Knowledge-based decision support system for prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction

As prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) has gained considerable attention worldwide in the past few years, decision-making for implementing PPVC becomes critical. As a result, this study aims to (1) identify the key decision-making factors (DMFs) for the adoption of PPVC, (2) propose a scoring approach that can assess the feasibility of using PPVC for a given project, and (3) develop a Knowledge-Based Decision Support System for Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (KBDSS-PPVC) that can facilitate the decision-making for PPVC implementation. To achieve these goals, a comprehensive literature review and pilot interviews with industry experts were conducted first, followed by a structured questionnaire administered to 41 construction organizations in Singapore. Results of the questionnaire reported 19 DMFs of PPVC, which were then used to create the PPVC scoring approach. Subsequently, the KBDSS-PPVC was developed using the created PPVC scoring approach. Lastly, a panel of industry experts validated the developed KBDSS-PPVC, by utilizing the tool for their current construction projects. Validation results showed that the developed system could provide reliable recommendations for the industry practitioners on the decision-making of PPVC. Existing literature has seldom addressed the decision-making of PPVC, therefore, this study bridges the knowledge gap and contributes to the current body of knowledge. Furthermore, the developed KBDSS-PPVC would be useful to the industry practitioners as well, because it can help them achieve a better and easier decision-making of PPVC.