Lean construction

Construction industries are known for working in projects, and those projects are today complex, uncertain and quick CUQ-projects (Koskela, 2002). They are also known for having lower productivity and higher wastes than other industries (Forbes and Ahmed, 2011). Lean construction thinking started in the middle of 1990 as a way handle these CUQ-projects. Lean production is well known within manufacturing industries to increase productivity and reduce wastes, but the lean production thinking cannot directly be applied to the construction industry. The reason is that there is a list of factors that differentiates the construction industry from manufacturing industries, e.g. duration of projects, ((Shang and Low, 2014)).

There are two different interpretations of lean construction. (1) Lean Construction is about how Lean Production methods can be applied to construction, and (2) Lean Construction is a new, theory-based methodology for construction inspired of Lean Production (Koskela, 2002). The second theory is the most common interpretation and also mayor interpretation used within the International Group for Lean Construction.

Lean Construction is based on three views in production theory, Transformation, Flow and Value (TFV). These three views do not compete with each other but rather are complementary. All systems that pursue the TFV goals are in a way lean systems, but some are systems are better than others (Koskela, 2002).

Background

The first signs of lean thinking in the construction industry goes back to the 1890s. Frank Gilbreth saw potentials in how to apply manufacturing approaches into construction in order to improve speed and labour efficiency. He saw opportunities in how to reduce what in lean thinking in called wastes. Gilbreth developed a body of knowledge that is considered to be a part of the body of knowledge that formed the field of industrial engineering (Modern Construction Lean Project Delivery and Integrated Practices p52).

The construction industry had a slower productivity growth than other industries in the twentieth century. Historically the industry had build on the Master Builder concept where one entity had responsibility for both design and construction. During the twentieth century the industry converted from Master Building concept to be more fragmented. Designers developed contracts that reduced their construction responsibility which led to more costly and counterproductive behaviors due to adversarial relations and mistrust. Studies from the 90s and 2000s showed that hours spend productivity where very low and value-added time even lower. There is thus much room for improvement.

Application context

• Construction industries, the 4 different types

Development history

• Origin from Toyota
• Developed in the three forms (Lean construction pdf page 59 (real 40))
• Acceptance and use
  • "Lean Design and Construction is particularly useful on complex, uncertain and quick projects" http://www.leanconstruction.org/about-us/what-is-lean-construction/
  • Conservative industry

What is Lean Construction?

TFV (The foundations of lean construction och Lean construction pdf)

Major concepts

• Different views on lean construction

Target Value Design

• Kanban and production smoothing

Related material

• Comparable standards / recommendations
• Additional related material

Discussion

Strength and weaknesses/criticism

• Controversial points==

Integration / relationship to other material

• Sustainable development

Implementation advice

• How can it be implemented in construction industries