The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation, with activity being driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics. In the last three years alone, there have been over 27,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in construction: post cast strip structures. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
80+ innovations will shape the construction industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the construction industry using innovation intensity models built on over 240,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, waterproof floor drains, adjustable width road pavers and construction 3D printing are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Floating breakwaters, self-healing concrete and building panel interlocking are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are pneumatic door closers and embossed floor panels, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the construction industry
Post cast strip structures is a key innovation area in construction
Post cast strip structures refer to the support systems used in the construction of cast-in-situ concrete beam plate forms. These structures mainly comprise steel truss floor support plates, adjustable support structures under the beam, and dismountable steel bar girder bed dies. The use of adjustable supports allows changing the beam width and beam slab base absolute altitude. This technology improves the efficiency of construction and helps in saving labor and cost.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 205+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of post cast strip structures.
Key players in post cast strip structures – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to post cast strip structures
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| China State Construction Engineering | 177 | Unlock Company Profile |
| PERI | 123 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Umdasch Group | 66 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Form700 | 65 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 49 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Group | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Metallurgical Corporation of China | 27 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Construction Group | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mondragon Cooperativa | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kumkang Kind | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Communications Construction Group | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Huahui Engineering Design Group | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction Fourth Engineering Bureau | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC5 Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China National Chemical Engineering Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The First Company of China Eighth Engineering Bureau | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Chongqing Construction Engineering Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Encofrados J. Alsina | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CCCC Road and Bridge Consultants | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC20 Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baishan Zhongtian Development Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Third Metallurgical Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ischebeck Titan | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Ershiye Construction | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Country Garden | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sistemas Tecnicos de Encofrados | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| First Construction Engineering Constr 2Nd Engineering Bureau | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CSCEC Strait Construction and Development | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| No 2 Constr Group Constr Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Power Construction Corporation of China | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Shanxi Sijian Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| POSCO | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| 3rd Construction Construction 8th Engineering Division | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhejiang Green Building Integration Technologies | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MCC5 Group Shanghai | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Third Construction Engineering Construction Second engineering Bureau | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction Middle East | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Second Construction of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui Construction Engineering Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Jiangsu Zhongnan Construction Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SH Design and Build | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Enviri | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Long Yuan Construction Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mills | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction First Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Laminated Wood Systems | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Guotsing | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sinohydro Bureau 8 | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qingdao No 1 Construction Group | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
One of the leading patent filers in post cast strip structure technologies is Anhui Construction Engineering Group (ACEG), a provider of engineering construction, investment, industrial chain finance, and real estate services. One of ACEG’s key innovations is the development of a cast-in-situ concrete beam plate form bracing system and its construction method. The system comprises a steel truss floor support plate and adjustable support structures under the beam. The steel bar girder bed die is dismountable and improves efficiency of construction while reducing costs. Another innovator in the space is China Construction Eighth Engineering Division, a provider of construction services. Key innovations by the company include the development of a supporting structure used for buildings and a construction method for a platform formwork structure. The use of a platform structure and a supporting structure can achieve an ultrahigh formwork, as compared to an existing ultrahigh all-round scaffold, which saves cost, shortens the construction period, and reduces potential safety hazards better.
Among the leaders in terms of application diversity are Sepa and Sistemas Tecnicos de Encofrados.
By means of geographic reach, Form700 holds the top position, followed by Encofrados J. Alsina and Umdasch Group.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Construction.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
