Advancing Smart and Sustainable Construction: Unveiling Barriers to Precast Concrete Adoption in the U.S. Building

McWhorter School of Building Science, Auburn University, M. Miller Gorrie Centre, 270 W Samford Ave, Auburn, AL 36849, USA

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Abstract

Offsite construction is a smart and sustainable construction method across the United States due to its inherent advantages, such as reduction in direct and indirect costs, fast erection, superior durability, tighter control over quality, reduced construction waste, less environmental impact, better standardization, and modularization of various components. One of the fundamental forms of off-site construction is precast concrete, which has mostly been used for parking garages, student housing, building facades, and utility works. Despite various benefits, its market share in the overall U.S. construction industry was just 3.56% in 2023. Therefore, there is a need to identify the reasons for such a low implementation rate despite all mentioned benefits. This research study identified the critical barriers that limit architects, engineers, and contractors from adopting precast concrete construction methods. The study employed a mixed-methods research design and was divided into three phases. The first phase involved an extensive literature review and preliminary interviews with contractors, architects, engineers, contractors, and precast manufacturers. In Phase II, interview data was analyzed, and a survey was created to gather feedback from a larger group of experts. A total of 54 experts filled out the survey. The top three barriers identified through the survey were the lack of education among experts, lack of communication among project stakeholders, and slow technology adoption. In Phase III, a preliminary framework was proposed to overcome the barriers identified. The framework aims to address key issues for the advancement of the precast industry.