Research News
Digital Built Environment Research Colloquium 2025: Strengthening Research Collaboration
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) at the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, in collaboration with the ARC Centre for Next-Generation Architectural Manufacturing (Arch_Manu) at the University of New South Wales, hosted the Digital Built Environment Research Colloquium 2025 on 14 March 2025 at Western Sydney University’s Parramatta City Campus. This dynamic event provided a collaborative platform for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from both centres to exchange ideas, explore recent advancements, and foster potential research partnerships in the digital built environment.
The Digital Built Environment Research Collaboration Colloquium 2025 successfully highlighted the role of digitalisation and innovation in the construction sector while reinforcing collaboration between two leading research centres, paving the way for future research synergies.
Global Net Zero Carbon Practices in Construction
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a new book: "Global Net Zero Carbon Practices in Construction," edited by Niluka Domingo, Sepani Senaratne , Suzanne Wilkinson, and Srinath Perera. This book brings together global expertise to address one of the most pressing challenges in the construction industry: achieving net zero carbon.
Release Date: 24 May 2025
Pre-order Now: https://lnkd.in/gWqKSn9C
A huge thank you to CIB, the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction and the CIB TG124 members worldwide for their invaluable contributions to making this book a reality.
c4SMC Colloquium – December 2024
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) hosted its December Research Colloquium on 2 December 2024, focusing on the Digitalisation of the Built Environment. The highlight of the event was the keynote speech delivered by Assistant Professor Kanchana Ginige from Northumbria University, UK, who discussed "The Future of the Built Environment in the Age of AI – A Conversation on Skills and Job Roles." Her insights provided valuable perspectives on the transformative role of AI in the construction industry.
HDR Poster Competition 2024 – Silver Award
Iresha Gamage, a second-year doctoral researcher at c4SMC, won the Silver Award in the Poster Design competition organised by the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment at Western Sydney University. The award was presented at the annual HDR conference held on 12 November 2024. The poster showcased Iresha’s ongoing research on assessing the economic, social and environmental impacts of circular economy practices in construction projects. This research is being conducted under the supervision of Associate Professor Sepani Senaratne, Professor Srinath Perera and Associate Professor Xiaohua (Sean) Jin.
Architectural Design and Management in the Digital Age : International Perspectives
Members of c4SMC are actively involved in analysing and describing the changes that are occurring internationally due to the increasing use of digital tools for planning, design, project delivery and monitoring of buildings in the digital age. Centre members, Mary Hardie, Robert Osei-Kyei and Ursa Komac, have contributed 3 chapters in Architectural Design and Management in the Digital Age : International Perspectives released in September 2024 and edited by three distinguished international academics, Bob Giddings, Silvio Melhado and Jenni Barrett.
Architectural Design and Management in the Digital Age delivers an evaluation of digitalisation in the evolving processes of architecture, providing a holistic treatment of the subject in terms of technologies, human context, emerging concepts, and the management of digital projects.
The Quantity Surveyor’s Role Towards a Circular Construction Industry
An article titled “The Quantity Surveyor’s Role Towards a Circular Construction Industry,” authored by Sepani Senaratne, Iresha Gamage and Srinath Perera has been published in the September – November 2024 issue of the Built Environment Economist journal. Built Environment Economist: Australia and New Zealand is a quarterly journal published by the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors for the quantity surveying and building/construction industry. The article discusses the role of quantity surveyors in the transition towards a circular construction industry, with a special emphasis on the competency requirements of a quantity surveyor in assessing the sustainability impacts of the circular economy.
c4SMC Colloquium – August 2024
The August Research Colloquium of the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) was held on 27 August 2024, focusing on Sustainability and Resilience Research in the Built Environment. The colloquium was led by Professor Srinath Perera, Director of c4SMC, who welcomed the audience and provided an introduction to the Centre’s initiatives. A keynote on People-Focused Recovery and Adaptation was delivered by Dr. Sandeeka Mannakkara, Senior Lecturer in Climate Engineering at the University of Auckland.
Circular Economy: The Future of Construction
Circular Economy research is getting wider attention all over the world and is growing fast in various disciplines. In par with these developments, at the c4SMC, we have initiated multiple research projects addressing some niche areas of Circular Economy (CE) to improve CE implementations within the construction industry. Some key research focuses have been on improving stakeholder collaboration in CE implementation; assessment of the CE implementation and their economic, social and environmental impacts; and, application of digital technologies to enhance circularity in industrialised construction and road infrastructure projects. These projects will support the industry in various ways, for example, guide organisations in evaluating current level of success and further improvement in CE implementation; support construction industry practitioners to adopt the most impactful CE options in their projects; and, apply blockchain and related technologies to enhance circularity.
