Dr Keith Hampson; Chief Executive Officer of CRC for Construction Innovation

September 2007

By Dr Keith Hampson
Chief Executive Officer
CRC for Construction Innovation

Extending our reach to industry

Construction Innovations extension program, which consists ofthree new programs of research and implementationto run from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2009, is now underway. The extension program has been developed following extensive consultation with industry.

The extension programwill build on and complement Construction Innovations existing work and will run in parallel with the existing CRC to June 2008 and as a stand-alone programme through to June 2009.

This initiative will position our Centre to submit a competitive bid to the CRC Programmes 2008 Selection Round.If successful, the next round of CRC funding would commence July 2009.

This additional research and implementation programme will focus on:

1. Integrated Digital Modelling

The integrated digital modelling program has been developed to provide outcomes that complement and benefit industry users of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology. The goal is to provide industry practitioners with NationalGuidelines that promote effective data sharing between disciplines, trial it in an on-line, real-time context and demonstrate the benefits of this paradigm shift in business processes.

Specifically, the Integrated Digital Modelling programme will deliver the following key industry outcomes:

Contribute to international standards for data sharing in roads, site works, underground services and landscaping
DevelopNationalGuidelines for sharing data between disciplines based on case-studies of projects using BIM
Develop a model server specification that allows sharing of data to facilitate effective on-line collaboration between disciplines in the construction supply chain.

2. Construction Safety

OurCRC for Construction Innovation continues to improve construction safety by bringing a national approach to safety competencies and integrating improved practices in the construction supply chain. However, while industry OH&S performance is improving, it is still a long way short of best practice and too many Australians are still being killed and injured each year. Our Construction Safety program will build on our CRCs National Construction Safety Competency Framework embraced by the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, to ensure Australias industry benefits from a fundamental improvement of work safety culture and nationally consistent safety legislation.

Our new safety project in the extension program 2007-005-EP Safety EffectivenessIndicators[Cipolla, JHG] examines measurement of safety effectiveness as a requirement for measuring safe behaviours and safety performance. Currently the only method or tool available is PPIs or lead indicators. In other words, as well as requiring positive safety behaviours, these need to be measured according to the positive safety actions they generate. However, currently, there are no standard national or international PPIs that are accepted by the construction industry (or any other industry).

This project will undertake a consultative process to develop Safety Effectiveness Indicators and pilot them on a number of construction projects throughout Australia.

3.Procurement and Dispute Resolution

This program will focus on minimising the cost of litigation in our industry through distilling existing national and international research and practice as a foundation to a fresh research program that will provide a detailed understanding of the factors that facilitate the effective, efficient and timely performance of projects and the root causes and costs of disputes. This program will bring together major construction clients, designers, constructors and facility owners.

Funding of Extension Programme

The additional program will be funded by fresh income from existing and new partners listed below:

Industry	Government	Research
Arup Bovis Lend Lease	Australian Building Codes Board	QUT University of Newcastle
John Holland	Brisbane City Council	RMIT University
Leighton Contractors Mirvac	Building Commission (Victoria)	Curtin University of Technology
Nexus Point Solutions Rider Levett Bucknall	Qld Building Services Authority
Sydney Opera House	Queensland Goverment
Thiess	* Public Works
Transfield Services	* State Development
Woods Bagot	* Main Roads
	WA Department of Housing and Works

We are delighted to have even stronger support from leading businessesin these programs. In upcoming editions of Update newsletter, we will look each of these programs in more detail.