A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings
Construction costs have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply chain disruption, labour shortages, and construction material price hikes. The market is increasingly demanding innovative construction methods that can save construction costs, reduce construction time, and mi...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2416 |
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| author | Abdelhadi Salih Cynthia Changxin Wang Rui Tian Mohammad Mojtahedi |
| author_facet | Abdelhadi Salih Cynthia Changxin Wang Rui Tian Mohammad Mojtahedi |
| author_sort | Abdelhadi Salih |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Construction costs have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply chain disruption, labour shortages, and construction material price hikes. The market is increasingly demanding innovative construction methods that can save construction costs, reduce construction time, and minimise waste and carbon emission. The prefabrication system has been used for years in industrial construction, resulting in better performance in regard to structure stability, the control of wastage, and the optimisation of construction time and cost. In addition, prefabrication has had a positive contribution on resource utilisation in the construction industry. There are various types of prefabricated wall systems. However, the majority of comparative studies have focused on comparing each prefabrication wall system against the conventional construction system, while limited research has been conducted to compare different prefabrication structures. This study examined four prominent prefabricated wall systems, i.e., precast walls, tilt-up walls, prefabricated steel-frame walls, and on-site-cut steel-frame walls, to determine which one is more suitable for the construction of industrial buildings to minimise cost, time delay, and labourer utilisation on construction sites, as well as to enhance structure durability, construction efficiency, and sustainability. One primary case project and five additional projects were included in this study. For the primary case project, data were collected and analysed; for example, a subcontractor cost comparison for supply and installation was conducted, and shop drawings, construction procedures, timelines, and site photos were collected. For the additional five projects, the overall cost data were compared. The main research finding of this study is that factory-made precast walls and tilt-up wall panels require similar construction time. However, on average, tilt-up prefabrication construction can reduce the cost by around 23.55%. It was also found that prefabricated frame walls provide cost and time savings of around 39% and 10.5%, respectively. These findings can provide architects, developers, builders, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders with a comprehensive insight into selecting a method of wall construction that can achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, and environmental sustainability in the construction of industrial and commercial buildings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-98c6f716be3c41e39c70cf2eb1679561 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-98c6f716be3c41e39c70cf2eb16795612025-08-20T03:58:31ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011514241610.3390/buildings15142416A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial BuildingsAbdelhadi Salih0Cynthia Changxin Wang1Rui Tian2Mohammad Mojtahedi3School of Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaBaymon Group, Wetherill Park, NSW 2164, AustraliaSchool of Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaConstruction costs have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply chain disruption, labour shortages, and construction material price hikes. The market is increasingly demanding innovative construction methods that can save construction costs, reduce construction time, and minimise waste and carbon emission. The prefabrication system has been used for years in industrial construction, resulting in better performance in regard to structure stability, the control of wastage, and the optimisation of construction time and cost. In addition, prefabrication has had a positive contribution on resource utilisation in the construction industry. There are various types of prefabricated wall systems. However, the majority of comparative studies have focused on comparing each prefabrication wall system against the conventional construction system, while limited research has been conducted to compare different prefabrication structures. This study examined four prominent prefabricated wall systems, i.e., precast walls, tilt-up walls, prefabricated steel-frame walls, and on-site-cut steel-frame walls, to determine which one is more suitable for the construction of industrial buildings to minimise cost, time delay, and labourer utilisation on construction sites, as well as to enhance structure durability, construction efficiency, and sustainability. One primary case project and five additional projects were included in this study. For the primary case project, data were collected and analysed; for example, a subcontractor cost comparison for supply and installation was conducted, and shop drawings, construction procedures, timelines, and site photos were collected. For the additional five projects, the overall cost data were compared. The main research finding of this study is that factory-made precast walls and tilt-up wall panels require similar construction time. However, on average, tilt-up prefabrication construction can reduce the cost by around 23.55%. It was also found that prefabricated frame walls provide cost and time savings of around 39% and 10.5%, respectively. These findings can provide architects, developers, builders, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders with a comprehensive insight into selecting a method of wall construction that can achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, and environmental sustainability in the construction of industrial and commercial buildings.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2416prefabricationtilt-up constructionprecast wallsteel-frame wallcosttime |
| spellingShingle | Abdelhadi Salih Cynthia Changxin Wang Rui Tian Mohammad Mojtahedi A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings Buildings prefabrication tilt-up construction precast wall steel-frame wall cost time |
| title | A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings |
| title_full | A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings |
| title_fullStr | A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings |
| title_short | A Case-Study-Based Comparative Analysis of Using Prefabricated Structures in Industrial Buildings |
| title_sort | case study based comparative analysis of using prefabricated structures in industrial buildings |
| topic | prefabrication tilt-up construction precast wall steel-frame wall cost time |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2416 |
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