Construction Data Connectivity – A New Zealand Perspective and an Environmental Focus

Median house prices in New Zealand are continuously growing, and the current housing shortage has seriously tainted housing affordability for local kiwis. The New Zealand government has tried several methods to lower the current house price; however, the shortage of houses challenge has not yet been resolved due to the low productive performance in the current New Zealand construction industry. The low productivity of the New Zealand residential construction industry is mainly due to the out-of-date construction method, low data connectivity, poor automation process within the industry and the current building material shortage. This research aimed to resolve the New Zealand housing shortage challenge and reduce the influence of the construction industry on our environment by demonstrating the practical use of BIM for improving data connectivity that enables better construction automation. An environmental impact calculator protocol to support the sustainable material selection process during the design phase of the construction lifecycle has been developed and a standardized material passport generation protocol has been designed.