#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
Construction delivery in regional Australia faces challenges that can limit productivity, increase cost and constrain scalability such as:
- Labour shortages
- Fragmented and fragile supply chains
- Low productivity and high waste
- Limited ability to leverage regional manufacturing capability
- Insufficient data for benchmarking performance.
This project aims to address these issues, by demonstrating and benchmarking a distributed prefabricated construction system via a 4-storey, 28-room motel in Mackay, Queensland.
Developed by PT Blink, the system combines digitally coordinated design with offsite manufacturing and rapid onsite assembly, specifically tailored for regional construction contexts where labour availability, logistics and delivery speed are critical challenges. The project will measure real-world performance across time, cost, waste, labour productivity and carbon outcomes, capturing data from both manufacturing facilities and onsite construction.
By distributing fabrication across multiple regional suppliers rather than relying on a single factory, the project will assess how decentralised manufacturing can improve supply-chain resilience, create regional jobs and reduce construction risk. Delivered as a live commercial project, the research will generate independently verified benchmark data to support wider adoption of prefabricated construction systems in regional Australia, informing future policy, procurement and industry practice.
Project team: Dr Siddhesh Godbole, Emad Golafshani
Lead researcher
Industrialisation
- Business Model Innovation
- Waste Reduction
- Digital and Automated Fabrication (Robotics)
- Platforms and Process
- Building Design and DFMA
- Building Materials & Systems
- Construction Management
- Prefabrication & Advanced Manufacturing
Business Model Innovation
Theme coordinator
Robert Moehler
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#118 Featherweight Housing: Unlocking affordable, compliant and rapidly deployable walk-up housing through digital innovation and regulatory reform
#112 Flexible wet cores for volumetric housing construction
#70 Building Circularity 4.0: First Steps to Adoption
#80 Why are insolvencies so high in the Construction industry and what can be done about it?
Waste Reduction
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#113 Hyne Timber Resin Cleaning and Valorisation
#70 Building Circularity 4.0: First Steps to Adoption
#84 Feasibility study of recycling excavated clay materials in full-scale concrete applications
#86 Sustainable 3D printed concrete for bespoke infrastructure
Digital and Automated Fabrication (Robotics)
Theme coordinator
Dr Chao Chen
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#100 IEQ Monitoring of Aboriginal Housing Office 3D Printed Houses
#86 Sustainable 3D printed concrete for bespoke infrastructure
Light House Project #13: Mixed Reality Carpentry Demonstration
#28 Componentised Internal Wall Systems for Multi-residential Applications
Platforms and Process
Theme coordinator
Dr Duncan Maxwell
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#110 Circular design strategies for future-proofing building services
#112 Flexible wet cores for volumetric housing construction
#90 Evaluating the effectiveness of roofing work inspection using remotely piloted aircraft systems
#95 The Homes NSW MMC Program
Building Design and DFMA
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#116 MMC Pathways for Youth Housing Delivery
#110 Circular design strategies for future-proofing building services
#112 Flexible wet cores for volumetric housing construction
#71 Automated decision making for interdisciplinary coordination during early-stage building design
Building Materials & Systems
Theme coordinator
Dr Rackel San Nicolas
Projects
#123 Ready-to-Use Fire and Acoustic Certified Solutions for Off-the-Shelf CLT Construction
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#116 MMC Pathways for Youth Housing Delivery
#58 The Retrofit Housing Atlas
#76 Thermally active floor panels for cost effective space cooling
Construction Management
Theme coordinator
Dr Mehrdad Arashpour
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#104 Development of a solution for high-rise mass timber residences through a Post & Plate system – Phase 2 Numerical and experimental investigation
#68 Development of a solution for high-rise mass timber residences through a Post & Plate system – Phase 1 feasibility study
#21 Regulatory Reform for Industrialised Building
#61 Building Productivity – Product, Process, People
Prefabrication & Advanced Manufacturing
Projects
#115 Performance, Productivity and Carbon Benchmarking of a Distributed Prefabricated Construction System
#118 Featherweight Housing: Unlocking affordable, compliant and rapidly deployable walk-up housing through digital innovation and regulatory reform
#116 MMC Pathways for Youth Housing Delivery
#58 The Retrofit Housing Atlas
#104 Development of a solution for high-rise mass timber residences through a Post & Plate system – Phase 2 Numerical and experimental investigation