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October2005, Issue 17

Construction Innovation partners in progress:

Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), Arup Australasia, Bovis LendLease, Brisbane City Council (BCC), Building Commission (Victoria),Brookwater JV, CSIRO, DEM, John Holland, Qld Building ServicesAuthority (QBSA), Qld Dept Main Roads (QDMR), Qld Dept Public Works(QDPW), Qld Dept State Development and Innovation (QDSDI), QldUniversity of Technology (QUT), Rider Hunt, RMIT, The University ofNewcastle (UN), The University of Sydney (US), University of WesternSydney (UWS), Woods Bagot.

RENEWAL UPDATE AND UPCOMING ANNUAL REVIEW (from CEO of the CRC for Construction Innovation Keith Hampson)

Renewal update

Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) are based onaseven-year funding plan -after which they need tobidforrenewal as a new CRC.The CRC for Construction Innovation is committed to bidding for renewal in the 2006 round of the competitive process that CRCs work through after they are
into their fifth year. Construction Innovationhas been strongly supported by19 partners from the beginning andI am delighted to report that we are working with 15 of those partnersin the final stages of developingour new bid to take us from 2007to 2014. In addition to that, we have a powerful group of prospectivenew partners that we are working closely with to complementourexisting partners and strengthen our ability to make a difference to industry for the future.

Since our first renewal workshop held on 28 July, 2005inCanberra, the CRC has formed six working groups to ensure that thefocus of our renewal documentation reflects the needs of our partnersand of the industry. The Business Model Working Group isexamining the way in which we would function within a structural andlegal framework. A further four working groups operatewithinresearch themes, these beingthe Industry Context,Environmental Sustainability, Procurement and Management of BuiltAssets, and Communication and Collaboration working groups. Eachof these four working groups are examining the way in which the CRCsextended research activities would address the selection criteria forthe rebid and integrate our activities withnational researchpriorities.

Finally and importantly, the Skills Development and Uptake Working Group providesfor a very explicit method for taking the results of the researchprojects and moving them into industry practice to fundamentally changethe way that our industry operates.This working group will leverage from national and internationalactivities in the evaluation, translation and industrydevelopmentto service the higher education,tradetrainingand the site training skills that have been identified asbeing so important for the future of this diverse industry. Each of theworking groups have been led by industry leaders and supported byresearch leaders across our existing and potential partner network. Theworkshop alsoreinforced the strategic relationship between theAustralian Construction Industry forum (ACIF) and the AustralianProcurement and Construction Commitee (APCC).

The upcoming Annual Review

CRCs are subject to constant review, and Construction Innovationis no different. We have welcomed the formal review processes that aredetermined by the CRC Program. In addition, we have instigated ourownrigorous internal review to ensure that our processes,management and performance outputs are meeting the needs of ourpartners andindustry. The review team headed by Professor PeterBrandon (University of Salford,UK) and supported by ProfessorDavid St John (CEO of Cast CRC), Dr JohnWoolett and Mr AlanChappel (industry professionals), provides for a blend of national andinternational, research and industry input to ensure that the reviewacross the five areas of the CRC activities i.e. research management,education and training, communication and collaboration,commercialisation and utilisation, and effective administration is putunder the spotlight to ensure the value provided to our partners andthe industry continues to be world class.

The review willalso focus on Construction Innovationpreparedness for renewal and provide early feedback on the way we areworking withour existing and potential partner networks.

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PUBLICATION UPDATE

Clients Driving Construction Innovation book launched

Bill Wild, Managing Director, John Holland officially launched Clients Driving Construction Innovation: Mapping the Terrain atthe 2005 AIPM National Conference in Melbourne on Monday 10 October.The book, edited by Kerry Brown, Keith Hampson and Peter Brandon, iscompiled from keynote speeches, research papers and case studies fromour First International Conference in 2004. John Holland has been acore partner of Construction Innovation since the CRC'sinception in 2001. John Holland works with the CRC to strengthen itsleadership in collaboration, occupational health and safety andadvanced IT for improved project communications.

The book demonstrates that innovation continuesto be prominent within the construction industry and that innovationcan occur through leadership from competent clients who know what theywant and are willing to work with the delivery team towards developingnew processes and principles to achieve their goals.

How stakeholders work together to solve problems is a key focus ofthis publication. It analyses the role of the client in the innovationprocess throughout the construction industry. Incorporating differentindustrial and organisational settings from a range of perspectives,this volume provides frameworks, concepts and case studies to furtherthe knowledge and understanding of the client in the innovation processand establishes an agenda for capitalising on the benefits ofinnovation in construction.

The rich array of case studies translatessome of the researchresults into a broader organisational and industry context.Thelessons from the cases establish good-practice examples thatdemonstrate ways of addressing real problems or offering new ways ofthinking about old problems. The recurring themes of innovation,relationships and collaboration are allied to the need to work togetherin new ways to prevent the innovation lag time, ensure that innovationmeets the needs of all stakeholders and is able to be implementedacross the industry.

