Adaptability of Construction 4.0 Technologies throughout the Project Life Cycle of Construction Projects: Project Managers’ Perspective

The construction sector has adopted the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly referred to as Construction 4.0. This concept focuses on integrating digital advancements as a subset of broader innovations to transform construction processes and operations. It revolutionizes traditional practices by improving productivity, safety, and sustainability across the project lifecycle. Although many projects make use of cutting-edge digital technology, the literature does not sufficiently address how to apply these technologies to project management, especially in developing nations like Sri Lanka (SL). Thus, the research aimed at assessing the adaptability of Construction 4.0 technologies throughout different project phases from a Project Manager’s (PM’s) perspective. A qualitative research approach was adopted, taking in two rounds of expert interviews involving 16 professionals. The study identified 28 distinct PM roles consisting of 10 roles in the preconstruction phase, 10 in the construction phase, and eight in the postconstruction phase. In addition, the study identified 20 specific Construction 4.0 technologies. Each of these distinct 28 roles was matched with the specific Construction 4.0 technologies. Moreover, the research highlighted 18 barriers to adopting Construction 4.0 technologies and proposed 22 strategies to overcome these challenges. The results offer practical guidance for PMs to integrate Construction 4.0 technologies seamlessly across project phases. This research provides a unique assessment of the adaptability of Construction 4.0 technologies for project management, specifically tailored to the Sri Lankan construction industry, across the project lifecycle. It also offers actionable strategies to bridge a critical gap in global and regional literature by addressing limitations in technology usage for project management in developing countries.