TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
1.1. BRIEF BACKGROUND---------------------------------------------------------- 2
1.2. AIM---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
1.3. OBJECTIVES---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
1.4. MOTIVATION--------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
1.5. METHODOLOGY----------------------------------------------------------------- 5
1.6. THESIS STRUCTURE---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
REFERENCES----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CONVENTIONAL AND MODERN
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES IN PAKISTAN
1-INTRODUCTION
1.1-BRIEF BACKGROUND:
The construction industry in Pakistan is a key part of the country's economy and building
necessary infrastructure. However, traditional construction methods face problems such as
inefficiency of labor, material waste, long project times, and environmental harm like less green
buildings or more energy consumption, heat generation etc. Pakistan’s construction sector needs
to improve to meet modern challenges while also focusing on sustainability. With the increasing
demand for housing and infrastructure, it has become obvious that the uptake of modern
manufacturing technologies in the construction sector is increasing rapidly. Where the number of
companies that provide advanced manufacturing services is increasing worldwide in response to
the evolving market demand (Al-Rashid et al., 2020).
The combination of physical and digital technology in manufacturing has transformed and
improved the manufacturing processes called Industry 4.0 (Pereira and Romero, 2017) is quickly
transforming the construction sector through the most advanced proposals like implementing the
technological solutions to automate construction processes and improve the supply chain of
construction material according to market demand. Traditional construction has been changing
and is replacing by the modern methods of construction in the current context such as modular
construction and pre-fabrication (Saad et al. 2023).
To depict innovations in construction industry, the broad concept of modern methods of
construction has been used for the first time by the government of the United Kingdom (UK). A
range of technologies makes modern methods of construction majorly consisting of off-site
construction methods which move work to the manufacturing site (Sánchez-Garrido et al.,
2023). This includes integrated modular construction, panelized systems, pre-assembly, pre-
fabrication, offsite manufacturing, industrialized construction, and numerous on-site and hybrid
construction methods. All these methods refer to the manufacturing of building components off-
site and then transporting the modules to the site, except hybrid construction. The hybrid method
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combines different types of construction such as typical on-site and modern methods of off-site
construction techniques such as modular or prefabricated elements.
The demand for automation has been increased due to the challenges raised by the 2019
pandemic which disrupted labor and supply chain. This fast transformation highlighted the
significance of prompt automated processes. Industrialization of construction processes enables
inclusion of automation to achieve the goals’ deadline and efficiency such as saving material,
cost, time and labor. The specialization and professionalization of construction representative
can be made sure through this approach for making higher quality standards.
The development of a fully automated construction process is very much popular nowadays.
Through using digital and robotic manufacturing methods, full-scale structures and houses have
been building all over the world by numerous companies and institutions. In the facilities of the
Dutch company Vertico the 3D prints were conducted. The ABB 6640 robotic manufacturing
arm, mounted on a 6-m track, was used for the prints (Alabbasi, Agkathidis, and Chen, 2023).
The use of cement-based materials due to comparatively high productiveness and structural
efficiency effects this competition to a great extent.
Over recent decades, cement and concrete products’ development has become advanced, while
other natural materials for sustainability receive a considerably less attention. Alone cement
contributing in 5-8% of CO2 emission out of 40% of global energy use and emissions in the
construction industries raises concerns (Sánchez-Garrido et al., 2023). Due to climate changes
which caused wildfires, floods and droughts made the issues related to greenhouse gas emissions
vital for humanities’ survival. A dire need of the rapid solution may provide cost and time for
the projects and CO2 emissions reduction that would be advantageous for environment
(Maqbool et al., 2023).
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1.2-AIM:
The aim of the study is the comparative analysis of conventional and modern methods of
construction. To achieve this aim, two objectives were developed.
1.3-OBJECTIVE:
• A comparative study of conventional and modern construction techniques in local and
international context.
• A compar.
1.4-MOTIVATION:
The construction industry is one of the most growing sectors in Pakistan, and it faces many
challenges, such as inefficient outcomes, safety risks, inconsistent quality, and environmental
harm because of the traditional materials. The typical methods usually cause project delays, cost
overruns and many other problems related to labor.
Automation in construction industry offers required to meet the local industry need by
decreasing Greenhouse gas emissions, Project duration and cost. Automated technologies are
known to make construction processes smoother, more efficient and cost-effective in countries
like Japan, USA, and the parts of Europe, including robotics, drones, AI-based project
management systems but we will be focusing on the 3D printing or what can be called (3D
Construction Printing).
