In preparing for the proposed new Sustainable Built Environment CRC (which if successful is expected to be announced in late July), we are currently scoping a number of projects including one focussed on digital modelling the Gold Coast Light Rail, one of the three national exemplars for the new centre.

Drawing on expertise assembled for our award-winning Sydney Opera House digital modelling work and beyond, the proposed project would provide a 4D simulation to enable virtual visualisation of the construction process, as well as how it integrates with the surrounding built environment of the Gold Coast.

The modelling would also use the software applications developed by Construction Innovation such as LCADesign, Automated Estimator and the Automated Scheduler. In the long term, it is estimated that such a model could save the light rail project time and money and contribute to safety and environmental sustainability improvements.

At the recent National Infrastructure Conference in Sydney, I spoke about the sustainability measurement tool being developed by the Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC) (of which Construction Innovation is a founding member). The rating tool is a similar concept to that already used for commercial buildings and will assess sustainability performance of both greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets through design, construction, operational and maintenance stages.

The timing for such a tool is right in terms of the current accelerated roll out of community infrastructure projects nationally, but critical to its success will be industry buy-in and compatibility with national legislation. Given Construction Innovation’s reputation for bringing critical industry, government and research stakeholders around the same table, the proposed new Sustainability Built Environment CRC will be able to capitalise on its unique national and international network, and support the development and uptake of this most vital infrastructure tool.