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Innovative technologies for buildings EU-funded research to transform the construction sector
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Directorate - General for Research, Industrial technologies2009 Unit G2 ‘New generation of products’ EUR 24023 EN
Innovative technologies for buildings EU-funded research to transform the construction sector
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Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2009
ISBN 978-92-79-12609-3 DOI 10.2777/33303
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Table of contents
4 A strong foundation for construction in Europe
6 ‘Intelligent houses’ meet safety and life-style aspirations
8 Tunnelling made safer, faster, more economical
10 Industrialised concepts promise huge savings
12 ‘Open Building’ strides beyond prefabrication
14 Strategy for stone strengthens EU position
17 Textiles tailored for innovative buildings
20 Outlook
continuing to improve the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of processes and materials.
At present, buildings account for 40% of the total energy use in Europe – giving rise to around one third of the region’s CO2 emissions. The industry also con-sumes billions of tons of natural resources, and produces 22% of total waste. Radical improvements must urgently be sought in all of these areas.
A study commissioned by the Commission’s Enterprise and Industry DG confirmed that industrialised meth-ods consume significantly less labour and materials than the traditional craft structures and processes. The research also showed that those countries which en-courage closer collaboration between the design and construction activities are the ones that tend to make greater use of off-site pre-fabrication, and have a work force which is well-equipped and trained to take full advantage of it.
Keeping ahead of international competition, particu-larly in relation to the US, China and India, calls for speedy integration of the most recent advances. Con-stant adaptation to changing needs and new opportunities is vital. Future prospects will depend more and more on the capacity to innovate: at the process level, in product development, in the organi-sation of the workforce and in the rapid deployment of new technologies. New approaches to the overall construction process, from initial concepts to execu-tion and full life-cycle management, will enhance the competitiveness of individual enterprises and the sector as a whole. A particular priority will be to ac-celerate the penetration of the latest technologies into the SMEs that make up the bulk of the industry.
Health and safety, and the establishment and deploy-ment of international standards are other key areas to be addressed.
Continuing EU support
For more than 20 years, the construction industry has benefited from substantial participation in various
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The construction industry is central to the overall economy of the EU, as an employer, the provider of accommodation and infrastructure, and a prominent player in the global marketplace. It underpins the func-tioning of virtually all other sectors, including the supply of food, water and energy; the delivery of public serv-ices; and the production and distribution of manufactured goods. It also has a key role to play in maintaining the cultural heritage of the Member States.
According to the European Construction Industry Fed-eration, output in 2007 amounted to €1 304 billion, representing 10.7% of GDP for the EU27 countries, and 51.5% of their investment in fixed assets. The sec-tor comprised 2.9 million enterprises, of which 95% were SMEs with fewer than 20 employees. A work-force of 16.4 million equated to 30.4% of industrial employment, and 7.2% of the European total. Further-more, EU companies won more than 50% of major international contracts, outstripping Japanese and American rivals, respectively by 10% and 30%.
Challenges and opportunities
While the global recession emerging in 2008/9 will clearly have negative effects on the above figures, it is essential to consider construction as part of the eventual solution to the economic woes. However, a sustained effort will be needed to maintain and extend the technological leadership of the EU, while
A strong foundation for construction in Europe
The construction sector is Europe’s largest industrial employer, a major source of revenue from exports and an evident contributor to the quality of life for all citizens. Continued research and development is vital to provide a sound basis for recovery from the effects of economic downturn and to address the global problems of climate change and population growth.
EU-supported research programmes. Within the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5 – 1998-2002), the Com-petitive and Sustainable Growth (GROWTH) programme alone funded 93 construction-related research projects, contributing around 7% of its total budget for the pe-riod. Similarly, under FP6 and the first call of FP7, around 6% of the total EC contribution to the NMP Theme has been allocated to construction-related projects.
The ERABUILD network, an ERA-NET financed under FP6, linked national and regional bodies responsible for managing research programmes. Based on a con-sortium of 18 partners from 8 countries, with EU funding of €2.5 million, the network developed durable cooperation and coordination between national research programmes on the sustainable construction and operation of buildings.
