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Implementation of technologies in the construction industry: a systematic review

Xichen Chen (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Alice Yan Chang-Richards (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Antony Pelosi (School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand)
Yaodong Jia (Callaghan Innovation, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand)
Xuesong Shen (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Mohsin K. Siddiqui (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA)
Nan Yang (Callaghan Innovation, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand)

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 19 July 2021

Issue publication date: 16 August 2022

10730

Abstract

Purpose

With interest in modern construction methods and new technologies on the rise, construction companies globally are increasingly looking at how to embrace new ideas and engage with new approaches to do things better. A significant amount of work has been carried out investigating the use of individual technologies in the construction sector. However, there is no holistic understanding of the new and emerging technologies that have had proven benefits for construction projects. To fill this gap, this paper aims to provide a landscape of technologies that have been implemented in the construction industry and the benefits associated with their implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review approach and PRISMA guidelines were used. A total of 175 articles published between 2001 and 2020 were identified and thoroughly reviewed.

Findings

The results show that a total of 26 technologies were identified from the literature, and these can be categorised into five groups in terms of their functionality in construction process, namely: (1) data acquisition, (2) analytics, (3) visualisation, (4) communication and (5) design and construction automation. Digital technologies, especially for data acquisition and visualisation, generally appear to underpin and enable innovation in many aspects of construction. Improvements in work efficiency, health and safety, productivity, quality and sustainability have been cited as being the primary benefits of using these technologies. Of these, building information modelling (BIM) appears to be the single most commonly used technology thus far. With the development of computer technology, BIM has constantly been used in combination with other technologies/tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles/systems (unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/UAS), geographic information systems (GIS), light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and multidimensional modelling to realise a specifically defined benefit.

Practical implications

The findings from this review would help construction practitioners identify the types of technologies that can be implemented in different stages of construction projects to achieve desired outcomes, and thus, make appropriate decisions on technology investment and adoption. This review also suggests that to reap the full potential that these technologies offer, aside from construction companies changing their culture and business models, corresponding changes in the construction sector’s operating systems related to building regulation, education and training, as well as contracting and procurement are required.

Originality/value

This paper undertakes a comprehensive systematic review of studies on technology implementation in the construction sector published between 2001 and 2020. It is the first attempt internationally to provide a holistic picture of technologies that have been studied and implemented in construction projects.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the University of Auckland Joint Doctoral Scholarship and the funding from the Building Research Association of New Zealand (Project number LR12069). Without the funding supports from both sources, this research would not have been possible.

Citation

Chen, X., Chang-Richards, A.Y., Pelosi, A., Jia, Y., Shen, X., Siddiqui, M.K. and Yang, N. (2022), "Implementation of technologies in the construction industry: a systematic review", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 29 No. 8, pp. 3181-3209. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-02-2021-0172

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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