Overview of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the Construction Industry

There have been three different industrial revolutions, and currently is the fourth, which promises an unprecedented transformation in the construction industry. The adoption and implementation of the principles of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the construction industry are often referred to as Construction 4.0. Common applications in construction 4.0 include the internet of things (IoT), big data (BD), computer-aided design technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics. These applications generally sort to improve the efficiency and performance of the construction industry; however, the adoption of Construction 4.0 faces significant impediments. Numerous studies have explored the barriers to adopting Construction 4.0 in developed countries; however, lacking in developing countries. With the evidence of the differences in economic, social, and organizational settings of developed and developing countries, variations exist in the barriers to adopting Construction 4.0. This chapter sort of explores the common barriers that hinders the adoption of Construction 4.0 in developing countries. The factors identified included financial, institutional, societal, infrastructure, and knowledge barriers. Consequently, it was recommended that, with the government being the largest client in the construction industry of developing countries, the effective adoption and implementation of Construction 4.0 requires massive government support backed by guidelines and policies stimulating the development of Construction 4.0 competencies.