Timber Construction 4.0 – Development of collaborative construction and planning systems in multi-storey timber construction

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Duration: 1.1.2021 to 1.7.2021

Timber construction, as one of the most important strategies for achieving the climate targets in the construction sector in Austria, is mainly limited to the single-family house sector and is also very small-scale and regionally structured in terms of companies. In large-volume residential construction and in urban areas, the proportion of timber construction is very low and continues to be dominated by larger players.

Supra-regional developments such as digitalisation and the shortage of skilled workers are bringing about structural changes to the currently very craft-based construction site and require new ways of thinking and work processes, which pose major challenges for small and medium-sized companies in particular, but are also an opportunity.

In order to make use of the small-scale structure of timber construction companies on the one hand and to ecologise large-volume residential construction on the other, the qualification seminar aims to use the opportunities of the digital, regional and small-scale production structure through cooperative working methods of timber construction companies and to generate synergy effects and increase efficiency through networking and systematisation and to take the step towards large-volume scale with a climatically compatible construction method.

This co-operative way of working requires new ways of thinking and acting. SMEs must recognise the innovative opportunities and develop the will to work together in order to emerge from the qualification seminar as pioneers.

Research Goals

Increasing the qualification of companies about the advantages, challenges and technical solutions for cooperative working methods so that SMEs can offer multi-storey timber construction affordably in the future through synergy effects and systematisation, and by means of digital, regional and small-scale production structures.
Establishment of new ways of thinking and work processes due to supra-regional developments such as digitalisation and the shortage of skilled workers.
Establishment of a collaborative inter-company working and production relationship between several SMEs.
Sustainable networking between the companies and the lecturing experts, development of cooperations.
Using a fictitious practice project, interfaces are defined, obstacles are removed and knowledge is pooled with the aim of developing innovative solutions.

Cooperation Partners

Austrian Research Promotion Agency mbH

Bau.Energie.Umwelt Cluster Niederösterreich
ecoplus. Lower Austria Business Agency GmbH

Dietrich Untertrifaller Architects

Research Areas

Sustainability and Design

Competence Center

Competence Center for Building and Design

Research Field (until 31 July 2020)

Sustainable Architecture and Smart Buildings

Since 1 August 2020, five interdisciplinary research areas have replaced existing research fields.

Timber Construction 4.0 – Development of collaborative construction and planning systems in multi-storey timber construction

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Aichholzer