Advantages And Challenges of Augmented Reality During the Construction Phase in Sarawak

Authors

  • Chloe Xin Tian Xia School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Shi Yee Wong School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Prescilla Anak Palis School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Chih Siong Wong School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Chu Sheng Ding School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.5049

Keywords:

Augmented Reality, advantages, challenges, Construction Phase, Sarawak, Construction industry

Abstract

The usage of Augmented Reality (AR) has increased in the construction industry, especially during the design stage. Although AR could reduce the risk and identify errors during the construction phase, limited research has been conducted. Therefore, this study examines the advantages and challenges of AR implementation during the construction phase in Sarawak, Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews with six (6) contractors and construction and project managers were conducted. The findings revealed that the key advantages of AR are improving real-time visualisation, communication and collaboration, and increasing productivity. The study also found potential challenges such as the low maturity of AR technology, cost implications, resistance to change, and project complexity. This study contributes to the construction industry for better project outcomes such as error reduction, cost saving, project quality improvement and time reduction.

Author Biographies

  • Chloe Xin Tian Xia, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Chloe Xin Tian Sia was a student who undertaking the Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Hons) in the University of Technology Sarawak. Her main research activity is in the area of augmented reality. She is currently working in a developer company. She can be reached through her email at bqs20090039@student.uts.edu.my.

  • Shi Yee Wong, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Shi Yee Wong, PhD is a senior lecturer in the School of Built Environment at the University of Technology Sarawak. Her main research activity is in the area of sustainable housing and construction management. She has published widely on these subjects in publications such as the Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment and Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. She can be reached through her email at wongshiyee@uts.edu.my.

  • Prescilla Anak Palis, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Prescilla Anak Palis is a full-time lecturer at the School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak. With a strong passion for education and research, she specializes in teaching construction economics courses, equipping students with in-depth knowledge of cost management and economic principles in the built environment. Alongside her teaching responsibilities, she is actively pursuing a PhD on a part-time basis, with a research focus on big data. Her keen interest in research drives her to explore innovative solutions and analytical methodologies that contribute to data-driven advancements in the construction industry. She can be reached through her email at prescilla@uts.edu.my.

  • Chih Siong Wong, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Chih Siong Wong, PhD has pursued an academic career for most of his professional life. He is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment at the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS). Residing in Sibu, a tranquil inland town nestled in the heart of Sarawak's central region, he finds solace in the simplicity of life and keeping a modest profile within his community. His primary research focuses on sustainable built environments, architecture and human behaviour. He can be reached through his email at andywong@uts.edu.my.

  • Chu Sheng Ding, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Chu Sheng Ding, PhD is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and Economics from the University of South Australia and his PhD from Universiti Malaya. He began his professional journey working with a developer, prior to joining the academic field. He is a registered Professional Quantity Surveyor with the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM) and a Member of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM). His research interests focus on project management and construction management. He can be reached through his email at ding.chu.sheng@uts.edu.my.

References

Azlan, N. A. H. M., Omar, R., & Mohamed, S. (2022). The Augmented Reality (AR) Technology Modernized the Evolution of Construction Industry in Malaysia. Research in Management of Technology and Business, 3(1), 626–647. https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/periodicals/index.php/rmtb/article/view/7218/2168

Bong, K. (2024, May 15). Sarawak govt invests RM226.31 mil to upgrade rural roads under Jiwa Murni programme. Dayak Daily. https://dayakdaily.com/sarawak-govt-invests-rm226-31-mil-to-upgrade-rural-roads-under-jiwa-murni-programme/

Buehler, M., Buffet, P. P., & Castagnino, S. (2018, June 13). The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about to hit the construction industry. Here’s how it can thrive. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/construction-industry-future-scenarios-labour-technology/?DAG=3&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TX3sjvNANDzRVTGEyroGbzqU2pLoYjWHt56pvw6QAXuYcsZ3XkMxkBoCdfkQAvD_BwE

Côté, S., Trudel, P., Snyder, R., & Gervais, R. (2013). An Augmented Reality Tool for Facilitating On-Site Interpretation of 2D Construction Drawings. In N. Dawood, & M. Kassem (Eds.), Proceedings of 13th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (pp. 316-323). https://itc.scix.net/pdfs/convr-2013-32.pdf

Davila Delgado, J. M., Oyedele, L., Beach, T., & Demian, P. (2020). Augmented and virtual reality in construction: drivers and limitations for industry adoption. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(7), 04020079. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001844

Delgado, J. M. D., Oyedele, L., Ajayi, A., Akanbi, L., Akinade, O., Bilal, M., & Owolabi, H. (2019). Robotics and automated systems in construction: understanding industry-specific challenges for adoption. Journal of Building Engineering, 26, 100868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100868

Department of Occupational Safety and Health. (2021). Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2021-2025. https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/publication-ul/oshmp2025/4219-occupational-master-plan-2125?path=oshmp2025

Elshafey, A., Saar, C. C., Aminudin, E. B., Gheisari, M., & Usmani, A. (2020). Technology acceptance model for augmented reality and building information modeling integration in the construction industry. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 25, 161–172. https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2020.010

Fenais, A. S., Ariaratnam, S. T., Ayer, S. K., & Smilovsky, N. (2020). A review of augmented reality applied to underground construction. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 25, 308–324. https://doi.org/10.36680/J.ITCON.2020.018

Halder, S., Afsari, K., Serdakowski, J., DeVito, S., Ensafi, M., & Thabet, W. (2022). Real-Time and Remote Construction Progress Monitoring with a Quadruped Robot Using Augmented Reality. Buildings, 12(11), 2027. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12112027

Harikrishnan, A., Said Abdallah, A., Ayer, S. K., El Asmar, M., & Tang, P. (2021). Feasibility of augmented reality technology for communication in the construction industry. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 50, 101363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101363

