annual report 2008 - university of reading · 2010-09-23 · 2 annual report 2008 annual report...

Annual report 2008

This report documents the vision and strategy of the Innovative Construction Research Centre (ICRC) at the University of Reading. The Centre was initially established in January 2002 with a grant of £2.5 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The award was made in recognition of prolonged success in securing research projects under the Innovative Manufacturing Initiative (IMI).

The establishment of the Centre brought together a portfolio of inter-nationally leading research areas within the School of Construction Manage-ment and Engineering (SCME). The establishment of the revised funding regime also bought a new challenge in terms of the requirement to have a tightly defined strategic focus directly aligned with the needs of the UK con-struction sector. It also provided an important opportunity to rejuvenate the academic expertise at the Univer-sity of Reading and to build research capacity for the future. The award was subsequently extended in 2006 with a further grant of £3.73 million, thereby extending the time horizon of the Centre through to 2011.

The Director of the Centre and designated Principal Investigator is Professor Stuart Green. Co-investi-gators on the full-time academic staff include: Dr Tabarak Ballal, Professor Colin Gray, Professor Roger Flana-gan, Professor Will Hughes, Dr Milan Radosavljevic and Dr Jennifer Whyte. Professor Derek Clements-Croome remains active as a professor emeritus. Four associate members are currently in place to provide the next genera-tion of research leadership: Dr Abbas Elmualim, Dr Graeme Larsen, Dr Rachael Luck and Dr Llewellyn Tang are all actively involved in ICRC projects as co-investigators, but not yet as principal investigators. Several were previously research fellows within the Centre who have since been promoted onto the full-time faculty. We consistently strive to balance the need for impact with a focus on long-term research capacity building. The Centre is currently hosting Dr Rafael Sacks who is with us on a one-year sabbatical from Technion in Israel. Our vision is to be a world-class research centre that supports a globally competi-tive UK construction sector. The aim is to provide long-term research support to firms within the AEC sector who seek to compete on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and through-life value creation. However, it is impor-tant to be clear on what we mean by ‘construction’. In our interpretation, construction extends beyond on-site production to embrace the entire range of construction services provided by the AEC 1 sector, including design, procure-ment and through-life management. Our domain of enquiry also includes procurement processes within client organisations. At the heart of our vision is the concept of ‘high value construc-tion’, which sees the sector competing on the basis of knowledge and through-

life value. The aim is to foster innovation, capability development, the adoption of advanced technology and sustainable working practices. Research projects are structured around three inter-related themes:

Competitiveness, productivity 1 and performance

Through-life management 2 and innovation

Innovative procurement3

The above themes have evolved significantly since the Centre was first established and are designed to be mutually-supportive with extensive cross-connections. They will continue to develop in the future in accordance with changing research priorities and evolv-ing capabilities. However, the research strategy of focusing on the interface between human activity systems and technology in the context of the built environment will not change. Neither will our commitment to interdiscipli-nary research and to long-term research capacity building. Research projects are evaluated on the basis of three criteria: (i) research quality and (ii) strategic fit with the identified themes, and, (iii) contribution to current or future indus-try needs. The process of continuously positioning projects against themes has been of central importance in the achievement of a coherent research strategy. The research themes not only provide an important internal co-ordinating mechanism, they also provide potential industry partners with an accessible summary of our research expertise. Several of our large, multi-institutional projects span across several themes. The Centre also supports two strategic research fellowships outwith the current theme structure. Dr Chris Harty has been appointed to develop a research theme around innovation

Research projects Investigators Theme

1 Building Information Modelling (BIM) in building production management Radosavljevic, Sacks 1

2 Infrastructure through life – technology use in global projects Whyte 2

3 Measuring export performance for the UK construction Flanagan 1

4 Procurement for innovation (jointly with the University of Manchester) Ballal 3

5 Achieving design quality in schools Whyte, Clements-Croome

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6 Through-life knowledge and information management (Grand Challenge) (jointly with 10 other UK universities)

Green, Flanagan, Hughes

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7 The big ideas: Sustained competitiveness in the UK construction sector – A fresh perspective (jointly with Loughborough and Salford universities)

Green, Gray, Hughes, Larsen

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8 Collaborative knowledge management for the support of through-life building processes (jointly with the Informatics Research Centre, Henley Business School)

Harty, Green, Liu 2

Executive summaryand the sociology of technology, with a particular focus on digital technologies. More recently, Dr Libby Schweber has been appointed to develop a research theme on social sustainability. Dr Roine Leiringer also champions the strategic research theme on through-life manage-ment and innovation.

The ICRC is also a partner in the £7.2 million EPSRC-funded Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre, HaCIRIC (Gray, Green, Hughes) (jointly with Imperial College, Lough-borough and Salford). This is indicative of a sustained strategy of working col-laboratively with other leading research universities, both within the UK and overseas. In recent years we have made particular efforts to improve our inter-national connectivity and to this end have strengthened our relationship with VTT in Finland and have also developed a tripartite research proposal with the National University of Singapore and the University of Hong Kong. Over the last three years we have hosted academic visitors from no less than 25 countries.

Research activity within the Centre also includes 26 PhD students, many of whom are funded by external agencies.

A further defining feature of the Centre’s research is our close engage-ment with industry. We enjoy a close and ongoing relationship with many of our industry partners which transcends individual projects. Resources-in-kind contributions exceed £3 million, of which documentary evidence exists for £2,204,650. This is indicative of our commitment to co-production research, otherwise referred to as ‘Mode 2’ research. Co-production is characterised by academics and practitioners participating in the joint production of knowledge, with a par-ticular focus on the process of moving knowledge into practice. However, the orientation towards co-production does not distract from the need to match the highest standards of research quality. The ‘double hurdle’ of practical relevance and research quality is central to the way in which the Centre operates. Since its launch in 2002, the Centre

has established a research capability which is unique within the international construction research community. Of particular note is the way the IMRC grant has been used to leverage additional funding: £183,000 in direct contribu-tions has been secured from industry, with a further £551,047 secured through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). The ICRC has also generated £340,161 in direct fee income to fund PhD students within the Centre; much of this income comes from overseas government, but several students are directly sponsored by UK industry.

