Critical sustainability factors in industrialised building systems

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical sustainability factors for improved implementation of industrialised building systems (IBS). It also aims to highlight the importance of decision support, through the establishment of decision‐making guidelines, for sustainability deliverables in IBS development.

Design/methodology/approach

A broad range of sustainability factors, as perceived by researchers and practitioners, is identified through a comprehensive literature study. A study of the survey and statistical data analysis is conducted to examine the criticality of these sustainability factors in IBS implementation.

Findings

In total, 18 sustainability factors are identified as critical to IBS implementation. Their interrelationships and driving forces are explored, which leads to the development of a conceptual model to map these factors for actions or potential solutions. The work provides a sound basis towards a set of decision‐making guidelines for sustainable IBS implementation.

Originality/value

Compared with previous research that focuses on technical or economical aspects, this research extends existing knowledge on construction prefabrication by linking all aspects of sustainability issues with the design process. It also covers industry characteristics of developing countries, as represented by Malaysia's scenarios.

Citation

Yunus, R. and Yang, J. (2012), "Critical sustainability factors in industrialised building systems", Construction Innovation, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 447-463. https://doi.org/10.1108/14714171211272216