Integrating Lean Construction into the Civil Engineering Curriculum

Lean production concentrates on creating more value for customers by eliminating waste thoroughly with a holistic approach that affects all processes. The construction industry is now trying to apply the principles of lean production. However, the integration process is advancing still gradually. Many challenges and constraints affect the adaptation of lean construction. Training and education are becoming a critical success factor in overcoming the barriers to applying lean principles. The objective of the study is to introduce a collective preparation process of lean construction course, which relied on a piece of factual knowledge about lean principles. The study intends to intensify the adaptation progress and extend lean education at universities, especially for the ones located in developing countries. The process began with defining the existing production problems of the construction industry by conducting semi-structured interviews with lean construction practitioners. Then, the current state of lean construction education was examined to structure the significant elements of the course. The current state of Turkey and the U.S. were investigated in terms of lean construction to determine the teaching methods, student constraints, and resources. The information collected via research and interviews formed the frame of the planned lecture. Next, the evaluation process was introduced for enhancement and strengthening the lean construction course. Three-step evaluation tasks were presented to determine whether the given course was sufficient for meeting the industry's needs or not. Ultimately, the proposed research aims to develop a unique process to offer Lean Construction courses through universities by generalizing the content of lean construction education.