This is not the end

Project coordinator Aurélien Henon from Nobatek summarises the achievements of Built2Spec.

What have we reached within the last 4 years?

The last 4 years have been a great opportunity to propose new applied solutions for the construction site aiming at reaching better quality for buildings at no additional costs.
The list of demonstrated results is impressive: new airtightness test technology (PULSE), new acoustic test technology (mobile app and omnidirectional parametric loudspeaker), real time Indoor Air Quality analyser, new protocols for thermal inspection (measurements and modelling), 3D scanning and digitalisation, smart materials and embedded sensors integration, and all of these technologies have been integrated in a Virtual Construction Management Platform (VCMP).

The VCMP itself is able to bring a whole new approach to the construction site: collaborative framework, allows to share information and keep track of every quality checks, integrates the use of the previously mentioned technologies but also interoperable with BIM functionalities, Passive House design tools, or any technology which can be relevant at the construction stage. This ensemble of technologies already represents a very unique and comprehensive tool set to ensure energy and cost efficiency on any construction site: from individual houses to the largest buildings. These solutions also bring new functionalities compared to those previously existing and are totally aligned with the new needs of the construction sector.

What were the highlights?

The most impactful highlight was definitely raising significant interest of the construction stakeholders, large and small. Building owners and construction companies are clearly the key players in the future of construction. They really understand our results as solutions which can be applied and be useful right now, not in a hypothetical future. Having partners representative of these stakeholders among the consortium also helped a lot when demonstrating activities and how to focus on the quality checks which are directly relevant to them. In a nutshell we hear a lot nowadays about Construction 4.0 and how to modernise the sector, Built2Spec is a tangible part of this movement, and most of its innovative solutions to raise construction quality and energy efficiency in buildings are already available.

 

Which prospects do we have for the future?

Many exploitation ways are ongoing or being prepared. Most of the technologies can already be applied on real construction projects as stand-alone solutions or integrated in a tool set built around the VCMP.
In saying this, the project also achieved progress on technologies that are among the most promising on the longer term (digitalisation applications, embedded sensors, remote sensing thermal characterisation). They are in the hands of some of the best specialists worldwide and will go on feeding the Built2Spec tool set in the coming years.

 

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the European Commission for providing the opportunity to build a shining example of successful and applied innovation, through the cooperation of an international and perfectly balanced consortium (8 European Union countries including the UK, SMEs, larger companies, technological centers, and universities). We, as the coordinator, would also like to thank all our partners and third parties for their flawless involvement during the 4 years of the project. However, now is not the end of our journey, this is only a milestone towards the larger replication, exploitation, market uptake and dissemination of our project results.

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