housing projects. In contrast, Prefabrication has only recently been adopted in the private sector. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of precasting technology in high-rise residential developments in Hong Kong, and then explore the technological influences in both sectors. A database of 179 prefabricated residential buildings was developed and detailed case studies of five residential developments were conducted. The findings revealed that a greater extent of Prefabrication use over the years, in terms of precasting percentage by volume and types of precast elements utilised. Major Prefabrication innovations, in both sectors, influenced the technological advancement in Prefabrication in Hong Kong.
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sustainable construction aspects of using Prefabrication in dense urban environment a hong kong case study
Construction Management and Economics, 2008Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:The construction industry in Hong Kong heavily relies on conventional cast in-situ construction involving extensive use of timber formworks and wet trades. In 2001, the Construction Industry Review Committee (CIRC) report described the construction activities in Hong Kong as 'labour intensive, dangerous and polluting', in which 'built products are rarely defect-free'. Globally, however, the recent trend is Prefabrication, which is being increasingly used in the building industry, alleviating some of the environmental burdens associated with conventional construction. The sustainable construction aspects of adopting Prefabrication in high-rise buildings are examined, and the economic, environmental and social aspects of using Prefabrication are assessed. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced professionals and case studies of seven recent residential and non-residential buildings in Hong Kong were conducted. The findings revealed that environmental, economic and social benefits of using Prefabrication were significant when compared to conventional construction methods. This implies that a wider use of Prefabrication techniques could contribute to sustainable construction in a dense urban environment like Hong Kong.
Geoffrey Qiping Shen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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integrating building information modeling and Prefabrication housing production
Automation in Construction, 2019Co-Authors: Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Teng YueAbstract:Abstract The decision-making system in Prefabrication Housing Production (PHP) lacks efficiency and collaboration because relevant information is stored and managed in heterogeneous systems of various stakeholders, who are commonly geographically isolated. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has advantages of combining its object-oriented attributes and the production-oriented characteristics of PHP to support decision-making and collaborative working for raising working efficiency. Given the emerging recognition of BIM and PHP, an integrated conceptual framework based on existing studies is needed in order to facilitate their recognition and guide future research. Based on a critical review of 65 papers published in the peer-reviewed journals from 2005 to 2017, a conceptual framework is proposed for the integration of BIM and PHP. The framework involves three pillars, including smart BIM platform (SBP), smart work packages (SWPs), and smart PHP objects (SPOs). A gateway with interoperability function is created between the three pillars to facilitate the communication and interaction with the central database. The results can help develop the system architecture of BIM and PHP, which can then be used to benefit various stakeholders to facilitate the integration.
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a model for simulating schedule risks in Prefabrication housing production a case study of six day cycle assembly activities in hong kong
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Cheng Fan, Jingke HongAbstract:Abstract The construction industry in Hong Kong has been exposed to serious housing production issues such as insufficient manpower, safety, environmental concerns and inefficient housing supply. Prefabrication housing production has shown as efficient construction model which enables to overcome these issues and it is applied in construction industry in Hong Kong. In this paper, hybrid modeling techniques that combine system dynamics and discrete event simulation are used to analyze the interrelationships of schedule risks within the six-day cycle assembly of Prefabrication housing production. Moreover, a hybrid dynamic model is developed to simulate and evaluate the impact of schedule risks on the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of PHP via the Anylogic software package. The resulting model is validated by data which is collected from a PHP project in Hong Kong. Based on the simulation results, the first most influential level contains five schedule risks, namely, inefficient verification of precast components because of ambiguous labels, misplacement on the storage site because of carelessness, owner crane breakdown and maintenance, slow quality inspection procedures, and inefficient design data transition that cause average schedule delays of more than 300 min. The second most influential level includes delay of the delivery of precast element to site, design information gap between designer and manufacturer, installation error of precast elements, and logistics information inconsistency because of human errors, with average schedule delays less than 300 min and greater than 200 min. Design change, low information interoperability between different enterprise resource planning systems, and inefficiency of design approval belong to the third level that imposes the least influence on the schedule delay of the assembly. This research contributes to the current knowledge of the management of Prefabrication construction by developing an effective model that offers an in-depth understanding of how schedule performance of PHP is dynamically influenced by interrelationships of various risk variables. Also, it provides an experimental platform for simulating and analyzing schedule risks that significantly affect the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of Prefabrication housing production. Such critical schedule risks could be identified and managed prior to the implement of Prefabrication housing production projects. Compared with traditional techniques, the hybrid dynamic model simultaneously considers macro and micro levels, thereby enabling project managers to gain a deeper insight into schedule management and acquire a multidimensional understanding of schedule delay.
