A major shift to an industrial relations model that benefits all parties will only happen with the utmost co-operation of Australian workers, unions and – most crucially – employers.
A scenario analysis of the construction industry in 2036 paints an interesting picture for workers.
Illustration of pressure sensing bacteria in soils from the ‘Computational Colloids Project’.
Carolina Ramirez-Figuroa, Luis Hernan and Martyn Dade-Robertson
T. Reed Miller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
In response to disasters like Superstorm Sandy, engineers are developing new building codes and tools to calculate the value of upgrades. National policy should encourage builders to use these tools.
A drop in migration from the EU would ease demand for housing, but also reduce the availability of those legendary Polish house builders, who will be hard to replace with local labour.
Ghosts in the machine: housing and commercial property are battling headwinds.
David de la Mano/Flickr
Reinforced concrete is everywhere. But unlike plain concrete, which can last for centuries, reinforced concrete can deteriorate in decades as the reinforcing bars succumb to rust.
There is growing concern the proliferation of skyscrapers will be to the detriment of cities.
AAP/Dean Lewins
We need to move away from thinking about the skyscraper as an “icon”. Instead, we should be asking how the tall building – which will always “stand out” – can also “fit in” to cities.
Under construction: it’s extremely hard to measure productivity in construction or any other sector.
AAP Image/Richard Wainwright
Voters will hear a lot about productivity in the lead up to the budget. The key thing to remember is that it’s a very rubbery concept, enormously tricky to measure and highly politicised.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that two-thirds of all industrial disputes in Australia are in construction, and that construction industrial disputes are up since the ABCC closed. Is that right?
Construction workers have a wealth of knowledge from their on-site experience.
Paul Miller/AAP