Many countries and regions consider off-site construction a modern construction method that facilitates sustainability in the construction industry. Sustainability research in off-site construction (SROSC) is crucial for its development and is a nonnegligible part of its management. However, an in-depth understanding and critical analysis of SROSC to summarize recent research and inform future research directions are lacking. In this study, we address this issue by offering a mixed-review method integrating scientometric analysis and systematic review to explore state-of-the-art SROSC. We aim to uncover sustainability themes and topics, distinguish research trends, and identify gaps in knowledge that can be addressed in future research. Scientometric analysis was used to perform statistical analysis and visual map research on the knowledge landscape formed by 272 related studies of SROSC. The systematic review was used to identify and analyze six major knowledge themes (e.g., environmental, economic, social, decision-making, optimization, and industry management) and 21 knowledge topics for SROSC. We proposed possible future research directions based on the resulting structured body of knowledge. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by visualizing and analyzing the state-of-the-art of SROSC, as well as identifying the future research directions in this area to improve architectural, engineering, and construction practices.

Recently, interface management has been regarded as the key to the success of prefabricated building projects (PBPs) due to its capabilities to manage numerous interfaces caused by PBPs’ inherent geographical and organizational fragmentation. However, the factors influencing the interface management of PBPs are largely unknown and poorly studied. To compensate for this gap, this study aimed to investigate the critical factors influencing interface management in PBPs with quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty-seven critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were identified through a literature review, questionnaire survey, and face-to-face interviews with professionals in the construction industry. A questionnaire survey was sent out to developers, designers, manufacturers, contractors, and consultants in China, and 66 completed questionnaires were received. Results showed the top five critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were (1) accuracy of design, (2) timeliness of information communication, (3) timeliness of component production and supply, (4) standardization of design, and (5) definition of work content and scope. The 27 influencing factors of PBPs were further categorized into seven groups via exploratory factor analysis, namely: (1) information communication, (2) trust and cooperation, (3) technical and management capability, (4) organizational integration, (5) standardization, (6) technical environment, and (7) contractual management. Improving these issues will contribute to the successful implementation of PBPs. Finally, combined with relevant literature and expert interviews, the impact of these seven clusters on the interface management of PBPs was discussed. The findings may contribute to deepening the understanding of interface management, reducing unnecessary conflicts and difficulties, and promoting the sustainable development of prefabricated building (PB).

Building information modeling (BIM) and prefabricated construction (PC) are increasingly applied in the construction industry. Recent academic and industrial efforts indicated that the application of BIM and PC is a solution to reduce lifecycle costs, reduce waste, increase productivity and improve quality in construction. Although previous studies have advanced the integration of BIM and PC, extensive research scope and scattered research topics cannot form an overall picture of knowledge structure. Hence, this study aims to establish an up-to-date synthesis of the latest research on BIM for PC and identify the research gaps and future needs. First, a database with 103 journal articles on BIM for PC was established through data collection; second, a bibliometric analysis was applied to determine the top journals, articles and to map the latest mainstream research. Last, a qualitative analysis was used to determine the mainstream research areas and identify the research gaps and future needs. This study may contribute to enrich our body of knowledge on the use of the techniques in conjunction, help researchers and builders to understand the latest progress of BIM for PC research in timely fashion, and promote the integration of BIM with PC and other cutting-edge technologies moving forward.