This research project aims to evaluate the impact of exoskeletons on performance and safety associated with construction tasks. Specifically, the suitability of exoskeletons for physically demanding construction tasks will be assessed to understand the impact of wearing an exoskeleton from a kinematic, biomechanical, and usability perspective. The findings will also guide future research on design and development of customized exoskeletons specifically designed for construction tasks.

This project aims to revolutionize the design and construction of future buildings through an integrated interdisciplinary approach – to create innovative building blocks that are combined with multiple building functions (structural and thermal) and are suitable for modular and autonomous construction. These innovative blocks can form walls in any shape (curved, inclined, and tall) with desired openings to accommodate other building components (wood and steel structures, ventilation and electrical systems). These blocks can be assembled quickly by autonomous machines on or off sites. Therefore, the introduction of the new building blocks will enable very modular design and construction and fully utilize the power of artificial intelligence, computational design, BIM technologies, additive manufacturing, and robotic construction. The modular and multi-functional features of the blocks will significantly enhance the productivity of the design construction, and the accuracy of cost estimation and planning. Using autonomous construction with the blocks on or off site will minimize health and safety risks. The high thermal performance of the wall systems, low embodied energy production of the blocks, and the outstanding durability of masonry materials will minimize the overall construction environmental footprint.

Studies show that the residential sector is responsible for about 18% of Canada's energy consumption, nearly 60% of which is attributed to space heating. The space heating energy consumption of homes places heavy burdens on users in terms of energy costs, on the energy infrastructure in terms of high peak demand, and on the environment in terms of GHG emissions due to the burning of fossil fuel. These matters have led to a focus on improving the energy efficiency of Canadian dwellings. Improving the thermal performance of masonry walls can help reduce the energy consumption of buildings. To achieve this goal, designers require explicit guidelines and simple methods to predict their effective thermal resistance (R-value) with different configurations. Currently, the options to calculate the R-values of masonry walls consist of overly simplified assumptions that often lead to inaccurate results or expensive and time-consuming numerical modelling. The proposed project focuses on developing physics-based and artificial-intelligence-based models to estimate the overall thermal resistance of different masonry wall systems. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop innovative tools and provide intuitive guidelines that are universal, easy to use, and cost-free for the building industry. These outputs will increase productivity in the design phase, lower the cost of masonry wall construction, and enhance the business competency of the masonry industry. The project outcomes consist of economic diversification and technology development in the building construction sector. From the environmental perspective, these methods and tools will help improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

This project aims to develop an integrated, data-driven framework for safety planning and management to improve the decision-making associated with safety management systems and help mitigate potential safety hazards in different phases of the project life to proactively avoid the occurrence of safety incidents.