AI and digital design to transform future of UK construction

6 Feb 2019 11:08 AM

£18 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund investment in research and innovation projects will transform how the UK delivers buildings and infrastructure.

Using artificial intelligence to predict and plan construction projects and avoid possible delays is one of the ideas to win funding to transform how the UK delivers buildings and infrastructure.

Just over £18 million is being invested through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund in research, development and innovation projects to support a more efficient, highly-skilled and productive construction industry.

The funding from UK Research and Innovation is part of the transforming construction challenge – a £170 million government commitment, matched by £250 million from industry – to embed new approaches and techniques that enable the UK to become a world leader.

Find out more about the transforming construction challenge.

Business-led collaborations

A total of £13.3 million has been awarded to 24 projects, which will see industry collaborate with the research base to innovate.

Included in the awarded projects are:

For all projects, the ultimate aim is to:

Construction Minister, Richard Harrington, yesterday said:

The use of artificial intelligence, digital techniques and off-site manufacturing help us harness new methods of working and delivers on the government’s Construction Sector Deal.

These new methods to help the construction industry are a testament to the government’s modern Industrial Strategy’s aims of building a better tomorrow for us all through scientific and technological advances.

Talented teams addressing complex challenges

A further £5 million is being invested to support successful research leaders to build talented teams and take on a complex research programme within the context of the transforming construction challenge.

There are 4 research projects that will share funding. These range from exploring the potential for digitally-designed, 3D-printed concrete components, to assessing the use of robots for both on and off-site construction.

Another project will look at integrating voice-activated AI and augmented reality in the assembly of components to speed up construction and increase productivity.

Industry working directly with researchers

Professor Sir Mark Walport, UKRI Chief Executive, yesterday said:

Technologies being developed in the UK provide a significant opportunity to transform the way we build, such as the use of augmented reality to improve design or robotics to aid complex building assembly.

Through projects such as these, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund allows us to catalyse innovation across the UK’s construction industry, improving productivity, sustainability and safety.

Sam Stacey, Director of the Transforming Construction Challenge, added:

These grants play a key role in advancing transformation across the sector.

They will help the construction industry work directly with talented researchers to explore new ways of working that will speed up assembly, save money, and improve the quality of building projects.

Search and apply for other innovation funding opportunities.