The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT). In the last three years alone, there have been over 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Modular construction in Construction: Reinforced prestressed construction. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 179,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the construction industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Reinforced prestressed construction is a key innovation area in modular construction
Reinforced prestressed construction uses prestressed concrete as a structural material, allowing the counteraction of the stresses that will occur when the structure is subject to a load. Prestressed concrete combines the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile strength of steel.
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 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of reinforced prestressed construction.
Key players in reinforced prestressed construction – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to reinforced prestressed construction
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Kajima | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Daiwa House Industry | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Construction | 32 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kumagai Gumi | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Taisei | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Obayashi | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China State Construction Engineering | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Okumura | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shimizu | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Takenaka | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nippon Steel | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shinko Wire | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Liuzhou Ovm Machinery | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Central Nippon Expressway Company | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| OSJB Holdings | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| East Japan Railway | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nippon Shuppan Hanbai | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| JFE Holdings | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IHI | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Neturen | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tianjin Shinkuntai Advanced Prestressing Technology | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shimizu | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| PS Mitsubishi Construction | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Leading companies in the development of reinforced prestressed construction include Kajima, a construction and real estate development company. Key Kajima’s patents in the space include a reinforcing method for a reinforced concrete member which can be constructed easily, can reduce construction cost and prevents a generation of buckling or breaking in a buckling suppressing member. Daiwa House Industry is also a leading company in reinforced prestressed construction, with key innovations including a method to securely connect target reinforcing bars to each other before pouring cement to adhere to the reinforcing bars.
In terms of application diversity, leading innovators in the reinforced prestressed construction space include Nippon Steel, a steel manufacturer, and OSJB, a steel building and infrastructure construction contractor.
In terms of geographic reach, leading companies in the space include Obayashi, a civil engineering and building construction contractor, and Central Nippon Expressway Company, which focuses on the construction, operation, and maintenance of expressways.
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.