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barriers to promoting prefabricated construction in china a cost benefit analysis
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Boyu Zhang, Wanqiu ZhangAbstract:Abstract Prefabricated construction has attracted worldwide concern because of its significant role in the creation of sustainable urbanization. In Mainland China, the practice of applying Prefabrication technology in the construction industry still lags behind. In fact, the economic benefit is a key concern of various stakeholders involved in the construction process and is expected to influence the delivery of prefabricated buildings significantly. Therefore, this study established a cost–benefit analysis framework to explore the basic cost composition of Prefabrication and examined the effect of adopting Prefabrication on the total cost of real building projects. Results show that the concrete and steel used in the typical prefabricated components were responsible for 26% to 60% of the total cost, followed by labor cost (17%–30%) and transportation (10%). The average incremental cost is highly linearly correlated with the Prefabrication rate, which ranged from 237 yuan/m2 to 437 yuan/m2, in eight building projects. To fully gain the economic benefits from the precast construction, the future focus should lie in providing financial support for promoting the development of Prefabrication technology, optimizing the structure integrity of prefabricated buildings, and improving the maturity of the precast market.
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the exploration of the life cycle energy saving potential for using Prefabrication in residential buildings in china
Energy and Buildings, 2017Co-Authors: Han Zhu, Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Chao Mao, Hejia ZhangAbstract:Abstract China’s rapid urbanization along with the development of the modern economy is certain to result in a long-standing and substantial energy demand in the entire society. Therefore, industrialization in building construction is a vital strategy for alleviating adverse environmental burdens and accelerating urbanization with the current construction practice. An integrated method was employed to evaluate the life cycle energy performance of prefabricated buildings, using the process-based hybrid life cycle assessment and scenario-based energy simulation as the underlying methods. Results revealed the less obvious energy reduction potential of prefabricated buildings during the embodied phase. During the building operation phase, the scenario and comparative analyses from a life-cycle perspective indicate that Prefabrication generates environmental gains by providing enhanced thermal performance. A regional level policy analysis reveals the backwards status quo of the precast construction in Northern and Western China. Given the significance of using Prefabrication in building energy conservation, it is quite urgent and necessary to establish a mature construction market with highly evolved industrialization in these “backward” regions.
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integrating rfid and bim technologies for mitigating risks and improving schedule performance of prefabricated house construction
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017Co-Authors: Ray Y Zhong, Ke Chen, Fan Xue, George G Huang, Geoffrey Qiping ShenAbstract:Abstract With its generally recognized benefits of clean and safe working environment and good quality, prefabricated house construction (PHC) as a solution is gaining momentum in the face of various housing challenges in Hong Kong's construction industry. Although Prefabrication has its own benefits, its fundamental disadvantages of fragmentation, discontinuity, poor interoperability, and scarce real-time information availability have imposed significant adverse influence on the schedule performance of prefabricated house construction. As a result, despite the promise of the government to provide sufficient houses and harmonious housing, schedule delay problems still frequently beset the industry of PHC. To help address schedule delay problems encountered in the construction of Prefabrication housing, this research first identified and analysed critical schedule risk factors that may have significant influence on the schedule performance of PHC. Based on the identified schedule risks, the challenges and corresponding required functions for enhancing schedule performance are determined. Then, a radio frequency identification device (RFID)-enabled BIM platform that integrates various involved stakeholders, information/data flow, offshore Prefabrication procedures, and state-of-the-art construction technologies, is developed to handle the critical schedule factors. Smart construction objects and RFID-enabled smart gateway work collaboratively to ease operations within the three echelons of Prefabrication manufacturing, logistics and on-site assembly construction, while real-time captured data are used to form a closed-loop visibility and traceability mode in which different end users can supervise the construction statuses, progresses in real time. The developed platform can provide various services, tools and mechanisms to different stakeholders, improve the success of daily operations and decision makings throughout PHC management, such that critical schedule risks can be mitigated and the schedule performance of PHC can be enhanced to ensure timely project delivery.
