Civil Engineering & Construction Patents

Innovations in the field of civil engineering and construction are brought about by the need to meet or exceed existing building standards, shorten lead times, minimise cost and maintain the safety of the generally capital-intensive construction projects. In Australia, civil engineering ranks among the top 5 industries for filing patent applications in 2018.

What’s patentable?

So long as your civil engineering or construction industry technology is new and inventive, it should be patentable in any country around the world. In relation to protection of technologies involved in large projects, it is difficult to maintain confidentiality; thus, an early patent filing date is particularly important.

Benefits and challenges of filing civil engineering and construction patent applications

Civil engineering patent applications are used to protect innovative design features of structures, components and infrastructure. Companies that have patents granted to them benefit from a 20 year monopoly over these design features. Companies that have exclusive use of innovative design features may be able to:

• More successfully respond to tenders
• Complete works more cost efficiently
• Complete works to a higher design standard

Benefits and challenges of filing civil engineering and construction patent applications

The Baxter IP approach to filing civil engineering and construction patent applications

Patent strategies that are particularly useful in the civil engineering and construction industry include:

1. File in Australia so as to protect your home market and to make use of the 12-month period prior to having to make a foreign filing, to develop the project commercially.
2. Use confidentiality agreements together with your patent pending to approach multinational companies or statutory bodies.
3. Use a PCT patent application at the end of the 12-month period to continue to cover your idea in 152 countries (as at 2019) and possibly file other patents to ensure you cover all countries in which the prospective multinationals commercialise or statutory bodies will build or use the new technology.
4. Proceed in the countries that are important to interested parties by the 30-month deadline for national phase entry.

Depending on specific circumstances, however, other strategies may be more appropriate. It is important to discuss your particular situation with a qualified attorney to determine the best strategy in each case.

Examples of civil engineering and construction patent applications filed through Baxter IP

1. AU Patent #2018247335 – Lift shaft assembly and construction and installation thereof. Bowen and Pomeroy Pty Ltd
2. AU Patent #2019901171 – Hole depth measuring, device and system. Jedair Compressors Pty Ltd
3. AU Patent #2019200184 – A plumbing attachment to aid in the installation of piping. Nilsson, Fredrik
4. AU Patent #2019200174 – A system and a method for power generation. Hiremath, Rajeev MR
5. AU Patent #2018274977 – A system for providing a continuous stream of foamed cement product and a mixing and pump apparatus, system and an associated method for providing a stream of foamed cement material. Vacrest Pty Ltd