Current and recently completed projects within the ICRC

1 Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC)

Stuart Green, Director, Innovative Construction Research Centre

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Annual report 2008 Annual report 2008

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Annual report 2008

Vision statement 2

Locating the Centre within the institution 10

Management and organisation of the Centre 12

Use of associated Doctoral Training Account 14

Current research portfolio 16

Individual project summaries 22

Appendices 38

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Vision statementOverviewVisionOur vision is to be a world-class research centre supporting a globally competitive UK construction sector 1 that competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and through-life value creation.

Strategic aims (our mission)

To promote a vision of ‘high-value construction’ founded on •knowledge-based services that adds through-life value to clients’ business operations.

To advance a broader awareness of ‘construction’ among policy makers •and leading practitioners that includes the sector’s economic and social benefit to society.

To foster and support a UK construction sector which invests •in leading-edge technology, process improvement, service delivery and human resource development.

To build upon the Innovative Construction Research Centre’s •global reputation for high quality interdisciplinary research for the built environment.

Strategic objectivesTo sustain and grow the ICRC as a vibrant research centre committed •to interdisciplinary, practice-based, and policy relevant research.

To develop a critical mass of methodological expertise in socio-technical •systems research applied to the built environment.

To contribute to policy debates relating to the construction sector in the •UK and internationally.

To engage collaboratively with leading firms in the construction sector •(and their clients) to improve accepted ‘best practice’ and to identify the challenges that lie ahead.

High value construction: Guiding visionOur vision of construction at the ICRC is much broader than that traditionally addressed by the construction management (CM) research community. In our interpretation, ‘construction’ extends beyond on-site production to include a dispersed network of intangible value-adding activities. Such activities frequently involve coalitions of multiple actors that evolve throughout the whole life of buildings and built infrastruc-ture. Our vision embraces the entire range of construction services provided by the AEC sector, including design, procurement and through-life management. Policy debates within manufacturing increasingly advocate the need for the UK to focus on ‘high value manufacturing’. The vision is of a manufacturing sector which focuses on the provision of ‘high value’ solutions through the integration of products and services.

Of central importance is the required switch in emphasis from selling generic products towards developing the capability to address customers’ unique requirements. The emphasis therefore lies with the need to gener-ate significant value externally rather than focus on narrowly-construed production efficiency.

The translation of ‘high value manufacturing’ into the construction sector is at the heart of our guiding vision and the ICRC’s research strategy. Our vision resonates strongly with the policy agenda and with the current aspirations of leading firms. The aim is to provide long-term research support to firms within the AEC sector who seek to compete on the basis of through-life value creation. Such a shift is, of course, by no means trivial; it presents major implications for the modus operandi of the sector and challenges deeply-ingrained working practices. Moreover, our vision sees construction in the context of global projects and advanced technology use. It sees a highly innovative sector with a globally competi-tive design and engineering capability. It sees a construction sector that is of central importance to the UK economy and to the health and wellbeing of society at large. The vision of high value construction relates directly to government policy objectives in health, education and transport. It also places construction sector at the nexus of society’s aspirations for social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Central to the ICRC’s remit is the stimulation of innovation in practice; but innovation is rarely constrained within the boundaries of single organisations. This has significant implications for the uptake of advanced technologies and improved working practices. It shifts the focus of atten-tion from individual firms to the wider networks in which particular actors and organisations are situated. Such networks are invariably embedded within local contexts, but they also increasingly combine localised embeddedness with global outreach. The trend towards high-value construction requires an orientation towards innovation that is enacted within and across multi-organisational networks. In essence, the Centre’s research programme is orientated towards exploring – and improving – the ways in which such innovations are developed and mobi-lised across extended networks that transcend organisational boundaries. Clients must be conceptualised as active participants in the innovation process; the focus of ICRC’s research therefore embraces the through-life interactions between complex client organisations and the technological processes of design and construction.

Policy connectionsThe vision of ‘high value construction’ draws from several long-estab-lished research strengths within the School of Construction Management and Engineering (SCME). Examples include: strategic briefing, design, value management and through-life management – all of which remain active components within the ICRC research portfolio. The adoption of ‘high value construction’ as the guiding vision therefore builds on SCME’s long-standing research orientation, but also reflects current policy initiatives within the sector. Particular attention is given to ensuring con-nectivity with industry and government-generated research agendas. This is primarily achieved through active participation in policy arenas and ongoing close collaboration with leading firms. Care is also taken to

1 ‘Construction sector’ is used here as an abbreviation of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, although it should be noted our domain of enquiry also includes procurement processes within client organisations.

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access the views of the SMEs and regionally-based firms who do not normally participate in policy debates concerning research needs. The vision of ‘high value construction’ resonates strongly with two of the areas identified by the UK National Platform’s Strategic Research Agenda as being of high priority to the long-term future for the UK built environment industry: (i) developing a client-driven, knowledge-based construction process, and (ii) ICT and automation.

The concept of ‘high value construction’ also serves to capture the imagination of collaborating industry partners. The vision is partly aspirational, but nevertheless plays a vital role in providing a real sense of strategic direction to the Centre’s work. Research projects are continu-ously positioned against this broader vision. Some are predicated on the need for incremental progress towards short-term goals; others are much more radical in orientation and are aimed at providing the underpinning intellectual frameworks for the long term.

Research capabilityThe ICRC possesses a distinctive interdisciplinary research capability with a strong orientation towards co-production. Co-production research is characterised by close relationships between academics and industry partners which transcend individual projects. Of particular importance are the dynamic interactions between researchers and practitioners which play out over time. Both parties participate in the joint production of knowledge with a particular focus on the process of moving knowledge into practice. The ICRC is frequently cited as an exemplar of research of this kind, which is attracting increasing attention within the research policy circles. Invitations are regularly received to address interdiscipli-nary seminars and industry conferences on the theme of co-production research.

