The Prefab Innovation Hub was announced by Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology on 16 June 2019 to support Australia’s manufacturing and building and construction sections.
The Hub allows the development and implementation of the following outcomes:
Support links between the construction and manufacturing sectors to enable businesses to benefit from advanced manufacturing processes;
Support new technologies and innovations, enabling the transformation of the industry to provide smarter, more affordable and more sustainable construction solutions for Australians;
Grow the manufactured buildings eco-system to improve business capability to incorporate advanced technologies and processes within industry.
Prefab Innovation Hub members will be giving an update on the progress of their projects within the hub and discuss collaboration and engagement with Industry.
TICKET PRICE : Free digital registration available for prefabAUS members with a Digital Subscription.
$35 for non-members for digital registration.
WEBINAR PARTNER
Meet the Speakers
Prof. Mathew Aitchison
Prof. Mathew Aitchison is CEO of Building 4.0 CRC; an industry-led research initiative co-funded by the Australian Government. Before his secondment to this role, Mathew was Professor of Architecture at Monash University. Whilst at Monash, he led the bid and establishment phases of the CRC, where he also directed the Future Building Initiative. Prior to this, Mathew was Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney, and Director of the Innovation in Applied Design Lab (IAD Lab). He is a researcher, teacher, and designer with extensive international experience. Leading up to his current role, Mathew directed a series of large, collaborative research projects exploring industrialised building funded by industry and government.
PRESENTATION
Mathew will be delivering an update on Building 4.0 CRC project #17: The Implication of Industry 4.0 for the Construction Industry: Towards Smart Prefab, and project #35: Prefab Housing Solutions for Bushfire & Disaster Relief. These projects are both being delivered in partnership with the AMGC and Prefab Innovation Hub, along with various Building 4.0 CRC Industry Partners and the CRC’s three University Partners – Monash University, the University of Melbourne, and Queensland University of Technology.
Kristin Brookfield
Kristin is currently the Chief Executive Industry Policy with the Housing Industry Association. Kristin is responsible for managing HIA’s national policy team with staff involved in planning, building, workplace health and safety, skills and training, industrial relations, business compliance and housing economics.
Kristin has worked with HIA for over 18 years moving to a national position in 2008.
Originally qualified in planning, she worked for a decade in NSW local and state government. Over 25 years she has gained an extensive knowledge of the national framework for planning, building and environmental laws and policies, along with an excellent understanding of government policy and administration as it relates to housing delivery.
In July 2017 Kristin was appointed as one of the five industry Board members on the Australian Building Codes Board responsible for guiding the work of the ABCB. She recently completed a 6 year terms as a member of the Standard Development & Accreditation Committee for Standards Australia which was responsible for approving new Australian Standards projects.
Kristin has also been a Director of the Building Products Industry Council and the Australian Construction Industry Forum.
Prof. Robin Drogemuller
Robin Drogemuller is Professor in Virtual Design & Construction at QUT. He has been involved in research and development into the use of IT to support building and infrastructure design, construction and operation for over 25 years.
Presentation:
BIM for Offsite Fabrication
The increasing penetration of BIM into the AEC industry provides opportunities to support the increased use of off-site fabrication methods. Two different approaches are design for modularity and design for customisation. Modular design involves the development of a kit of parts that can be brought together in a range of ways to meet the needs of the project. Design for customisation exploits the use of information exchange and numerical machine control to allow the rapid manufacture of unique components that exploit automation to meet cost and time constraints. The presentation will cover the areas where each approach might be used, and the impacts on the design, construction and operational phases of building projects.
Michael Grogan
Michael Grogan, State Director Victoria, Tasmania, and National Director Skills & Training
Experience
Michael commenced as State Director, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania in May 2016, and is based near Melbourne. Michael joined AMGC having led Sutton Tools for almost two decades as CEO. Under his leadership, Sutton Tools employed 350 workers across three locations in Victoria. In addition, he managed manufacturing facilities and operational outlets in New Zealand, Singapore and Europe. Michael launched successful joint ventures in India and the Netherlands and boosted the company’s revenue through extending its sales reach in international markets including the USA and China.
In addition, Michael champions skill development and collaboration across the VET and Tertiary education sectors, and is active in training packages development.
Other directorships and offices:
Board member of Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC)
Member of two Australian Government Industry Reference Committees (IRCs)
Chair of the William Ruthven School Council
Prof. Tim McCarthy
Professor Tim McCarthy is the Director of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong. He holds Bachelor and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering. Having lectured in UK for 19 years he was appointed as Professor of Civil Engineering at UOW in 2004. His research in Australia has concentrated on Ecologically Sustainable Structural Design, improving the carbon footprint of construction materials and Engineering Education. His teaching concentrates on structural design of buildings, and engineering mechanics. He led the UOW Student Construction team which won the Solar Decathlon China competition in 2013. From 2016-2018 he led Team UOW’s Solar Decathlon entry in Dubai coming second overall. This project received multiple awards including Green Gown Australasia for Student Engagement (2019), NSW Green Globe (2019), Australian Engineering Excellence Award (2020) and Australian institute of Building Residential Building (2019). He is the current Chair of UOW’s Sustainable Futures Committee – mapping out the route to a net zero emissions university.
The SBRC’s project within the Prefab Innovation Hub is titled: Maximising the Sustainability of Prefab Buildings and Associated Manufacturing Systems. The project kicked off in November 2021 and is arranged in three work packages, each of which will showcase best practise in prefabricated building projects.
Work package 1 will present he case for prefab will be made through an in-depth cradle to cradle life cycle analysis of prefabricated buildings. This considers DFMa & disassembly.
The second work package is assembling the data from projects and strategies used for waste minimisation and end of life recycling and re-use.
The final part of the Maximising Sustainability project is assembling a portfolio of exemplar projects in the housing sector. The aim here is to provide case studies that inspire prospective home owners and architects to specify prefab solutions. These case studies will not only consider architecture and beauty but net zero energy, indoor air quality and promote sustainable solutions.
We are actively seeking industry collaborators to take part in these fact finding and sector analysis activities. If you have a project that fits the bill and will inspire people to choose prefab solutions, get in touch.
Contact Tim McCarthy at SBRC@UOW.EDU.AU
Web: www.uow.edu.au/sbrc
Dr. Paul Kremer
Paul’s work covers a diverse portfolio of prebuild and panelised construction technology. His work at XLam supported the establishment of the first Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) plants in Australia and New Zealand. Paul is a General Manager at Australian Aluminum Finishers and holds several academic appointments including, as an Adjunct Associate Professor in Engineering at Deakin University and Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne in Infrastructure Engineering. Paul’s contribution to several prefabricated construction steering committees culminated in the development of important frameworks for education and training programs, which are significantly transforming and modernising the construction sector. His industry/research interests include construction law in the emerging technologies sector and prefabricated construction systems/strategy development and integration.
Prof. Tuan Ngo
Professor Ngo is the Research Director of the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing (CAMPH) at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Director of the Asia Pacific Research Network for Resilient and Affordable Housing. Over the last 20 years, he has carried out significant research collaborations with the industry to develop new building materials and systems and perform R&D experiments of prefabricated modular building structures. Prof Ngo has won a number of prestigious scientific awards, including the prestigious Eureka Science Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia in 2013. He has been working as an expert on many projects to protect critical buildings against extreme events (blasts, impacts, fires and earthquakes).