Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects

The industrialisation of construction has been the subject of numerous studies that aim to enhance efficiency, sustainability and quality in this sector. The existing systems for measuring the level of industrialisation in building projects involve qualitative approaches such as classifications by l...

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Main Authors: Guillermo Sotorrío Ortega, Alfonso Cobo Escamilla, José A. Tenorio Ríos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Results in Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025023552
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author Guillermo Sotorrío Ortega
Alfonso Cobo Escamilla
José A. Tenorio Ríos
author_facet Guillermo Sotorrío Ortega
Alfonso Cobo Escamilla
José A. Tenorio Ríos
author_sort Guillermo Sotorrío Ortega
collection DOAJ
description The industrialisation of construction has been the subject of numerous studies that aim to enhance efficiency, sustainability and quality in this sector. The existing systems for measuring the level of industrialisation in building projects involve qualitative approaches such as classifications by levels, or quantitative ones based on cost sharing. These models, however, are usually static and do not take into consideration the influence of each work unit within the project, which reduces its applicability in specific contexts. This study develops a quantitative and adaptable methodology for evaluating an industrialisation level index in construction projects, taking into account key factors such as the proportion of the work completed in the factory and on site, the economic importance of each work unit and its contribution to the overall sustainability of the project. The proposed model makes it possible to distinguish the true impact of industrialisation more accurately, avoiding the limitations of generalised approaches. The methodology enables industrialised solutions to be integrated more accurately into rehabilitation projects and new builds, providing an objective tool for strategic decision-making in construction. The system proposed improves on the existing models by offering a dynamic and adaptable evaluation, adjusting the industrialisation rate of each work unit according to its importance within the project. The methodology represents a significant improvement in the measurement of industrialisation in construction, providing a more accurate reference framework for optimising building processes. The Industrialisation Level Index (ILI) ranged from 0.05 to 0.80 across 14 test cases, demonstrating its ability to capture a wide variety of industrialisation levels. The tool supports strategic decisions in selecting industrialised construction systems for cost and time efficiency.
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spelling doaj-art-c7ee64bd4e0546de97d0b24bc6b7e4bc2025-08-20T03:51:29ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-09-012710628310.1016/j.rineng.2025.106283Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projectsGuillermo Sotorrío Ortega0Alfonso Cobo Escamilla1José A. Tenorio Ríos2Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain; Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja (IETcc), CSIC, Madrid 28033, Spain; Corresponding authors.Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain; Corresponding authors.Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja (IETcc), CSIC, Madrid 28033, Spain; Corresponding authors.The industrialisation of construction has been the subject of numerous studies that aim to enhance efficiency, sustainability and quality in this sector. The existing systems for measuring the level of industrialisation in building projects involve qualitative approaches such as classifications by levels, or quantitative ones based on cost sharing. These models, however, are usually static and do not take into consideration the influence of each work unit within the project, which reduces its applicability in specific contexts. This study develops a quantitative and adaptable methodology for evaluating an industrialisation level index in construction projects, taking into account key factors such as the proportion of the work completed in the factory and on site, the economic importance of each work unit and its contribution to the overall sustainability of the project. The proposed model makes it possible to distinguish the true impact of industrialisation more accurately, avoiding the limitations of generalised approaches. The methodology enables industrialised solutions to be integrated more accurately into rehabilitation projects and new builds, providing an objective tool for strategic decision-making in construction. The system proposed improves on the existing models by offering a dynamic and adaptable evaluation, adjusting the industrialisation rate of each work unit according to its importance within the project. The methodology represents a significant improvement in the measurement of industrialisation in construction, providing a more accurate reference framework for optimising building processes. The Industrialisation Level Index (ILI) ranged from 0.05 to 0.80 across 14 test cases, demonstrating its ability to capture a wide variety of industrialisation levels. The tool supports strategic decisions in selecting industrialised construction systems for cost and time efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025023552Industrialised constructionSustainabilityPrefabricationIndustrialisation level index
spellingShingle Guillermo Sotorrío Ortega
Alfonso Cobo Escamilla
José A. Tenorio Ríos
Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
Results in Engineering
Industrialised construction
Sustainability
Prefabrication
Industrialisation level index
title Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
title_full Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
title_fullStr Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
title_full_unstemmed Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
title_short Proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
title_sort proposing a quantitative index to measure the industrialisation level of building projects
topic Industrialised construction
Sustainability
Prefabrication
Industrialisation level index
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025023552
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