Successful co-production research requires interdisciplinary expertise. To this end, the ICRC has actively fostered an interdisciplinary research capability relating to socio-technical systems research in the built environment. The strategy is to create a unique research expertise at the interface between human activity systems and technology in the context of the built environment. This expertise has been nurtured since the Centre was first created in 2002, and is mobilised across a range of projects aligned with the vision of high value construction. The focus on socio-technical systems, coupled with a strong commitment to co-production, has led to a recognisable style and ethos of research that is central to the self-identity of the ICRC. The research approach is under-pinned by a commitment to methodological pluralism which combines engineering research approaches with those derived from the social sciences. This strong sense of research identity is central to the way we interact with industry partners, and is reflected in the majority of our published outputs.

How has the IMRC grant affected the work of the centre?The transition to IMRC funding has realised a number of important efficiency gains. Most notable is the shift towards a much more focused and co-ordinated research strategy. When the ICRC was launched in 2002, it comprised a disconnected set of individual projects with their own dis-crete industrial interactions. The subsequent development of a focused research strategy has eliminated the potential for needless duplication and enhanced communication and cooperation between research teams. It has also strengthened the identity of the Centre within the AEC com-munity. Internal co-ordination meetings are now commonplace where previously they were rare. The creation of the Centre has resulted in a substantial increase in collaborative working between colleagues who had previously not worked together.

The Centre has also served to establish a new research culture that includes the core academic staff, contract researchers and associated PhD students. This research culture is further enhanced through a series of invited high-profile visitors and through the seminar series jointly constituted with the Research Institute for the Built Environment (RIBE). Further innovations include the establishment of three-monthly workshops, e-mail discussion groups and focused reading clubs. The half-day workshops are designed to identify new links between the various research teams and their associated industrial partners. They provide ICRC members with the opportunity to generate new ideas for future research topics and to ensure that there is an effective sharing of knowl-edge across research teams. The initiation of the e-mail discussion group has been especially effective in promoting knowledge sharing among the Centre’s members. The reading clubs take place on a fortnightly basis to facilitate the interaction within each research team. This is the forum within which research-team members share critical reviews of recently published journal papers.

The above activities are continuously evaluated to ensure that all parties benefit through the creation of an inclusive research community that embraces academics, researchers, doctoral students and key industry col-laborators. Joint publications across research teams are encouraged with greater emphasis on the participation of PhD students. Funds have been set aside to finance research students to attend national and international conferences. PhD students and junior researchers are empowered through these activities to develop research within their own areas of interest commensurate with the remit of the Centre.

The Centre has also facilitated research-capacity building through a focused staff development policy. This has been especially important to ensure continuity planning in the light of senior staff retirements. Since the ICRC was established, no less than four research fellows have been appointed to the academic faculty. The Centre has also had a fundamental influence on recruitment policy: researchers are no longer recruited on the basis of the needs of individual projects. Account is now taken of the extent to which their skills complement the ICRC portfolio as a whole. Of particular importance has been the recruitment of senior Research Fellows with the freedom to develop specific research themes.

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Examples include Dr Chris Harty, recruited in January 2006 to develop research activity relating to Innovation and the Sociology of Technology, and Dr Libby Schweber, who joined in October 2008 with responsibil-ity for developing a research capability in Social Sustainability. Dr Roine Leiringer will also take responsibility for the further development of a research theme on Through-life Innovation following the completion of the Grand Challenge project in March 2009. These strategic research fel-lowships have already spawned a number of important initiatives and are the primary mechanism of ensuring bottom-up innovation within the Centre. Other recent additions to the permanent academic staff within the Centre’s remit include Dr Jennifer Whyte, Dr Milan Radosavljevic, Dr Abbas Elmualim, Dr Graeme Larsen and Dr Llewellyn Tang. We are currently seeking to recruit a full-time professor of construction innovation in order to offset the impact of pending retirements.

How can the work of the Centre be said to be contributing to the changing face of UK industry? The construction sector is the third largest industrial sector in the UK economy with an annual output in 2007 in excess of £110bn. A competitive construction sector is vital to the UK national economy and to the wellbe-ing of society at large. Current trends towards ‘high value construction’ emphasise the need for the sector to shift its attention away from tradi-tional approaches to product delivery towards the satisfaction of clients’ needs. The ICRC provides thought leadership in this area, working closely with major enterprises from within the AEC sector and its client base. The involvement of industry partners frequently transcends individual projects to form cross-organisational networks that derive knowledge from the Centre’s research base. It is through such networks that the work of the ICRC contributes directly towards the development of knowl-edge-based, innovation-driven construction process. Many of the leading enterprises shaping the future of the construction sector are amongst the Centre’s partners.

Of particular note is the impact of ICRC’s work on the policy debate. Examples include a series of strategic studies into the future of national building industries in Sweden, Finland, Turkey and South Korea (Flanagan). ICRC research on the cost of construction procurement has led to invitations by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the National Audit Office (NAO) to contribute to major reviews of the way that construction work is procured in the UK (Hughes). Contributions have been made to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in relation to PFI; and to FIDIC and the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) on the draft-ing of standard forms of contract (Hughes); Green contributes widely to a range of research council, industry and policy forums, including the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012. He continues to advise indus-try and to act as a consultant in the area of value management; he was recently consulted by the High Commissioners of South Africa and Tan-zania relating to infrastructure development in Africa. Clements-Croome contributed to the DTI Innovation Programme on application of smart materials. Whyte continues to advise the Construction Industry Council (CIC) on the implementation of Design Quality Indicators (DQIs).