Within the NMP Theme of FP7, research projects for the construction sector are already in progress on two topics identified as priorities in consultation with the Member States and the European Construction Techno logy Platform: • “Resource-efficient and clean buildings”, to reduce
significantly the consumption of materials and en-courage the wider use of renewable resources.
• “Innovative value-added construction product- services”, for retro-fitting and maintenance of buildings, which was identified as a key activity for the 2.5 million SMEs in the construction sector.
The proposals selected in late 2008 under the topic “Industrialisation through new integrated construc-tion processes” are now also giving birth to new projects.
Coordination of Member States research in the con-struction sector will continue to receive support under FP7 through a second ERA-NET, ERACOBUILD, which was established in November 2008. With 34 partners from 21 Member States, and a total EC contribution of €2.3 million, it will focus on the sustainable reno-vation of buildings and on value-driven construction processes.
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This is well in line with the “Energy-efficient Buildings” (EeB) Public-Private Partnership Initiative, for a total of €1 billion in the period 2010-2013, which was in-cluded by the European Commission in the “European Economic Recovery Plan” of November 2008.
Complementary mechanisms
A European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP) was launched early in 2005, with the aim of mobilis-ing all stakeholders around the stated objectives of ‘meeting clients’ and users’ requirements, becoming sustainable and transforming the construction sector’. This now boasts over 1 000 members, and is mirrored by national platforms in most EU countries. It also maintains close links with other construction-related technology platforms.
Alongside the Framework Programmes themselves, complementary mechanisms such as COST (European co-ordination in science and technology) and EUREKA provide additional funding for joint European research in this field. Both are intergovernmental programmes allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level. COST makes it possible for various national facilities, institutes, universities and private industry to work jointly on a wide range of research activities, while EUREKA focuses on market-oriented industrial R&D. Under the latter scheme, the umbrella project EurekaBuild was initiated in 2006 to develop technologies for sustainable and competitive con-struction, in line with the Strategic Research Agenda of the ECTP.
Success Stories
The following pages outline notable examples of cur-rent and recently completed projects in which transnational cooperation is helping to achieve the transformation of construction into the competitive, knowledge-intensive and sustainable activity envis-aged in the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs.
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Mechanical strength, thermal insulation, fire-resistance, ease of application and dynamic response to external perturbations make dry-walled, steel-framed construc-tion an attractive option for house building, especially in areas at risk from events such as earthquake or fire. Such structures are also easy to erect and very flexible in configuration.
In the industry-led I-SSB project, 22 partners from 11 countries are collaborating to review the whole pro-duction process, in order to introduce a new modular concept for durable multi-storey residential houses based on multi-functional load-bearing dry walls cou-pled with a smart steel-stud framework. The aim is to incorporate sensors and actuators controlling dynamic oscillations within the buildings, together with an em-bedded wireless network to monitor and regulate components having self-healing and auto-correcting characteristics.
Multi-faceted research
Sonic attenuation, vibration absorption, fire-prevention techniques, nano- and advanced composite building materials, indoor parameter monitoring systems and new construction methods are all being investigated. In addition, 3D virtual design procedures are under de-velopment to enhance structural stability and fire safety, while new software tools for the prediction of fire spread are planned.
As well as providing added safety, improving comfort and reducing environmental impact, it is estimated that this could be achieved at half the typical €2 000/m2 cost of a family house calculated in 2007. And, by shift-ing work from building site to factory, it will contribute to the desired progression towards a more knowledge-intensive construction sector.
I-SSB concept: new solution to housing, particularly in high-risk areas.
‘Intelligent houses’ meet safety and life-style aspirations
Climatic change, growing safety consciousness and increasing quality-of-life expectations impose growing demands on the designers and builders of dwellings. To meet these requirements, the Integrated Project I-SSB is developing an ‘intelligent house’ concept that will combine comfort with hazard resistance by integrating the structure with novel components and monitoring systems.
Full-scale demo house
The eventual results will be demonstrated in a full-scale family house designed to sustain extreme loads of wind, vibrations and earthquake. The prototype of this was completed during the first two years of the project. New types of plasterboard with improved ability to withstand the extreme conditions occurring during earthquake or fire – notably by the incorporation of polypropylene fibre and expanded perlite (amorphous volcanic glass) fillers – have been developed and successfully tested as additives for improved fire resistance. These are cur-rently undergoing further evaluation and refinement.
