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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.

  • 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

  • Cover with Irish Government logos and the title “Roadmap for increased adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in Public Housing Delivery.”
    Jul 2023

    Roadmap for increased adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in Public Housing delivery

    Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment/ Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
    The Government’s Housing for All Action Plan Update articulates a critical need to enable a
    continuous and accelerated flow of compliant and high-quality innovations in construction, including modern methods of construction (MMC), particularly in residential construction. This is to ensure delivery of Housing for All targets and the ongoing transformation of the construction sector. It also facilitates efforts to reduce the embodied carbon and lifecycle environmental impacts of construction.
    View Report on gov.ie
  • Cover with the title “Modern Methods of Construction: Introductory Guide” and the Government of Ireland logo.
    Jul 2023

    Modern Methods of Construction Introductory Guide

    Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Framespace Solutions Ltd, Castleforms Ltd, Cygnum Building Offsite.
    This guide to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) describes a range of
    innovative construction processes to deliver quality and compliant housing.
    View Report on gov.ie
  • Report cover titled "Build Up Skills - Ireland 2030: Analysis of the National Status Quo" with BUSI2030 logo and partner organization logos.
    Jun 2023

    Build Up Skills – Ireland 2030: Analysis of the National Status Quo

    IGBC
    Construction Industry Federation, Irish Green Building Council, Laois & Offaly Education Training Board, Technological University of the Shannon

    The Build Up Skills Ireland initiative sets out a clear roadmap of actions focused on supporting the upskilling within the construction sector, and specifically the built environment.
    View Report on igbc.ie
  • 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