TCOT2024: Transforming Construction with Off-site Methods and Technologies Wu Centre, UNB Fredericton Campus Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, August 20-22, 2024

Introduction: TCOT2024

Technology advancements and process improvements are rapidly progressing across various industries. Despite these improvements, the construction industry has been lagging in terms of productivity rates and R&D investment. In comparison to manufacturing, retail or agriculture, the construction industry has experienced extremely lower productivity levels. For the construction industry to continually improve, overcoming the barriers to adopting offsite construction and advanced technologies is an urgent.

Offsite construction or manufacturing methods of construction (MMC), such as prefabrication, panelized construction, modular construction, and industrialized construction, provide a significant opportunity to streamline construction processes, enhance operational efficiency, and improve quality across different levels. MMC involves the manufacturing of building components or entire buildings in a controlled factory environment, followed by assembly or installation at the construction site. This approach allows for greater standardization, precision, and quality control, reducing the reliance on traditional on-site construction methods.

Concurrently, modern technologies, including softwarfe automation, reality capture and data sensing technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and additive manufacturing, and robotics, are transforming industries worldwide. In the context of construction, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize processes and increase productivity. For example, data sensing technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and building information modeling (BIM), enable real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of construction activities. AI can automate decision-making, improve resource allocation, and optimize project scheduling. 3D printing enables the rapid fabrication of complex building components with reduced material waste and increased design flexibility. Robotics can automate repetitive and hazardous tasks, enhancing worker safety and productivity. In conclusion, the integration of manufacturing methods of construction and advanced technologies needs to be fostered to overcome the productivity challenges faced by the construction industry.

Location and Dates

The University of New Brunswick Off-site Construction Research Centre (OCRC), in partnerhsip with Northumbria University at Newcastle, United Kingdom, are hosting the second of the biennial conference: Transforming Construction with Off-site Methods and Technologies (TCOT). The theme is Designing Tomorrow's Construction, Today and will highlight the use of offsite and modern methods of construction as well as the applications of advanced technologies in construction projects.

The conference will be held at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton campus in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada from August 20 to August 22, 2024. The event presents a unique opportunity for many organizations to gain exposure to a wide range of professionals, academics, and government delegates.

Conference Topics

The technical committee welcomes conference submissions under the following three areas and the associated sub-topics.

Call for Submission

The conference technical Committee (CTC) is calling for paper submissions from academic researchers and industry practitioners. Please note there will be three submission options:

1. Full paper (7-10 pages) and 15-min presentations 
2. Short paper or industry case study (3-5 pages) and 15-min presentations, and
3. Presentation only (submitted through a fillable Microsoft Form) offered only for industry practitioners.

All three submissions will be included in the conference proceedings and evaluated for awards. Top-quality scientific papers (option 1) could be recommended for a special issue in the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering (CJCE).

For options (1) and (2), it is mandatory to submit an abstract by the specified deadline. The CTC will then peer-review and provide feedback on their suitability for the conference. Abstract, extended abstract, and full paper must be original and exclusively submitted to this conference. The official language of the conference is English and therefore all of the documents should be written in English. The formatting instructions for preparing the three methods of submission can be found under the Submission Guidelines (below), Note, options 1 and 2 require an abstract submission, abstract review, paper submission and paper review. All of these activities will be completed through Easy Chair. 

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. Two submission paper categories are welcome:

Options 1 & 2: Full and Short Paper & Presentation: these options are recommended for academic researchers but open to everyone. Note that only option 1 (full paper) will be considered for the CJCE special issue. Please follow the submission steps below:

• Step 1 – Abstract submission due February 16, 2024, March 01, 2024 (Required): Abstracts must not exceed 300 words.
• Step 2 – Full or Short Paper Submission due April 12,2024, April 26, 2024 (Required): Full scientific papers which are regular technical papers highlighting scientific contributions and the intellectual merits must be written in 7 to 10 pages. Short papers may present either scientific contributions with intellectual merits or a case study. It must be written in 3 to 5 pages. Both types of papers must be prepared using the formatting instructions available in the Paper template.
• Step 3 – Camera-ready submission due May 17, 2024 (Required): this submission the revised version of the paper in its final format along with the signed Copyright Agreement Form.
• Step 4 – Presentation Slides Submission due August 6, 2024 (Required): The presentation will be 15 minutes total. A template slide deck will be shared with presenters once their full paper is accepted with further instructions on how to submit the presentations.

Option 3: Presentation: this option is recommended for industry practitioners who hope to introduce their practical applications and project case studies, Please follow the submission steps below:

• Step 1 - Presentation Form Submission due April 26, 2024 (Required): Please complete the the form over Microsoft Forms at the following link: Presentation Submission Link.
• Step 2 – Presentation Slides Submission due August 6, 2024 (Required): The presentation will be 15 minutes total. A template slide deck will be shared with presenters once their submission is accepted with further instructions on how to submit the presentations.

Committees

Program Committee Chair

• Dr. Ala Suliman

Organizing committee Chair

• Brandon Searle

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to Amit Kaushik at Email: Amit.kaushik@northumbria.ac.uk  and Dr.  Ala Suliman at Email: :  Ala.suliman@northumbria.ac.uk