Innovation in Construction

Part I: Industry 4.0 and drivers for change.- What is Industry 4.0?.- The global environmental imperative.- Industry 4.0 and drivers for social sustainability.- Circular construction.- Part II: Innovation in construction.- Fundamentals of Innovation.- Challenges to Innovation in Construction.- Cutting edge practical research on generative design, IoT and digital twins.- Artificial intelligence and data in civil engineering.- Potential application of blockchain technology to transform the construction industry.- Parametric design - A drive towards a sustainable future.- Construction industry transformation through modular methods.- Construction 3D printing: Challenges and opportunities for the construction industry.- Material design, additive manufacturing and performance of cement based materials.- Systems engineering and technology management methodology for the development of construction robots.- Part III: Practical strategies for innovation in practice.- Some changes are invisible to the eyes: Transformation of business models, organizations and cultures.- The next engineers: Equipping industry for the future of construction.- The new generation of construction skills: Transition from onsite to offsite.- Concluding remarks.

Dr Seyed Hamidreza Ghaffar: Dr Ghaffar is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng, MICE), a Member of the Institute of Concrete Technology (MICT) and a Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He is the founder and director of Additive Manufacturing Technology in Construction (AMTC) Research Centre. The focus of AMTC is on valorising construction and demolition waste using materials science and 3D printing to achieve the circular economy goals of sustainable construction. Dr Ghaffar's research covers several construction materials, with a focus on the development of low carbon technologies suitable for new and retrofitting applications by combining materials sciences and innovative technologies. He has been successful in attracting research grants of circa £6 million on 8 projects funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, British Council, and the European Commission. Dr Ghaffar is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Results in Engineering (Elsevier).




Mr Paul Mullett: Paul's role as Group Engineering and Technology Director is to drive forward and sustain the relentless pursuit of engineering excellence through the strategic application of transformative technologies, the identification and adoption of value-adding innovation and the development of staff skills necessary for the future of engineering across the global business. As an accomplished professional consultant with over 25 years' experience in a variety of technical and managerial roles, Paul has a proven track record of providing sound, considered advice to clients based on a practical, technically grounded approach to engineering with a commitment to quality and risk management. Paul is a Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a registered Professional Simulation Engineer with NAFEMS.




Dr Eujin Pei: Eujin is Associate