Lean Construction 4.0: Driving a Digital Revolution of Production Management in the AEC Industry

This book introduces and develops the novel concept of Lean Construction 4.0. The capability of Lean Construction to effectively adapt the architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) industry to this new era of digital transformation requires a reconceptualization of the triad people-processes-technology as a foundation for the theoretical and practical framework of Lean Construction. Therefore, a shift towards Lean Construction 4.0 is required.

Lean Construction 4.0 is a new systems-wide thinking approach where synergies and overlaps between Lean Construction and digital/smart technologies go far beyond BIM to reshape the way we design, manage, and operate capital projects in the modern age of automation. This pioneering new book brings together the views of world experts at the interface of Lean Construction and digital/smart technologies, in order to channel research efforts, to introduce and discuss current research and practice, challenges and drivers, and future perspectives of Lean Construction 4.0.

It is not the aim of the book to keep adding digits to the term ‘Lean Construction’ to ‘catch up’ with the industry revolutions as they go on. Instead, after reading this book, it will be undeniable for readers that the triad process-people-technology as proposed by Lean Construction 4.0 is required to achieve an effective, long-lasting digital transformation of the AEC industry. Thus, the aim of Lean Construction 4.0 is better explained by what it evokes: a future vision of construction systems comprising people, processes, and technology using Industry 4.0/5.0 as a basis for technological innovation in the AEC industry coupled with Lean Construction theory and practice as a jettison for improved processes and systems integration.

The Lean Construction 4.0 concept coined and developed in this edited book is unique and the chapters provide practitioners and academics with a provocative reflection on the theoretical and practical aspects that shape the Lean Construction 4.0 concept. More importantly, Lean Construction 4.0 proposes a rationale for the AEC industry not only to survive, but to thrive!

Vicente A. González is a Professor within the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Alberta, Canada. He holds a Construction Engineering (Hons) degree from the University of Valparaiso, Chile, and ME and PhD degrees from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Before joining the University of Alberta, Vicente was a faculty member at The University of Auckland (New Zealand) for over 12 years, where he currently holds an Honorary Academic position. His research interests are at the interface of Construction Engineering and Management and Computer Science, pioneering the Lean Construction 4.0 concept. He has secured USD 45+ million in research and teaching grants, and the largest corporate sponsorship in the history of the University of Auckland. Vicente is a prolific author, and member of editorial boards and international construction engineering and management organizations. He has supervised to completion over 100 undergraduate research projects, and Master and PhD theses over his career.

Farook Hamzeh, PhD, UC Berkeley, is a Lean Construction expert. His theoretical and applied research in the US, Canada, and the MENA region aim at improving the design and construction of projects. Farook is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. He was full time faculty at Colorado State University and at the American University of Beirut. He is an active member of the International Group of Lean Construction (IGLC) and has published heavily on Lean Construction and related topics. Farook has worked for more than seven years in the construction industry on several mega projects: the $1.7 Billion Cathedral Hill Hospital in San Francisco, the 333 m high Rose Rotana Hotel in Dubai, Losail motor-bike racetrack in Qatar, Olympic Tower in Qatar, Al-Amal Oncology Hospital in Qatar, Serail 1374 Building in downtown Beirut, and Sibline Cement factory second production line in Lebanon.

Luis Fernando Alarcón is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Production Management Center (GEPUC) at the Catholic University of Chile (PUC). He obtained his Engineering degree from PUC and a MEng, MS and a PhD from UC Berkeley. He has been actively involved in research on Lean Construction, risk modeling, and IT in construction. He is a founding member of the International Group for Lean Construction, a member of the Chilean Institute of Engineers, the Pan American Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Construction in the US.