Leveraging innovation for sustainable construction, proceedings of the CIB Task Group 58: Clients and Construction Innovation Workshop

This publication consists of a volume of papers presented at the workshop of the CIB Task Group 58: Clients and Construction Innovation, held on May 18- 19, 2009 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The workshop theme, “Leveraging Innovation for Sustainable Construction”, reflects a growing concern among clients for perspectives, approaches, and tools that will secure the practice of construction economically, socially, and environmentally. This collection encompasses some of the most incisive assessments of the challenges facing the construction industry today from a range of researchers and industry practitioners who are leading the way for tomorrow’s innovations. It provides a useful documentation of the ongoing conversation regarding innovation and sustainability issues and a foundation of knowledge for future research and development. The papers contained in this volume explore the workshop’s overarching theme of how to leverage innovation to increase the sustainability of the construction process and product. Participants sought to generate discussion on the topics of innovation and sustainability within the construction field, to share international examples of innovation from the research community and from industry, and to establish a point of reference for ongoing enquiry. In particular, our contributors have noted the value of learning through practice in order to orient research based on real-world industry experience. Chapters two and three present complementary models of sustainable research programs through the three parts collaboration of government, industry, and academia. Chapters four and five explore new tools and forms of technological innovation as they are deployed to improve construction project management and set the direction for advances in research. Chapters six, seven, and eight closely study practical examples of innovation in large-scale construction projects, showing with concrete results the impact of applying creative methods and best practices to the field. Innovation and sustainability in construction are truly global efforts; these papers illustrate how we can draw on international examples and cooperative organizations to address these important issues for long-term benefit of the industry.

CIB White Paper on IDDS Integrated Design & Delivery Solutions

CIB is developing a priority theme, now termed Improving Construction and Use through Integrated Design & Delivery Solutions (IDDS). The IDDS working group for this theme adopted the following definition: Integrated Design and Delivery Solutions use collaborative work processes and enhanced skills, with integrated data, information, and knowledge management to minimize structural and process inefficiencies and to enhance the value delivered during design, build, and operation, and across projects. The design, construction, and commissioning sectors have been repeatedly analysed as inefficient and may or may not be quite as bad as portrayed; however, there is unquestionably significant scope for IDDS to improve the delivery of value to clients, stakeholders (including occupants), and society in general, simultaneously driving down cost and time to deliver operational constructed facilities. Although various initiatives developed from computer‐aided design and manufacturing technologies, lean construction, modularization, prefabrication and integrated project delivery are currently being adopted by some sectors and specialisations in construction; IDDS provides the vision for a more holistic future transformation. Successful use of IDDS requires improvements in work processes, technology, and people’s capabilities to span the entire construction lifecycle from conception through design, construction, commissioning, operation, refurbishment/ retrofit and recycling, and considering the building’s interaction with its environment. This vision extends beyond new buildings to encompass modifications and upgrades, particularly those aimed at improved local and area sustainability goals. IDDS will facilitate greater flexibility of design options, work packaging strategies and collaboration with suppliers and trades, which will be essential to meet evolving sustainability targets. As knowledge capture and reuse become prevalent, IDDS best practice should become the norm, rather than the exception.

Associated schools of construction of southern Africa infrastructure design and delivery workshop - Report. CIB task group 91 infrastructure

This workshop comprised a diverse group of African construction experts, ranging far wider than RSA. Each of the attendees had attended the annual ASOCSA conference and was additionally provided with a short workshop pre-brief. The aim was to develop a view of their 15-20 year vision of construction improvement in RSA and the steps necessary to get there. These included sociological, structural, technical and process changes. Whilst some suggestions are significantly challenging, none are impossible, given sufficient collaboration between government, industry, academia and NGOs. The highest priority projects (more properly, programmes) were identified and further explored. These are: 1. Information Hub (‘Open Africa’). Aim – to utilise emerging trends in Open Data to provide a force for African unity. 2. Workforce Development. Aim – to rebuild a competent, skilled construction industry for RSA projects and for export. 3. Modular DIY Building. Aim – to accelerate the development of sustainable, cost-efficient and desirable housing for African economic immigrants and others living in makeshift and slum dwellings. Open Data is a maturing theme in different cities and governments around the world and the workshop attendees were very keen to seize such a possibility to assist in developing an environment where Africans can share information and foster collaboration. It is likely that NGOs might be keen to follow up such an initiative. There are significant developments taking place around the world in the construction sector currently, with comparatively large savings being made for taxpayers (20% plus in the UK). Not all of these changes would be easy to transplant to RSA (even more so to much of the rest of Africa). Workforce development was a keen plea amongst the attendees, who seemed concerned that expertise has leaked away and is not being replaced with sufficient intensity. It is possible today to develop modular buildings in such a way that even unskilled residents can assist in their construction, and even their appropriate design. These buildings can be sited nearly autonomously from infrastructures, thus relieving the tensions on cities and townships, whilst providing humane accommodation for the economically disadvantaged. Development of suitable solutions could either be conducted with other similarly stressed countries or developed in-country and the expertise exported. Finally, it should be pointed out that this was very much a first step. Any opportunity to collaborate from an Australian, QUT or CIB perspective would be welcomed, whilst acknowledging that the leading roles belong to RSA, CSIR, NRF, ASOCSA and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Simulating one of the CIB W14 round robin test cases using the SMARTFIRE fire field model