Jingke Hong - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a model for simulating schedule risks in Prefabrication housing production a case study of six day cycle assembly activities in hong kong
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Cheng Fan, Jingke HongAbstract:Abstract The construction industry in Hong Kong has been exposed to serious housing production issues such as insufficient manpower, safety, environmental concerns and inefficient housing supply. Prefabrication housing production has shown as efficient construction model which enables to overcome these issues and it is applied in construction industry in Hong Kong. In this paper, hybrid modeling techniques that combine system dynamics and discrete event simulation are used to analyze the interrelationships of schedule risks within the six-day cycle assembly of Prefabrication housing production. Moreover, a hybrid dynamic model is developed to simulate and evaluate the impact of schedule risks on the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of PHP via the Anylogic software package. The resulting model is validated by data which is collected from a PHP project in Hong Kong. Based on the simulation results, the first most influential level contains five schedule risks, namely, inefficient verification of precast components because of ambiguous labels, misplacement on the storage site because of carelessness, owner crane breakdown and maintenance, slow quality inspection procedures, and inefficient design data transition that cause average schedule delays of more than 300 min. The second most influential level includes delay of the delivery of precast element to site, design information gap between designer and manufacturer, installation error of precast elements, and logistics information inconsistency because of human errors, with average schedule delays less than 300 min and greater than 200 min. Design change, low information interoperability between different enterprise resource planning systems, and inefficiency of design approval belong to the third level that imposes the least influence on the schedule delay of the assembly. This research contributes to the current knowledge of the management of Prefabrication construction by developing an effective model that offers an in-depth understanding of how schedule performance of PHP is dynamically influenced by interrelationships of various risk variables. Also, it provides an experimental platform for simulating and analyzing schedule risks that significantly affect the schedule performance of the six-day cycle assembly of Prefabrication housing production. Such critical schedule risks could be identified and managed prior to the implement of Prefabrication housing production projects. Compared with traditional techniques, the hybrid dynamic model simultaneously considers macro and micro levels, thereby enabling project managers to gain a deeper insight into schedule management and acquire a multidimensional understanding of schedule delay.
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barriers to promoting prefabricated construction in china a cost benefit analysis
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Boyu Zhang, Wanqiu ZhangAbstract:Abstract Prefabricated construction has attracted worldwide concern because of its significant role in the creation of sustainable urbanization. In Mainland China, the practice of applying Prefabrication technology in the construction industry still lags behind. In fact, the economic benefit is a key concern of various stakeholders involved in the construction process and is expected to influence the delivery of prefabricated buildings significantly. Therefore, this study established a cost–benefit analysis framework to explore the basic cost composition of Prefabrication and examined the effect of adopting Prefabrication on the total cost of real building projects. Results show that the concrete and steel used in the typical prefabricated components were responsible for 26% to 60% of the total cost, followed by labor cost (17%–30%) and transportation (10%). The average incremental cost is highly linearly correlated with the Prefabrication rate, which ranged from 237 yuan/m2 to 437 yuan/m2, in eight building projects. To fully gain the economic benefits from the precast construction, the future focus should lie in providing financial support for promoting the development of Prefabrication technology, optimizing the structure integrity of prefabricated buildings, and improving the maturity of the precast market.
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the exploration of the life cycle energy saving potential for using Prefabrication in residential buildings in china
Energy and Buildings, 2017Co-Authors: Han Zhu, Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Chao Mao, Hejia ZhangAbstract:Abstract China’s rapid urbanization along with the development of the modern economy is certain to result in a long-standing and substantial energy demand in the entire society. Therefore, industrialization in building construction is a vital strategy for alleviating adverse environmental burdens and accelerating urbanization with the current construction practice. An integrated method was employed to evaluate the life cycle energy performance of prefabricated buildings, using the process-based hybrid life cycle assessment and scenario-based energy simulation as the underlying methods. Results revealed the less obvious energy reduction potential of prefabricated buildings during the embodied phase. During the building operation phase, the scenario and comparative analyses from a life-cycle perspective indicate that Prefabrication generates environmental gains by providing enhanced thermal performance. A regional level policy analysis reveals the backwards status quo of the precast construction in Northern and Western China. Given the significance of using Prefabrication in building energy conservation, it is quite urgent and necessary to establish a mature construction market with highly evolved industrialization in these “backward” regions.
