Modelling greenhouse gas emissions associated with commercial building construction. A reliable model of greenhouse gas emissions for commercial building construction is required. Construction product manufacturing emissions are well known, but those associated with the construction process (representing up to 25% of the energy embodied in construction products) have not been fully elucidated. Commercial building construction requires more energy per square metre than residential building constr ....Modelling greenhouse gas emissions associated with commercial building construction. A reliable model of greenhouse gas emissions for commercial building construction is required. Construction product manufacturing emissions are well known, but those associated with the construction process (representing up to 25% of the energy embodied in construction products) have not been fully elucidated. Commercial building construction requires more energy per square metre than residential building construction, due mainly to lifting of heavy items. The results will be used to develop cost effective strategies for optimising greenhouse gas emissions associated with the total emissions from commercial building construction and operation. This will improve the environmental performance of the Australian construction industry.Read moreRead less
Embodied energy modelling of individual commercial buildings. This research will develop a method for modelling the energy embodied in individual commercial building construction. Construction material manufacturing emissions are well known in most industries, but the total embodied energy of the construction supply chain is difficult to model for individual buildings. For efficient commercial buildings, the embodied energy can represent up to 40 years of operational energy. The results will be ....Embodied energy modelling of individual commercial buildings. This research will develop a method for modelling the energy embodied in individual commercial building construction. Construction material manufacturing emissions are well known in most industries, but the total embodied energy of the construction supply chain is difficult to model for individual buildings. For efficient commercial buildings, the embodied energy can represent up to 40 years of operational energy. The results will be used to develop cost effective strategies for optimising the total life cycle energy of individual commercial buildings. This will in part improve the environmental performance of the Australian construction industry.Read moreRead less
Community perceptions of environmental risks associated with large construction projects. Large construction projects have an enormous environmental impact, yet there has been little research in this area, particularly in developing countries where many such projects are being procured. Furthermore, research tends to focus on ecological impacts and ignore social and cultural issues. The result is a poor understanding of how perceptions of environmental risk are shaped in affected communities. To ....Community perceptions of environmental risks associated with large construction projects. Large construction projects have an enormous environmental impact, yet there has been little research in this area, particularly in developing countries where many such projects are being procured. Furthermore, research tends to focus on ecological impacts and ignore social and cultural issues. The result is a poor understanding of how perceptions of environmental risk are shaped in affected communities. To address this problem, we aim to establish a research agenda to investigate how communities affected by large construction projects in China perceive environmental risks. The outcome will be recommendations to help construction companies develop sustainable, consultative and socially sensitive practices.Read moreRead less
Forensic management approach to rework mitigation and prevention in construction. Rework is the unnecessary effort of re-doing a process or activity. The direct costs of rework in construction have been reported to be as high as 25% of project costs. These rework costs would be higher if they included the intangible, but real costs of disruption caused by schedule delays, litigation, and dysfunctional contract relationships. To reduce rework in construction projects a forensic project managem ....Forensic management approach to rework mitigation and prevention in construction. Rework is the unnecessary effort of re-doing a process or activity. The direct costs of rework in construction have been reported to be as high as 25% of project costs. These rework costs would be higher if they included the intangible, but real costs of disruption caused by schedule delays, litigation, and dysfunctional contract relationships. To reduce rework in construction projects a forensic project management model that can be used to stimulate learning and process improvement will be developed, evaluated and validated. This will enable the design of strategies to reduce rework and improve the overall performance of projects.Read moreRead less
Managing cultural diversity on Australian construction sites. This research will help to improve the dismal occupational health and safety record of the Australian construction industry (240% more injuries than all-industry average). It will also help to reduce the relatively high levels of workplace compensation due to occupational injuries and diseases (70% higher than all-industry average). Since construction employs 8% of the working population and generates 6% of GDP, significant economic a ....Managing cultural diversity on Australian construction sites. This research will help to improve the dismal occupational health and safety record of the Australian construction industry (240% more injuries than all-industry average). It will also help to reduce the relatively high levels of workplace compensation due to occupational injuries and diseases (70% higher than all-industry average). Since construction employs 8% of the working population and generates 6% of GDP, significant economic and social benefits will arise for wider society from a more culturally harmonious, efficient and productive construction industry. Finally, by making construction safer for NESB migrants who are a significant source of labour, this research will help to reduce severe skill shortages.Read moreRead less