The Construction Innovation book is available for purchase at $38.50 from r.meaton@construction-innovation.info (07 3138 9291)

Report to Industry launched

Keith Hampson launched the Sustainable Subdivisions: Energy-efficient design Report to Industry (by Anne Miller and Michael Ambrose) at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) State Conferenceon 19 August. Thepublication has been endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agencyand the UDIA. It describes the relationship between subdivisionallayout and a dwellings energy efficiency. Effective energy-efficientsubdivisions will be more energy efficient than conventionaldevelopments. Energy-efficient dwellings should have lower demands onnon-renewable energy sources, reduce the level of greenhouse gasemissions, and save money for owners and occupants.

Partners on this project: Brookwater, DEM, QDMR, QDPW,QUT and CSIRO

The report is downloadable from our website at /index.php?id=44 or hard copies available for purchase at $19.25 from r.meaton@construction-innovation.info (07 3138 9291)

 

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AIPM AWARD SUCCESSES

After success at the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) Queensland awards (see below),CRC Construction InnovationDevelopment ManagerPeter Scuderihas also clinched thenationalaward in Melbourne, 10 October: the Individual ProjectManagement Achievement Award (PMAA)Level 6. CongratulationsPeter!!

The AIPM established its Achievement Awards in 2000 to honour andpromote the achievements of project managers. At this years Queenslandawards held on
9 September, the CRC took out the following three awards.

Daniyal Mian, Keith Hampson,
Alan Tupicoff, John Tsoukas
(Photo by EventPix 2005)

Peter Scuderi receives Qld award from
Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
(Photo by EventPix 2005)

Project Diagnostics for the Value in Project Delivery Systems Award a CRC Project led by John Tsoukas (ARUP Australasia)

This holistic solution technique checks the health of constructionprojects and objectively investigates the health of a constructionproject, the specific root causes of problems and suggests remedialmeasures to improve project performance. The automated health checkhelps improve outcomes for clients and industry stakeholders throughbetter project delivery.

AIPM Queensland President Alan Tupicoff says Project Diagnostics hasthe potential to save millions of dollars in project management costsby identifying problems early. "This is a system that works at thegrass roots of project delivery and tracks performance through the lifeof a project. It not only identifies when a project is beginning toexperience problems, it suggests ways of addressing them. Project Diagnostics haswide ranging applications across the building and constructionindustry. Its development also highlighted the benefits of suchresearch by the CRC, in meeting the needs of all stakeholdersinthe construction industry."

CRC Development Manager Peter Scuderi for Project Director Category (pictured above)
"Everyday Peter liaises with highly qualified researches, projectleaders and team members in the private sector, in researchorganisations like the CSIRO and the public sector. He is highly valuedwithin the CRC environment and an excellent candidate for this award.Peters role within the CRC has resulted in the effective managementofresearch outcomes which will havelong-term benefits tothe construction industry, states Alan Tupicoff.

CRC PhD scholar Garry Creedy for the Student Award (Garry is a manager from the Qld Dept of Main Roads)
TheState award for Garry Creedy recognises the importance of qualityeducation and research to the future of project management inAustralia. Alan said of Garrys work, Cost overruns are the scourge ofany building project, large or small. They can impact heavily onmajor projects and subsequently the public purse. Garrys research hasthe potential to make a significant contribution to the planning andproject management phases of road construction in the years tocome.


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OUR SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 

Our Second International Conference,Clients DrivingInnovation - Moving Ideasinto Practicewillbe heldon Australia's Gold Coastfrom 1214 March 2006inassociation with the International Council for Research andInnovation in Building and Construction (CIB), InternationalConstruction Research Alliance (ICALL) and International Alliance forInteroperability (IAI).

We were pleased to have received an overwhelmingresponse to our Call for Abstracts.Over 170 abstracts werereceived from 235 industry, government and research authorsrepresenting 16 different countries.The Conference promises to bea truly international event and the program is set to be an excitingone with a diverse selection of topics and leadingpresenters.Congratulations to the authors of accepted abstractswho have been invited to submit their full or case study papers byFriday 21 October.Full papers will be double-blind reviewed by apanel of independent reviewers. A provisional Conference Programwill be released later in the month.

You are encouraged to consider being a sponsor of thisConference which will provide your organisation with an excellentopportunity for maximum exposure to an audience of 250delegates.You will be joined by Gold sponsors QueenslandDepartment of Public Works and Aus-PeBBu (Australian Performance BasedBuilding Network), and others including theAustralian GreenhouseOffice,Australian Institute of Project Management, QueenslandDepartment of Main Roads and the Australian Institute of QuantitySurveyors. And for only $1,700 per booth, you can display yourproducts, services and information as part of the Conference exhibitionwhich will be an integral component of this event.

For further information on this important industryevent, including registration, sponsorship and exhibitionopportunities, please visit www.2006conference.crcci.info orcontact Louise Adams, Special Projects Officer- l.adams@construction-innovation.info, telephone +61 3 5983 2180.

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SCHOLARS' CORNER

Risk factors in highway construction

GarryCreedy (winner of the 2005 Student Award from AIPM Qld, see above) ismoving into the final six months of his PhD and is based at QueenslandUniversity of Technology. He summarises his research in brief asfollows.

