A Challenge for Research

Abstract

Over the years, contractors have looked to educational institutions to provide a cadre of skilled construction employees, and to gain access to new construction technologies. Early contractor proponents of construction education considered research to be a necessary educational component of benefit to the contracting community. It now appears that this research objective has been over‐looked and that communication has been lost between contractors and the researchers. The present work attempts to show that the research community, needs the construction industry if construction programs are to survive in the major universities, and that nonengineering construction education programs also need research to provide the teaching personnel and the subject matter for educating students. The construction industry needs research to develop the advanced construction methods and management skills needed to meet competition and increase profits. The research community is asked to expend greater efforts in developing mutual relationships with contractors and technology oriented educational programs. The Construction Research Council (CRC) is proposed as a possible leader in these efforts.