IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i9p1512-d109674.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors Affecting the Capital Cost of Prefabrication—A Case Study of China

Author

Listed:
  • Hong Xue

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

  • Shoujian Zhang

    (School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

  • Yikun Su

    (School of Civil Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China)

  • Zezhou Wu

    (Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, College of Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China)

Abstract

As a sustainable construction method, prefabrication has become popular in many nations. However, there are many challenges for prefabrication, especially in terms of cost. Previous studies have revealed that higher capital cost was the most important barrier to the implementation of prefabrication. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore and evaluate the critical factors affecting the capital cost of prefabrication and examine how cost management may be affected by the “experience”, “corporate responsibility”, and “participant function” as a fix independent factors. To achieve the research objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 experts for the development of the questionnaire. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the significance of 49 factors related to prefabrication capital cost. The survey results revealed that “Specification and standards for prefabricated building design”, “Related experience of manager”, and “Rationality of precast component split” were the most critical factors. In addition, “experience”, “corporate responsibility”, and “participant function” had significant impact on the evaluation of capital cost factors. The findings can facilitate developing a benchmark framework for exploring the factors affecting the capital cost of prefabrication in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Hong Xue & Shoujian Zhang & Yikun Su & Zezhou Wu, 2017. "Factors Affecting the Capital Cost of Prefabrication—A Case Study of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:9:p:1512-:d:109674
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1512/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1512/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sungmin Yun & Wooyong Jung, 2017. "Benchmarking Sustainability Practices Use throughout Industrial Construction Project Delivery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Wei Pan & Robert Sidwell, 2011. "Demystifying the cost barriers to offsite construction in the UK," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(11), pages 1081-1099.
    3. Lara Jaillon & C. S. Poon, 2008. "Sustainable construction aspects of using prefabrication in dense urban environment: a Hong Kong case study," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(9), pages 953-966.
    4. Wei Pan & Alistair Gibb & Andrew Dainty, 2007. "Perspectives of UK housebuilders on the use of offsite modern methods of construction," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 183-194.
    5. Bon-Gang Hwang & Ming Shan & Helena Phua & Seokho Chi, 2017. "An Exploratory Analysis of Risks in Green Residential Building Construction Projects: The Case of Singapore," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Nick Blismas & Christine Pasquire & Alistair Gibb, 2006. "Benefit evaluation for off-site production in construction," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 121-130.
    7. Nuri Cihat Onat & Murat Kucukvar & Anthony Halog & Scott Cloutier, 2017. "Systems Thinking for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment: A Review of Recent Developments, Applications, and Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-25, April.
    8. Queena K. Qian & Edwin H. W. Chan & Abd Ghani Khalid, 2015. "Challenges in Delivering Green Building Projects: Unearthing the Transaction Costs (TCs)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-22, March.
    9. Richard Hill & Paul Bowen, 1997. "Sustainable construction: principles and a framework for attainment," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 223-239.
    10. Yuanyan Gan & Liyin Shen & Jindao Chen & Vivian W. Y. Tam & Yongtao Tan & I. M. Chethana S. Illankoon, 2017. "Critical Factors Affecting the Quality of Industrialized Building System Projects in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, February.
    11. Albert Ping Chuen Chan & Amos Darko & Ernest Effah Ameyaw, 2017. "Strategies for Promoting Green Building Technologies Adoption in the Construction Industry—An International Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-18, June.
    12. Moon Gyu Kim & Chungwon Woo & Jae Jeung Rho & Yanghon Chung, 2016. "Environmental Capabilities of Suppliers for Green Supply Chain Management in Construction Projects: A Case Study in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Craig Langston & Weiwei Zhang, 2021. "DfMA: Towards an Integrated Strategy for a More Productive and Sustainable Construction Industry in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Bon-Gang Hwang & Ming Shan, 2018. "Management Strategies and Innovations: Important Roles to Sustainable Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-3, February.
    3. Weiping Jiang & Lirong Luo & Zezhou Wu & Jianbo Fei & Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari & Tao Yu, 2019. "An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Prefabrication Incentive Policies in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Zezhou Wu & Changhong Chen & Yuzhu Cai & Chen Lu & Hao Wang & Tao Yu, 2019. "BIM-Based Visualization Research in the Construction Industry: A Network Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    5. Hong Xue & Shoujian Zhang & Yikun Su & Zezhou Wu, 2018. "Capital Cost Optimization for Prefabrication: A Factor Analysis Evaluation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, January.
    6. Ke Zhang & Jiin-Song Tsai, 2021. "Identification of Critical Factors Influencing Prefabricated Construction Quality and Their Mutual Relationship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, October.
    7. Pei Dang & Zhanwen Niu & Shang Gao & Lei Hou & Guomin Zhang, 2020. "Critical Factors Influencing the Sustainable Construction Capability in Prefabrication of Chinese Construction Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-21, October.