Kolaei, A. Z., Hedayati, E., Khanzadi, M., & Amiri, G. G. (2022). Challenges and opportunities of augmented reality during the construction phase. In Automation in Construction, 143, 104586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2022.104586

Lakmal, W., Kato, R., Sandagomika, N., & Jayanetti, J. (2021). Augmented Reality for Construction Project Monitoring: Challenges and Strategies for Adoption in Sri Lanka. 14th International Research Conference, 9-10 September, Sri Lanka (pp. 54-62). http://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4745

Lim, M.L.W., Wong, S.Y. and Ding, C.S. (2024). Challenges of industrial revolution 4.0: quantity surveying students' perspectives. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 31(6), 2496-2512. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-07-2022-0636

Masood, T., & Egger, J. (2019). Augmented reality in support of Industry 4.0—Implementation challenges and success factors. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 58, 181–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2019.02.003

Mekni, M., & Lemieux, A. (2014). Augmented Reality: Applications, Challenges and Future Trends. Applied Computational Science, 205–214. https://www.cs.ucf.edu/courses/cap6121/spr2020/readings/Mekni2014.pdf

Meža, S., Turk, Ž., & Dolenc, M. (2015). Measuring the potential of augmented reality in civil engineering. Advances in Engineering Software, 90, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advengsoft.2015.06.005

Mutis, I., & Ambekar, A. (2020). Challenges and enablers of augmented reality technology for in situ walkthrough applications. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 25, 55-71. https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2020.003

Nassereddine, H., Hanna, A. S., Veeramani, D., & Lotfallah, W. (2022). Augmented Reality in the Construction Industry: Use-Cases, Benefits, Obstacles, and Future Trends. Frontiers in Built Environment, 8, 730094. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2022.730094

New Straits Times. (2024, March 7). Sarawak unveils RM6.1bil North Coastal Highway project. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1022407/sarawak-unveils-rm61bil-north-coastal-highway-project

Noghabaei, M., Heydarian, A., Balali, V., & Han, K. (2020). Trend Analysis on Adoption of Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industry. Data, 5(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/data5010026

Oke, A. E., & Arowoiya, V. A. (2022). An analysis of the application areas of augmented reality technology in the construction industry. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 11(4), 1081–1098. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-11-2020-0162

Oke, A. E., Arowoiya, V. A., & Ekundayo, D. (2021). An empirical study on the benefits of augmented reality technology (ART): A Nigerian construction industry context. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 14(6), 1447–1457. https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2021.1960541

Oesterreich, T., & Teuteberg, F. (2017). Evaluating Augmented Reality Applications In Construction – A Cost-Benefit Assessment Framework Based On Vofi. In Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Guimarães, Portugal, June 5-10, 2017. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301372282.pdf

Olatunde, N. A., Gento, A. M., Okorie, V. N., Oyewo, O. W., Mewomo, M. C., & Awodele, I. A. (2023). Construction 4.0 technologies in a developing economy: awareness, adoption readiness and challenges. Frontiers in Engineering and Built Environment, 3(2), 108-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/febe-08-2022-0037

Pandey, S., & Chawla, D. (2016). Using qualitative research for establishing content validity of e-lifestyle and website quality constructs. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 19(3), 339-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-05-2015-0033

Park, C. S., & Kim, H. J. (2013). A framework for construction safety management and visualisation system. Automation in construction, 33, 95-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2012.09.012

Schwab, K. (2016, January 14). The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/?DAG=3&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TZ-z9KI-0Hi5xeYN3519Ono4OZBazF7UM5IJN319N-iN2IuuK9Oi5BoCU9wQAvD_BwE

Sharma, A., Mehtab, R., Mohan, S., & Mohd Shah, M. K. (2022). Augmented reality – an important aspect of Industry 4.0. Industrial Robot, 49(3), 428-441. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-09-2021-0204

Tamjehi, S. D., Zaini, A. A., Zaini, N., Razali, A. W., & Gui, H. C. (2020). Exploring Building Information Modeling (BIM) Awareness in Sarawak Construction Industry. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 498, 012090. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/498/1/012090

Wang, X., Love, P. E. D., Kim, M. J., Park, C. S., Sing, C. P., & Hou, L. (2013). A conceptual framework for integrating building information modeling with augmented reality. Automation in Construction, 34, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2012.10.012

Wang, Y., Oraee, M., Vaz-Serra, P., & Francis, V. (2021). Augmented Reality Adoption in the Australian Construction Industry: A Qualitative Framework. Paper presented in the 44th AUBEA Conference, 27-29 October, Deakin University, Australia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355982882

Yap, J. B. H., & Skitmore, M. (2017). Investigating Design Changes in Malaysian Building Projects. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 14(3), 218–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2017.1384714

Zaher, M., Greenwood, D., & Marzouk, M. (2018). Mobile augmented reality applications for construction projects. Construction Innovation, 18(2), 152–166. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-02-2017-0013

Zahrizan, Z., Omardin, M. A., Rahman, R. A., & Haron, A. T. (2022). Barriers to Augmented Reality Application In Construction: An Exploratory Study in Malaysia. UMP Research Series: Construction Engineering and Management, 1, 77-103. https://doi.org/10.15282/CEM.1.04.2022.01.06

Zaini, N., Jali, N., Payandenick, M., Tamjehi, S. D., Kamaruddin, S., & Zaini, A. M. (2022). Experiencing the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) in teaching and learning of architectural works. International Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 4(3), 229-240. https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijeap/article/view/19882

Downloads

Published

01-01-2026

How to Cite

Advantages And Challenges of Augmented Reality During the Construction Phase in Sarawak. (2026). Built Environment Journal, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.5049

Similar Articles

21-30 of 118

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.