Below are some of our publications on these on-going CE research projects:
- Guo, M., Senaratne, S., Almeida, L., and Perera, S. (2024), ‘Towards Circularity in Roads Infrastructure: A Critical Review’, In: Zuo, J., Shen, L., Chang, R. (eds) Circular Economy for Buildings and Infrastructure. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham.
- Gamage, I., Senaratne, S., Perera, S. and Jin, X. (2024), 'Implementing circular economy throughout the construction project life cycle : a review on potential practices and relationships', Buildings, vol 14, no 3.
- Jayakodi, S., Senaratne, S. and Perera, S. (2024), 'Circular economy business model in the construction industry: a systematic review', Buildings, vol 14, no 2.
- Senaratne, S., Rodrigo, N., Almeida, L., Perera, S. and Jin, X. (2023), 'Systematic review on stakeholder collaboration for a circular built environment : current research trends, gaps and future directions', Resources, Conservation and Recycling Advances, vol 19. No. 200169.
- Jayakodi, S., Senaratne, S., Perera, S. and Bamdad, K. (2023), 'Digital technology enabled circularity in the construction industry : a bibliometric study', World Construction Symposium, Sri Lanka.
- Ishan, M., Gamage, I. and Lingasabesan, V. (2023), ‘Highly effective circular economic practices for the life cycle of a construction project’, World Construction Symposium, Sri Lanka.
- Senaratne, S., KC, A., Perera, S. and Almeida, L. (2021), 'Promoting stakeholder collaboration in adopting circular economy principles for sustainable construction', World Construction Symposium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
c4SMC Colloquium - February 2024
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) recently hosted an academic Colloquium at Western Sydney University's Kingswood Campus, showcasing international collaboration in the latest research trends. Dr Yang Zou, a senior lecturer in Construction Management at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Director of the Smart Digital Lab, as well as President of BIM education in New Zealand, served as a key resource person and guest speaker. Led by Professor Srinath Perera, Director of c4SMC, the event aimed to facilitate global knowledge sharing. Dr Jun Wang extended the welcome, while Professor Srinath Perera introduced the centre to attendees. The focus of Dr. Zou's speech was on the application of Artificial Intelligence, Building Information Modelling, Drones, Robotics, and Computer Vision in the construction industry. The event was organised by Dr Samudaya Nanayakkara, Dr Jun Wang, and centre HDR researchers, emphasised the potential for future collaborations.
c4SMC Colloquium - January 2024
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) hosted an academic Colloquium at Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, showcasing international collaboration in cutting-edge research. Dr. Alan Jeary, Partner and Chief Technology Officer in STRAAM group in USA was a key resource person and guest speaker. His presentation was themed "Structural Risk Assessment and Management - Measure the Performance to Determine the Stability and Understand the Risk In-situ load testing - the legal Requirements and Practicalities". Led by Professor Srinath Perera, Director of c4SMC, the event aimed to foster global knowledge sharing. Professor Swapan Saha, Deputy Director of Engagement, Events, and Media at c4SMC, extended the welcome, while Professor Srinath Perera introduced the centre. Doctoral candidate of the centre Mathusha Francis presented her research themed "Developing a Dispute Prediction Digital System using Machine Learning" to illustrate the technology oriented research conducted at the centre. Associate Professor Mary Hardie, Deputy Director Education delivered the closing remarks. The event, organised by Dr. Samudaya Nanayakkara and centre HDR researchers, emphasised the potential for future collaborations.
c4SMC Colloquium - November 2023
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) hosted an academic Colloquium at Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, showcasing international collaboration in cutting-edge research. Dr. Kim Haugbølle, an international visiting research fellow and Head of the Research Group for Construction Management and Innovation at Aalborg University, Denmark, was a key resource person. Notably, Dr. Haugbølle serves as a CIB Board Member and Chair of the Programme Committee. The event, introduced by Professor Srinath Perera, c4SMC Director, aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration. Doctoral candidates De-Graft Joe Opoku and Iresha Gamage presented their research work, while Prasad Perera was the master of ceremonies. The event, organised by Dr. Samudaya Nanayakkara and centre HDR researchers, emphasised the potential for future collaborations.
