Keywords

1 Introduction

Since the implementation of the Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Vigorously Developing Prefabricated Buildings, the industrialization of new buildings represented by prefabricated buildings has been promoted rapidly, playing an increasingly important role in promoting energy conservation and emission reduction in the construction industry, improving resource utilization efficiency, and achieving sustainable social development [1]. It is an inevitable trend and top priority for the future development of the construction industry. Intelligent construction is an important means of industrialization in new construction, which can realize the whole process, of prefabricated buildings, comprehensive informatization, integration, digitization, and intelligent management, and set the structure, system, application, management and optimization combination as one, with the comprehensive wisdom of perception, transmission, memory, reasoning, judgment and decision-making, reshaping the value chain and supply chain system of the construction industry [2]. The current research on prefabricated buildings in China mainly focuses on the cost-effectiveness, quality, and industrial chain of prefabricated buildings, and rarely uses information means to comprehensively consider the intelligent construction of the whole process of prefabricated building design, processing, transportation, lifting and operation and maintenance [3]. Due to the lack of standards for the classification of informatization, digitization, and intelligence levels in prefabricated buildings, it is impossible to accurately estimate the level of contractors' intelligent manufacturing capabilities in prefabricated buildings [4]. Overly pursuing high-tech intelligence, digitization, and information technology may result in unsatisfactory manufacturing and construction results [5]. How to scientifically and accurately estimate the intelligent construction level of contractors throughout the entire process of intelligent buildings, so as to promote the intelligent construction ability of prefabricated buildings, has become one of the important research directions.

2 Basic Framework of Maturity Model

At present, enterprise organization/project maturity models mainly include two types: two-dimensional structure and three-dimensional structure. The two-dimensional maturity model represented by CMM includes two aspects: maturity level and maturity elements. The maturity model represented by OPM3 not only includes maturity level and project management domain process, but also adds project organization management level. In the intelligent construction management of prefabricated buildings throughout the entire process, in addition to maturity levels and project management process areas, it is also necessary to add dimensions for the entire process management of prefabricated buildings. Therefore, this study adopts the OPM three-dimensional maturity model structure. The maturity model for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings includes three dimensions, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.
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The Maturity Model Structure of Intelligent Construction Management for the Whole Process of Prefabricated Buildings

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2.1 Dimension of the Entire Project Process

The maturity model of intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings runs through the four stages of design, production, hoisting, and operation and maintenance [6]. Through intelligent construction management throughout the entire process, relevant data is obtained, collected, analyzed, and integrated for each stage of prefabricated buildings, in order to promote the reasonable connection of work in each stage of prefabricated buildings and improve the efficiency of project management in prefabricated buildings.

2.2 Maturity Level Dimension

The whole process of intelligent construction management maturity of prefabricated buildings is divided into four levels: initial level, normative level, optimization level and continuous improvement level, which are continuously upgraded and optimized in order from low to high, and different levels of maturity have their own characteristics. The initial level has basic intelligent construction application conditions, including intelligent construction application environment, management system, and technical support. At the standard level, it has been standardized, and has been significantly improved in the quantitative application of prefabricated whole process intelligent construction. In the optimization level, the whole process of intelligent construction management of prefabricated buildings is quantitatively analyzed, and the standard quantitative evaluation system is used to describe it. Continuous improvement level can improve the intelligent construction management capability of prefabricated buildings throughout the entire process through continuous optimization and improvement, and bring significant long-term economic benefits.

2.3 Dimension of Intelligent Construction Application

With the whole process of prefabricated buildings as the main line, the intelligent construction management of the whole process of prefabricated buildings is realized through the comprehensive application of information technology such as BIM and big data. During the design phase, BIM technology is used for integrated design, such as collaborative design, intelligent splitting, automatic drawing, etc. In the production stage, intelligent manufacturing technology is used for component processing, and Internet of Things technology is used for transportation management. During the lifting phase, construction simulation, detailed design, collaborative management, progress, cost, quality, safety management and so on will be carried out. In the operation and maintenance stage, the Internet of Things technology and BIM technology are used for spatial positioning management and maintenance management.

3 Maturity Evaluation System

3.1 Maturity Evaluation Index

Based on the aforementioned maturity model structure of the whole process intelligent construction management of prefabricated buildings, evaluation indexes should be analyzed and selected from the aspects of the whole process management of prefabricated buildings and the application of intelligent construction. In this study, the application of intelligent construction technology is matched with the requirements of prefabricated buildings, and evaluation indexes are selected from four aspects: integrated design, intelligent construction of components, hoisting construction and operation and maintenance management. According to this, the previous research literature was retrieved and sorted out, the relevant research results were summarized, and the evaluation index system as shown in Fig. 2 was constructed.

Fig. 2.
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Maturity evaluation indicators for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings

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(1) Integrated design. Utilizing the integration characteristics of multi-specialty systems in prefabricated buildings and the advantages of BIM technology in information integration, integrated design is carried out to achieve the goal of information exchange and sharing among various specialties, entire processes, and participating departments, and to complete scheme design, construction drawing design, collaborative design, and deepening design [7]. The focus of intelligent manufacturing in this stage mainly includes using 3D modeling to improve component performance and design accuracy, realizing the practical display of steel reinforcement arrangement, using BIM technology to scientifically set the associated parameters and global parameters for embedded component layout, splitting each component using a 3D model, using collision detection to avoid conflicts between different components, collaborative design management between different disciplines and within disciplines.