Flanagan has for many years contributed to the Construction Governors’ Group at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and continues to be in demand as an advisor to industry and governments around the globe. This work has been instrumental in the development of both national industries and national research policies. The ICRC has been directly involved with research agenda setting in the USA through its links with ASCE’s Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF), and in the UK with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Association of Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Notwithstanding this global impact on the policy level, ICRC research also impacts directly upon the working practices of UK industry, as evidenced through the ten case studies submitted to EPSRC under separate cover. Specific examples include:

Development of SERPENT, a commercial design computer system to •aid through-life business support in the defence industry (Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Dytecna Ltd; follow-on to ICRC-funded research led by Professor Derek Clements-Croome in collaboration with Professor Kercheng Liu of the Informatics Research Centre).

Direct contribution to ABB’s service strategy implementation throughout •its UK operations (Grand Challenge; led by Professor Stuart Green).

Creation of the spin-out company I-WASP Ltd which utilises research-•based software tools for business process improvement in construction. (Draws directly from ICRC-funded research led by Professor Colin Gray).

Development of a taxonomy of competitiveness and a method of measur-•ing national competitiveness used by UKTI (UK Trade and Investment) to inform their overseas trade officials and their considerations of UK export strategy (ICRC-funded research led by Professor Roger Flanagan).

Close and prolonged engagement with the Innovation Forum •within Balfour Beatty (UK’s largest civil engineering contractor and PFI operator) resulting in a direct influence on their innovation and R&D strategy (Grand Challenge; led by Professor Stuart Green).

The above contributions should not of course detract from the strategic role that ICRC plays in fostering innovation across extended networks. Research outputs are frequently re-shaped in ways that were not predictable at the outset. The linear model of research-innovation-impact has long been discredited in favour of other models which emphasise the non-linear, iterative and multi-agent character of the innovative process. Hence the emphasis on co-production research where practitioners and academics cooperate to develop new knowledge and technologies together.

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What major initiatives or collaborations have the Centre been able to initiate or support?The IMRC initiative at large was intended to promote a portfolio of co-operating university-based research centres. The ICRC has played a significant role in making this vision become a reality and now co-oper-ates extensively across a range of different initiatives. Of particular note is the way we initiated collaborative links with the Salford and Loughbor-ough IMRCs. Whereas previously the climate was one of competition, the leading university research centres now work closely together in a climate of co-operation. The strategy has been to adopt a ‘core plus’ model, using the Centre’s core funding to leverage additional income. Strong collabora-tive links with other research centres have led to several additional large multi-institutional projects. The first of these was the recently completed £1.5 million ‘Big Ideas’ project on Sustained Competitiveness which started in 2005. This was conducted jointly with the Salford and Lough-borough IMRCs and was initiated and led by the ICRC. This was followed by the £5.5 million ‘Grand Challenge’ project on Through-life Knowledge and Information Management, secured in association with ten other universities. This project, due to finish in March 2009, is cross-sectoral in coverage and has enabled collaborative links to be established with the Engineering Department at the University of Bath and the Engineering Design Centre (EDC) at the University of Cambridge, together with several leading UK business schools. The most recent initiative is the establish-ment of the £7.2 million Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) (jointly with Imperial College, Loughborough and Salford). HaCIRIC is aimed at bridging the gap between evolving patterns of healthcare delivery and the supporting infrastructure. The ini-tiative commenced September 2006 and is due to run until August 2011, with the possibility of a two-year extension. Reading’s stake in HaCIRIC is valued at £1.1 million.

Strong links also exist with overseas construction-related research centres in Sweden, South Africa, the USA and Turkey. An especially strong relationship has been forged with the Centre for Management Studies of the Building Process at Copenhagen Business School with a view to ongoing collaboration and staff exchanges. Most recently a tri-partite research project has been initiated with the University of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore to benchmark construction industry development programmes in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Centre members have further initiated several research projects funded from different sources. Examples include five KTP projects (£551,047) and a Technology Strategy Board (TSB) project on the topic of ICT-aided facili-ties management (Spearhead, £221,328).

Planned research prioritiesWe will remain committed to interdisciplinary, practice based, and policy relevant research for the foreseeable future. The guiding vision of high-value construction will also continue to provide long-term strate-gic direction. Within this framework, research priorities will continue to be managed in accordance with changing industry needs. A sharp strategic focus will be maintained in order to maximise impact.

Alignment with the Centre’s mission statement has recently been improved by reducing the number of themes from six to three (see Section 6.0). The three current research themes are used to prioritise project proposals, and also as a basis for decision-making in respect of staff retention and recruitment. Appointments will continue to be made to ensure critical mass in identified priority areas. The aim is to keep the Centre intact as a coherent entity into the long term, and to continue to be responsive to the current and future research needs of the UK con-struction sector. The twin targets of academic excellence and impact on industry will remain of central importance. However, equally important are the research priorities targeted for the future. Recent years have seen an increased emphasis on global projects, and this is an area being spe-cifically developed for the future. The Centre has also developed a strong focus on digital technologies which is also targeted for extensive future growth. Indeed, the intention in the medium term is to establish digital technologies as a dedicated research theme, with a particular focus on their role as disruptive technologies in interaction with existing working practices. We are planning to expand research activity around the theme of social sustainability. Recent events in global financial markets have reinforced the need for wealth creation to be embedded within broader social contexts. There is undoubtedly an increasing policy emphasis on the need for infrastructure investment to add value for a wide range of different stakeholders. Issues relating to corporate social responsibility are similarly gaining in importance, and require a complementary research expertise to that which supports the competitiveness agenda.