HDR Seminar - School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment - July 2023
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) organised the HDR Seminar of the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment (SoEDBE) at the Kingswood and Paramatta Campuses on July 28, 2023. The event was graced with international visiting fellows, Dr Saeed Talebi from Birmingham City University, UK and Dr Mani Poshdar from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Professor Srinath Perera, Director of c4SMC, introduced the centre vision, industry collaborations and research activities. Recently completed two centre PhD researchers, Dr Amer Hijazi (Researcher at Monash University) and Dr Samudaya Nanayakkara (Academic member of Western Sydney University) shared their experiences and value gained from c4SMC for successfully completing their PhDs. The focal point of the event was the panel discussion addressing the integration of smart and modern technologies to promote sustainability in the construction industry. Dr Saeed Talebi, Dr Mani Poshdar, A/Prof. Mary Hardie, A/Prof. Yingbin Feng and A/Prof. Xiaohua Jin shared their thoughts and experiences as panellists while centre director Professor Srinath Perera moderated the panel discussion ensuring a rich exchange of thoughts and experiences among the audience. Three doctoral candidates from the c4SMC, Augustine Senanu Kukah, Shashini Jayakodi and Mohammed Hummadi, showcased their research on carbon trading, the circular economy and the maturity model in selecting consultants in the built environment, followed by a Q&A session. Centre doctoral candidate Namal Anuradha served as the MC and the overall event was facilitated by Felicity Koulouris, HDR Coordinator - SoEDBE.
c4SMC Colloquium - July 2023
Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) hosted an academic Colloquium showcasing international collaboration in cutting-edge research at Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus on July 25, 2023. The event was to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration with Dr. Saeed Talebi, an international visiting research fellow from Birmingham City University, UK. Academics from the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Western Sydney University were among the attendees, reflecting the significance of the event within the academic community. The event commenced with an eloquent address by Professor Srinath Perera, the Director of c4SMC. In his opening remarks, Professor Perera offered a comprehensive synopsis, accomplishments, and ongoing activities. He emphasised on the commitment of c4SMC becoming an industry-focused research hub with a strong vision. The agenda featured presentations from two doctoral candidates from the centre - Thilini Weerasuriya and Prasad Perera - who showcased their research work on Blockchain and Deep Learning in Built Environment. Dr. Saeed Talebi, the visiting fellow, attentively reviewed their presentations and acclaimed their efforts, providing valuable feedback for further enhancements. The event's smooth proceedings were ensured by another doctoral candidate, Mathusha Francis, taking up the role as the MC. The event was organised by Dr Samudaya Nanayakkara and centre HDR researchers under the guidance of Professor Srinath Perera.
Community of Practice of Construction Assurance Professions
The Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) has brought together the below listed six Professional Institutions involved in Construction Certification under the guidance of the Office of NSW Building Commissioner (OBC), to form a Community of Practice of Construction Assurance Professions. The first Roundtable which was to establish current landscape of Quantity Surveying and Project Management services in NSW was held on 11 June 2020 and outcomes were summarised into a report.
- Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS)
- The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM)
- Association of Accredited Certifiers (AAC)
- Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS)
- Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA)
Capturing the Best Practices in Disaster Resilience adopted by Australian Construction Companies
The c4SMC received AU$6,500 as grant funding from School of Built Environment Strategic Research Funds 2020 (Seed Projects) to conduct an industry relevant research project titled ‘Capturing the Best Practices in Disaster Resilience adopted by Australian Construction Companies’.
Read this article.
Developing a classification of digital capabilities of designers and builders in NSW
The c4SMC received AU$5000 as grant funding from the School of Built Environment Strategic Research Funds 2020 (Innovation Immersion Fund) to conduct an industry-relevant research project titled 'Developing a classification of digital capabilities of designers and builders in NSW'. This research is led by chief investigators Professor Srinath Perera and Associate Professor Xiao-Hua Jin and supported by researchers Kasun Gunasekara and Marini Samaratunga.
Read this article.
Blockchain and smart contract based land and property management system for the built environment
The c4SMC received AU$5000 as grant funding from the School of Built Environment Strategic Research Funds 2020 (Innovation Immersion Fund) to conduct an industry relevant research project titled ‘Blockchain and smart contract based land and property management system for the built environment’. The chief investigator of the project is Professor Srinath Perera, and a group of researchers from the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) including Samudaya Nanayakkara, Thilini Weerasuriya and Amer Hijazi is working on the project as researchers to develop the blockchain system.
