$131 million CRC pursuing “advanced manufacture of buildings” gets the go-ahead 

The Building 4.0 Cooperative Research Centre has been awarded $28 million in federal funding, and will apply technologies from the world of manufacturing to help modernise the building sector.

The bid for funding by the 30-member CRC  was announced last July. It is based at Monash University and has a combined research budget to $131 million over seven years after a $103 million contribution by industry partners is included.

The successful bid was announced by industry minister Karen Andrews on Wednesday morning, after the bid outcome was originally expected for December last year.

The CRC will back collaborative industry/university projects that will apply techniques such as data science, artificial intelligence and robotics to construction. Goals include making the industry – which lags others in its productivity growth – operate more efficiently and sustainably, but with a high quality maintained. According to a statement, the work will be “completely unique to the Australian and international markets” and could position the nation as a leader in the “advanced manufacture of buildings.”

“Building 4.0 CRC demonstrates that industry and government can come together to solve the big issues facing the building industry today,” Monash University’s Professor Mathew Aitchison, Interim CEO of Building 4.0 CRC, said in a statement.

“By leveraging this government funding and our deep collaboration with research and training partners, we are committed to putting the Australian industry at the forefront of global developments.”

(For more on the advanced manufacture of buildings, see this @AuManufacturing interview with Aitchison published in August.)

Planned outcomes of the initiative are listed as

• 30 per cent reduction in project costs through digital technology and off-site manufacturing
• 40 per cent reduction in project delays
• 80 per cent reduction in construction waste
• 50 per cent reduction in Co2 emissions for more sustainable buildings.

Participants in the CRC are Monash University, University of Melbourne,  Lendlease, Donovan Group, BlueScope Steel, CSR, Utecture Australia, Bentley Homes, Coresteel Australia, A.G Coombs, Ultimate Aluminium Windows, Queensland University of Technology, Holmesglen Institute, Hyne Timber, Shapeshift Design Technologies, M-Modular, Schiavello Manufacturing, Gelion Technologies, YNOMIA, Fleetwood, Master Builders Association of Victoria, PrefabAUS, Salesforce, Sumitomo Forestry, Green Building Council of Australia, Standards Australia, Taronga Venture Advisory, Victorian Building Authority and the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

Picture: Siemens

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