Advanced Construction and Sustainable Futures

The Advanced Construction and Sustainable Futures (ACSF) cluster engages with freeform, creative, and imaginative concepts while reducing costs in construction's human, ecological, energy, time, and financial aspects. We believe that sustainable development cannot be achieved without reforming and improving our current technologies and work environments. Moving towards a sustainable future represents a fundamental change in our settings. Advancement in the construction industry and the adaptation of advanced technologies are integral parts of this roadmap to reduce negative social and environmental impacts on our environment.

Technologies such as smart mobile devices, 3D printing, sensors, cognitive computing, and the IoT are changing how companies design, manufacture, and deliver almost all products and services. In parallel, digital disruption and social media have changed the way organisations operate, hire, manage and support their workforce. ACSF goes beyond technology-driven changes with research areas in manufacturing, construction, processing, health and safety, and service-related processes such as procurement, SCM, warehousing, and logistics. It also addresses how to organise innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable services within organisations that best align the demands of various stakeholders and the possibilities and challenges in the supply base.

We collectively contribute to improving the construction industry by researching its current state and investing in the innovative capacity of researchers to improve building performance, sustainable development, and associated productivity in co-development with all stakeholders.

  • Developing 3 toolsets for NZ SMEs on innovation and sustainable procurement. (Project proposal with Dr B Allen, Victoria University, Prof M Boersma, Hanze University of Applied Sciences; Associate Professor Nicola Naismith, Dr Anne Staal).
  • Better by design – helping to improve health, wellness and efficiency in the NZ Police
  • Toward Zero Harm, preventing accidents on construction site using wearable technologies
  • Development of artificial intelligence (AI) based system to provide real-time data for construction safety
  • Take-up the decision-support innovations in the construction industry
  • Fusion of 3D data visualisation and virtual/mixed/augmented reality technology into immersive, interactive multi-user and multi-device visualisations
  • Multi-hybrid modelling to integrate construction system diverse characteristics both in the static and stochastic domain
  • Mitigating negative impacts of construction activities on the environment
  • Employing new technologies to advance on-site logistics

We aim to collectively contribute towards the improvement of the construction industry by investigating the current state of this industry and investing in the innovative capacity of researchers to enhance building performance, sustainable development, and associated productivity in co-development with all the stakeholders.

  • Md ElDeeb and Thein Zaw Ko, research assistants and Master of Engineering Project Management graduates. Literature review on procurement models for growth-oriented SMEs and startups. Supervisor: Dr Anne Staal.
  • Md ElDeeb, Master of Engineering Project Management. Sustainable Procurement QuickScan for SMEs. Supervisor: Dr Anne Staal.
  • Thein Zaw Ko, Master of Engineering Project Management. How to select innovative suppliers in manufacturing. Supervisor: Dr Anne Staal.
  • Liz McGill, prospective PhD student. Procurement maturity model for scale up SMEs – how to align the supply chain with the company’s growth ambitions.
  • Kim Veldhuizen & Laura Veeken, master’s degree students at Hanze University, Netherlands. Aligning sustainable procurement in SMEs with the help of the Business Model Canvas. Supervisors: Dr Anne Staal, AUT, and Rene Bergsma, Hanze.
  • Paula Haluskova, master’s degree student at Hanze University, Netherlands. Analyse ISO 20400 uptake in Europe, or suggest quickscans for SMEs that facilitate ISO 20400 procurement tools. Supervisors: Dr Anne Staal, AUT, and Dr A Mehrtens, Hanze.
  • Maryse Fahmi, Master of Construction Management. Key interactions of Safety Egress in Early Architecture Design in Hospitals. Supervisor: Dr Mahesh Babu.
  • Haau Ching Wong, Master of Construction Management. Legislative Improvement in Construction Health and Safety in New Zealand. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Simon J Barber, Master of Construction Management. Not cut and paste: Understanding Key
  • Health and Safety Processes. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Patrick Mabvurira, Master of Engineering Project Management. A Systematic Approach to Applying Aviation Safety Principles to Mitigate Failures in Engineering Projects in New Zealand. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Nikil Jakob George, Master of Construction Management. Impact of Work Stress on the Mental Wellbeing of Workers in Construction Sites in New Zealand. Supervisor: Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Goldis Abdolmaleki, PhD. Development of retention strategies for New Zealand construction professionals. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Anish Uday Sule, Master of Construction Management. Life Cycle Management for Procurement of Construction Project. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Ala’ Isam Aladwan, PhD. Productivity improvement in the New Zealand construction industry. Supervisors: Dr Jeff Seadon and Dr Fei Ying.
  • Rohit Gade, PhD. Minimising Construction and Demolition Waste in Residential Building Projects to advocate Sustainable Construction. Supervisors: Dr Jeff Seadon and Dr Mani Poshdar.
  • Shahzaib Abbas Qumber, PhD. Multi-hybrid modelling and optimisation of construction systems. Supervisor: Dr Okechukwu Nwadigo.
  • Victor Momo, PhD. Development of Smart Helmet System as a Protective Wearable Equipment to Improve Health and Safety on Construction Site. Supervisors: Dr Funmi Rotimi and Dr Ali Ghaffarian Hoseini.
  • John Deely, Master of Construction Management. Comparative Analysis of Precast Concrete Panels in Medium Density Residential Construction in NZ. Supervisor: Dr Funmi Rotimi.
  • Firas Majthoub Almughrabi, Master of Construction Management. The Effect of Skill Shortage in the Prefabrication Residential Construction Supply Chain. Supervisor: Dr Funmi Rotimi.
  • Sara Bayandor, PhD. Designing Thermo-Active Pile Foundation to Harvest Sustainable Shallow Geothermal Energy. Supervisor: Dr Roo Kalatehjari.
  • Mehrdad Karimi Petanlar, PhD. Comparison between helical and pipe piles seismic response in soils prone to liquefaction. Supervisor: Dr Roo Kalatehjari.
  • Ademola Bolarinwa, PhD. Evaluation of Clay Effects on Mitigation of Earthquake‐Induced Soil Liquefaction. Supervisors: Dr Roo Kalatehjari and Dr Mani Poshdar.
  • Mohammad Esmaeil, Master of Construction Management. Automation in Construction Health and Safety Monitoring: Identifying Technology Awareness, Preconception and Acceptance. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.
  • Hassan Al-Kufashy, Master of Construction Management. Automation in the Construction Industry projects to optimize safety performance and productivity in New Zealand. Supervisor: Dr Nariman Ghodrati.

