Offsite construction has been recognised as a promising solution for the low-productivity issue faced by the construction industry. Most onsite construction tasks can be completed in the factory enabling a more controllable construction schedule. However, an efficient implementation of offsite construction requires strong integration and collaboration during the project life cycle. Innovative technologies can fulfil the efficiency demand of offsite construction. One of the technologies is Augmented Reality (AR). AR has been widely applied to the manufacturing industry. However, there is a limited investigation on the utilisation of AR in offsite construction. This paper aims to bridge the gap by analysing AR’s suitability for offsite construction tasks. The suitability study followed the task-technology fit model to identify the offsite construction task characteristics and AR’s characteristics. AR solutions were proposed if the AR’s characteristics fit the critical information required by the task. This paper finds that AR can fit six offsite construction tasks, including design for assembly, production, manufacturing inspection, readiness check, lifting and installation, and assembly inspection. AR is suitable for these tasks due to the characteristics of 3D rendering and interactive virtual content. This paper contributes to the productivity improvement of the offsite construction industry by guiding the AR’s implementation in offsite construction. Future research can develop a suitable AR application and evaluate its performance.

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Augmented Reality for Offsite Construction: A Suitability Study

  • Zhidong Xu,
  • Zhenan Feng,
  • Mostafa Babaeian Jelodar,
  • Brian H. W. Guo

摘要

Offsite construction has been recognised as a promising solution for the low-productivity issue faced by the construction industry. Most onsite construction tasks can be completed in the factory enabling a more controllable construction schedule. However, an efficient implementation of offsite construction requires strong integration and collaboration during the project life cycle. Innovative technologies can fulfil the efficiency demand of offsite construction. One of the technologies is Augmented Reality (AR). AR has been widely applied to the manufacturing industry. However, there is a limited investigation on the utilisation of AR in offsite construction. This paper aims to bridge the gap by analysing AR’s suitability for offsite construction tasks. The suitability study followed the task-technology fit model to identify the offsite construction task characteristics and AR’s characteristics. AR solutions were proposed if the AR’s characteristics fit the critical information required by the task. This paper finds that AR can fit six offsite construction tasks, including design for assembly, production, manufacturing inspection, readiness check, lifting and installation, and assembly inspection. AR is suitable for these tasks due to the characteristics of 3D rendering and interactive virtual content. This paper contributes to the productivity improvement of the offsite construction industry by guiding the AR’s implementation in offsite construction. Future research can develop a suitable AR application and evaluate its performance.