As Pakistan’s population is growing rapidly, the need for new houses, commercial spaces
and infrastructure has also increased. And the typical methods cannot meet the demand,
Introducing automated construction could address several ongoing problems as:
1. Labor shortages: Automation can replace the labor even in the rural and the far areas.
2. Cost Efficiency: Lesser human error, minimized material waste and shorter construction
timelines can significantly cut costs.
3. Safety Improvements: No dangerous tasks for the workers as machine is doing all the
work.
4. Sustainability: When joined with earthen technologies can lead to reduce of waste and
energy consumption.
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1.5-METHODOLOGY:
This study follows a comparative approach to analyze traditional and modern construction
methods focusing on differences between their techniques, costs, durability, time duration and
use of materials. The following steps outline the research process, data collection and analysis
procedure that will be used to achieve the objectives and aims of this project.
The first step would be identifying the problems faced by construction industry of Pakistan
focusing on the aims and objectives of our study as discussed earlier. This would develop an
understanding that’s why there is a need to improve the construction methods that are currently
being used in Pakistan.
The next step would be conducting a comprehensive study review of existing research and
studies on traditional as well as modern construction methods and techniques used globally and
in Pakistan. This will include the study of traditional methods that are being used since the old
times (such as brick masonry, timber framing, adobe and many more) as well as the study of
modern trends in construction industry (such as modular construction, automation, use of steel
and concrete etc.). This will also include the study of any previous analysis that might have been
done to compare modern and traditional methods of construction. Any gaps in them will be
discussed as well.
Afterwards, we will try to develop basic knowledge and understanding on those techniques and
materials that we are going to analyze in our project. This will be done by conducting various
case studies. We will select buildings based on the techniques and methods used in them and
study them thoroughly that how they are different from each other in terms of our project
objectives.
Next step would be data collection, both qualitative and quantitative. Data collection in this
context will be done by conducting interviews and surveys. We also plan to visit construction
sites if possible so that we can interview architects, engineers and construction workers who
have experience in both tradition and modern methods. Interviewing them will be helpful in
gaining knowledge about various construction methods and how they are done live. We can also
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get old and new records, manuals and blueprints of actual buildings from them. From all the data
collected we will be able to analyze our objectives in a better way.
After all the previous steps, we will finally be able to actually define our own comparative
analysis. Main areas of our comparison include the techniques, materials, cost and efficiency as
well as environmental impact of both traditional and modern methods. We will be using visual
aids like comparative charts and tables for both methods. We also plan on conducting an analysis
for both traditional and modern methods based on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats.
Eventually, we will analyze our data collection and comparative analysis altogether and discuss
them thoroughly in case they need any improvements. After that, we will summarize the major
differences, advantages and disadvantages of both methods and offer our recommendations of
how modern construction methods can help Pakistan’s construction industry. We will also
suggest the ways traditional buildings can be preserved by using modern construction methods
on them.
1.6- THESIS STRUCTURE:
This thesis comprised of 5 chapters. The following chapters includes:
Chapter 1: The first chapter Introduction will consist of brief background of the study, aim,
objectives, scope of the study, and definition of terms.
Chapter 2: The second chapter will include review of the relevant literature already published on
the topic, to show the historical background and for understanding of the topic with literature
gap.
Chapter 3: The third chapter will describe the methodology or research design adopted for this
study.
Chapter 4: The fourth chapter will consist of the data collection and analysis of the collected
data.
Chapter 5: The final chapter will state the results and discussion or findings.
REFERENCES:
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Al Rashid, A., Khan, S. A., Al-Ghamdi, S. G., & Koç, M. (2020). Additive manufacturing:
Technology, applications, markets, and opportunities for the built environment. Automation
in Construction, 118, 103268.
Sánchez-Garrido, A. J., Navarro, I. J., García, J., & Yepes, V. (2023). A systematic literature
review on modern methods of construction in building: An integrated approach using
machine learning. Journal of Building Engineering, 73, 106725.
Saad, A. M., Dulaimi, M., & Zulu, S. L. (2023). Broader use of the Modern Methods of
Construction (MMC) in the UK public sector: A Business Model Canvas (BMC)
perspective. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 9(2),
100035.
Pereira, A. C., & Romero, F. (2017). A review of the meanings and the implications of the
Industry 4.0 concept. Procedia manufacturing, 13, 1206-1214.
Maqbool, R., Namaghi, J. R., Rashid, Y., & Altuwaim, A. (2023). How modern methods of
construction would support to meet the sustainable construction 2025 targets, the answer is
still unclear. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 14(4), 101943.
Jayawardana, J., Sandanayake, M., Jayasinghe, J. A. S. C., Kulatunga, A. K., & Zhang, G.
(2023). A comparative life cycle assessment of prefabricated and traditional construction–A
case of a developing country. Journal of Building Engineering, 72, 106550.