Prior successful funding included:

  • 2020 Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies Contestable Research Fund. $10,000 for the project “Smart Health and Safety Compliance Management for Construction Enterprises”
  • School of Future Environments Summer Scholarship. $10,000 for the project “System Design for a Proof of Concept in Engaging Additive Manufacturing in Advanced Construction” 2020-2021
    Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies Contestable Research Fund. $10,000 for the project "Initiating a web-based 3D urban geotechnical mapping of New Zealand" 2020-2021
  • GNS Science, Te Pū Ao, new groundwater SSIF programme (project 3, databases) "Integrating the 3D data store within the EBOF data access protocols - Groundwater SSIF" 2019-2020. $61,000
  • 2020 AUT Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies Contestable Research Fund. $10,000 for the project “Development of a portable and low-cost Artificial Intelligence-aided tool to facilitate ergonomic lifting training”
  • BRANZ 2019/2020 Building Research Levy Prospectus. $130,000 for the project “Are You Ready to be monitored at work? – A Study of Real–time Monitoring Technology Adoption in New Zealand”
  • National Science Challenge 11 Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities | Ko ngā wā kāinga hei whakamāhorahora – Industry Research Area. $970,000
  • 2018-2019 Regional governmental funding for developing an app to find and select innovative suppliers. RGA – Hanze University together with the company InnovatieSpotter. Equivalent of NZD$80,000
  • 2013-2016 Research programme on procurement in SMEs. Dutch Procurement Association NEVI; Hanze University in collaboration with Windesheim University. Equivalent of NZD$300,000
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J. (2020, November). A critical review of the system-wide in the construction industry: Paper presented at Imaginable Futures: Design Thinking, and the Scientific Method -The 54th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA) 2020, Virtual Conference, 26 & 27 November 2020, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Kumar.S. (2020, November) Environment, Resource and Surroundings (ERS) based Dynamic Project Schedule Model for the Road Construction Industry in New Zealand (NZ): Paper presented at Imaginable Futures: Design Thinking, and the Scientific Method-The 54th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA) 2020, Virtual Conference, 26 & 27 November 2020, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2020, August). Waste reduction using lean tools in a multicultural environment Journal of Cleaner Production (2020): Volume 265, 121681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121681.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2019, March). Improving productivity and staff wellbeing at a manufacturing facility in India using integrated lean and humans factors/ergonomics: paper presented. ICEMSO 2019: 21st International Conference on Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Operations, Sydney, Australia ,28 - 29 Mar 2019.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, November). A critical review of the organisational waste in the construction industry: Paper presented at the 5th annual series of the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium (NZBERS) Oct -2017, AUT- Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, September). Improving productivity and staff well-being at a manufacturing facility in India using integrated Lean and HFE principles:  Paper Presented at HFESNZ conference September -2017, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, September). Stress reduction through digital technology in manufacturing: poster presented at AUT post graduate research symposium, Auckland, 17 Aug 2017 - 18 Aug 2017. AUT university. 17 Aug 2017.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, May). Stress reduction through digital technology in manufacturing. Poster presented at MaD for the Future 2017: A National Conference for Innovation in Manufacturing and Design, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P. (2016, April). E ­ Receiving: Concept to Use Cyber Space & Wave Frequency Technologies. Paper presented at ICDAMS: Paper #279 - Saveetha University Conference Proceedings, 2nd International Conference on Design, Analysis, Manufacturing & Simulation, Chennai, India.
  • Rotimi, F. E., Tookey, J., & Rotimi, J. O. (2015). Evaluating defect reporting in new residential buildings in New Zealand. Buildings, 5(1), 39-55.