My PhD focuses on highway construction projects in Queensland anduses case studies of road organisation to research and analyse a broadrange of historical data that have lead to cost overruns in clientbudget estimates during project delivery. The research aims atdeveloping a statistical risk probability model that can quantify riskprovisions as a percentage contingency on-cost for planned highwayproject types. It examines the client and the necessity to achieveaccurate risk assessment of highway project cost estimates at the timethe decision to build is made. The research will assist such clients inidentifying a broader range of risk factors by the incorporation ofrealistic contingency percentage on-costs in client project budgetestimates.

Dennis Wogan, Garrys industry supervisor from the QueenslandDepartment of Main Roads says The issue of cost escalation in highwayprojects is one that has concerned client authorities for a long time.Garrys research will be of great value in developing more accurateproject cost forecasts. In addition, the wider background researchconducted, coupled with Garrys extensive industry background and theconnections he has developed both nationally and internationally aspart of his PhD development, will prove invaluable to Main Roads whenhe returns to the workplace.

Garry joined Queensland Department of Main Roads in1964 as a cadet draftsman and graduated as a civil engineer in 1972. In1976 he received a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration fromQueensland University of Technology, and this has been followed by hisMBA from Deakin University in 1995 and Graduate Certificate in PublicSector Management from Flinders University in 2000. Feel free to contact him about his research at g.creedy@student.qut.edu.au

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UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Construction Innovation events

Launch of new BRITE innovation case studies
The six case studies being published this year come from WesternAustralia, South Australia and New South Wales. Earlier studies coveredQueensland and Victoria. Many of the innovations have been developed bySMEs.

The launch will be an excellent opportunity to network with leadinginnovators and supporters of innovation. Speakers will be a mix ofinnovators (contractors and consultants), and clients including MichaelDeare, the Chief Executive of the South Australian Cricket Association.The innovators will describe how they have overcome obstacles toinnovation. The clients will speak about how theyve encouragedinnovation. All speakers
will share the lessons theyve learned on construction projects.

The launch:
Wednesday 2 November 2005
5-7 pm in the Auditorium at 111 George Street, Brisbane
The event is free of charge.

To register, email m.coillet@qut.edu.au or phone Michelle Coillet on (07)3138 9146.

For more on the BRITE project http://www.brite.crcci.infoPartners on the BRITE project include: Arup, QDSDI, QDMR,QDPW,QUT, University of Western Sydney andCSIRO, inconjunction with ACIF, ACEA and CCF.


Clients Driving Innovation - Moving Ideas into Practice (Gold Coast, Queensland: 12-14 March, 2006)
For more information on the conference or our sponsorship and exhibition packages see above.

Partner/Externally led events and updates

Built environment conference (Sydney: 15-18 November, 2005)

With an outstanding line-up of speakers this inaugural conference byPrincipal Event Partner ASBEC (Australian Sustainable Built EnvironmentCouncil) will address some of the challenges Australia faces inmaking the sustainable development of urban centres and commercialbuildings part of mainstream policy-making and business practice.Caroline Pidcock (ASBEC) and Keith Hampson (Construction Innovation) will jointly present on how industry and our CRC is working together to encourage sustianability in the built environment.

Key program themes:

Featuring case studies, new policy directions, interactive panelsessions and six keynote presentations from international andAustralian industry leaders. For the full program go to http://www.pipecommunications.com.au/builtenvironment/. (Note that as sponsors of the conference, CRC Construction Innovation participantsare entitled to a 5 percent discount on registration.)

Improving Efficiency in Commercial Buildings IEECB06 (Frankfurt: 26-27 April, 2006)

The IEECB06 conference will take place during Light+Building, theInternational Trade Fair for Architecture and Technology in Frankfurt,Germany.

It will bring together all the key players from this sector,including commercial buildings investors and property managers,energy-efficiency experts, equipment manufacturers, service providersand policy makers, with a view to exchange information, to learn fromeach other and to network.

Topics covered include: macro/micro approaches, state-of-the-artequipment and systems and the latest advances in R&D, tools,regulation & policy, demand-side and supply-side perspectives forall branches of activity.

For more information go to: http://energyefficiency.jrc.cec.eu.int/events.htm

AUBEA conference (Sydney: 5-7 July, 2006)

The annual conference held by the Australasian University BuildingEducators Association (AUBEA) in 2006 will be hosted by the Universityof Technology Sydney.

The dual aims of AUBEA are basically to promote research in buildingand to share ideas on teaching and learning in building related courses- papers on many themes are welcomed with an emphasis on topics relatedto building education.

http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/abe/AUBEA/AUBEA.html

ProMAC 2006 (Sydney: 27-29 September, 2006)

ProMAC2006 is the international project management conference to beheld at the new Hilton, Sydney, 27-29 September 2006. Thisinternational conference will be hosted by Australian Institute ofProject Management (AIPM), Project Management Institute Sydney Chapter(PMI Sydney), the Asia Pacific International College and EngineersAustralia and aims to lift the profile of the Australian ProjectManagement profession. www.promac2006.com

 

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