In the next installment of the Research at Lucy Series, hear about Dr Ashan Asmone's research, Research Associate with the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology of the Department of Engineering. Here, he shares some of the work he has been doing during his time at Cambridge...
Over the past year, I am conducting research at the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. My research has focused on advancing lean construction and construction performance measurement, to significantly improve productivity and efficiency in the construction industry. My work involves working closely with industry partners and interpreting construction data to set benchmarks and identify areas for improvement. This collaboration has led to the implementation of our novel performance and productivity framework in projects totalling over £2B in value.
We gather and interpret construction data, conduct data analytics and simulations, determine the root causes of low productivity, and devise practical solutions. We wish that our work provides new insights for corporate decision-making and enhancing our understanding of industry operations. This aligns with the broader goal of transforming the construction sector through data-driven decision-making, novel technologies, off-site manufacturing approaches, and integrated procurement methods, supported by the Government’s Construction Playbook.
The development of a Performance Measurement Framework has been a critical achievement in this research with our group of researchers. This framework supports the establishment of consistent project performance evidence within and between organisations, providing enhanced insights into field operations, identifying process waste, and leading to interventions that dramatically improve programs, and efficiency. Our work has shown that consistent performance data is crucial for setting national and international benchmarks and for enabling decision-makers to evaluate performance against these benchmarks to transform their operations.
My research in measuring construction performance can also lead to improved quantification of embodied and operational carbon and waste in major infrastructure and building projects. By leveraging data from five major UK construction projects, I have provided project management teams and clients with meaningful insights and greater transparency, enabling them to improve efficiency and reduce waste and carbon emissions. And to see our work being used day-in day-out in their operations gives me a huge sense of accomplishment and impact. This helps us break the mould of siloed academic research and industry operations, to create ways of consistent data gathering and interpreting across the construction sector.
One innovative approach we have explored involves using vision-based technology for automated progress monitoring in building construction projects. By capturing construction data through cameras on-site, we have developed methods to interpret, integrate, and visualise performance, improving situational awareness and supporting enhanced decision-making. This approach has allowed us to detect process waste and identify actionable improvements in interior finishing work, significantly enhancing productivity and reducing waste.
The early outcomes of this project have been promising. We have identified key metrics that measure the speed of construction operations and the efficiency of labour utilisation. This past year has been transformative in my research career. To be involved in research work with tangible, practical impact on the construction industry has been awe inspiring. Combined with academic recognition and collaboration with industry partners, it has reinforced my commitment to transform the construction industry towards a sustainable future.
Bio
Dr Ashan Asmone is Research Associate with the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology of the Department of Engineering, where he is developing new and improved methods for measuring the performance and productivity of building construction and infrastructure projects. The core objectives of this research include improving the current methods for quantifying productivity in construction as well as the measurement of embodied and operational carbon.
He is passionate about impactful research to transform the construction sector towards facing the 21st century global challenges. His past work in building maintainability and construction safety has resulted in the development of new national standards and the revision of safety regulations. He has also been invited to present his work at international industry conferences.
He holds a PhD in building from the National University of Singapore. Prior to which he has a master’s in environment management from the University of Colombo, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Moratuwa. He has over ten years’ experience in built environment as a built environment researcher, a lecturer, as well as a practitioner in various stages of construction project delivery.