Developing a Logistic Chain-Enabled BIM System for Material Management in Modular Construction

Although modular construction has become increasingly popular worldwide due to its advantages of offsite production, most construction managers are still inexperienced with such projects compared with onsite construction project management. To facilitate modular construction management, various Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms have been developed to provide better information visibility and a more collaborative working environment. Nevertheless, such existing platforms have typical shortcomings such as not being able to trace single components and significant work time lost in material missing and locating. This study presents a new logistic chain-enabled BIM system that is designed with a three-layer framework: a material packaging layer, an inventory management layer, and a material locating layer. The logistic chain-enabled framework allows any material modules of a modular construction project to be tracked on route, inventoried in a material management system, and visualized in the BIM model with a barcode scanner prior to installation. This paper provides significant insight on improving modular construction practices by developing a practical logistic chain-enabled BIM system.