Read this article.
Developing an assessment tool for evaluating the mentally healthy levels of project organizations in Australia
The c4SMC received AU$5000 as grant funding from School of Built Environment Strategic Research Funds 2020 (Innovation Immersion Fund) to conduct an industry relevant research project titled ‘Developing an assessment tool for evaluating the mentally healthy levels of project organizations in Australia’.
Read this article.
Construct NSW - Survey on Digitalisation of Construction
The c4SMC was awarded a research project by the Office of Building Commissioner NSW titled ‘Survey on Digitalisation of Construction’ on 15th June 2020. This contract research valued at AUD$78,800 (excl. GST) is led by chief investigators Professor Srinath Perera and Associate Professor Xiao-Hua Jin and supported by researchers Kasun Gunasekara and Marini Samarathunga.
Read this article.
Development of Blockchain Test Rig at c4SMC
Doctoral researchers, Navodana Rodrigo, Samudaya Nanayakkara, Amer Hijazi and Thilini Weerasuriya are involved in developing a blockchain test rig on the permissioned blockchain platform, Hyperledger Fabric. The researchers will be demonstrating their enterprise blockchain solution at the upcoming c4SMC roundtable event.
8th World Construction Symposium in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Centre researchers; Navodana Rodrigo, Samudaya Nanayakkara, Buddhini Ginigaddara, and Shiyamini Rathnasabhapathy along with Centre academics presented their research papers at the 8th World Construction Symposium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The papers cover a wide array of research focus; carbon emissions, waste management, blockchain and offsite construction. Western Sydney University is an Associate Partner of the conference and allows researchers to showcase their findings in front of an international audience.
Meriton International Fellow in September 2019 at the Centre (c4SMC)
Meriton International Fellow Associate Professor Helena Lidelöw joined the Centre this September. The Centre Research Day was organised on 11th September 2019 at the Kingswood Campus as a part of series of events organised coinciding with her visit,. The event showcased current research progress to the participants and created a conversation on Modern Construction, Blockchain and Research Methodology. It was an exciting yet knowledge intensive session for the Centre researchers and the academic staff who took part in presenting the research projects as well as the valuable panel discussions.
International Workshop on Use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects
An industry workshop was organised by the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) on 16, November 2018 at Parramatta City Campus, Western Sydney University. The workshop titled “Use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects” was organised as part of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Research Trust funded research project. It aimed at understanding the practice of BIM in Australia, UK, and China with respect to estimating in PPP projects. The purpose of the workshop was to bring academic and industry experts together to discuss and share ideas on how BIM can be effectively used in PPP projects and to disseminate the findings of the research project. International industry practitioners from China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, UK and Australia participated in the workshop while providing a platform for networking with the people who have real time exposure to the use of BIM in PPP projects. The workshop attracted over 80 delegates and concluded successfully with deliberations on future research collaborations. Among the activities of the day included a demonstration of the use of BIM and a panel discussion on drivers and barriers for use of BIM in different countries.
Blockchain with EOS
A workshop titled “Blockchain with EOS” was organised by the School of Computing Engineering & Mathematics in association with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) on 16th January 2019 at its Construction Informatics laboratory in Kingswood (Penrith) Campus. The purpose of the workshop was to support the PhD students who are applying blockchain technology to their research projects and to those who are interested to know more about blockchain technology with EOS and to train them to be more conversant with the application of Blockchain in their research areas. Ralf Weinand, CTO from GENEREOS which is a block producer candidate, focused on building infrastructure and software for the EOS network, directed this detailed workshop. The workshop was preceded by a preparatory session conducted by Samudaya who is a PhD student of c4SMC on 11th of January at Kingswood Campus.
Blockchain for Construction Supply Chains: A Literature Synthesis
A research paper, titled “Blockchain for Construction Supply Chains: A Literature Synthesis” published by Navodana Rodrigo, Srinath Perera, Sepani Senaratne and Xiaohua Jin has been accepted for presentation and publication at the forthcoming ICEC PAQS Conference 2018 (opens in a new window) held in Sydney, Australia in November, 2018. The ICEC PAQS Conference is a world renowned peer-reviewed annual conference where a majority of local and international construction managers and quantity surveyors participate to demonstrate their research work.
Mobile options:
