Identifying the risk factors and their interactions of human–robot collaboration implementation during engineering project construction: evidence from China
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 3 May 2022
Issue publication date: 15 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Human–robot collaboration (HRC) is an emerging research field for the construction industry along with construction robot adoption, but its implementation remains limited in construction sites. This paper aims to identify critical risk factors and their interactions of HRC implementation during engineering project construction.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature research, expert interviews, a questionnaire survey and a social network analysis (SNA) method were used. First, literature research and expert interviews were employed to identify risk factors of HRC implementation and preliminarily understand factor interactions. Second, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the degree of interactions between risk factors. Third, based on the data collected from the questionnaire survey, SNA metrics were used to find critical risk factors and critical interactions.
Findings
The critical risk factors consist of robot technology reliability, robot-perceived level, conflict between designers and users of construction robots, organisational culture, organisational strength, project cost requirements, changeability of project construction, project quality requirements and project safety requirements. The interactions between risk factors are strong and complex. Robot technology risk factors were relatively fundamental risk factors, and project risk factors had a direct influence on the risk of HRC implementation. The implementation cost of HRC was not identified as a critical risk factor. Individual risk factors could be mitigated by improving technical and organisational factors.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of both HRC behaviours and its risk management in construction project management. Identifying the critical risk factors and their interactions of HRC implementation in the construction industry and introducing social network theory to the research on critical risk factors are the innovations of this paper. The findings and proposed suggestions could help construction professionals to better understand the HRC risk factors and to manage the risk of HRC implementation more effectively.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all the experts and respondents for their excellent advice on the identification of the risk factors and their interactions. The authors also acknowledge, with gratitude, all the reviewers. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Beijing Philosophy and Social Science Fund (No. 17GLC057), the Basic Scientific Research Fund of Beijing Municipal Colleges (No. X18174, No. ZF17046) and the Pyramid Talent Training Project of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (No. JDYC20200320, No. JDJQ20200305).
Citation
Chen, Z., Zhao, Y., Zhou, X., Hao, S. and Li, J. (2023), "Identifying the risk factors and their interactions of human–robot collaboration implementation during engineering project construction: evidence from China", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 30 No. 7, pp. 3073-3094. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2021-0461
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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