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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. 

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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

  • Birr Community School: A case study in retrofitting and conserving modern architecture
    Jun 2021

    Birr Community School – a case study in retrofitting and conserving modern architecture

    John McLaughlin (UCC)
    This paper will present a case study in the architectural conservation of a nineteen seventies school building in Ireland that received funding under the Getty Foundation’s Keeping it Modern programme in 2018. The research into the architectural conservation and renovation was developed in a subsequent project involving academics from UCC, UCD and QUB. This research formed the basis of a conservation management plan that identified the social significance of the school and used social ethnographic methods to document this through drawings, photography, film, and interviews.
    View Report on cora.ucc.ie
  • Academic paper titled "Integrated Lean and BIM Processes for Modularised Construction – A Case Study."
    Jul 2019

    Integrated Lean and BIM Processes for Modularised Construction – A Case Study

    Kevin McHugh, Bhargav Dave, and Ray Craig
    This paper provides an insight into an integrated lean and BIM implementation project supporting a highly modular and offsite production process on a data centre project. The case study highlights how lean and BIM can help the team to visualise the production plans, control the production in the field, report accurate production status and support the continuous improvement process.
    View Report on iglcstorage
  • Cover image for the report titled "The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model," featuring red and yellow graphic elements.
    Oct 2016

    The Farmer Review – “Modernise or Die”

    Mark Farmer, Founding Director and CEO, Cast Consultancy.
    At the end of last year the government
    asked the Construction Leadership
    Council to identify actions to reduce
    the industry’s structural vulnerability to
    skills shortages, taking account of the
    Council’s wider work including that on
    business models and offsite housing.
    View Report