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 the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics. 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 Innovation in Construction: Waterproof basement. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
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 stabilising 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.
See Also:
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 179,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, mullion-transom curtain walls are the disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Heat-insulated glazing panels, drainage gully grating, and acoustic ceiling panels are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are abrasion-resistant decorative flooring and road construction milling tool, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the construction industry
Waterproof basement is a key innovation area in construction
A waterproof basement is a basement that is designed and constructed to prevent water from entering or penetrating the interior space. It is typically achieved through a combination of drainage systems, waterproofing membranes, and sealants applied to the walls and floor of the basement.
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 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of waterproof basement.
Key players in waterproof basement – 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 waterproof basement
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| China State Construction Engineering | 221 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 88 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Construction | 72 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Communications Construction Group | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Group | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC20 Group | 29 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Construction Group | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Power Construction Corporation of China | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Suzhou Duogu Engineering Design | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Johnson Architectural & Engineering Design Consultants | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shenzhen Construction Engineering Group | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Second Construction of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| 3rd Construction China Construction 8th Engineering Division | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| First Company of China Eighth Engineering Bureau | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MCC5 Group Shanghai | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Oriental Rainbow Waterproof Engineering | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baishan Zhongtian Development Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Ershiye Construction | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Yuanfang Groundwork Engineering | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qingjian Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Chongqing Construction Engineering Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Tunnel Engineering | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Erchu Of China Railway Tunnel Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cscec City Construction Development | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Design | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Urban Construction Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanxi Industrial Equipment Installation Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhongru Investment | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Municipal Construction Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhejiang Communications Construction Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shougang Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC5 Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Trelleborg | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
The leading patent filer in the waterproof basement space is China State Construction Engineering, which recently filed a patent for an anti-leakage basement roof post-cast strip. The innovation utilises a structure comprising a concrete top plate fixed on a basement top plate and a post-cast strip. The post-cast strips are distributed on the periphery of the basement top plate and a steel plate water stop belt is fixedly installed between the post-cast strip and the top plate concrete.
This method has numerous advantages, including less erosion to the basement top, which will help to avoid the emergence of cracks and keep the basement watertight for longer. In addition, the post-cast strip can prevent rainwater from gathering at the joint of the roof concrete, helping to avoid excess leakage and keep maintenance costs low. Other leading companies in the space include China Railway Construction and China Communications Construction Group.
In terms of application diversity, the leading companies include Suzhou Duogu Engineering Design, Trelleborg, and Shougang. In terms of geographic reach, the leading companies are Trelleborg, Suzhou Duogu Engineering Design and Cscec City Construction Development.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Construction.
Premium Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
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.
