A systematic review of lean construction in Mainland China. (1st June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Shuquan; Fang, Yanqing; Wu, Xiuyu
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 257(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06-01
• Subjects: Lean construction -- Systematic review -- Sustainability -- Building information modeling -- Building industrialization -- Mainland China; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: In Mainland China, the building industry is one of the highest energy-consuming and most highly polluting sectors. Lean construction is famous for eliminating non-value-added activities and striving to increase value delivery during the construction process, and it is considered to have immense potential to facilitate the effective use of resources. As a result, lean construction has attracted increasing attention in Mainland China. To answer key questions—namely "What are the characteristics, influence factors, and application status of lean construction in Mainland China?" and "What are the contributions of and gaps in lean construction in Mainland China?"—this study used a five-step systematic research method to review the lean construction literature. Content analysis was conducted on four topic clusters: lean construction theory and application, lean construction research areas, lean construction influence factors, and an effect evaluation of lean construction in Mainland China. This study contributes to the body of literature on lean construction knowledge and its practical application, representing the first attempt to enact a systematic review to enable understanding of the achieved targets of lean construction in Mainland China, and it concludes that lean construction is in a stage of rapid development in Mainland China. The evolutionary characteristics of the theory and practical application of lean construction in Mainland China were clarified, and the status of lean construction research areas, including sustainability, building information modeling, supply chain management, construction industrialization, and safety management, was illustrated. In addition, it addresses some issues that have not been reviewed clearly in the past, such as the factors that influence lean construction in Mainland China and the effect of lean construction in Mainland China. Finally, this review proposes a framework that links current research areas to future research directions.