Construction is a resource-intensive industry where a circular economy (CE) is essential to minimize global impacts and conserve natural resources. A CE achieves long-term sustainability by enabling materials to circulate along the critical supply chains. Accordingly, recent research has proposed a paradigm shift towards CE-based sustainability. However, uncertainties caused by fluctuating raw material prices, scarce materials, increasing demand, consumers’ expectations, lack of proper waste infrastructure, and the use of wrong recycling technologies all lead to complexities in the construction industry (CI). This research paper aims to determine the enablers of a CE for sustainable development in the CI. The system dynamics (SD) approach is utilized for modeling and simulation purposes to address the associated process complexity. First, using content analysis of pertinent literature, ten enablers of a CE for sustainable development in CI were identified. Then, causality among these enablers was identified via interviews and questionnaire surveys, leading to the development of the causal loop diagram (CLD) using systems thinking. The CLD for the 10 shortlisted enablers shows five reinforcing loops and one balancing loop. Furthermore, the CLD was used to develop an SD model with two stocks: “Organizational Incentive Schemes” and “Policy Support.” An additional stock (“Sustainable Development”) was created to determine the combined effect of all stocks. The model was simulated for five years. The findings show that policy support and organizational incentive schemes, among other enablers, are critical in implementing a CE for sustainable development in CI. The outcomes of this study can help CI practitioners to implement a CE in a way that drives innovation, boosts economic growth, and improves competitiveness.

Prefabricated house-building companies, as suppliers or supply chains, which use manufacturing as a business approach towards industrialization, struggle to implement principles and optimal practices driven from well-established and validated theories in operational research. Supply chain management has a mature body of knowledge that has been widely adopted by research on offsite construction to improve its performance at an organisational level. However, there is no comprehensive review available in the literature for supply chain management theory within prefabricated house building research from the perspective of suppliers. In this study, a systematic review was conducted on the available literature on supply chain management within prefabricated house-building research. Initially, qualitative analysis was performed to identify the key themes. Later, quantitative analyses were applied to validate the overlapping themes and keywords. Further, key trends related to focus, methods and theories or frameworks were reported. The findings were discussed in the context of recent developments in all principal component bodies of supply chain management for future work. This study also provides a brief guide for potential future review studies to explore interdisciplinary intervention within the offsite stream.

This study addressed the complexity involved in integrating the causative risk factors influencing construction profitability. Most of the existing studies cover the individual effects of profitability influencing factors. Very few focus on the systematic impact without incorporating the complexity and associated dynamics, presenting a gap targeted by the current study. The current study aimed to assess causative interrelations and interdependencies between profitability influencing risk factors (PIRF), through systems thinking (ST) and system dynamics (SD) modeling. The SD approach was used to evaluate the integrated impacts on profitability-influencing risk categories (PIRC) in construction projects. The causative influencing factors affecting construction profitability were identified through a comprehensive literature review. These were ranked using content analysis, and categorized into significant issues. Through 250 structured surveys and 15 expert opinion meetings, the path for quantitative and qualitative evaluations was prepared. Following these investigations, a causal loop diagram (CLD) was established using the ST technique, and the integrated effect was quantified using SD modeling. The study finds the rising cost of material, supply chain process, payment issues, planning and scheduling problems, financial difficulties, and effective control of manpower and equipment resources as the most critical PIRFs. The integrated effects of PIRFs on PIRC were quantified using SD modeling. This study helps field professionals with profitability-influencing factors, diagnosing issues, and integrating impacts regarding decision-making and policy formulation. For researchers, it presents a list of factors that can be investigated in detail, and the holistic interrelationships established.

Mixed Reality (MR) that combines elements of both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has great potential for use in the construction industry. However, its usage in construction projects in developing countries has not been widely researched. This study aims to examine the major drivers of, and barriers to, the adoption of MR technologies (MRTs) in the construction sector of developing countries. A mixed methodology that included both qualitative and quantitative data analysis was used. The literature review revealed 37 barriers to, and 41 drivers of, MR adoption. A questionnaire was then distributed to 220 randomly selected respondents from the pertinent construction industry, representing all major stakeholders. The relative importance index (RII) was used to rank the barriers and drivers in terms of significance. The results showed that the primary barriers to MR adoption are the high cost of initial investment, public perception of the technology being immature, limited demand, and difficulty accessing relevant experts’ knowledge. The key drivers of MR adoption include improved project knowledge, reduced overall project costs, low-cost and realistic training scenarios, reduced damage and development costs, and enhanced user experience. These findings provide insights into the major barriers and drivers of MR in the construction sector of developing countries and will help pertinent companies to focus their research and development (R&D) efforts on overcoming these barriers and promote their adoption to move towards the much sought-after construction automation and digitalization.

Due to the increased globalization and the disruptions caused by pandemics, supply chains (SCs) are becoming more complex in all industries. Such increased complexities of the SCs bring in more risks. The construction industry is no exception; its SC has been disrupted in line with its industrial counterparts. Therefore, it is important to manage the complexities in integrating SC risks and resilient capabilities (RCs) to enable a resilient SC in construction. This study investigated the complexity involved in the dynamics of effects between organizations’ SC risks and RCs to overcome disruptive events. Past researchers investigated how to improve the performance of construction projects, regardless of the complexities and interdependencies associated with the risks across the entire SC. However, the system dynamics (SD) approach to describe the diversity of construction SCs under risks has received limited attention indicating a research gap pursued by this study. This work aimed to analyze and establish interconnectivity and functionality amongst the construction SC risks and RCs using systems thinking (ST) and SD modeling approach. The SD technique is used to assess the complexity and integrated effect of SC risks on construction projects to enhance their resilience. The risks and RCs were identified by critically scrutinizing the literature and were then ranked through content analysis. Questionnaire surveys and expert opinions (involving 10 experts) helped develop causal loop diagrams (CLDs) and SD models with simulations to assess complexity qualitatively and quantitatively within the system. Research reveals that construction organizations are more vulnerable to health pandemics, budget overruns, poor information coordination, insufficient management oversight, and error visibility to stakeholders. Further, the most effective RCs include assets visibility, collaborative information exchange, business intelligence gatherings, alternative suppliers, and inventory management systems. This research helps industry practitioners identify and plan for various risks and RCs within their organizations and SCs. Furthermore, it helps understand trade-offs between suitable RCs to abate essential risks and develop preparedness against disruptions to improve organizational policymaking, project efficiency, and performance.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is recognized as one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The pace of implementation of BIM in AEC has increased during the past decade with an enhanced focus on sustainable construction. However, BIM implementation lags its potential because of several factors such as readiness issues, lack of previous experience in BIM, and lack of market demand for BIM. To evaluate and solve these issues, understanding the current BIM implementation in construction organizations is required. Motivated by this need, the main objective of this study is to propose a tool for the measurement of BIM implementation levels within an organization. Various sets of indexes are developed based on their pertinent Critical Success Factors (CSFs). A detailed literature review followed by a questionnaire survey involving 99 respondents is conducted, and results are analyzed to formulate a BIMp-Chart to calculate and visualize the BIM implementation level of an organization. Subsequently, the applicability of the BIMp-Chart is assessed by comparing and analyzing datasets of four organizations from different regions, including Qatar, Portugal, and Egypt, and a multinational organization to develop a global measurement tool. Through measuring and comparing BIM implementation levels, the BIMp-Chart can help the practitioners identify the implementation areas in an organization for proper BIM implementation. This study helps understand the fundamental elements of BIM implementation and provides a decision support system for construction organizations to devise proper strategies for the effectual management of the BIM implementation process.