The world is facing a global sand crisis
Overuse of sand for construction and industry is harming the environment and fueling violence around the world. Scientists explain why we need international rules to regulate sand mining and use.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Construction
Displaying 1 - 20 of 62 articles
Greening the concrete jungle: how to make environmentally friendly cement
Cement has a huge greenhouse footprint, largely because the chemical process by which it is made releases carbon dioxide. But there are several different ways for cement to green up its act.
The hollow promise of construction-led jobs and growth
The threat of a loss of jobs in the the industries that support construction reveals the problem in relying on building to sustain the economy.
Three charts on: the changing face of Australian union members
Union membership continues to fall, particularly within industries that traditionally claim a strong union heritage.
Three charts on: crane-spotting, a way to tell which Australian cities are growing and where
About 84% of cranes in Australia are used on residential sites, with commercial projects making up 5% of crane activity. Health, education, infrastructure and recreation projects make up the rest.
Demonised migration brokers can point out where policy is going wrong
Migrants keep going back to the vilified go-betweens that can get them construction jobs or domestic work.
A practical model to fix Britain’s housing crisis
There is a way to get homes where we need them, and it's about making the most of what we've already got.
Here’s what must be done to detect, disrupt and deter phoenix activity in Australia
A primary focus on prosecuting those who have committed illegal phoenix activities has not been successful.
The 20th century saw a 23-fold increase in natural resources used for building
There will be huge environmental impact if we keep using raw materials as we did in the 20th century.
Work councils could be the future of Australian industrial democracy in an ABCC world
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.
Why an innovative new eco-hamlet should be the size of a city
Ecologically sound housing needs to be built on a much larger scale.
Restoring the construction watchdog ABCC: experts respond
A group of experts dissect what the re-introduction of the ABCC means for the construction industry and its workers.
Vital Signs: construction slump points to cooling economy
Construction slumps to its lowest level since 2010, and the US Fed remains divided on its next interest rate hike.
What construction jobs will look like when robots can build things
A scenario analysis of the construction industry in 2036 paints an interesting picture for workers.
The cities of the future could be built by microbes
Bacteria can produce their own 'buildings' so scientists are genetically engineering them to build ours.
Build disaster-proof homes before storms strike, not afterward
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.
What does Brexit mean for UK housing?
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.
Property fears after Brexit vote are a sign of wider UK housing problems
Brexit worries have shaken the professional end of the sector, but Britain's troubles have run far deeper for far longer.
The problem with reinforced concrete
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.
Beyond the icon: despite a construction boom, Australian skyscraper design needs to evolve
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.
Top contributors
-
Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney
-
Lecturer, UTS Law School, University of Technology Sydney
-
Director of Institute for Sustainable Construction, Edinburgh Napier University
-
Professor, Construction Occupational Health and Safety, RMIT University
-
Professor, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
-
Deputy Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), University of Technology Sydney
-
Professor, Griffith Business School, Griffith University
-
Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University
-
Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University
-
Professor, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
-
Senior Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
-
Professor of Employment Relations, Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing, Griffith University
-
Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney
-
Honorary Fellow in Economics, The University of Queensland
-
Lecturer in Construction Project Management, RMIT University
Most read on The Conversation
Why today’s teens aren’t in any hurry to grow up
Does marijuana affect your sleep?
The ‘internet of things’ is sending us back to the Middle Ages
Massive sunspots and huge solar flares mean unexpected space weather for Earth
Want to fix America’s health care? First, focus on food
Why Trump’s tirades are losing their potency
Languages don’t all have the same number of terms for colors – scientists have a new theory why
Hurricanes drive immigration to the US
Paris and Los Angeles bids to host Olympics expose deeper crisis at Olympic Games