Valuable progress has also been made in the produc-tion and wireless networking of sensors/actuators to reduce man-induced vibrations and control noise, as well as an innovative 3DPZT (lead zirconate titan-ate) piezoelectric ceramic-fibre earthquake sensor.
A longer-term intention is to provide the house with en-ergy storage elements based on phase-change materials, and to combine these with energy-efficient systems that will dramatically reduce consumption. The target is to show that lightweight steel-frame buildings with gypsum board systems can also become ‘zero-energy houses’ when suitably equipped. This is already beginning to be explored in a follow-up FP7 project: MESSIB.
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I-SSB • The integrated safe and smart built project. Total cost | €9 853 200 EC contribution | €6 000 000Project duration | January 2007-December 2010 (48 months)Coordinator | Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Hummel, Knauf Gips, GermanyMore information | http://www.issb-project.com/
The I-SSB demo house.
This demonstration building was designed as a typical two-storey Greek family home.
Erection of steel frame completed in March 2009.
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Road traffic, particularly freight, is a major cause of pol-lution and inconvenience for citizens, and a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions across Europe as a whole. Moving it below ground can alleviate local problems, while also freeing surface space for other uses such as recreation. But the costs and risks involved in constructing underground infrastructure are consider-ably higher than those of conventional road-building.
With presently available techniques, there remains a degree of uncertainty in predicting how the ground will react to excavation activities, and in optimising equipment performance under changing geological conditions. This makes budgeting difficult, and in worst-case scenarios can lead to catastrophic incidents. In the TUNCONSTRUCT Integrated Project, 41 participants from 11 Member States are addressing these issues with an approach that encompasses every aspect of the underground construction life-cycle – from design to technologies and processes to maintenance and repair of tunnels in service.
Information systems rationalised
To provide a better basis for decision-making, the part-ners are drawing together a range of formerly disparate ICT tools, including techniques not previously applied to tunnelling, into two complementary information sys-tems. For the design phase, an Integrated Optimisation Platform (IOPT) combines computer simulation, expert knowledge and artificial intelligence to provide the best design of the construction sequence and method. Sim-ilarly, improved and instant access to monitoring and simulation data during construction is being realised in an Underground Construction Information System (UCIS), assisting the tunnel engineer in decision making and allowing the storage of information valuable to future projects.
Tunnel boring machine with monitored cutters and screen display in the operator’s cabin.
Tunnelling made safer, faster, more economical
Routing traffic below ground offers a means to reduce urban congestion, noise and pollution; while in mountainous areas it cuts journey times and fuel consumption. But tunnelling is itself a costly, time consuming and sometimes risky operation. The TUNCONSTRUCT project is bringing together activity-wide innovations in an all-embracing Under-ground Construction Integrated Platform.
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Cost and risk limitation
The integrated process development examines such fac-tors as influences of the soil, materials used for the tunnel lining and overall quality control. Among many notable breakthroughs is the replacement of discrete
measurement devices installed in bore holes by a con-tinuous fibre-optic cable installed above the tunnel liner to give more reliable early warning of excessive settlement.
Numerous developments in excavation hardware will also have significant impacts on cost and time. One par-ticular objective of the industry is to increase tunnel diameters beyond the present maximum of around 15 m, in order to accommodate more lanes of traffic. Responding to this demand, project partner Her-renknecht has designed the world’s first 18 m tunnel boring machine (TBM). Further TBM enhancements include advances in cutting tool materials and design, as well as a monitoring system to safeguard against damage and thus minimise downtime.
New automated roadheaders with precise profile control, and integrated data processing systems will further reduce costs and risks, as will novel robotic inspection and repair devices.
Commercial potential
Even before the conclusion of TUNCONSTRUCT, the work has given rise to 8 patents, several prototypes with promise for early commercialisation, plus advanced training and demonstration aids to facilitate dissemi-nation of the new technologies.
