Facilities and expertise

The CFC hub is underpinned by major state-of-the-art research infrastructure and facilities encompassing a diverse range of specialised laboratories:

• Heavy Structures Laboratory: This facility drives research into carbon reduction and enhanced durability of concrete and cement. It employs novel materials and advanced testing methodologies to develop sustainable structural solutions.
• Asphalt Roads and Airport Laboratory: This fully equipped facility is dedicated to intelligent materials research for sustainable and resilient pavements. It leads the development of advanced asphalt technologies, ensuring sustainable and resilient pavements.
• Smart Construction (Digital Construction) Laboratory: This lab pioneers the integration of digital technologies into construction, including 3D printing, robotics, and automation to enhance efficiency and sustainability.
• Geotechnical Laboratory: This facility provides comprehensive analysis and testing of soil and rock materials, supporting the development sustainable stabilisation practices and stable and sustainable foundations and earthworks.
• Multi-Scale Fire Laboratory: This advanced laboratory conducts research into fire safety and sustainability, employing multi-scale testing to understand material behaviour and develop fire-resistant construction solutions.
• Fluid Laboratory: This laboratory focuses on fluid dynamics and hydraulics, supporting research into water management, erosion control, and sustainable drainage systems.

The Smart Construction Lab supports robotics, digital monitoring, and automated construction, improving efficiency and safety in building processes. Equipment such as the Li-Cor LI-7815 CO₂/H₂O Trace Gas Analyzer provides high-precision carbon emission measurements, while robotic quadrupeds assist in site inspections and structural assessments.

The Centre’s innovation hubs, including DfCO₂ and TREMS, integrate research across carbon-neutral design and waste-to-material solutions. A planned showcase space will highlight key developments, such as 3D concrete printing, fibre-reinforced asphalt, and recycled plastic roads, providing a platform for industry engagement and technology demonstration.

RMIT’s leadership in material sciences fuels hubs like Smart Materials, pioneering high-performance, low-carbon structures, and the Smart Transportation Infrastructure Hub, advancing sustainable mobility. The DfCO₂ hub leverages probabilistic theory for lifecycle carbon neutrality, while TREMS transforms reclaimed waste into engineered materials. The Smart Construction Lab further enhances this impact by integrating AI-driven construction automation and sensor-based material performance analysis.

Collaborative roundtables align expertise with industry needs, while industry PhDs, internships, and global workshops attract talent and expand knowledge in digital twins, IoT for bridge monitoring, and coffee concrete footpaths.

By uniting cutting-edge facilities with these expert hubs, the Centre translates research—like fibre-reinforced asphalt, AI-optimized construction processes, and automated site monitoring—into real-world innovations, reshaping construction for a carbon-neutral future.