Understanding the risk and reward in the adoption of Mass Timber Construction in Australia
Abstract
Mass Timber Construction (MTC) is a relatively new construction technology consisting of both a material (timber) and a construction methodology (prefabrication). Whilst the uptake of MTC in Australia is currently outpacing many other parts of the world, industry stakeholders continue to hold tentative opinions about the risks and rewards of adoption. The present paper employed a mixed-methods approach to explore the opinions of 59 Australian industry stakeholders via an online survey and an additional nine professionals were interviewed. Results indicate that the Australian market has moved from a position of ‘what if’ to ‘acceptance of’ MTC and is now looking to improve the supply chain for the security of competitive rates for materials/services. Accompanying this step-change, a niche of industry stakeholders hold a level of cautiousness apart from those considered to be the next wave of adopters. Tentative views about the dynamics between ‘risk’ and ‘reward’ seem inhibitive to further adoption. In order to resolve this complex, stakeholders are advised to undertake an introspective review assessing their tolerance for ambiguity/uncertainty in adopting MTC.
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