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schedule risks in Prefabrication housing production in hong kong a social network analysis
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016Co-Authors: Clyde Zhengdao Li, Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Xiaoxiao XuAbstract:Abstract Various schedule risks beset Prefabrication housing production (PHP) in Hong Kong throughout the Prefabrication supply chain, from design, manufacturing, logistics, to on-site assembly. Previous research on the risks in Prefabrication construction projects has mainly focused on the construction stage and has been confined to issues of completeness and accuracy without consideration of stakeholder-related risks and their cause-and-effect relationships. However, in reality, the supply chain is inseparable as precast components should be manufactured and transported to sites to fit in with the schedule of on-site assembly in seamless connection manner, and most risks are interrelated and associated with various stakeholders. This study applies social network analysis (SNA) to recognize and investigate the underlying network of stakeholder-associated risk factors in Prefabrication housing construction projects. Critical risks and relationships that have important roles in structuring the entire network of PHP are identified and analyzed. BIM (Building Information Modeling)-centered strategies are proposed to facilitate stakeholder communication and mitigate critical schedule risks and interactions underlying the risk network. This study not only provides an effective method to analyze stakeholder-associated risk factors and to evaluate the effect of these risk factors from a network perspective, but also offers a new visual perspective in the promotion of the use of the Internet of things (IoT) and helps identify housing construction problems in Hong Kong.
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swot analysis and internet of things enabled platform for Prefabrication housing production in hong kong
Habitat International, 2016Co-Authors: Clyde Zhengdao Li, Jingke Hong, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Xiaoxiao XuAbstract:Abstract Housing has been a major concern in Hong Kong for the past several decades, increasing pressure on the Hong Kong Housing Authority to pursue ambitious housing plans. As a sustainable construction technology, Prefabrication has been increasingly adopted in the delivery of housing plans to alleviate various constraints, such as labor shortage, time, safety, and environmental protection. However, few studies have conducted a strategic analysis of the current situation and planning management of Prefabrication housing production (MPHP) in Hong Kong. By performing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, the current study attempts to facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the MPHP development status in housing production in Hong Kong. Data underpinning the SWOT analysis are collected from various channels, including literature review, Prefabrication-related regulations, interviews with experts, and government reports. This study provides an opportunity for major stakeholders to perceive the external and internal conditions of Prefabrication development in Hong Kong. Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled platform deploying BIM to re-engineer offshore prefabricated construction processes, which are proposed based on the identified SWOTs for solving weaknesses and dealing with threats, are significant for improving MPHP in Hong Kong.
Lara Jaillon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the hindrance to using Prefabrication in hong kong s building industry
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Wei Zhang, Lara Jaillon, Ming Wai Lee, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Abstract Prefabrication is considered an important solution to tackle the issues of construction waste generation, and the high-risk and labour-intensive activities associated with conventional construction methods. This study assesses the key hindrances of adopting Prefabrication and provides recommendations for promoting Prefabrication in Hong Kong. Twenty-two hindrances were identified in the literature and classified in six groups. A questionnaire survey and face-to-face interviews were conducted to examine the level of importance of the barriers, and to provide comprehensive analyses of each hindrance. The most significant hindrances were “Inflexible for design change”, “Lack storage space on site”, “Long lead-in time”, “Long design time”, “High initial cost” and “High total cost”. Based on the findings of the survey and interviews, six recommendations were proposed to promote the usage of Prefabrication in Hong Kong such as “Just-In-Time management”, “BIM technology”, “Legislation for refabrication”, “Potential government measures”, “Encouragement of design and building procure” and “Increase the consumer's confidence”.
