Research
The research activities
of the Centre are aimed at solving practical problems relating to the
time, cost, quality, safety and environment aspects and quality, safety
and environmental aspects of a project delivery process in the Hong
Kong construction industry. Research strengths exist in a range of areas
including partnering application, value management, safety management
and construction IT.
In the last three years, members of the Centre obtained a UGC funded Research Grant for the purpose of establishing a CRC (Co-operative Research Centre) known as the Centre for Computer Aided Construction. Members also secured research funds from the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Fund, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and various external organizations, including private contractors and public bodies such as the Housing Authority, Buildings Department and Works Bureau.
From its small beginnings only about 3 years ago members of the Centre are now publishing widely in the research journals.
Consultancy
Services
The Centre has a
good track record in providing specialist consultancy services on problems
relating to construction management and IT applications. Some of these
consultancy projects not only enable us to transfer advanced managerial
and IT technologies to industry, but also bring in additional resources
and opportunities for future research.
Examples of the consultancy projects completed by members of the Centre include the Demand and supply of construction personnel commissioned by the Works Bureau of HKSAR Government; Analysis of partnering in Hong Kong commissioned by the Hong Kong Housing Society; Provision of a Computerized Registration Management System for the Construction Personnel Registration System; and Development of a Web-based project management system.
Education
and Training
Members of the Centre
have been actively involved in offering seminars and short courses for
local professionals. In particular, members of the Centre have played
a leading role in organizing training sessions on construction partnering,
value management, and safety management. Members of the Centre have
also run CPD courses for the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, The Chartered
Institute of Building (Hong Kong), and the Hong Kong Institution of
Engineers.
Scholarly
Activities
The Centre encourages its members to actively participate in scholarly
activities related to construction management. Such activities include
producing high-quality journal papers, holding memberships on technical/editorial
committees of international, national and local journals, and organizing
international and regional workshops and conferences.
Members of the Centre have organized the International Conference on Construction Information Technology 2000 (INCITE 2000), and have also participated in organizing the International Symposium on Project Management to be held in March 2002. Collaboration with professional institutions in also took place organizing the conference, the "Future Outlook of Construction IT" conference.
Members of the Centre have launched the International Journal of Construction Research which is now at its second year of operation, and is supported by a distinguished international editorial board.
Members of the Centre have established collaborative relationships with many research Centres worldwide including,
- International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction
- Construct IT research Centre at University of Salford, UK
- Key Centre for design computing at the University of Sydney
- Construction Innovation Centre at Loughborough University, UK
- Web Research Centre at ECU, Australia
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghau University, China
- CIFE, Stanford University, USA
- Centre for Construction Management, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
- Construction Industry Institute, Hong Kong
- CRC for Construction Innovation at QUT, Australia