In the medium-term, the challenge for the ICRC is to sustain current levels of funding beyond 2011 when the current IMRC funding regime expires. But this can also be construed as an opportunity in that grant-holders within ICRC will be allowed to submit EPSRC responsive-mode applications relating to ICRC core areas from mid-2010. Furthermore, the Centre’s unique research capability means it is well-placed to respond to the UK Government’s funding priorities. Of further particular significance is the increasing focus within research policy circles on user-led research. Given our extensive and close links with industry, we are especially well-placed to take advantage of this evolving emphasis. We will undoubtedly continue to target EPSRC’s ‘Business Innovation’ directorate as a long-term source of research funding. The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is also flagged as an important source of future funding, with a major bid currently in preparation in the area of digital technologies. We further intend to remain in healthcare infrastructure, where the Centre’s invest-ment in HaCIRIC is oriented towards building long-term research capacity. The Business Innovation directorate within EPSRC is also promoting the priority theme ‘Towards next-generation healthcare’ which bodes well for future funding opportunities. Extensive links are currently being devel-oped with healthcare delivery agencies in both the public and private sectors in order to develop long-term capacity.

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Locating the Centre within the InstitutionThe University of ReadingThe University of Reading is ranked as one of the UK’s 10 most research-intensive universities and as one of the top 200 universities in the world. In the last Research Assessment Exercise, fifteen departments were awarded the grade of 5, with five designated 5* (Archaeology, English, Italian, Meteorology and Psychology). Increasingly the University is devel-oping its enterprise and innovation activities, and seeks to contribute to the modern knowledge economy. It runs the most successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership Centre in the country and supplies the location for the Reading Enterprise Hub, in conjunction with the South East England Development Agency. The University is strong in a broad range of tradi-tional disciplines across the sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences. It comprises 17,500 students (including 3,000 international students from over 130 different countries) and 4,000 staff. The University was further strengthened in 2008 by the absorption of Henley Management College. Henley Business School is one of Europe’s largest full-service business schools. It is one of the few global business schools to hold triple accredited status (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB).

School of Construction Management and EngineeringICRC is located in the School of Construction Management and Engi-neering (SCME) within the Faculty of Science. The School is one of the world’s largest university departments dealing with the built environ-ment, comprising over 80 full-time members of academic staff, including 10 professors. The School enjoys strong links with many other depart-ments across the University, thereby creating a vibrant multi-disciplinary research context. Longstanding collaborative links are especially strong with the departments of Law, Economics, Real Estate and Planning, Management, Psychology, Cybernetics and Meteorology. Undergraduate courses include: Building Surveying, Building Construction and Manage-ment, Quantity Surveying and Construction Management and Surveying. Postgraduate Courses include: Project Management (part-time), Construc-tion Cost Management (part-time), Construction Management, Intelligent Buildings, Inclusive Environments and Renewable Energy; the first three of these are especially closely associated with the ICRC with curricula that are continuously refreshed from the research base. The School has a total PhD population of 50, of which 26 are associated with the ICRC.

Research divisionsIn addition to the ICRC, there are two other research divisions within SCME:

Sustainable environments• is concerned with the design, construction, operation and maintenance of sustainable urban environments. Current projects include Innovation in Design, Construction and Operation of Buildings for People (EPSRC, £399,922), Carbon Reduction in Buildings: A Socio-Technical Longitudinal Study of Carbon Use in Buildings (EPSRC/Carbon Trust, £450,000), and Numerical and Experimental Study on

Integrated Strategic Simulation Model of Urban Environment (EPSRC, £289,000). The division has made an important contribution to attitudes to disabled people in society worldwide, especially with regard to safety and independence in the built environment. Current research projects include Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity (EPSRC, £1.1 million). The Centre has also provided supporting expertise to support a recent successful bid to EPSRC for a Doctoral Training Centre on the area of Technologies for a Sustainable Environment (~£6 million).

Innovative technologies• has four main areas of interest: biomimetics, materials mechanics, renewables and energy & buildings. Current and recent projects include: Cereal Starches as Dry Lubricants (DEFRA, £136,830), EAP-based Artificial Muscles as an Alternative to Space Mecha-nisms (European Space Agency, £10,450) and Customized Intelligent Life-Inspired Arrays (EU FP6, £366,329). Also of note is the recently awarded Octopus project (EU, £579,000), which comprises a European collaboration to develop a cleaning robot designed for confined spaces inspired by the natural evolution of the octopus. Plans are in place to expand activity in renewable energy with a particular focus on energy policy. The division also has an international reputation for its rope research, with many short-term research projects funded by the off-shore industry.

Each of the above divisions has a core team of academic staff and a research income stream comparable to that of the ICRC. Academics from within the three divisions interact on a day-to-day basis and frequently work together on cross-cutting research themes. Regular research semi-nars provide the opportunity for knowledge sharing across subject areas. Several academics are active within more than one division. The School’s research committee integrates the various interests and drives a co-ordi-nated approach to forthcoming research opportunities. Research activity across the faculty level is co-ordinated by the Faculty Board for Research (Environmental & Physical Sciences).

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) (www.rae.ac.uk) rated SCME’s research extremely highly:

25% of research activity within SCME was judged to be 4*; world-leading •in terms of originality, significance and rigour.

45% of research was assessed to be 3*; internationally excellent in terms •of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence.

25% was rated at 2*; quality that is recognised internationally in terms •of originality, significance and rigour.

5% was judged to be 1*; quality that is recognised nationally in terms •of originality, significance and rigour.

The above research profile was based on a full-time faculty of 22, nine of whom are active within the ICRC. The RAE data does not relate the above categories to the research divisions, but it is reasonable to assume that ICRC activities were skewed towards the top end of the spectrum. Of further note is that the RAE assessment took place before Dr Jennifer was recruited.

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The Steering Committee continues to play an important role in advising on current trends and helping develop a more focused research strategy. It frequently advises on proposals for new projects before they are approved, with particular reference to strategic fit. The committee is frequently updated on current projects and offers a valuable source of advice. As a standing item at every meeting, two relatively junior researchers are invited to make a formal presentation. This has played a vital role in engaging Steering Committee members with the wider body of research staff. It also provides excellent experience for the researchers in presenting their work to senior industry figures. A further role of the Steering Committee is to maintain a watching brief over the operation of the internal resource allocation process.