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life cycle design and Prefabrication in buildings a review and case studies in hong kong
Automation in Construction, 2014Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Abstract Prefabrication has been increasingly used in buildings. It is recognised as a solution to reduce waste arising during design and construction phases. However, there is little emphasis on life cycle design issues for prefabricated buildings located in dense high-rise building environments. The purpose of this paper is to review the application and identify benefits and impediments of design for deconstruction and Industrialised, Flexible and Demountable building systems when applied to precast concrete construction. The paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review, and two case studies of recently completed institutional buildings using Prefabrication. The literature review shows that, so far, design for deconstruction is not a common practice in the building industry. The case studies showed some limitations such as the dense urban environment conditions and limited site area. The promotion of a closed-loop material cycle is critical to contribute to sustainability thus minimising CO2 emissions, natural resources consumption.
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design issues of using Prefabrication in hong kong building construction
Construction Management and Economics, 2010Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Prefabrication techniques have been adopted for the last two decades in public housing projects in Hong Kong, but the use of Prefabrication in the private sector was encouraged only after the implementation of the Joint Practices Notes which promote its use. Although previous studies acknowledge the environmental benefits of using Prefabrication, only a few studies have addressed sustainable design concepts (closed‐loop) in the adoption of precast construction. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced Hong Kong construction professionals, and case studies of recently completed building projects were compiled to ascertain the use of Prefabrication with reference to life cycle approach. The findings revealed that Prefabrication, combined with modular design and standard components, saved time and construction/design costs, as buildings systems were used across projects. However, in some projects, specific site conditions restricted the use of similar prefabricated building systems across proje...
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the evolution of prefabricated residential building systems in hong kong a review of the public and the private sector
Automation in Construction, 2009Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:Prefabricated building components have been adopted in Hong Kong for over two decades for high-rise buildings. In the public sector, Prefabrication together with standard modular design was introduced in the Housing Authority's public housing projects in the mid-1980s. Over the years, precasting techniques have significantly evolved in public housing projects. In contrast, Prefabrication has only recently been adopted in the private sector. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of precasting technology in high-rise residential developments in Hong Kong, and then explore the technological influences in both sectors. A database of 179 prefabricated residential buildings was developed and detailed case studies of five residential developments were conducted. The findings revealed that a greater extent of Prefabrication use over the years, in terms of precasting percentage by volume and types of precast elements utilised. Major Prefabrication innovations, in both sectors, influenced the technological advancement in Prefabrication in Hong Kong.
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sustainable construction aspects of using Prefabrication in dense urban environment a hong kong case study
Construction Management and Economics, 2008Co-Authors: Lara Jaillon, Chi Sun PoonAbstract:The construction industry in Hong Kong heavily relies on conventional cast in-situ construction involving extensive use of timber formworks and wet trades. In 2001, the Construction Industry Review Committee (CIRC) report described the construction activities in Hong Kong as 'labour intensive, dangerous and polluting', in which 'built products are rarely defect-free'. Globally, however, the recent trend is Prefabrication, which is being increasingly used in the building industry, alleviating some of the environmental burdens associated with conventional construction. The sustainable construction aspects of adopting Prefabrication in high-rise buildings are examined, and the economic, environmental and social aspects of using Prefabrication are assessed. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced professionals and case studies of seven recent residential and non-residential buildings in Hong Kong were conducted. The findings revealed that environmental, economic and social benefits of using Prefabrication were significant when compared to conventional construction methods. This implies that a wider use of Prefabrication techniques could contribute to sustainable construction in a dense urban environment like Hong Kong.
Vivian W Y Tam - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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best practice of Prefabrication implementation in the hong kong public and private sectors
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015Co-Authors: Vivian W Y Tam, Ivan W H Fung, Michael C P Sing, Stephen O OgunlanaAbstract:Abstract Prefabrication has been developed since the 1970s. The technologies have been further developed and improved for the past thirty years. The successful implementation of quality control and construction efficiency has been addressed with support from the public sector. The technologies however did not receive attention from the private sector since Prefabrication requires dimensional coordination and standardization in the designs. This situation has changed from 2002 as the Hong Kong government promotes incentives schemes, i.e. gross floor area concessions for private developers to encourage them to adopt Prefabrication techniques. This paper discusses and evaluates the best practice of Prefabrication implementation in the Hong Kong public and private sectors using two leading case studies. Their adoption of Prefabrication, construction methods and cost effectiveness are investigated. Discussions on effective implementation for the sectors have also been explored. The findings provide ameliorated understanding on the best practice of the implementation of Prefabrication and provide courage for further improvement and implementation for the industry.
