Construction is the cornerstone of our economy and society, profoundly influencing communities nationwide. With unparalleled potential to create numerous high-skilled, well-paid jobs, no other sector rivals its impact. Working across the full breadth of the construction and engineering sector, we help teams identify eligible research and development (R&D), maximise claims, and better capture innovation across projects
In this article
R&D in construction and engineering
Innovation in construction & engineering is typically driven by both design ambitions and the need to overcome practical challenges, from site constraints, material performance, sustainable targets and changing regulatory requirements to cost and efficiency pressures. This often involves improving existing methodologies or developing new approaches to achieve the required outcomes. R&D can therefore take place across different disciplines and stages of a project.
The following examples show how this applies in practice across the sector.
Construction
- Developing or improving existing construction methods, permanent and temporary work systems to meet stricter performance requirements or address challenging or unusual site constraints.
- Developing or improving modern methods of construction methodologies to increase efficiency.
- Design & manufacture of specialist machines or the modification of existing equipment.
- Use of automation to lower costs and speed up construction times.
- Development of new or improved materials or combination of materials to reduce embodied carbon.
Structural design
- Design of complex infrastructure design while meeting multidisciplinary requirements, such as architectural intent and fire strategies.
- Adaption of structural design to incorporate sustainable materials or reduce the amount of materials.
- Development of structural modelling tools to improve structural modelling processes and systems for dynamic analysis.
Urban infrastructure
- Improved infrastructure design of water, or sewer and storm water networks to meet new performance requirements, regulatory standards, and sustainability targets.
- Development of new or improved, including retrofitting, design/methodologies for attenuation and water treatment works.
- Development of sustainable drainage solutions, e.g. green space design, retention and detention facilities or alternative permeable paving solutions.
- Replacement of ageing pipe infrastructure using low-disruption methods, such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place pipe lining, slip lining, and improved horizontal directional drilling techniques.
Marine and coastal
- Improved pile design and/or installation methodology required to support offshore structures.
- Development of efficient repair methodologies for existing marine structures.
- Applying and adapting existing methodologies or products from other industries for use in a marine environment.
- Development of highly complex harbour/break water design.
Geotechnical
- Improved piling methodologies applicable to different ground conditions.
- Feasibility studies of new or unusual ground conditions.
- Development or improvement in land remediation methods to allow the treatment of ground with high levels of contamination.
- Development or improvement of structural groundworks, e.g. piling, retaining systems or tunnelling methods.
Environmental and sustainability
- Development and integration of low carbon materials or designs to reduce the carbon footprint of projects.
- Feasibility studies on the use of recycled materials to reduce embodied carbon while maintaining durability and structural performance.
- Integration of renewable energy systems into standard building design.
- Development of tools to reduce embodied and operational carbon usage across the project lifecycle.
Demolition
- Incorporation of recycled materials into a structure while meeting or exceeding performance requirements.
- Improvement of demolition process to streamline operations or reduce the need for temporary work systems.
- Extensive modification of equipment or temporary work systems to overcome issues related to project specifications or site environment.
Utility services
- Development of substations, water networks, hydrogen-ready infrastructure and renewable energy connections.
- Improved biomass fuel handling and storage facility design & construction at processing plants and power stations.
- Improving overhead line design or construction (e.g. new pylon design, improved construction methods or new material incorporation).
- Development of smart grid systems, networking monitoring and automated fault detection.
Choosing Ayming as your partner
As the leading innovation specialist in the construction sector, we support five of the UK’s top ten main contractors and over a third of the Construction Index Top 100.
With Ayming as your partner, you’ll benefit from:
- A clear view of where R&D sits across your projects and operations
- Identification of all eligible activity and expenditure
- A structured, efficient claims process with minimal disruption to your team
- Robust, compliant claims designed to withstand HMRC scrutiny.
- Ongoing guidance to help you better capture and support future innovation.
Speak to one of our sector experts today and unlock hidden value in your R&D.