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Research

Discover more about research and development projects in the world of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) led by Irish higher education institutions and other research-performing organisations, alongside a showcase of research activity across the country, highlighting what is being done to drive new innovation and workforce development in Irish construction.

  • Translating R&D on Innovative Building Materials from the Lab to Real Application in Construction

    Concrete production is one of the more carbon-intensive construction activities. But researchers from Trinity College Dublin are working to showcase that a lower-carbon concrete, produced with biomass ash, offers building companies a commercially viable and equally appliable alternative. How can research and development lead theory to practice and contribute to a more sustainable construction sector?
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    Group of construction workers in hi-vis vests and hard hats inspecting an outdoor facility.

  • How Can Standardising MMC Product Designs Drive New Efficiencies in Construction Developments?

    Despite the expanded use of offsite construction, Ireland still lacks publicly available, non-proprietary detail libraries for manufacturers, designers, certifiers, and regulators. The STANDARDIZE project in University College Dublin is addressing this, aiming to standardise MMC technologies for greater sector efficiency and mobility.
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Researching and Developing the Right Concrete Products and Application Systems for 3D Construction Printing

3D construction printing is still in its earliest phase in Irish building, but research into the best-practice materials and applications of this type of Modern Method of Construction (MMC) can help increase the rate of uptake. Two researchers from the Construct Innovate unit of the University of Galway are making this happen. 

Industrial blue mechanical clamp or gripper tool shown in multiple close-up views on a workbench.
Platform4MMC: Supporting Decision-Making to Drive the Adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in Ireland

Ireland’s housing targets need to be met rapidly while achieving high sustainability standards. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) offer the opportunity to digitise the construction sector, improving project delivery speed, efficiency, and quality. 

Logo for Platform MMC featuring stacked layers graphic in gray and dark tones.
Taking MMC Research to the Construction Site and Beyond

The MMC Research Group at University College Dublin (UCD), spearheaded by Dr Daniel McCrum, is leading the innovations behind Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).  

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Research showcase

  • Build Digital report cover: "Supporting the Delivery of Information Management and BIM in Ireland"
    Jun 2023

    Supporting the Delivery of Information Management and BIM in Ireland

    Build Digital
    The objective of the Digital Procurement pillar is to bring national and international expertise on best practice in sustainable digital procurement and digital product supply chain practices to the forefront of the Irish sector. This pillar will support greater efficiency, sustainability, and productivity in delivering successful construction project outcomes by enabling an integrated green, lean, and digital thread of information across the project life cycle.
    View Report on tudublin.ie
  • Academic paper titled "The Role of Lean in Digital Project Delivery" with abstract text visible.
    Jun 2023

    The Role of Lean in Digital Project Delivery

    Kevin McHugh, Bhargav Dave, and Marzia Bolpagni
    This paper discusses the key lean drivers for introducing digital production management systems to support efficient production planning, monitoring and controls. The paper also highlights the role of Last Planner System® (LPS) in the development of centralized digital command rooms to integrate disperse project teams. The research methodology was action research using a case study of a data centre in Ireland.
    View Report on iglcstorage
  • Cover slide titled 'Digital Construction Pack"
    May 2023

    Digital Construction Pack

    Construction Professionals Skillnet, Construction Industry Federation
    The aim of this guide is to bring the reader logically through the pre-construction and delivery of construction projects using digital technology. It provides the background to the development of policy regarding the digitisation of construction over the last 10 years and puts the need for the provision of digital project delivery in context.
    View Report on www.cpskillnet.ie
  • Cover page of the RIAI report titled “RIAI Design for Manufacture and Assembly / DfMA Report,”
    Oct 2022

    Design for Manufacture and Assembly / DfMA Report

    The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland
    This report presents how using good design to facilitate MMC can be achieved without losing design quality. The report aims to increase the understanding amongst architects, related professions, manufacturers, and contractors and their clients about what MMC means and designing for it, and how these issues can be embedded into construction and building design processes.
    View Report on riai.ie
  • Illustration with the text “Building a Zero Carbon Ireland” and the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) logo, showing colourful buildings, wind turbines, trams, and a person cycling, symbolising sustainable urban development and decarbonisation.
    Oct 2022

    Building a Zero Carbon Ireland

    Irish Green Building Council
    The ‘Building a Zero Carbon Ireland: A Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment across its Whole Life Cycle’ report presents a set of recommendations to halve our sector emissions by 2030, and to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment by 2050.
    View Report on igbc.ie
  • Title slide of a research paper presentation from Munster Technological University titled 'Barriers to the Implementation of Modern Methods of Construction in Ireland
    Sep 2022

    Barriers to the Implementation of Modular Construction in Ireland: A Case Study from an Irish Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Perspective

    Shane Carmody, John P Spillane, and Noel Clarke (University of Limerick)
    The aim of this study is to identify the factors that are inhibiting modular construction adoption in Ireland. A qualitative research method is applied, using six semi-structured interviews with the target case study.
    View Report on researchrepository.ul.ie