Industry 4.0 technologies that can be integrated into the lean project delivery system in the construction sector and the perspective of the construction sector experts

The increasing waste and declining efficiency in production, parallel to the globalized world, have led to the emergence of the need for industrial productivity management. Sectors that have embraced the Lean Project Delivery System (LPDS), which is a solution tool that responds to this need, have focused on increasing the efficiency of the resulting products by establishing reliable workflow, eliminating all forms of waste, and enabling faster product management, leading to successful results. The construction sector is one of these industries that has adapted the LPDS within its own framework. Similarly, industrial technologies have shown their impact in many sectors since the process that began with the industrial revolution, accompanying the increasing and diversifying needs. The technologies known as Industry 4.0 have also found their place in the construction sector. Additionally, the evolving technology has further developed the concept of lean production and various technological applications have become important tools in achieving the goals of lean production processes. However, the construction sector has not yet fully developed its integration with technology in this newly implemented system. English abstract should be written here. The aim of this study is to contribute to the achievement of the goals of the LPDS, which has developed in the construction sector in Turkey in the last 10 years, by identifying the lean principles and techniques that constitute it, and to determine the Industry 4.0 technologies that can be used in both the design and construction phases. Additionally, it aims to uncover the perspectives of construction industry professionals, who are the main actors in the sector, regarding the integration of the identified Industry 4.0 technologies with lean construction and their contribution to the project's time, cost, and quality objectives. To achieve these goals, factors causing waste in sectors and Industry 4.0 technologies used in lean production practices have been defined through an extensive literature review within the scope of the study. Furthermore, the perspectives of construction industry experts on Industry 4.0 technologies that can be integrated into the LPDS were revealed using a survey method. The survey data were analyzed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Correlation Analysis, and Relative Importance Index (RII) in the SPSS statistical program. The study results shed light on the factors that significantly influence waste generation in the construction process in order to demonstrate the adaptation of Industry 4.0 technologies to the lean construction process. The findings indicate the presence of different types of waste at each stage of the LPDS process. These findings highlight the importance of addressing issues such as contract documents, improper product usage, material control, accidents, and waste management plans. By developing solution recommendations for these factors, it is possible to effectively reduce waste in the construction process and consequently increase efficiency. The results of the study revealed that the awareness levels of construction professionals regarding lean construction and Industry 4.0 technologies indicate a positive trend towards adopting both concepts. However, it has been determined that they have different levels of familiarity with the lean principle, techniques and Industry 4.0 technologies. It has been revealed that construction experts have more knowledge about Industry 4.0 technologies than lean principles and techniques. Among the lean principles and techniques, "Kaizen" has the highest level of awareness, while "Jidoka" has the lowest level of awareness; It has been determined that the awareness level of "Virtual and Augmented Reality" among Industry 4.0 technologies is the highest, while the level of awareness is the lowest for "Auto-ID". There is a need for training programs to promote the utilization of lean principles, techniques, and less recognized Industry 4.0 technologies in construction projects. Closing the existing knowledge gap and facilitating development in both areas will aid in the successful integration of lean principles and techniques with Industry 4.0 technologies, offering great promise for the industry. In the construction sector, the effective utilization of technologies such as big data and data analytics, cloud computing, digital twins/simulation, virtual and augmented reality, additive manufacturing, and machine learning can lead to more successful achievement of time, cost, and quality objectives in construction projects. However, survey results indicate that construction experts have a lack of experience in this regard, which may limit the potential benefits that can be obtained. The comprehensive literature review included in the study is expected to contribute to scientific research in this field. Furthermore, by highlighting the knowledge gap in the industry and emphasizing the need for the development of training programs and the provision of sector-specific education, the study aims to raise awareness among construction experts and other stakeholders and contribute to practical implementation. Although the study is the result of a comprehensive research effort, the limitation of the study is that the findings have not been tested in the field of application. It is believed that in the future, testing the adopted Industry 4.0 technologies in the LPDS process will contribute to the development of the integration between LPDS and Industry 4.0.