ResearchHighlights2018

CentreforComparativeConstructionResearch(CCCR)

Newresearchincubators

CCCRlaunchedthreenewresearchincubatorsin2018.

TAEDisaresearchincubatorwithinCCCRdedicatedtoexploringthefusionbetweentectonicarchitectureandecologicaldesign.[Con]structuralformsareprioritizedasartandthereforetakeaprominentroleinaestheticdesigndecisions.Equallyimportant,ecologicalprinciplessuchasbiomimicrymustbeintegratedwithtectonicstoprovidesolutionsthatreflectalonglife,loosefit,lowenergymandate.TAED’smissionistodevelopnewpractice-basedideasthatadequatelymediatebetweentheanthropo-sphereandeco-sphere,andtherebyinformsocio-culturalobjectivessuchashumanwell-beingthroughexcellenceinarchitectureandurbanism.TheTAEDLeadisAssociateProfessorDanielaOttman.

PMI_LABisaresearchincubatorwithinCCCRdedicatedtoexploringinnovationwithinprojectmanagement.Aparticularfocusismeasuringandbenchmarkingprojectsuccessacrossawidevarietyofprojecttypesandlifecyclephases,forwhichseveralresearchawardshavealreadybeenwon(i3d3project).Linkedtothisisthemeasurementofmaturitylevelsinprojectmanagementorganizations(MMMproject),whichisexpectedtobehighlycorrelatedwithsuccessfuloutcomes.PMI_LABisalsoundertakingresearchanddevelopmentintotheuseofchat-botsandotherformsofartificialintelligence(PM-BOTproject)toaugmenteducationalobjectivesforprojectandprogrammanagementatBondUniversity.ThePMI_LABLeadisProfessorCraigLangston.

OPiCisaresearchincubatorwithinCCCRdedicatedtoexploringconstructionproductivityinthecontextofBIM,LEANandIPD(IntegratedProjectDelivery).Therefore,OPiCresearchersareinterestedinissuesconcerningtools,processesandpeopletoimproveproductivityonconstructionsites.OPiC’smissionistoresearchintelligentconstructionsolutions,includingaspecialinterestinvirtual,augmentedandmixedrealitytechnologies,thatcanbepotential'game-changers'forconstructionindustryperformance.ThisincubatorsupportsournewMasterofBuildingInformationModellingandIntegratedProjectDeliverydegreelaunchingin2019.TheOPiCLeadisAssociateProfessorJasperMbachu.

InfrastructureroadBLOCs

CCCRcollaboratedwithTheEconomistIntelligenceUnit(EIU)andtheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB)in2018todevelopwaystoassesstheconstructioncostsofpublicinfrastructureindevelopingcountries.Ourrolewasfocusedonthecomparativecostperformanceofroadandhighwayconstruction.Abasketofrepresentativelabour,materialandplantitems(knownasaroadBLOC)waspricedineightdifferentlocations(Russia,Philippines,Pakistan,India,China,Turkey,BangladeshandIndonesia)toenableprojectstobecomparedbasedonthenumberofBLOCbasketsneededperunitofmeasure.Forexample,howmanybasketspermetrearerequiredtobuildanewfour-lanearterialroadinIstanbul?

TheresultswerecomparedwithabaselineforSydneyof14,516roadBLOCs/m.Dhakahadthehighestequivalent‘cost’of24,029roadBLOCs/m,whileManilahadthelowestequivalent‘cost’of5,111roadBLOCs/m.Thisapproachenablesdifferentgeographiclocationstobeevaluatedusingpurchasingpowerparity,avoidingtemporalcurrencyfluctuationsandinflation.Thisglobalreportisavailableathttps://www.aiib.org/en/news-events/asian-infrastructure-finance/index.html.

c e n t r e f o r c o m p a r a t i v e c o n s t r u c t i o n r e s e a r c h

P M I L A B

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c e n t r e f o r c o m p a r a t i v e c o n s t r u c t i o n r e s e a r c h

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Fromonsitetooffsiteconstruction:implicationsforconstructionskillprofiles

Thisresearchexploresanevolvingshiftinconstructionpracticefromonsitetooffsiteconstructionmethodologies,includingtrendsintechnical,managerialandgenericskill-setsforthewiderindustry.Thereisanemphasisonemergingdigitaltechnologieswhichareshapingthefuturedirectionsoftheconstructionpractice.CCCRandtheOPiCteamarecollaboratingwithWesternSydneyUniversity’sCentreforSmartModernConstruction(c4SMC)andleadingconstructionacademicsfromaroundAustralia.AssociateProfessorJasperMbachurepresentedCCCRattheroundtableinSydneyon14November2018.

Assessingmobilemixedrealityaffordancesasacomparativevisualizationpedagogyfordesigncommunication

AssociateProfessorJamesBirthasbeenlookingattheimpactofmixedrealitytechnologiesontheconstructedenvironment.InapaperpublishedtogetherwithMichaelCowlinginResearchinLearningTechnology(26November2018),Jamesevaluatedinsightsfromafirst-yeararchitecturaldesignclassroomatBondUniversitythroughstudyingtheimpactanduseofarangeofmobilecomparativevisualizationtechnologies.Applyingadesign-basedresearchmethodologyandausabilityframeworkforaccessingcomparativevisualization,heexploredthecomplexitiesofspatialdesignandhighlightednotonlythepositivesoftheapproachbutalsotheimprovementsrequiredinthedeliveryofthevisualizationstoreduceerrorscausedbythelackofmobileprocessing.HisfullpapercanbefoundatDOI:10.25304/rlt.v26.2128.

Event-ledRegeneration(ELR)projects

ProfessorCraigLangstonispartofaninternationalteamledbyTheHongKongPolytechnicUniversitythathassubmittedabidforHKD6,898,000(AUD1.25million)todevelopastrategicurbandevelopmentframeworkbasedonPMI_LABteam’saward-winningi3d3modelformeasuringprojectsuccess.Thebidinvolvesapplyingi3d3tosports-basedELRprojects,developingguidingprinciplestoincorporatelocalneedsandwantsintoELRprojectplanningandarea-basedurbanrenewal,formulatingprotocolsforcollectionandmodellingoflegacybenefitsusingsystemsthinkingtechniquesandbigdata,andmakingrecommendationsforspecificplanningandpolicyinstrumentsaddressingELRprojectsinHongKongandtheGuangdongBigBayArea.TheframeworkwillbebasedonlegacybenefitanalysisarisingfromtheXXICommonwealthGamesheldontheGoldCoastin2018.

Advancedfabricationofeco-compositematerials

Theresearchproject,commencedandfundedbyCCCR,isinvestigatingthepotentialoflocalresourcesasecologicalbuildingmaterialstosupportbioclimaticdesignstrategiesforsubtropicalclimateszones.AssociateProfessorDanielaOttmanandtheTAEDteamarelookingintonotonlynaturalresources,butalsoindustrialby-productsasresourcesperregion.In2018apilotstudyforexperimentsofavailableecologicalbuildingmaterialsinQueenslandwasundertaken.

InitialexperimentsandtestsintheRoboticsLabaroundnaturefibrereinforcedgeo-polymerinlowemissionconcretecouldbeusedtoestablishanARCindustrylinkagegrantwithWagnersConcrete,Toowoomba.Researchtowardsthisgoalisproceeding.

PMClinic

Since1August2018,PMI_LABhasbeenrunningaprojectmanagementclinicforstudentsandstaffofBondUniversity.ClinicopeninghoursareeveryWednesdayduringteachingweeksfrom1:00pmto4:00pminBLD03b_1_01.Thisisafreeservice.

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