Implementing construction research

There has been a great deal of concern expressed in recent years that the United States construction industry is falling behind in international competition through lack of adequate research. However, innovation continues to abound, especially in the United States, but development, the D of R & D, is increasingly hindered by the application of short-term business economics. This paper examines the various existing institutions for the promotion of research and development and briefly evaluates their successes and limitations. The most effective R & D appears to be that in which an individual construction company and the research organization are closely involved all the way through to field application. While isolated R & D projects may not always show significant economic justification; a series of related innovations can be synergistic and lead to major gains. Innovation, with follow-up development, is a policy that does pay off; it may even be the determinant between success and failure.