Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been extensively advocated in the construction industry for its potential to improve design efficiency and quality. However, its application continues to encounter considerable resistance from designers because BIM is less efficient than conventional 2D and 3D data formats in some design tasks. Consequently, a flexible approach that integrates BIM into existing workflows, instead of fully replacing traditional data formats, is believed to better enhance BIM application. Given this concern, this study conducts a questionnaire survey among Chinese designers to investigate the engineering information formats used in practice and to assess the potential and applicability of this flexible approach. Analysis of the survey responses using relevance analysis, logistic regression, and multiple correspondence analysis reveals that BIM is more frequently used for coordinating multi-disciplinary data in the later stages of project development than in early design phases. Conversely, conventional 2D and 3D formats are preferred for creating and comparing design alternatives during the concept and developed design stages. A practical application for BIM emerges in the technical design stage of prefabricated construction projects. These results suggest a promising approach for BIM application: allowing the use of conventional data format in the concept and developed design stages, integrating these designs into a shared BIM model in the technical design stage, and maintaining them in the BIM model thereafter. Besides offering an in-depth analysis of engineering information format utilization, this study offers practical strategies for contractors, policymakers, and BIM developers to extend BIM application and promotion.

The spread of COVID-19 has caused an increasing demand for public medical rooms, especially in Chinese rural regions. Industrialized building techniques have been shown as capable of fulfilling this demand through the case of the Leishenshan Hospital. However, industrialized construction requires developed technologies and infrastructures, which are often non-existent in rural areas, thus making it difficult to replicate such a feat. Therefore, more suitable solutions for Chinese rural project delivery in the pandemic scenario are needed. Considering the constraints of pandemic prevention and rural applicability, the adaptive industrialized construction (AIC) method has potential as an alternative. This study evaluates the application of AIC by comparing simulated results using AIC and a conventional method, based on five evaluation indicators: construction speed, labourer distribution, material consumption, equipment utilization, and cost. Taking an actual project as the sample building, the results indicate that the AIC method has several advantages. These include a shorter construction period, less labourer gathering onsite, and a lower cost, suggesting it may be an effective solution for rural project delivery during the pandemic. Architects and contractors could employ the same evaluation method to explore more solutions and optimize the construction schedule for future rapid construction needs in rural areas in a pandemic.