(2) Production and transportation. In the process of production, processing and transportation of prefabricated building components, intelligent technologies such as machine learning, big data, Internet of Things, and cloud computing are integrated to achieve full automation and intelligent flow of production and transportation of prefabricated building components. The intelligent production and processing of prefabricated components can be realized by automatically identifying and extracting component information with computer-assisted manufacturing and BIM technical information. Utilizing the Internet of Things and the Beidou positioning system to form prefabricated component QR codes and RFID cards, achieving intelligent transportation management [8]. Connect the information of the buyer, the producer and the carrier, and establish an integrated information management system of procurement, production and transportation.

(3) Lifting management. Hoisting management is a link in the construction of prefabricated buildings. In this stage, BIM technology is mainly used to optimize the management of the construction cost, schedule, quality and safety of prefabricated buildings, and improve the efficiency of construction management. According to the “China Construction Industry Information Development Report”, BIM application scope and content of construction enterprises are described, which are summarized in nine aspects: 3D visualization, quality, schedule, cost, safety and civilization, technology, materials, general contracting collaboration and data management.

(4) Operation and maintenance management. In order to improve the operational efficiency of prefabricated buildings, the operation and maintenance stage after the completion of the prefabricated building mainly utilizes BIM technology and Internet of Things technology to conduct spatial positioning and maintenance management of the construction equipment. Under the background of “dual carbon”, higher requirements have been put forward for building operation. BIM technology is used to collect, analyze, and monitor energy consumption data of buildings in order to better grasp the energy consumption of equipment in different parts.

3.2 Maturity Level Assessment

In this paper, a score interval is adopted to evaluate the maturity level, and a certain score interval is given for each maturity level. By referring to relevant literature, research results and consulting expert opinions, it is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Maturity level evaluation interval.
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3.3 Maturity Evaluation Weight

At present, the weight calculation methods of indicators mainly include Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Sequential Relationship Method, Entropy Value Method, Direct Weighting Method, etc. The objective weighting method represented by Entropy Value Method requires a large number of original data variables, while the maturity evaluation indicators summarized in this paper are mostly qualitative evaluation indicators, and the direct weighting method needs to be used to calculate weights. Both Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Sequential Relationship Method (SRM) use evaluators to judge the relative importance relationships between different indicators, and calculate weights through the isogeneity of the relative importance of indicators. However, the judgment of the relative importance of indicators is difficult to grasp accurately, and in engineering practice, direct weighting methods are more commonly used.

Optimization is carried out as follows: (1) According to the index system shown in Fig. 2, experts are invited to score weights, including four first-level indicators of integrated design, production and transportation, lifting management and operation and maintenance management, and their respective second-level indicators are at a total of 5 levels. (2) Weights xi are given according to the traditional expert scoring method for the above 5 levels. (3) The mean weight of the i-th index is calculated as \({\overline{\text{x}}}\) i, and obtain xi corresponding to min \(|{\text{x}}_{\text{i}} - {\overline{\text{x}}}|\) as the final weight. This method eliminates the extreme subjective opinions of experts, and selects the weight that most people agree with as the final result.

When using the above method to prepare and distribute a survey questionnaire, considering the strong professionalism of prefabricated buildings, in order to ensure the scientific and reasonable results of the survey, it is recommended to select personnel who are very familiar with the management of prefabricated building projects as the survey subjects. This article focuses on personnel engaged in the design, production, construction, operation and maintenance of prefabricated buildings, as well as related scientific research consulting. A total of 142 survey questionnaires were distributed, and 119 questionnaires were collected, of which 115 were valid. The final weight results of the maturity evaluation indicators for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Weights of maturity evaluation indicators for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings.
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3.4 Maturity Evaluation Criteria

By consulting relevant literature and consulting expert opinions, and referring to policy documents and normative standards related to prefabricated and BIM technology, maturity level evaluation standards corresponding to each maturity evaluation index have been developed. As shown in Table 3. After obtaining the corresponding score based on the maturity evaluation index standard, combined with the weight, the corresponding level of maturity for intelligent construction management in the entire process of prefabricated buildings can be calculated, and key improvements can be made for weak links.

The whole process of intelligent construction management maturity of prefabricated buildings constructed in this paper is divided into four levels: initial level, standard level, optimization level and continuous improvement level. By consulting relevant literature and expert opinions, and referring to the policy documents and specifications related to assembly and BIM technology, the maturity level evaluation standard corresponding to each maturity evaluation index is developed. See Table 3. After the index score is obtained according to the maturity evaluation index standard, the corresponding level of intelligent construction management maturity of the whole process of prefabricated buildings can be calculated by combining the weight, and the key improvement is made for the weak links.

Table 3. Maturity evaluation criteria for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings
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4 Conclusion

In recent years, the country has vigorously promoted prefabricated building projects in order to achieve significant results in energy conservation and emission reduction in the construction industry. With the support of relevant policies, prefabricated buildings have good market prospects. In the context of new building industrialization, this paper integrates intelligent construction into prefabricated buildings, studies and constructs a maturity model for the entire process intelligent construction management of prefabricated buildings, and explores and analyzes the structure, maturity level, and maturity evaluation of the maturity model for the entire process intelligent construction management of prefabricated buildings. A maturity model for intelligent construction management throughout the entire process of prefabricated buildings was designed from three dimensions: process management, maturity level, and intelligent construction application. The entire process includes four stages of design, production, hoisting, and operation and maintenance of prefabricated buildings. Maturity levels from low to high are initial level, specification level, optimization level and continuous improvement level. The application of intelligent construction includes four aspects: integrated design, component production, lifting construction and operation and maintenance management. Based on this, 21 maturity evaluation indicators have been refined, and evaluation standards for each maturity evaluation indicator have been developed.