Management BoardAlthough Stuart Green is responsible for day-to-day decision-making, he works closely with the internal Management Board. Issues of policy and decisions regarding the allocation of resources are agreed and verified by the Board. The Board comprises: Professor Stuart Green (Chairman), Professor Colin Gray, Professor Roger Flanagan, Professor Will Hughes, Dr Jennifer Whyte and Ms Jeni Giambona. The Board meets quarterly on campus at The University of Reading and is responsible for the prioritisation of research initiatives and the approval and monitoring of projects against the defined performance metrics.

Management and organisation of the CentreOverviewThe management structure of ICRC has remained stable since its inception and comprises an Executive Steering Committee and an internal Management Board (see Figure 1). The role of the former is to concentrate on policy and strategic direction while the latter focuses on operational issues. The Director of the Centre is Professor Stuart Green, who is responsible for research leadership and operational efficiency. He also acts as the primary point of contact with EPSRC and the Executive Steering Committee. The Centre has recently employed Ms Jeni Giambona as a full-time research manager who works closely with Stuart Green on a day-to-day basis to achieve effective research co-ordination within and across themes. The research manager also has the responsibility of managing our strategic relationships with key industry partners.

Two senior research fellows have Centre-wide responsibilities beyond the delivery of the individual projects with which they are associated. Dr Chris Harty works with the community of appointed researchers and PhD students to ensure all ICRC personnel are aware of the Centre’s strategic research direction. Dr Harty also works closely with the research manager to ensure that all researchers receive the appropriate guidance and support. Dr Roine Leiringer takes the lead on maintaining our data-base of academic outputs and for benchmarking our academic outputs against those of our competitors. All of these activities are supported by Ms Shelagh McKay who is as a full-time administrator for the ICRC. The Centre has also convened an International Scientific Advisory Panel which functions as a peer-review college to adjudicate on the quality of inter-nally-generated research proposals. All research projects within ICRC also have their own industrial steering committees in accordance with longstanding arrangements for EPSRC collaborative projects. An active and engaged industrial steering group continues to be an essential requirement with the ICRC management structure. It should be noted that the Centre contributes £450,000 of direct cash support to the HaCIRIC initiative. There are therefore reporting lines back to the ICRC management structure to ensure that this investment is producing worthwhile returns in accordance with the ICRC mission statement.

Executive Steering CommitteeThe Executive Steering Committee meets on a bi-annual basis and has an established and robust modus operandi. Membership has expanded considerably since the committee was first formulated with a view to achieving representation from a broader diversity of industry constituencies. Efforts have also been made to improve the international connectivity of the Steering Committee; Dr Kalle Kähkönen of VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) has recently been recruited to complement the North American perspective offered by Mr Harvey Bernstein McGraw-Hill Construction, USA (previously of the Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF).

Figure 1: ICRC management structureExecutive Steering Committee

Management Board

Roger Flanagan Will Hughes Jennifer Whyte Colin Gray Jeni GiambonaStuart Green

International Scientific Advisory PanelAt the commencement of the Centre an International Scientific Advisory Panel was appointed to advise on research themes and output quality. The role of the Advisory Panel remains important in ensuring that the work of ICRC does not become insular. It also enables research themes in the UK to be evaluated within a broader international context. The Advisory Panel primarily acts as an informal sounding board for inter-nal research proposals and as an interim evaluation body for research outputs. In contrast to the Executive Steering Committee, the Interna-tional Advisory Panel has no executive function but acts as a network of interested parties against which the Centre can benchmark its research quality whilst seeking to enhance its international profile and outreach. From time-to-time, individual members are invited to Reading to assist in the development of new research themes. Recent visitors to the Centre include Professor George Ofori of the National University of Singapore who spent three weeks offering an independent review and critique of our operating procedures and academic outputs.

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Use of associated Doctoral Training AccountThe Doctoral Training Account (DTA) comprises an additional fund which is allocated by EPSRC for the specific purposes of doctoral training. An annual allocation is made in proportion to EPSRC research portfolio (see Table 2).

There is significant flexibility in the timing of when the funds are spent, allowing us to combine and carry over funds from one year to the next. The allocation made against the IMRC grant is specifically ring-fenced for use in support of Centre activities. The flexibility of DTA funding pro-vides us with unprecedented opportunities to fund students according to their needs; the corollary of this is that we cannot be sure how many students will be supported until we know the individual circumstances of each potential applicant. Only the best applicants are funded. Many of the envisaged PhD projects are interdisciplinary in nature and therefore involve joint supervision with other departments with the University.

For the purposes of informing applicants of the research topics that are available, a list of fourteen potential research topics have been identi-fied by the ICRC Management Board. The aim is to use the DTA funding to support approximately 3–5 doctoral students per year. However, it is important to emphasise that this is a small percentage of the overall post-graduate student population. The majority of international postgraduates are sponsored either by their firms/governments or self-funded. Many of the UK/EU students are funded in the same way. Thus, the DTA allocation provides a much-needed boost to our ability to attract UK students who lack alternative forms of sponsorship. Previously, most of these unfunded applicants had to be turned away. The result of this combination of funding is a diverse and stimulating group of postgraduates from many countries with diverse experience, fresh ideas and stimulating insights. Lines of demarcation between the Centre and the wider School are purposely blurred allowing a free exchange of information and ideas.

PhD students are an essential part of any healthy research centre. Of the 26 currently studying within the Centre, five are supported by the DTA. PhD students are initially selected on the basis of the extent to which their proposed topics align with the interests of faculty members. Clearly it is important that we have relevant supervisory expertise. It is important to emphasise that applicants are not constrained by the topics that are advertised as being available, these are primarily used to generate interest rather than stifle innovation. Applicants are frequently attracted to the Centre by the reputations of individual faculty members. In many cases these reputations have been built up over several decades and are much more deeply rooted than any list of topics deemed to be fashionable. Doctoral students are therefore primarily aligned with the

Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

DTA £59,809 £133,397 £123,421 £139,672 £162,926 £153,111 £115,836

Table 2: Annual allocation of DTA funds from 2002

expertise of individual faculty members, rather than being allocated to individual projects. This affords them much more freedom to evolve their research focus within agreed parameters. It also ensures that there is a running stream of ideas from which to nourish and replenish the Centre’s expertise in the long-term. But the primary focus lies on ensuring that the students receive the best possible supervision within a highly stimulating environment.

