Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

Foundations and Frontiers 2026 is about momentum. (Image: Digital Art Studio/stock.adobe.com) Foundations and Frontiers 2026 centres on progress, not problems. By Jon Davies, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association. What if we stopped obsessing over what’s broken in construction and focused on what’s already working? That’s the idea behind Foundations and Frontiers 2026 (FF26). On Thursday, 20 August in Sydney, the industry will come together to share examples of projects and practices that are delivering better results now. Not theory. Proof. And to close the day, the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) will host a black-tie presentation of the Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA), celebrating the best project in the country. From problems to progress For the past two years, the Foundations and Frontiers forum has focused on the industry’s biggest structural challenges . That work matters, but this year, we’re shifting gears. FF26 is about momentum. I...

Aaron Smith, engineering manager – installations at Coates Engineering Solutions. (Image: Coates) Temporary works often operate behind the scenes, but they play a critical role in keeping construction and infrastructure projects moving safely and efficiently. In this Expert Profile, Aaron Smith, engineering manager – installations at Coates Engineering Solutions, shares insights on the challenges facing the industry and how specialist installation teams help deliver complex temporary works solutions under tight timelines. Aaron Smith has spent nearly a decade with Coates and more than 25 years in the construction industry. With a background that spans both trade and engineering roles, he brings a practical perspective to delivering temporary works solutions on complex construction sites. Here, Aaron shares insights from the front line of the industry. Describe your role and what an average workday or week looks like. My role involves managing the installations team to deliver b...

As Far East Consortium Queensland established operations for projects like the Queen’s Wharf Tower, it implemented Payapps from the outset to lay a foundation for rapid scaling. (Image: Far East Consortium) Payapps explains why a project-first strategy allows contractors to build confidence before scaling construction technology across the business. By Ian Moss, marketing leader for Australia and New Zealand at Payapps – An Autodesk Company. Ian Moss, marketing leader for Australia and New Zealand at Payapps – An Autodesk Company. (Image: Payapps) As the Australian construction sector faces a continued productivity imperative, the industry is entering a critical transition. While the project pipeline is beginning to stabilise, the sector remains under pressure from tight margins, skills shortages and heightened scrutiny of value for money. Recent analysis, including commentary following the Queensland Productivity Commission’s Final Report: Opportunities to Improve Productivi...

Cupix, an AI-powered spatial intelligence platform, helps teams maintain complete site records. (Image: mikitiger/stock.adobe.com) Spatial capture is being integrated into John Holland’s site workflows to verify works, coordinate trades and document site conditions during delivery. John Holland’s portfolio, built over more than seven decades, stands out for its concentration of large, technically challenging projects. In recent years, the contractor has ramped up its digital engineering strategy in line with the rising complexity of the works it takes on, supported by a suite of technologies including spatial intelligence. Mitchell Erickson, group manager of digital engineering at John Holland. (Image: Mitchell Erickson) One such platform is Cupix, an AI-powered spatial intelligence platform that captures and visualises construction sites in a virtual environment. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and 360-degree cameras, it enables remote site monitoring, progress tracking an...

The PC220LCi-12 has automation embedded in its core machine functions. (Image: Smoke Photography & Video) Construction equipment is being engineered for a more demanding job site, and Komatsu signals where performance expectations are heading next with its latest machines. Mark Boyes, national business manager for construction at Komatsu. (Image: IndustriArc) The company’s latest equipment enters a market where performance is being judged less on sheer output and more on control, integration and usable machine data. Project directors and asset managers are weighing how accurately a machine can execute to digital models, how safely it can function in tight work areas, and how effectively its systems inform site-level decision making. Mechanical capability remains fundamental, but intelligence, configurability and systems integration are now influencing how equipment is selected and deployed. Komatsu’s PC220LCi-12 hydraulic excavator and intelligent Machine Control (iMC) 3....

The Delivering Under Pressure report will inform discussions at the Future of Construction Summit 2026. (Image: FuturePlace) Delivery certainty is emerging as a key priority for leaders across Australia’s construction and infrastructure sector, according to a new report by FuturePlace, the organisers of the annual Future of Construction Summit. Record project pipelines are colliding with persistent labour shortages, rising input costs, tighter capital discipline, increasing sustainability requirements and long‑standing productivity challenges. While none of these pressures are new in isolation, their combined impact is reshaping how projects are delivered. The reality facing the industry today is not simply higher costs; it is increasing difficulty in delivering projects at all. Margins for error have narrowed. Tolerance for delays, cost overruns and fragmented delivery models is disappearing across government, investors and boards. In this environment, traditional approaches ...