  • Rotimi, F. E., Tookey, J. E., & Rotimi, J. O. B. (2015). Homeowners and developers relationships: exploring the cordiality factor. Structural Survey.
  • Tagiilima, J. & Rotimi F. E. (2018). Analysing building compliance reports: A New Zealand study. Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) Conference, Singapore 26-28 September. Pp. 38-47
  • Tagiilima, J. & Rotimi F. E. (2020). Reasons for failures in inspection reports for residential builds. In proceedings of the ASEA-SEC-5 Conference on Emerging Technologies and Sustainability Principles in Structural Engineering and Construction, Christchurch, New Zealand. 30 Nov - 3 Dec. Pp. CON-29-1- CON-29-6.
  • Staal A, Allen B, Boersma M, Naismith N. Submission for the NZ Productivity Commission on frontier firms: The need for NZ frontier firms to manage relations with their innovative supply base. 05 Feb 2021. New Zealand Productivity Commission (Working Paper/Discussion)
  • Staal A, Naismith N, Allen B, Boersma M. Digital innovation and sustainable procurement tools for New Zealand SMEs 04 Dec 2020 (Working Paper/Discussion)
  • .Hagelaar G, Staal A, Holman R, Walhof G. (2015). The Nature of Embedded Purchasing Activities in SMEs – Results from a Dutch Multiple Case Study International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA), Amsterdam,
  • Staal, A., Hagelaar, G., Walhof, G., & Holman, R. (2016). Developing Risk-Based Procurement Management Tools for SMEs. Presented at ACERE 2016, QUT, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Staal, A., Tookey, J., Seadon, J., Mobach, M., & Walhof, G. (2015). How Innovative New Zealand firms Procure Technical Innovations for the Construction Industry: A Literature Review. Presented at USE 2015, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.
  • Staal, A. A. G. (2019). Managing Innovative Suppliers: Exploring Company, Procurement, and Performance Variables in New Zealand Construction Supply Chains (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).
  • Ghodrati, N., Wing Yiu, T., Wilkinson, S., & Shahbazpour, M. (2018). Role of Management Strategies in Improving Labour Productivity in General Construction Projects in New Zealand: Managerial Perspective. Journal of Management in Engineering, 34(6). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000641
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., & Wilkinson, S. (2018). Unintended consequences of management strategies for improving labour productivity in construction industry. Journal of Safety Research, 67(December), 107-116. doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2018.09.001
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., Wilkinson, S., & Shahbazpour, M. (2018). A new approach to predict safety outcomes in the construction industry. Safety Science, 109. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.05.016
  • Wilkinson, S., Tookey, J., Potangaroa, R., MacGregor, C., Milicich, M., Ghodrati, N., Adafin, J., Stocchero, A. & Bayne, K. (2017). Transforming the building industry: State of Nation knowledge report. Working Paper for Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities, Strategic Area 6: Transforming the Building Industry, pgs 106. Wellington: BBHTC/Urban Research Network
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., Wilkinson, S. (2015). High-reliability organization: A new concept to improve the construction industry performance and health and safety, COBRA 2015-RICS, 8-10 July 2015, Sydney, Australia.
  • Staal, A.  several working papers on sustainable procurement or on SME procurement
  • Staal, A.  (2019) PhD on managing innovative suppliers in construction supply chains.
  • Victor, M., Ayeni, D. A., Ali, G., & Rotimi, F. (2020). Human response to greeneries in public spaces. In ANZAScA 2020: The 54th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association.
  • Abdullahi, U., Bustani, S. A., Rotimi, F. E., & Hassan, A. (2019). Assessing quality management practice in Nigerian construction industry. Journal of Construction Business and Management, 3(2), 17-25. doi:10.15641/jcbm.3.2.569.
  • Rotimi, J., Aransanmi, C., Rotimi, F., Ramanayaka, C. & Komolafe, A. (2017). Antecedents of BIM Training Effectiveness amongst AEC Firms in New Zealand. International Conference on Innovative Production and Construction IPC. Curtin, Australia. 30 Nov - 1 Dec.