Doctoral students benefit considerably from working alongside the community of directly-employed researchers attached to the Centre’s projects. Although primarily working on ICRC projects, researchers are encouraged to interact across projects through various cross-cutting events such as internal seminars and research skills workshops. The doc-toral students also benefit hugely from interacting with our community of industry partners, who are often mobilised to facilitate access to empirical contexts. Wherever possible we seek to find empirical synergies between designated Centre projects and the needs of the PhD students. The responsibility for this is delegated to the Centre’s principal investiga-tors who between them also supervise all the associated students. DTA funds are therefore used to strengthen and replicate the population of doctoral students which is of central importance to the Centre’s long-term research capacity. Many doctoral students have progressed into research positions and several have subsequently progressed into full-time lecture-ships. PhD students and research assistants alike are therefore embraced by our focus on nurturing and developing academic talent from within.

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Current research portfolioContinuous evolutionWhen the Centre was initially established in 2002 the research themes at the time reflected the disconnected nature of the initial legacy projects. Prior to the creation of the ICRC, academics within SCME operated prima-rily as independent academic entrepreneurs. The creation of the Centre necessitated a much more co-ordinated approach. It required an explicit guiding vision and a co-ordinated research strategy. Yet it also warranted an approach which was flexible and continuously evolving.

The transition from where we started to where we are now has been achieved through a series of staged re-adjustments. Most recently, the number of research themes has been rationalised from six to three in order to achieve a tighter alignment with the Centre’s strategic mission. At the time of the third year review, the Centre’s research was structured around six inter-related themes.

Integration of design, construction and facilities management 1

Knowledge management and organisational learning 2

Human resource management and the culture of the industry 3

Innovative procurement 4

Innovation in through-life service provision 5

Competitiveness, productivity and performance6

The first of the above was declared as a strategic theme and the remaining five were cross-cutting themes. Their relationship is shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, although it is important to emphasise that this was always intended to be a transitional stage. The articulation of the strategic theme relating to the integration of design, construction and facilities management was an important step forward from our starting point. However, continued refinement was driven by the use of the guiding vision to discriminate between competing proposals. It was further recognised that six themes were too many to achieve credible critical mass in each area.

Hence the previous theme entitled ‘Human resource management and the culture of the industry’ was absorbed into ‘Competitiveness, productivity and performance’ to form a more broadly based theme. It further made little sense to keep the strategic theme of ‘Integration of design, construction and facilities management’ separate from the means by which the desired integration could be achieved. In consequence, the strategic theme has been combined with ‘Knowledge management and organisational learning’ and ‘Innovation in through-life service delivery’ to form a single theme entitled ‘Through-life management and innova-tion’. Continued expansion in the area of ‘Innovative procurement’ (which cuts across several projects) justified its place as the third theme in the revised schema. These themes are illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 3, which shows the overlap between the themes.

The reduction in the number of themes means there is now a more even representation of projects within each theme. It has further served to simplify the means by which to benchmark ourselves against other university research centres. But more importantly, the rationalisation has enabled us to present ourselves to industry as a research centre with a much clearer focus. The three themes are of course intended to be mutually supportive rather than exclusive. Individual projects can still often span across several themes; this is especially true for the larger multi-institutional projects such as the Grand Challenge project on Through-life knowledge and information management.

Figure 2: ICRC research themes (2006)

Figure 3: ICRC research themes (2008)

Knowledge management and organisational learning

Competi-tiveness, productivity and performance

Innovation in through-life service delivery

Innovative procurement

HRM and the Culture of the industry

Integration of design, contruction and facilities management

Competitiveness, productivity and performance

Through-life management and innovation

Innovative procurement

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Theme 1: Competitiveness, productivity and performanceFlanagan, Green, Gray, Radosavljevic, Larsen, TangThe first theme draws from a long tradition of research at the University of Reading dating back to the 1980s. It focuses on techniques for performance improvement, coupled with a broader emphasis on competitiveness and profitability within the marketplace. Techniques for performance improvement include: process mapping (Green, Gray), value management (Green), risk management (Flanagan) and life-cycle costing. The theme also seeks to assess the competitiveness of the construction sector in comparison to other countries, and to achieve a broader understanding of the economic context within which firms operate (Flanagan et al. 2007). An especially important recent focus addresses the competitiveness of regional firms and the need to enact localised learning across multi-organisational networks (Green et al., 2008). Particular attention is given to the role of human resource man-agement (HRM) practices and cultural barriers to change. The term ‘performance’ is used in its broadest sense to include issues of stakeholder satisfaction, social sustainability and corporate social sustainability. Current projects include Building Information Modelling (BIM) in building production management (Radosavljevic/Sacks), Measuring export performance for the UK construction (Flanagan). Also of note is the recently completed ‘Big Ideas’ project: Sustained competitiveness in the UK construction sector: A fresh perspective (Green, Gray, Hughes).

Leadership of the theme is provided by Professor Roger Flanagan, with support from Professor Colin Gray and Professor Stuart Green. But the theme also involves several younger faculty members who are being developed and nurtured to provide future leadership. Dr Graeme Larsen, Dr Milan Radosavljevic and Dr Llewellyn Tang are all up-and-coming academics with rapidly developing reputations (and publication records) of their own.