Numerical predictions produced by the SMARTFIRE fire field model are compared with experimental data. The predictions consist of gas temperatures at several locations within the compartment over a 60 min period. The test fire, produced by a burning wood crib attained a maximum heat release rate of approximately 11MW. The fire is intended to represent a nonspreading fire (i.e. single fuel source) in a moderately sized ventilated room. The experimental data formed part of the CIB Round Robin test series. Two simulations are produced, one involving a relatively coarse mesh and the other with a finer mesh. While the SMARTFIRE simulations made use of a simple volumetric heat release rate model, both simulations were found capable of reproducing the overall qualitative results. Both simulations tended to overpredict the measured temperatures. However, the finer mesh simulation was better able to reproduce the qualitative features of the experimental data. The maximum recorded experimental temperature (12141C after 39 min) was over-predicted in the fine mesh simulation by 12%. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensayo del proyecto CIB en la enseñanza de la Física y la Química de segundo de BUP.

Comprobar que una visión integrada de la ciencia a través de una metodología activa lleva a una mejor comprensión de los conceptos científicos y a una actitud más positiva hacia el trabajo escolar. Analizar posibles diferencias derivadas de la utilización de distintas metodologías. Dos grupos de segundo de BUP cuyos integrantes fueron seleccionados al azar. El total del colectivo al que se aplicó la experiencia es de 107 alumnos: 32 alumnos del INB Leopoldo Alas de Oviedo y 28 alumnos del INB Pérez de Ayala de Oviedo a los que se aplicó totalmente; 17 del INB mixto de Turón y 30 del de Virgen de la Luz de Mieres. En cada centro se considera también un grupo de control con la metodología habitual. Se aplican una serie de pruebas iniciales para ver la homogeneidad de los grupos de ensayo y de control. Las variables medidas son: conocimientos base en Matemáticas, Física y Química, aptitudes, actitudes. El desarrollo de cada unidad didáctica se componía de los siguientes pasos: introducción al tema, información a los alumnos de los objetivos específicos del tema, estudio y aplicación del profesor seguido de un estudio global del tema y evaluación realizada a partir de los objetivos establecidos para cada materia, también se evalúan las actitudes hacia el trabajo en esas áreas. Prueba inicial de conocimientos base en Matemáticas -Pimextraido de Orear (1971)-. Prueba inicial de Física y Química -PIF-. DAT para medir las aptitudes diferenciales. Cuestionario de actitudes iniciales -CAI elaborado para esta investigación basándose en el publicado por Lafourcade en 1975. Pruebas objetivas de Física y Química y cuestionario de actitudes, aplicados ambos al final de la experiencia. Las diferencias significativas encontradas entre los grupos experimental y de control fueron: la asignatura se considera más fácil en el grupo experimental. Las expectativas de este grupo sobre el empleo del método activo no fueron defraudadas en el curso siendo muy alto el índice de aceptación del tipo de trabajo realizado. La capacidad de los alumnos del grupo experimental para el establecimiento de hipótesis a partir de la observación de determinado tipo de fenómenos es superior a la de los del grupo de control. Es significativamente mayor el número de alumnos aprobados en junio en el grupo experimental. Se propone una continuación del trabajo aplicando la metodología del proyecto CIB a varios grupos de un mismo centro de tercero de BUP y el estudio comparativo de estos alumnos en COU al incorporarse a una metodología tradicional. También proponen aplicaciones parciales del método a diferentes cursos.

Energía de las reacciones químicas : interacciones y sistemas, proyecto cib-nivel optativo.

Se presenta material didáctico sobre la energía de las reacciones químicas. Se trata de una unidad didáctica experimental para el estudio integrado de la física y la química. Se analizan cuatro unidades temáticas sobre: los aspectos energéticos de las reacciones químicas; el primer y segundo principio de termodinámica entalpia; y un último tema sobre la energía libre y las reacciones químicas. Además de esta parte teórica, se incluye una parte práctica con actividades y experiencias relacionadas con la materia estudiada.

Tiempo y equilibrio en sistemas reaccionantes : interacciones y sistemas, proyecto cib-nivel optativo.

Se presenta material didáctico sobre el tiempo y el equilibrio en sistemas reaccionantes. Se trata de una unidad didáctica experimental para el estudio integrado de la física y la química. Se analizan tres unidades temáticas sobre: la velocidad de reacción; el equilibrio químico; y un último tema sobre el equilibrio y la velocidad en cambios químicos. Además de esta parte teórica, se incluye una parte práctica con actividades y experiencias relacionadas con la materia estudiada.