  • Rotimi, J.O.B., Zaeri, F., Rotimi, F.E. & Owolabi, J. D. (2016). The effectiveness of the Last Planner System in New Zealand construction industry: Towards an empirical justification. The CIB World Building Congress 2016. Tampere, Finland. 30 May – 3 June.
  • Ghodrati, N., Wing Yiu, T., Wilkinson, S., & Shahbazpour, M. (2018). Role of Management Strategies in Improving Labor Productivity in General Construction Projects in New Zealand: Managerial Perspective. Journal of Management in Engineering, 34(6). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000641
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., & Wilkinson, S. (2018). Unintended consequences of management strategies for improving labor productivity in construction industry. Journal of Safety Research, 67(December), 107-116. doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2018.09.001
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., Wilkinson, S., & Shahbazpour, M. (2018). A new approach to predict safety outcomes in the construction industry. Safety Science, 109. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.05.016
  • Wilkinson, S., Tookey, J., Potangaroa, R., MacGregor, C., Milicich, M., Ghodrati, N., Adafin, J., Stocchero, A. & Bayne, K. (2017). Transforming the building industry: State of Nation knowledge report. Working Paper for Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities, Strategic Area 6: Transforming the Building Industry, pgs 106. Wellington: BBHTC/Urban Research Network
  • Ghodrati, N., Yiu, T. W., Wilkinson, S. (2015). High-reliability organization: A new concept to improve the construction industry performance and health and safety, COBRA 2015-RICS, 8-10 July 2015, Sydney, Australia.
  • Magdics, M., White, D., & Marks, S. (2018). Extending a Virtual Reality Nasal Cavity Education Tool with Volume Rendering. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 811–814. https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE.2018.8615248
  • Marks, S. (2016). Immersive visualisation of 3-dimensional spiking neural networks. Evolving Systems, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12530-016-9170-8
  • Marks, S., Estevez, J. E., & Connor, A. M. (2014). Towards the Holodeck: Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Visualisation of Scientific and Engineering Data. 29th International Conference on Image and Vision Computing New Zealand (IVCNZ) 2014, 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1145/2683405.2683424
  • Marks, S., White, D., & Magdics, M. (2018). Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Nasal Cavity Education Tool. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 193–198. https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE.2018.8615344
  • Marks, S., White, D., & Singh, M. (2017, November). Getting up your nose: A virtual reality education tool for nasal cavity anatomy. SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 Symposium on Education Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1145/3134368.3139218
  • Hajihassani, M., Kalatehjari, R., Marto, A., Mohamad, H., & Khosrotash, M. (2020). 3D prediction of tunneling-induced ground movements based on a hybrid ANN and empirical methods. Engineering with Computers, 36(1), 251-269.
  • Ghaffarianhoseini, A., Kalatehjari, R., Poshdar, M., Ghaffarianhoseini, A.H., Tookey, J. (2018). Smart technology. BRANZ Build Magazine, (165)
  • Ghaffarianhoseini, A., Kalatehjari, R., Poshdar, M., Ghaffarianhoseini, A.H., Tookey, J. (2019). Planning for the smarter cities. BRANZ Build Magazine, (170)
  • Huang, T. W., Liou, T. S., & Kalatehjari, R. (2017, April). A parallel program for numerical simulation of discrete fracture network and groundwater flow. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (p. 2698).
  • Kalatehjari, R., & Liou, T. S. (2016, December). A new upscaling algorithm using boundary element method solution for steady-state flow field in low-permeability fractured rock. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2016, pp. H13H-1495).
  • Kalatehjari, R., & Liou, T-S. (2016). A Matlab code for upscaling low-permeability fractured granitic rock. 2016 Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 13th Annual Meeting
  • Kalatehjari, R., Hajihassani, M., Marto, A., Khosrotash, M., Karimi Shahrbabaki, M. (2013 Nov). Tunneling-Induced Ground Movements Prediction through Artificial Neural Networks. 10th Iranian Tunneling Conference

Meet the team

Core team

Other members

We also work with external companies and other professionals across AUT.