Prioritization of Project Factors Affecting the Use of Modular Construction: Comparison Between the Perspectives of Industry and Literature

The attention of the construction industry and academic community has been remarkably directed towards modular construction methods during recent years. In fact, many efforts have examined and modeled the various project factors affecting the use of modular construction. However, no research work has been directed to study the alignment between research studies and the perception of industry experts. As such, this paper performs a comparison between industry and literature as related to the prioritization of project factors affecting the use of modular construction. To this end, this paper followed an interdependent methodology. First, to examine the current literature and research streams, a content analysis was conducted of peer-reviewed articles published in well-established journals. Based on the examined literature, 50 project factors affecting modular construction in the industry were identified. Second, to study the experts’ perceptions, a survey was developed to quantify the importance of these factors as related to the use of modular methods in construction projects. Based on 30 expert responses and 65 reviewed journal papers, statistical and quantitative comparative analysis was conducted to examine the alignment of the literature and industry as related to the modular construction factors. The statistical results showed significant difference between the literature and the industry perception on the importance of the 50 identified project factors affecting the use of modular construction. Ultimately, this paper adds to the body of knowledge by suggesting the need to have a better alignment between the industry needs and research efforts in relation to modular construction.