Congrats to CIES Construction Management Team

CIES leading construction management researchers Associate Professor Johnson Shen and Dr Khalegh Barati are Chief Investigators in two new ARC-funded cross institutional industry/research endeavours.

A/Prof Shen (CI) is the UNSW Node Leader for the newly funded ARC Research Hub for Human-Robot Teaming for Sustainable and Resilient Construction. Dr Barati is also a CI for the Hub, which will be exploring how construction workers can team up with intelligent robots to make construction sites safer and more efficient.

The Australian construction industry is challenged by severe labour shortages, low productivity and significant work health and safety issues. The Hub will holistically investigate integration of technology, people, business and quality in construction. It aims to transform the construction industry by enabling intelligent robots and humans to work synergistically and safely together.

Led by UTS researchers alongside experts from UNSW and five other universities, the new Hub is partnering with 15 construction companies and industry organisations, and has international collaborators in England, Germany, India, and USA.

As well as receiving $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Research Hub scheme, University and industry partners will contribute a further $6.3 million in funding with an additional $11.9 million of in-kind support over the five years of the Hub.

Dr Barati is also a Chief Investigator for a newly ARC-funded Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) in digital platforms for Net-Zero Building Ecosystem Lifecycle (NOBEL).

Western Sydney University will lead the Centre which was awarded $5 million from the ARC and attracted $2,445,000 from partner organisations and $5,476,000 in-kind contribution from partners and other eligible organisations combined.

The Centre aims to train the next generation of transdisciplinary leaders within the building construction sector. The Centre will offer transdisciplinary training programs aimed at catalysing a fundamental industry transformation into ecosystems, where buildings are no longer resource-intensive structures but rather eco-efficient and net-zero entities contributing to environmental sustainability.

Benefits will include the integration of efficient digital and manufacturing techniques, low-waste processes and ecofriendly materials into building design, construction, and maintenance stages. This will achieve advanced sustainability and productivity of the building construction sector.

 About A/Prof Johnson Shen

A/Prof Shen’s research interests lie in Autonomous Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, Smart Sensing, Internet of Things, Mixed Reality, and their applications in the preparation, construction, operation, and maintenance of civil infrastructure and the built environment.

He is the founder and Director of the Autonomy and Intelligence in CONstruction laboratory (AICON) at CIES. 

AICON’s research projects have included: 

• Real-Time 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or Drones 
• AI-enabled Automated As-built Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Field Emissions and Fuel Consumption Modelling of Construction Equipment
• Automated Machine Control and Guidance in Construction 
• Tunnel Boring Machine Tunnelling Methods and Trenchless Techniques for Urban Underground Infrastructure Construction 

Shen is a Key Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Transformation Research Hub for Resilient and Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (RIIS). He serves as the Treasurer and represents Australia in the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the prestigious International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC).

Dr Khalegh Barati

Dr Khalegh Barati is a Lecturer of Engineering Construction and Management at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. Dr Barati’s research interests lie in Automation, Data Sensing, Fuel and Emissions Modeling, Optimization, Sustainability Issues, and their applications in the construction and operation of infrastructural projects.   He currently supervises more than 10 students at PhD, MSc, and BE levels in the AICON Laboratory.

Dr Barati is one of UNSW Nexus Fellows – a cohort of academic staff who are educational leaders in their school and able to influence, lead and support their colleagues in the implementation of educational solutions and initiatives.