January/February 2018

Communities: Construction
Groups Join Forces To Improve Construction Research

Two organizations well known for their contributions to the delivery of capital facilities are getting back together.

The Construction Industry Institute and Fiatech, both research units in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, are reuniting to more closely collaborate on R&D to improve the capital projects industry.

Fiatech, a spin-off of CII, was formed in 1999, and today aims to advance integrated systems and technology-enabled work processes for the delivery and operation of capital facilities. CII, since its formation in 1983, has worked with owners, contractors, and academia on research to make the construction industry more competitive.

Both organizations have a mission to “dramatically improve the capital projects industry with innovative thinking and collaborative approaches to research and development.”

In the new partnership, CII will shift its focus. In the past, CII has worked on project research for large organizations, including Shell, General Motors, Anheuser-Busch, and Bechtel. Now, the institute will focus on industry sector-specific R&D to maximize project outcomes, integrating Fiatech’s innovative practices and technologies, such as computer-aided design and augmented and virtual reality building information modeling.

The construction industry is among the least digitized and has been slow to adopt or research new technologies, according to a report by McKinsey & Co. Less than 1% of revenue goes toward research and design of project planning. On average, large capital projects typically take 20% longer to finish, and are up to 80% over budget. However, digital solutions could solve some of the industry’s biggest issues, including design management, scheduling, quality control, and performance management, the report says.