    8. Seoyoung Jung & Seulki Lee & Jungho Yu, 2021. "Identification and Prioritization of Critical Success Factors for Off-Site Construction Using ISM and MICMAC Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Kaicheng Shen & Chen Cheng & Xiaodong Li & Zhihui Zhang, 2019. "Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis of Prefabricated Public Housing in Beijing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, January.
    10. Qianqian Shi & Jianbo Zhu & Marcel Hertogh & Zhaohan Sheng, 2018. "Incentive Mechanism of Prefabrication in Mega Projects with Reputational Concerns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.
    11. Zezhou Wu & Lirong Luo & Heng Li & Ying Wang & Guoqiang Bi & Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari, 2021. "An Analysis on Promoting Prefabrication Implementation in Construction Industry towards Sustainability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-21, October.
    12. Jingyuan Shi & Jiaqing Sun, 2023. "Prefabrication Implementation Potential Evaluation in Rural Housing Based on Entropy Weighted TOPSIS Model: A Case Study of Counties in Chongqing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    13. Shengxi Zhang & Zhongfu Li & Shengbin Ma & Long Li & Mengqi Yuan, 2022. "Critical Factors Influencing Interface Management of Prefabricated Building Projects: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, April.
    14. Ravijanya Chippagiri & Ana Bras & Deepak Sharma & Rahul V. Ralegaonkar, 2022. "Technological and Sustainable Perception on the Advancements of Prefabrication in Construction Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    15. Kangning Liu & Yikun Su & Shoujian Zhang, 2018. "Evaluating Supplier Management Maturity in Prefabricated Construction Project-Survey Analysis in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, August.
    16. Yikun Su & Hong Xue & Huakang Liang, 2019. "An Evaluation Model for Urban Comprehensive Carrying Capacity: An Empirical Case from Harbin City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-25, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hong Xue & Shoujian Zhang & Yikun Su & Zezhou Wu, 2018. "Capital Cost Optimization for Prefabrication: A Factor Analysis Evaluation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Pei Dang & Zhanwen Niu & Shang Gao & Lei Hou & Guomin Zhang, 2020. "Critical Factors Influencing the Sustainable Construction Capability in Prefabrication of Chinese Construction Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-21, October.
    3. Kaicheng Shen & Chen Cheng & Xiaodong Li & Zhihui Zhang, 2019. "Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis of Prefabricated Public Housing in Beijing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Alasdair Reid, 2023. "Closing the Affordable Housing Gap: Identifying the Barriers Hindering the Sustainable Design and Construction of Affordable Homes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-27, May.
    5. Yu, Sisi & Liu, Yanfeng & Wang, Dengjia & Bahaj, AbuBakr S. & Wu, Yue & Liu, Jiaping, 2021. "Review of thermal and environmental performance of prefabricated buildings: Implications to emission reductions in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    6. Yongsheng Jiang & Dong Zhao & Dedong Wang & Yudong Xing, 2019. "Sustainable Performance of Buildings through Modular Prefabrication in the Construction Phase: A Comparative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Lei Jiang & Zhongfu Li & Long Li & Tiankun Li & Yunli Gao, 2018. "A Framework of Industrialized Building Assessment in China Based on the Structural Equation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Lei Jiang & Zhongfu Li & Long Li & Yunli Gao, 2018. "Constraints on the Promotion of Prefabricated Construction in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1, July.
    9. Satheeskumar Navaratnam, 2022. "Selecting a Suitable Sustainable Construction Method for Australian High-Rise Building: A Multi-Criteria Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    10. Truong Dang Hoang Nhat Nguyen & Hyosoo Moon & Yonghan Ahn, 2022. "Critical Review of Trends in Modular Integrated Construction Research with a Focus on Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, September.
    11. Bon-Gang Hwang & Ming Shan, 2018. "Management Strategies and Innovations: Important Roles to Sustainable Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-3, February.
    12. Seoyoung Jung & Seulki Lee & Jungho Yu, 2021. "Identification and Prioritization of Critical Success Factors for Off-Site Construction Using ISM and MICMAC Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    13. Dandan He & Zhongfu Li & Chunlin Wu & Xin Ning, 2018. "An E-Commerce Platform for Industrialized Construction Procurement Based on BIM and Linked Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-21, July.
    14. Hala Sanboskani & Mounir El Asmar & Elie Azar, 2022. "Green Building Contractors 2025: Analyzing and Forecasting Green Building Contractors’ Market Trends in the US," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-23, July.
    15. Andrew Agapiou, 2021. "An Exploration of the Best Value Perceptions of Small Housebuilding Developers towards Offsite Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, April.
    16. Yanjie Wang & Fucheng Wang & Peidong Sang & Huanbin Song, 2021. "Analysing factors affecting developers’ behaviour towards the adoption of prefabricated buildings in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14245-14263, October.
    17. Imma Bortone & Hacer Sakar & Ana Soares, 2022. "Gaps in Regulation and Policies on the Application of Green Technologies at Household Level in the United Kingdom," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    18. Ayaz Ahmad Khan & Rongrong Yu & Tingting Liu & Ning Gu & James Walsh, 2023. "Volumetric Modular Construction Risks: A Comprehensive Review and Digital-Technology-Coupled Circular Mitigation Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-34, April.
    19. Yi Gao & Gaosheng Yang & Qiuhao Xie, 2020. "Spatial-Temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Green Building Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    20. Xiaer Xiahou & Jingfeng Yuan & Yan Liu & Yuchun Tang & Qiming Li, 2018. "Exploring the Driving Factors of Construction Industrialization Development in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:9:p:1512-:d:109674. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.