Re-engineering construction: the role of research and implementation

Abstract

This note reports the background research sponsored by the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) for the development of a strategy for re-engineering construction. Three different data collection methods were used: a survey of CIB coordinators, a web-survey and three regional workshops. The principal conclusion is that the concept of Re-engineering Construction restrictive, and the concept of re-valuing construction was posed as a broader alternative that better captures the challenges facing the international construction industry. Other important findings are the widespread perception that the challenges facing the construction industry are shared by many countries and that considerable scope exists for international exchange and collaboration in this area. Relatively low emphasis has been given to technology issues such as prefabrication and information technology in meeting these challenges.