The Relationship between Lean Construction and Sustainable Construction: The Positive Effects of Lean Methodology on Sustainability in Construction

Abstract

Sustainable construction (SC) focuses on using sustainable development methods in any activity related to the construction industry. However, lean construction (LC) is a newly proposed philosophical thinking to create innovative changes in the construction industry. Lean process emphasizes improving the performance of the construction process and minimizing waste to enhance sustainable construction regarding health and safety improvement and energy consumption [1]. LC and SC approaches are increasingly being used in developed countries. Nevertheless, the application of LC and SC in developing countries such as Iran has faced many challenges and has yet to reach the implementation stage due to the lack of information and sufficient knowledge of these approaches in construction projects. Despite the passage of about two decades since the emergence of these approaches, limited research has been conducted in Iran in this field. The application of LC and SC has been stopped at the stage of presenting the initial definitions, and the positive effects of relationships between the approaches have not been evaluated in past studies. Therefore, this study aimed to accurately introduce LC and SC and determine their prerequisites, capabilities, and relationships for broader synergy between these two strategies. The main parameters of lean construction were classified based on the implementation results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). In addition, the functional level of each factor was prioritized using interpretive structural modeling of relationships between lean construction factors.