Assessing Barriers to Digital Fabrication Adoption for Sustainable Construction Waste Management in Nigeria

Abstract This study assesses the barriers to the adoption and implementation of digital fabrication for sustainable construction waste management in Nigeria. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining a structured questionnaire with six semi-structured stakeholder interviews. A total of 140 valid questionnaire responses were obtained from site engineers, contractors, site managers, and project managers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index (RII), while interview data were examined using thematic analysis. The findings reveal a substantial gap between awareness and practical implementation. Although respondents demonstrated awareness of several digital fabrication technologies, 72% reported that they had not implemented digital fabrication in their construction projects. CNC machining was the most widely recognised and implemented technology, whereas 3D printing, robotic construction, and AR/VR showed very limited practical application. Material optimisation and on-demand production were identified as major potential benefits, with RII values of 0.921 and 0.895, respectively. Conversely, technological complexity and financial constraints emerged as the most critical barriers, followed by complex assembly and material integration, quality control and standards, reinforcement integration, and process evaluation and management. The study concludes that the slow adoption of digital fabrication in Nigeria is not attributable to technological limitations alone but results from the interaction of financial, technical, organisational, infrastructural, regulatory, and human-capacity constraints. A context-specific adoption framework involving professional training, pilot projects, local material research, supportive regulations, financing mechanisms, industry–academia collaboration, and integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM) is therefore recommended.