New CRC initiative seeks 80 per cent reduction in construction waste

Building 4.0 CRC, a collaborative initiative that seeks to reduce waste and emissions from building projects, has received a $28 million Cooperative Research Centre grant from the Federal Government.

Monash University, Lendlease, The University of Melbourne, Donovan Group, BlueScope, Sumitomo Forestry and CSR, along with 23 other partners, have been successful in securing the funding to establish Building 4.0 CRC – an initiative seeking to transform how buildings are designed and manufactured in Australia.

Announced by Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews, the $28 million grant will leverage a combined $103 million from industry, government and research partners – bringing the combined research budget to $131 million over seven years.

According to a Monash University statement, the Building 4.0 CRC research initiative is focused on using digital solutions, new products and processes to transform Australia’s building industry to a tech-enabled, collaborative future.

“Some of the outcomes this initiative hopes to achieve include: an 80 per cent reduction in construction waste and a 50 per cent reduction in Co2 emissions for more sustainable buildings,” the statement reads.

Building 4.0 CRC Chair and Engineers Australia CEO Bronwyn Evans said the initiative will bring together expertise in the fields of architecture, design, planning, construction, engineering, business, information technology and law to develop industry-wide practices and protocols intended to transform the entire sector.

“It will also leverage the latest technologies, data science and artificial intelligence to enable the application of robotics and digital fabrication to optimise all phases of building delivery – including development, design, production, assembly, operation, maintenance and end-of-life,” she said.

“The Building 4.0 CRC is going to be a really important factor in making sure we have a competitive future and we are addressing those broad sector needs.”