High-strength formwork systems. The project will lead to new formwork systems which are safer, stronger and quicker to erect. The systems will rely on scientific investigations to minimise the risk of structural collapse and associated cost to community. The systems are innovative and combine advanced technology to produce a superior product with strong export potential and capacity to raise the level of efficiency in the national market. The project will also develop advanced analysis and desig ....High-strength formwork systems. The project will lead to new formwork systems which are safer, stronger and quicker to erect. The systems will rely on scientific investigations to minimise the risk of structural collapse and associated cost to community. The systems are innovative and combine advanced technology to produce a superior product with strong export potential and capacity to raise the level of efficiency in the national market. The project will also develop advanced analysis and design methods for formwork systems which can be applied more generally to advance Australian engineers' position as world leaders in innovative structural design.Read moreRead less
Failure Mechanisms of Roof Cladding under Fluctuating Wind Loads. Wind damage to low-rise buildings cause disruption to communities and result in economic losses. Improvements to the most vulnerable part (i.e. roof) will therefore have national benefits and associated economic benefits. Currently, roofing systems used in cyclonic areas are evaluated to DABM in the Northern Territory and to TR440 elsewhere, requiring the same product be tested under two different (and unsatisfactory) specificat ....Failure Mechanisms of Roof Cladding under Fluctuating Wind Loads. Wind damage to low-rise buildings cause disruption to communities and result in economic losses. Improvements to the most vulnerable part (i.e. roof) will therefore have national benefits and associated economic benefits. Currently, roofing systems used in cyclonic areas are evaluated to DABM in the Northern Territory and to TR440 elsewhere, requiring the same product be tested under two different (and unsatisfactory) specifications. This is due to the limited understanding of wind-induced fatigue of cladding. This project will provide the framework for understanding and minimizing cladding fatigue. A realistic single test will also reduce cost and result in better design systems.Read moreRead less
Open-plan Office Concepts Determine Effective Facilities Space Management. Open-plan layout is the most predominant work-setting and office designs are changing substantially towards this style. This research addresses the question, "How do open-plan attributes affect effective facilities space management." While this layout is increasingly adopted, no research has definitively answered this question or evaluated open-plan design for its usefulness. This research therefore aims to respond to thi ....Open-plan Office Concepts Determine Effective Facilities Space Management. Open-plan layout is the most predominant work-setting and office designs are changing substantially towards this style. This research addresses the question, "How do open-plan attributes affect effective facilities space management." While this layout is increasingly adopted, no research has definitively answered this question or evaluated open-plan design for its usefulness. This research therefore aims to respond to this question and establish reliable criteria for effective management and re-engineering of offices with open-plans. This research is novel and timely since it endeavours to develop new models and objective criteria to better exploit this concept for greater office performance and productivity.Read moreRead less
Occupant comfort in naturally ventilated and mixed-mode spaces within air-conditioned offices. The Australian Greenhouse Office indicates that air conditioning is responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Australia's commercial sector. The sector's uptake of energy efficient strategies and sustainable design will depend on post-occupancy evaluated exemplars that have been demonstrated to enhance, rather than detract from, workplace amenity, worker satisfaction and prod ....Occupant comfort in naturally ventilated and mixed-mode spaces within air-conditioned offices. The Australian Greenhouse Office indicates that air conditioning is responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Australia's commercial sector. The sector's uptake of energy efficient strategies and sustainable design will depend on post-occupancy evaluated exemplars that have been demonstrated to enhance, rather than detract from, workplace amenity, worker satisfaction and productivity. Naturally ventilated spaces within air-conditioned offices can readily be designed into new buildings, and retrofitted to many existing buildings. This project will document how such spaces are used, and interpret their costs/benefits to workers, organisations and environment.
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Exploring synergies with innovative Green Technologies for Advanced Renovation: Redefining a Bioclimatic approach for multi residential and office buildings in warmer climates. Building energy consumption accounts for nearly 27% of all energy related greenhouse gas emissions. By 2010, emissions' from buildings is estimated to increase by 48% above 1990 levels. This projected trend is alarming given that Australia's obligation under the Kyoto Protocol is only 8% above 1990 levels. Renovation of e ....Exploring synergies with innovative Green Technologies for Advanced Renovation: Redefining a Bioclimatic approach for multi residential and office buildings in warmer climates. Building energy consumption accounts for nearly 27% of all energy related greenhouse gas emissions. By 2010, emissions' from buildings is estimated to increase by 48% above 1990 levels. This projected trend is alarming given that Australia's obligation under the Kyoto Protocol is only 8% above 1990 levels. Renovation of existing buildings is necessary to achieve this target. Research will address this problem by providing principles, strategies and solutions demostrating improvement of environmental performance and cost benefits. The application of new principles will assist with transforming the building industry to meet Kyoto targets.Read moreRead less