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Prefabrication as a mean of minimizing construction waste on site
The international journal of construction management, 2014Co-Authors: Vivian W Y Tam, Jane J L HaoAbstract:Construction waste has become a major source of solid waste in Hong Kong. Thousands of tons of solid waste is produced every year from construction and demolition activities. Increasing generation of this waste has caused significant impacts on the environment and aroused public concerns. Therefore, minimization of construction waste has become a pressing issue. This paper aims to (i) reveal the status of construction waste, (ii) investigate the effectiveness of Prefabrication in terms of waste reduction in replacing the traditional on-site production, (iii) examine the factors that help minimizing construction waste by the adopting Prefabrication and (iv) explore the areas of waste reduction after adoption of Prefabrication in comparison to traditional on-site production. The findings of a structured survey show that waste from ‘poor workmanship’ can be greatly reduced by adopting Prefabrication in construction. Furthermore, after the adoption of Prefabrication, waste generation can be greatly reduced in...
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towards adoption of Prefabrication in construction
Building and Environment, 2007Co-Authors: Vivian W Y Tam, C M Tam, S X ZengAbstract:There is an urgent issue on huge quantities of wastage generation in construction. There should not be lack of environmental support from construction stakeholders. The current implementation of Prefabrication seems unable to provide satisfactory results to the construction industry. This paper provides a feasibility analysis in adopting Prefabrication in construction activities. Advantages, hindrances and future development on Prefabrication's applications are provided based on a questionnaire survey. The suitability in adopting Prefabrication of various project types is also examined. Furthermore, a financial analysis is also investigated by a local case study. It found that wastage generation can reduce up to 100% after adopting Prefabrication, in which up to 84.7% can be saved on wastage reduction.
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on Prefabrication implementation for different project types and procurement methods in hong kong
Journal of Engineering Design and Technology, 2007Co-Authors: Vivian W Y Tam, C M TamAbstract:Purpose – The use of Prefabrication has been considered as one of the most effective waste minimization methods in the construction context; however, the industry has found difficulties to implement it. Contractors lack experience in using Prefabrication and they do not know how to implement Prefabrication to their projects effectively. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study on the implementation of Prefabrication in the context of different project types and procurement approaches.Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines possible project types and procurement methods to maximally gain benefits of using prefabricated building components. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews have been conducted.Findings – From the results, it should be noted that residential projects and design and build procurement methods are the most effective project types and procurement methods, respectively, in using Prefabrication. In the interview discussion, one of the governmental em...
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cutting construction wastes by Prefabrication
The international journal of construction management, 2006Co-Authors: Vivian W Y Tam, C M Tam, John K W ChanAbstract:Construction wastes have become the major source of solid wastes in Hong Kong. Thousands of tonnes of solid wastes are produced every year from construction and demolition activities. Increasing generation of these wastes has caused significant impacts on the environment and aroused growing public concerns. Therefore, the minimisation of construction wastes has become a pressing issue. This paper aims to: 1) reveal the status of construction wastes; 2) investigate the effectiveness of Prefabrication in terms of waste reduction in replacing traditional wet-trade practices; 3) examine the factors that help minimise construction wastes by the adoption of Prefabrication; and 4) explore the current waste reduction situations after adoption of Prefabrication by comparing with in-situ construction. It investigates wastes generated from various wet-trade construction activities such as in-situ concreting, timber formwork, bricklaying, plastering, screeding, tiling, rebar fixing and bamboo scaffolding. Six major reasons for the excessive construction wastage are known to be: 1) cutting; 2) over ordering; 3) damaging during transportation; 4) losing during installation; 5) poor workmanship; and 6) change of design. From the findings of a structured interview survey of thirty-one construction practitioners, “timber formwork” is found to be having the greatest potential for cutting scrap, and wastes from “poor workmanship” can be greatly reduced by adopting Prefabrication in construction. Furthermore, after the adoption of Prefabrication, wastage generation can be greatly reduced in various wet-trade activities including concreting, rebar fixing, bricklaying, drywall, plastering, screeding and tiling. Especially in plastering, the waste reduction can be reduced by 100%. It is concluded that Prefabrication of building components is one of the effective technologies of waste minimisation.