Sustainability Drivers and Sustainable Development Goals-Based Indicator System for Prefabricated Construction Adoption—A Case of Developing Economies

Understanding the complex interaction between sustainability drivers (SDs) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within construction practices is essential to accelerating the global construction industry’s transition towards sustainable development. The current study aims to establish a universal measurable indicator system that establishes relationships between SDs that are relevant to prefabricated construction (PFC) and specific SDGs. The developed indicators measure how effectively PFC aligns with and contributes to achieving the targeted SDGs. A case study in Sri Lanka is used to identify and validate the usefulness of key SDs in advancing PFC in developing economies. The research methodology comprised a literature search, a pilot study, a questionnaire survey targeting PFC stakeholders, statistical analysis, an SDG mapping process, and a case study-based demonstration. The statistical analysis highlighted a reduced overall project time, the efficient consumption of materials, and overall project cost savings as the most significant SDs. The factor analysis grouped these SDs into four categories, explaining 71.48% of the cumulative variance. A fuzzy evaluation confirmed the critical role of all driver categories in the effective diffusion of prefabrication. The developed indicator system establishes a structured connection between SDs, SDGs, impacts, stakeholders, and indicator types. The case study analysis highlighted the potential of precast construction and the use of modular design in disassembly approaches to improve sustainability outcomes, which would directly support SDG targets such as resource efficiency (SDG 8.4) and health and pollution management goals (SDG 3.9). The outcomes provide valuable insights for construction industry stakeholders in developing economies committed to improving construction efficiencies. The proposed indicator system also contributes to the global construction sector’s efforts toward achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.