Construction's greatest thinkers and innovators are put into the spotlight

Published

8th March 2016

A uniform that combats heat stress for construction workers in hot conditions by using a new generation of fabrics has scooped one of the Premier Awards at the 2015 International Innovation and Research Awards run by the Chartered Institute of Building. 

Developed by Professor Albert P.C. Chan FCIOB and Professor Francis K.W. Wong FCIOB from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University the uniform reduces physiological strain by 17% and body heat storage by 29%. The innovation has already received more than 14,000 orders from the Construction Industry Council in Hong Kong for its trainees. 

Joining the uniform as Premier Award winner is a digital system developed at Heriot-Watt University that utilises sensor technology to detect a construction workers risk of musculoskeletal injury. It does this by capturing accurate physical activity for early prevention of work-related injuries.

Professor Stuart Green FCIOB, Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “These awards are now firmly established in the innovation landscape. They have achieved global status and the dominant quality continues on a strong upward curve. This year’s entries have been especially impressive and success in innovation and research should be celebrated. The winners deserve every recognition.”

More than 160 entries from 18 countries vied for the top awards which celebrate the best ideas in Digital Innovation, Innovation in Education and Training and a range of research categories.  They recognise achievement across the built environment and are open to entries from recent graduates, industry practitioners or experienced academics, including international and non-CIOB members. 

Innovation Achiever’s Award

  • Premier Award (£2000, trophy and certificate)

Prof Albert P.C. Chan FCIOB and Prof Francis K.W. Wong FCIOB (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong) 

‘Anti-Heat Stress Clothing for Construction Workers in Hot and Humid Weather’ 

  • Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Dr Arman Hashemi (University of Brighton, UK) 

‘Advanced Thermal Shutter System’    

  • Merit Award (trophy and certificate)

Dr Xiaochun Luo, Prof Heng Li and Mr Bo Ye (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)

‘Proactive Construction Management System’ 

 

Digital Innovation Award

  • Premier Award (£2000, trophy and certificate)

Dr Aparajithan Sivanathan, Dr Mohamed Abdel-Wahab and Dr Frédéric Bosché (Heriot-Watt University, UK)

‘AT-BAN: Activity Tracking and Body Area Networks’ 

  •  Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Mr Mehdi Alhaddad (University of Cambridge, UK)

‘CSattAR: Photogrammetric Monitoring of Construction Environments and Surrounding Assets’ 

  • Merit Award (trophy and certificate)

Mr Gregory Malek (BiMUp for SketchUP, UK)

‘BiMUp 5D: Building Information Modelling for the Construction Industry Using BiMUp™ and SketchUp® as a BIM Platform’

 

Innovation in Education & Training Award

  • Premier Award (£2000, trophy and certificate)

Prof Sidney Newton and Mr Russell Lowe (The University of New South Wales, Australia)

‘The Situation Engine: Driving Change in On-Site Health & Safety Behaviour through a Virtual Personal Experience of Safe and Unsafe Practices’ 

  • Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Dr Ludovico Carozza, Dr Frédéric Bosché and Dr Mohamed Abdel-Wahab (Heriot-Watt University, UK) 

‘iHR: Immersive Hybrid Reality for Construction Trade Training’ 

  •  Merit Award (trophy and certificate)  

Ms Jennifer Hardi (London South Bank University, UK)

‘BIM Collaborative Working Extracurricular Activity for the AEC Students in a Large UK University’ 

 

Research Paper Award

  • Premier Award (£2000, trophy and certificate)

Dr Arman Hashemi (University of Brighton, UK)

‘Daylighting and Solar Shading Performances of an Innovative Automated Reflective Louvre System’ (published in Energy and Buildings, Vol.82; pp.607-620, 2014)

  •  Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Dr William Collinge (University of Reading, UK)

‘Infection Control in Design and Construction Work’ (published in Health Environments Research & Design Journal, Vol. 8/3; pp. 68-79, 2015) 

  • Merit Award (trophy and certificate)

Dr Martina Murphy (Ulster University, UK)

‘Implementing Innovation: A Stakeholder Competency-Based Approach for BIM (published in Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management, Vol. 14/4; pp. 433-452, 2015) 

 

Undergraduate Dissertation Award

  • Premier Award (£1000, trophy and certificate) 

Mr Giacomo Mastantuono (BSc in Project Management for Construction, University College London, UK)

‘Life Cycle Costing - Have We Got It Right?’ 

  • Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Mr Samuel Boys (BSc in Construction Management, Leeds Beckett University, UK)

‘The Strength Development of GGBS Concrete with Metakaolin’ 

  •  Merit Award (trophy and certificate)

Mr Rubenrajoo Sri Rengarajoo (BSc in Project and Facilities Management, National University of Singapore, Singapore)

‘Evaluating Alternative Project Financing Models for Upscaling Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaics Procurement in Singapore Public Buildings’ 

 

Masters Dissertation Award

  • Premier Award (£1000, trophy and certificate)

Mr Sotiris Eftychiou (MSc in Construction Management, Loughborough University, UK)

‘Multi-Service Trunking System (MSTS) Heat Saving Potential in Buildings’ 

  •  Highly Commended Award (£500, trophy and certificate)

Mr Tobias Vokuhl (MSc in Project Management in the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, UK)

‘Room to Swing a Kid? An Exploratory Study into End-User Engagement with "Spatially Constrained" UK Family Homes’ 

  •  Merit Award (trophy and certificate)

Ms Helen Jones (MSc in Construction Cost Management, University of Reading, UK)

‘Is the Declining Level of Homeownership due to an Attitudinal Shift or Are Housing Aspirations Simply Incompatible with the Current UK Housing Market?’ 

 Entries for the International Innovation and Research Awards 2016 will be open in June. Further information can be found at http://iandrawards.ciob.org.  

 

 

Contact

Chung-Chin Kao
+44 (0) 1344 630 776

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