Applied research in construction
A green transition of the construction industry is a prerequisite to attaining the global climate and sustainability goals. For this reason, the industry stands united around the demand for ongoing change. We disseminate new, practice-related knowledge about the challenges and barriers faced by the construction industry.
New technological solutions can contribute to improving construction as part of the green transition, but many new technologies are not adopted and implemented by the construction industry, and as a consequence they do not produce the desired effect.
Furthermore, increased demands for sustainability mean greater complexity in construction which in turn suggests a need for better collaboration and communication. At the same time, we see much potential in improving productivity of the construction industry. These challenges call for greater focus on understanding the challenges of the industry.
For these reasons, our research aims to create results on the basis of current practices in the construction industry as a precursor for contributing to the development and change of the industry.
We are involved in a range of development and research projects at the national as well as the international level.
CIRCLEBIM
This Interreg North Sea project contributes to more sustainable construction through the use of BIM technology. This is done by developing and enhancing the use of Building Information Modeling in circular planning and construction processes. BIM will be applied in cases in Denmark and abroad until 2028 to explore and demonstrate how BIM fosters innovation in circular construction. This project includes close collaboration with the Danish municipality of Middelfart. CicleBIM is a collaboration between 13 partners from across the North Sea region.
SUSTAINABUILD
The focal point of this project is how the UN's 17 global goals can be integrated into construction projects. Across the partnering countries, the project explores the implementation of the global goals in the industry as well as the need for competencies to resolve sustainability challenges. Furthermore, the project will develop materials to demonstrate how construction projects can contribute to achieving the 2030 goals described in the UN's Agenda for Sustainable Development. UCN leads this 3-year EU project in a collaboration with partners in Finland, Belgium and Spain.
DigiLab
A key condition for a sound construction project is having the right information at the right time. UCN was part of DigiLab, an international Erasmus+ project which focused on research and online courses on how to apply simulation tools – so-called digital twins – to generate real value in the built environment. The digital twin comprises various technologies that aim to ensure a high level of information throughout the lifetime of a structure. From initial idea to demolition.