NRC rolls out four construction research programs to boost industry innovation

The National Research Council (NRC) has launched four market-focused research programs to assist the construction industry in lowering costs through the entire construction life cycle, and accelerate and validate the development of new materials, systems and decision-making tools. The NRC is committing $52.6 million which will leverage three times that amount for a total of at least $215 million over the life of the programs, which span five-to-eight years.

The construction industry is huge, with a diverse range of companies generating revenues of more than $170 billion annually, employing 1.4 million people and consuming 40% of Canada's energy and 50% of its primary resources. The new programs are aimed at the residential, urban infrastructure and commercial/institutional markets which are all undergoing significant change, with key technology drivers behind those changes.

"There's a huge boom in construction innovation and ICT (information and communications technology) and materials science are expanding into the construction sector," says Dr Morad Atif, GM of NRC Construction. "Before we designed the programs, we consulted and looked at industry needs that have priorities aligned with our own priorities ... The industry needs to accelerate adoption of new technologies, commercialization, automation and prediction."

The NRC has maintained research expertise in construction for 65 years, most recently through the Institute for Research in Construction (IRC) prior to the organization's restructuring last year. While NRC Construction builds on IRC, Atif says it's difficult to compare the two entities.

"NRC Construction has a different structure than IRC … It's outcomes-based with strong industry pull drawing on resources from across the NRC," he says. "It's a unique innovation system — the only one in the world. We have the ability to help industry with market access across the value chain."

Atif says the programs' non-NRC funding represents a combination of commitment and forecasts to "take research to the marketplace and create value", often from long-standing partners.

The projects are often in the form of consortia and involve multiple clients, engaging hundreds of mostly small- and medium-sized companies from different sectors and other players in the innovation system. They could be universities or colleges, firms from the smart grid consulting community or software-based energy management firms.

The largest funding envelope is dedicated to building standards and regulations and steps that can be taken to reduce compliance costs of new building products and systems. NRC's Canadian Construction Materials Centre has resident expertise to determine the suitability of new products that meet code specifications.

In the area of concrete infrastructure, the owners tend to be public entities focused on extending the service life of bridges that meet higher safety standards and essential repairs. Visual inspection is being replaced with sensor-based solutions that require expertise in both ICT and materials.

The NRC is engaged in the repairs currently underway on the Herb Gray Parkway in Toronto and may be involved in the replacement of the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, which recently underwent emergency repairs to reinforce a cracked concrete girder.

Atif says the four programs were chosen according to the degree of industry pull, areas where the NRC can demonstrate added value and the degree of fit and impact. As the industry evolves, NRC Construction is designed to change accordingly.

"We have four programs for now but each year we'll looking for other opportunities," he says. "There are dynamic changes occurring and we need to react to them."

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