DEVELOPING AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES FRAMEWORK FOR THE ADOPTION OF ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry is embracing sustainable practices to combat environmental degradation and climate change, and engineered wood products (EWPs) offer promise as structural materials for sustainable infrastructure. Despite the benefits of EWPs, challenges such as supply chain integration and market acceptance have limited their use. This paper explores how industrial engineering could facilitate the adoption of EWPs in the South African construction industry, and provides a framework for developing critical industrial engineering capabilities that the South African timber construction sector should possess to integrate EWPs efficiently into construction projects. We used a comprehensive literature review and a curriculum analysis to achieve the study’s objectives. By drawing upon these capabilities, the study identified where industrial engineering as an expertise could drive innovation adoption.