The Impact of Intelligent Construction Technology on the Advancement of Prefabricated Buildings

Abstract

Prefabricated buildings have emerged as an important strategy for improving productivity, sustainability, and quality in the construction industry. Despite their recognized advantages, large-scale adoption remains constrained by technological, organizational, and institutional barriers. This study aims to investigate how intelligent construction technologies, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), contribute to the advancement of prefabricated buildings. A sequential mixed-method research design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight experts from academia, industry, and government to refine the conceptual framework and questionnaire items. A pilot study involving 100 respondents was then undertaken to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement instrument. Subsequently, 271 valid responses from construction professionals in China were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics and IBM SPSS AMOS through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. The study was grounded in an integrated theoretical framework combining the Technology–Organization–Environment Framework, Diffusion of Innovations theory, and Institutional Theory. The findings indicate that awareness and perception, perceived benefits, adoption rates of intelligent construction technologies, and perceived challenges all have significant positive effects on the promotion of prefabricated buildings. The regression model explained 38.7% of the variance in promotion outcomes (Adjusted R 2 = 0.387), with the adoption rate of intelligent construction technologies emerging as the strongest predictor based on standardized beta coefficients. The results demonstrate that intelligent construction technologies act as system-level enablers that enhance implementation capability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional alignment. The positive effect of perceived challenges suggests that stakeholders who recognize barriers are more likely to undertake strategic planning, capacity building, and organizational adaptation. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how technological and institutional factors jointly influence the advancement of prefabricated buildings. This study offers both theoretical and practical contributions by integrating three complementary theories into a unified explanatory model and by reconceptualizing perceived challenges as adaptive drivers rather than purely inhibiting factors. The findings provide empirical evidence from the Chinese construction industry and offer actionable insights for policymakers and industry practitioners seeking to accelerate the digital and sustainable transformation of prefabricated construction.