TUNCONSTRUCT • Technology innovation in underground construction.Total cost | €25 711 580 EC contribution | €14 000 000Project duration | September 2005-November 2009 (51 months)Coordinator | Prof. Gernot Beer, Graz University of Technology, AustriaMore information | http://www.tunconstruct.org/
A helmet with built-in data display gives a tunnel engineer up-to-date information on geology and displacements in his location.
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Radical innovation in all phases of the creation and use of buildings is required to meet future challenges of sustainability, energy conservation and industrial com-petitiveness in Europe. I3CON is therefore researching industrialised construction concepts that will permit efficient and economical operation over the whole building life cycle.
In this four-year initiative, 26 partners from 14 coun-tries are implementing a model-based design approach to meet the information requirements of the built envi-ronment when the focus is in the building lifecycle and not just in the construction phase. A business model selection tool, finalised in the second year, and on-going work on value-based reference metrics enables con-structors to make an early choice of the most appropriate business model, which can lead to more resource-efficient and performance-based projects.
A common architecture for building systems is also being defined, together with intelligent catalogues of standard components and sensors that are intero-perable via a shared wireless network. With all sensors being accessible to monitor functional status, an enhanced ability to carry out remote preventive main-tenance will be an important cost-saving factor.
I3CON Lifecycle Services
I3CON envisions advanced lifecycle services for the building stakeholders by sharing the wealth of informa-tion from the building in an open way by means of its open building systems architecture. By re-using the same model of information from the building, I3CON is devel-oping an intelligent component catalogue and a service configuration tool, as well as a thermal simulation of the built environment. Furthermore, the same model is enhanced to be used by building management systems (BMS) and the mobile productivity tools under develop-ment. All these can be used to provide ad vanced services such as remote maintenance and energy mana-gement. These services can be provided in an open market by independent contractors.
Overview of the I3CON concept.
Industrialised concepts promise huge savings
Industrialised production of building components with integrated services and intelligence could replace current working practices of custom design and craft-made delivery by a more rational and cost-cutting approach. The I3CON Integrated Project is developing business models, industrialised components and processes whereby specialised SMEs working in streamlined supply chains can profit from this approach.
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New components and tools
Production technologies for smart components and sys-tems have been evaluated, as has the manufacture of integrated systems in a factory environment. Among specific elements under development are different types of facade panels, the thermoshield concept to provide thermal comfort along the building envelope, control-lable electro-chromic windows and a novel multi-services trunking system that could provide a cost-effective answer to the vertical and horizontal distribution of essential services throughout multi-storey buildings.
In addition, work on a modular service engineering model and its supporting toolbox is well advanced.
I3CON • Industrialised, integrated, intelligent construction.Total cost | €17 356 561 EC contribution | €9 496 975Project duration | October 2006-September 2010 (48 months)Coordinator | Dr. Eng. Miguel José Segarra Martínez, Dragados, SpainMore information | http://www.i3con.org/
For example, a prototype configurator tool enables service provision to be optimised and allows far more accurate long-term forecasting of maintenance costs than has hitherto been possible.
Novel demonstrator
As well as producing a virtual demonstrator and a pre-fabricated module incorporating the developed components, the partners plan a novel side-by-side comparison of actual inhabited dwelling houses with and without the new facilities.
Although some aspects of the I3CON vision will face regulatory hurdles, it could ultimately deliver safer, more comfortable and affordable buildings 50% faster and 25% more cheaply, with greatly reduced maintenance and life-cycle cost savings of more than 40%.
The I3CON prefabricated demonstration module.
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The MANUBUILD concept of ‘open building manufac-turing’ answers the need for fundamental change in the construction sector: from craft-based practices to efficient yet flexible knowledge-based industrial manu-facture. As well as allowing significant reductions in construction and maintenance costs, it will lead to fewer errors and less re-work, reduce the risk of on-site accidents and provide customers with more choices and greater value.
In this four-year initiative, 22 participants from eight EU countries collaborated in a programme that lays the foundation for a total revision of the construction sup-ply chain. Its holistic approach embraced building concepts, business processes, production technologies and ICT support, while also addressing the training and education necessary to prepare designers and builders for the new realities.
Principles defined
Rather than seeking to create specific products, MAN-UBUILD has defined a set of underlying principles and rules for an open building manufacturing world going far beyond present-day prefabrication techniques that simply ‘bring construction indoors’. For the first time, it envisages buildings designed specifically for manufac-ture and customisation, using agile production of pre-manufactured products and components (e.g. wall panels with pre-installed services) that are easy to assemble and readily adaptable to customers’ wishes. While many parts would be made off-site and trans-ported to a building’s location, one interesting idea that emerged is the use of on-site ‘mobile factories’ – espe-cially for the production of costly or fragile elements that could be prone to damage in transit.
The emphasis throughout is on increasing value for all stakeholders, and on reaching real customer orientation by involving the end-user intimately in the process. Given that a building is a complex product, with a far greater
MANUBUILD on show at the FutureBuild exhibition, London.
‘Open Building’ strides beyond prefabrication
The MANUBUILD project has devised an approach that marries creative architectu-ral design to the industrialised production and delivery of customisable components. Its Open Building Manufacturing System represents a new paradigm for construc-tion, applying the efficiencies of sectors such as the automotive and aerospace industries, while still offering the end-user diversity of choice.
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latitude in the choice of features and materials than, say, a car, this demands much more interactive decision-making. A key aspect of the project was therefore to establish an integrated ICT framework for progressive replacement of the fragmented collection of tools that has grown up with the traditional industry.
Reaching out to industry
While the Open Building Manufacturing System is appli-cable to virtually any kind of construction, the project itself chose to focus its demonstration activities on residential accommodation in four- to seven-story buildings. Apart from lab-scale prototypes and virtual presentations, multi-story dwellings using MANUBUILD
concepts and learning have been demonstrated in Sweden and are also currently under construction in Spain. These will also be showcased in another construction project in the UK in 2010. In order to encourage industry take-up, the partners have also pub-lished widely and participated in a number of showcase events, including the FutureBuild exhibition in London on two successive years.
A variety of training aids has been produced, and the educational effort has begun with the launch of an MSc programme in Construction Manufacturing. Linked to this, coordinator Corus has developed the framework for a ‘teaching factory’ where course content and dura-tion can be targeted precisely according to the target audience.
MANUBUILD • Open building manufacturing.Total cost | €19 569 025 EC contribution | €10 000 000Project duration | April 2005-March 2009 (48 months)Coordinator | Dr. Samir Boudjabeur, Corus, United KingdomMore information | http://www.manubuild.org/
Software simulation of a pre-engineered factory unit.
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The superior technical and aesthetic properties of nat-ural stone lead to its widespread use in both structural and decorative aspects of construction. World consump-tion has increased by more than 200% over the past two decades, and continues to rise. Around 35% of the total demand is met by EU countries – notably Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal – giving employment to over 500,000 people in some 50,000 companies, mainly SMEs.
In recent years, however, Europe has been losing mar-ket share to Far Eastern and South American rivals. To face this problem, the I-STONE project sought to improve the efficiency of the overall production chain, enabling it to market products of lower cost, higher quality and greater added value.
Innovating the process chain
A consortium comprising 42 partners from Europe, Ukraine and Argentina has realised innovations cover-ing all stages of stone extraction and conversion. These include:• a high-speed hammerless drilling system that
improves productivity, accuracy and cleanliness at the quarry face;
• non-destructive testing methodology based on sonic and ultrasonic waves, to classify blocks await-ing sawing as acceptable or potentially flawed by fractures;
• a consolidation system employing water-soluble organic agents applied under vacuum to repair defective blocks before further processing, thus reducing reject rates that can otherwise reach up to 35%;
• ultra-thin ( 3 mm) slab/strip-cutting discs, based on nano-diamonds bonded without the use of heavy metals – which operate at higher speeds than con-ventional discs, extend lifetimes and generate less waste; Holes are accurately drilled with a new
hammerless system that minimises waste.
Strategy for stone strengthens EU position
In order to face growing competition from Far Eastern and South American suppliers, the European stone sector needs to deliver lower cost products of improved quality and higher added value. The I-STONE project sought to re-engineer the whole production chain, to improve efficiency, reduce waste and develop a new genera-tion of multifunctional by-products.
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• inorganic consolidation of slabs, strips and tiles with materials that are chemically similar to the semi-finished products themselves, thus restoring full marketable quality.
Negotiations for the commercial exploitation of a number of these developments are now underway.
Environmental strategy
As well as minimising wastes from extraction and processing, I-STONE’s strategy to promote sustainable and ecological management of resources embraced a search for new waste-based products, applications in other industrial sectors, and methods for controlled dis-posal.
One interesting avenue pursued in the Netherlands is the incorporation of marble and granite powders into func-tionalised concrete road paving able to absorb pollutants from vehicle exhausts by photocatalytic oxidisation, with self-cleaning by the action of rainfall.
Prototype system for an automated scanning high-resolution method (ASHRM) to locate the orientation and position of weak planes and damages in stone blocks.
I-STONE • Re-engineering of natural stone production chain through knowledge based processes, eco-innovation and new organisational paradigms.Total cost | €11 229 622 EC contribution | €6 759 934Project duration | March 2005-November 2008 (45 months)Coordinator | Ing. Giuseppe Gandolfi, Pedrini, ItalyMore information | http://www.istone.ntua.gr/
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Overall view of the slab/tile consolidation system prototype.Modernising moves
Another aspect of the project was to provide stone users with a web-based information system for the selection of available products, aided by realistic visual images. This could stimulate on-line dialogue between producers and potential customers, making a signifi-cant step towards e-commerce in what has so far been a very traditional activity.
In order to disseminate information about the outcomes of I-STONE, particularly to the sector’s many SME busi-nesses, a series of training course modules is now downloadable from the project website.
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Today, textiles are perceived by the construction indus-try mainly as being appropriate for temporary structures. However, with emerging materials and modern meth-ods, they become equally applicable to more permanent buildings. They not only offer architects the possibility to create unusual and beautiful structures, but also score highly in terms of minimal consumption of resources and rapid, low-cost erection.
The CONTEXT-T project, a consortium of 30 partners from 10 countries, led by the Belgian research institute Centexbel, is exploring new multi-functional materials and their intelligent use in lightweight, secure, eco-friendly and economic buildings whose structures should last for up to 60 years.
Three elements
Textile-based buildings essentially comprise three ele-ments: membranes, supporting structures and tensioning devices. Currently, typical membranes are simple coated polyester or glass fibre fabrics. These provide only a pas-sive shell, with limited barrier properties and durability. The supporting structure is usually steel, aluminium or wood, tensioned by means of steel cables.
The new research involves the development of mem-branes with additional functionalities, as well as supporting structures made from composites including textile reinforcement, offering added value in both tech-nical and aesthetic terms.
Floating covered swimming pool on the river Spree in Berlin.
Textiles tailored for innovative buildings
New textile materials and innovative techniques for their deployment offer huge potential in the construction of eco-friendly buildings that combine great design freedom with lightness and economy. CONTEX-T, an Integrated Project for SMEs, is researching the underlying technologies.
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New coatings and fillers, some derived from nanotech-nology, are being tested to produce membranes combining improved acoustic and thermal insulation, efficient energy management and controlled light trans-mission combined with easy cleaning and deconta-mination qualities. A further aim is to allow energy harvesting by photovoltaic approaches.
Replacing steel cables with textile belts and ropes for tensioning and load transfer will eliminate corrosion problems and facilitate installation. New textile rein-forced composites and other hybrid structures will also form essential elements of the supporting structures.
New glass-fibre-reinforced cement compositions are showing great promise for incombustible and lightweight beams and arches, which are also more environmentally-friendly than traditional resin-based materials involving
solvents and dangerous waste. A combination of pul-trusion and braiding produces plate composites that can be bent and tensioned to form a variety of shapes.
Smart design
The integration of all these elements will create pleas-ing, safe and comfortable environments for living and working, even under extreme weather conditions. Smart design and architecture, taking full advantage of the new membranes and supporting structures will be reflected in a series of demonstrators at the end of the funded period. This will include new concepts for retractable roofs and kinetic structures conferring out-standing flexibility in use.
At the mid-point of CONTEX-T, five patent applications had already been filed covering various aspects of the technology. Spin-off applications in areas such as pro-tective clothing, furnishing, vehicle covers, inflatable boats and emergency slides are also foreseen.
A pvc-coated polyester bandstand canopy erected in 2006 is a landmark feature of Norway’s annual Kongsberg Jazz Festival.
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CONTEX-T • Textile architecture – textile structures and the buildings of the future.Total cost | €10 498 007 EC contribution | €6 188 920Project duration | September 2006-August 2010 (48 months)Coordinator | Jan Laperre, Centexbel, BelgiumMore information | www.contex-t.eu
Floating covered swimming pool and sauna on the river Spree in Berlin.
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Outlook
Synergy is strength
National agendas drive the erection of most buildings, while their design is inevitably shaped by national cultures and local conditions. But, with a pressing need to transform the construction industry in line with the Lisbon strategy, research by individual countries alone is not enough.
There are many imperatives for radical reform of the construction industry. Traditional practices and the inertia of regulation have so far tended to inhibit the introduction of more efficient methods. A recent study carried out in Sweden showed that, over the period 1993-2003, productivity grew at only 1/10 the rate of that in the wider manufacturing sector.
Wasteful use of natural materials remains a serious problem. And a dramatic reduction in energy consump-tion is essential to achieve the objectives established at European level in the Energy and Climate Change Policy.
Today, a separation of the design and construction disciplines, plus the lack of an overall systems ap-proach, means that the majority of new efficient buildings are effectively prototype projects. This situ-ation can only be remedied by addressing the overall process.
Given the level of research investment required to achieve rapid progress, every effort must be made to optimise the use of finance, equipment, know-how and human talent. As the EU-funded projects described in this brochure show, transnational cooperation is a logical way ahead. Member States should also ensure that their national recovery plans are coordinated with each other, and with the European Economic Recovery Plan.
Public-private partnership for Energy-efficient Buildings
The European Economic Recovery Plan endorsed by the European Council in December 2008 includes Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to support research into sustainable technologies for the EU construction sector as well as for the manufacturing and automo-tive industries. The ‘Energy-efficient Buildings’ (EeB) PPP will devote €1 billion of public-private funding to the development of energy-efficient systems and materials in new and renovated buildings with a view to reducing radically their energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
In order to achieve the necessary fast start-up, the EeB PPP will initially make use of existing FP7 instru-ments. The cross-thematic Coordinated Call launched in July 2009 under the Work Programme 2010 will allow the first research projects to begin in the spring of 2010. In parallel, a dialogue is going on between the Commission services and the Ad-hoc Industrial Advisory Group for the construction sector to develop a multi-annual roadmap of research priorities for the period up to the end of FP7 in 2013.
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks are expressed to the coordinators and the programme officers of the projects for their contribution, and in particular to Christophe Lesniak for the coordination work. Furthermore, the collaboration of Mike Parry, Margarita Rodríguez Prada, Pascale Dupont and Bingen Urquijo Garay is acknowledged.
J.L. Vallés, Head of Unit RTD-G2 ‘New generation of products’
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European Commission
EUR 24023 EN – Innovative technologies for buildings – EU-funded research to transform the construction sector
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
2009 — 24 pp. — 17 x 24 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-12609-3DOI 10.2777/33303
The construction sector is central to the overall economy of the EU, accounting for more than 10 % of GDP, employing more than 16 million people in large, medium and small enterprises, providing accom-modation and infrastructure, and playing a prominent role in the global marketplace. Continued research and development is vital to provide a sound basis for recovery from the effects of economic downturn and to address the global problems of climate change and population growth. The European Construc-tion Technology Platform developed a Strategic Research Agenda which identified three main goals: meeting clients’ and users’ requirements, dramatically improving sustainability and energy efficiency, and achieving a transformation from traditional craft practices to modern and efficient knowledge-based methods employing intelligent new materials and environmentally-friendly processes. This publication briefly presents six examples of outstanding transnational collaborative projects for the construction sector supported by the EU under its RTD Framework Programmes. By taking innovative approaches to the development and application of building and infrastructural technologies, all are helping to ensure a viable future for the construction industry and contributing to the well-being of every citizen.
KI-NA-24023-EN
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