Competitiveness, productivity and performance will continue to be a central theme of our research portfolio into the foreseeable future. However, the Centre’s research is increasingly differentiated from that of our competitors by the adopted methodological perspective. We will continue to develop our own unique approach to the subject matter, characterised by a commitment to interdisciplinary research conducted in close collaboration with industry (Green and Harty, 2008). It is this ori-entation towards co-production that will ensure that our research remain practice based and policy relevant. The effects of the current ‘credit crunch’ are likely to be longstanding, requiring a much sharper focus on sustainable practices. In this context, the strengthening focus on social sustainability is especially pertinent. Initiatives in 2009 will see a joint project with the National University of Singapore (Ofori) and the Univer-sity of Hong Kong (Kumaraswamy) investigating industry development strategies in UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Theme 2: Through-life management and innovationWhyte, Green, Clements-Croome, Elmualim, Luck, Tang The second theme relates to the challenges faced by suppliers and service providers in responding to current trends in through-life procurement models (e.g. PFI/PPP). It addresses the challenges of through-life management within the context of built infrastructure, with a particular focus on the through-life interaction between tech-nology and human activity systems. The theme also includes research on design and innovation (Whyte, Luck). The theme is primarily client-focused in accordance with the Centre’s vision of high value construction. Of particular concern is the extent to which firms within the supply chain combine to provide integrated solutions that add value to the cli-ent’s business. Attention is also given to supporting knowledge flows across extended supply chains and the means of facilitating learning across projects. The Grand Challenge project on Through-life knowledge and information management (Green) comprises an important part of current activity. Others projects include: Infrastructure through life – technology use in global projects (Whyte) and Collaborative knowledge management for the support of through-life building processes (Harty).

Leadership within this area is provided by Dr Jennifer Whyte with support from Professor Stuart Green. There are also two senior research fellows, Dr Chris Harty and Dr Roine Leiringer, who are rapidly develop-ing their own reputations and it is likely that both will soon be appointed to the full-time academic staff. Associate members of the Centre who are active within this theme include Dr Rachael Luck and Dr Abbas Elmualim. Luck’s interests lie in design management and co-ordination, and Elmualim is playing an increasingly important leadership role in the area of facilities management with a strong focus on technology transfer activities. Of particular note are KTP projects with The British Institute of Facilities Management (BFIM) and the Nationwide Building Society. Tang is active in the area of through-life information, and was until recently employed on the Grand Challenge project as a research assistant at Loughborough University.

The focus on through-life management and innovation is attracting increasing interest from our industry partners and will undoubtedly remain an important focus of activity for some years to come. Whyte focus on global projects is also a rapidly expanding area of interest given the global supply chains that frequently serve relatively modest construc-tion projects. But a particular strength has been developed in the area of digital technologies, especially in terms of their interaction with existing working practices. This is an area flagged for future expansion, and it is likely to be specified as a research theme in its own right in 2009/2010.

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Theme 3: Innovative procurementHughes, Larsen, Ballal, Whyte, Clements-Croome The last twenty years have seen a plethora of new procurement methods seeking to incentivise different behaviours and achieve more appropriate allocations of risk. Many of these initiatives have experienced significant gaps between technological intent and experienced reality. The research theme within the ICRC has a particular focus on the extent to which procurement can be used to promote innovation. In contrast to the previous theme, the focus of this theme lies on the demand side, including the legal, economic and organisational aspects of procurement systems. Of particular importance in the current context is the notion of performance-based contracting which seeks to incentivise parties on the basis of building performance. Recent years have seen an especially strong focus on PFI/PPP and their variants. Close connections have been built with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the National Audit Office (NAO). Direct contributions have been made to FIDIC and the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) in the drafting of standard forms of contract Current projects include Procurement for Innovation (Ballal) (jointly with the University of Manchester) and Achieving design quality in schools (Whyte, Clements-Croome) which addresses of school procurement in the context of the UK Governments major investment programme Building Schools for the Future (BSF). The Grand Challenge project, Through- life knowledge and information management, also includes a focus on demand-side incentivisation in the work package lead by Hughes.

Leadership is provided by Professor Will Hughes with support from Dr Tabarak Ballal. Whyte and Larsen are also active in this space with a focus on the way in which governance structures enhance or impede innovation. Professor Clements-Croome remains active in the Schools project as a professor emeritus.

Procurement will remain an identifiable theme within the Centre for the foreseeable future. Plans are in place to recruit additional full- time academic staff into this area in order to grow capacity. We are at present undoubtedly too reliant on Hughes, but a number of research fellows have been targeted for career development. We see innovative procurement to be especially important in term of policy engagement, but we are also aware of the need for our research to have international relevance. Future developments are likely to see a stronger emphasis on project governance structures together with a focus on the way in which procurement is used as a means of projecting broader policy objectives in terms of skills, diversity and re-generation of derived areas. There are clearly links here with the emphasis on social sustainability described under Theme 1.

HaCIRICGray, Hughes, GreenICRC is a direct stakeholder in the Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC). This operates as a separate IMRC in its own right bringing together four universities: Imperial College London, Reading, Salford and Loughborough. It started work in June 2006. The underlying vision is to engender ‘innovation as normal business’ within the delivery of health and care infrastructure. HaCIRIC’s research aims to sure that the current investment in the UK’s infrastructure for health and social services enhances emerging forms of care delivery. Pro-fessor Colin Gray is the lead investigator from the University of Reading and sits on the HaCIRIC Executive Board. The Executive Board reports to the HaCIRIC Steering Committee which fulfils a similar function to that of the ICRC Steering Committee. It also reports to the IMRC Directors’ Group which includes Professor Stuart Green as the representative of the ICRC. The function of the Directors’ Group is to protect the investment of the four IMRCs (Imperial College London, Reading, Salford and Loughbor-ough) by ensuring the quality, impact and compatibility of the HaCIRIC. Within HaCIRIC, ICRC members are responsible for two themes: (i) Pro-curement for innovation (Hughes) and; (ii) Care delivery practices (Gray).

Procurement for Innovation draws much of its expertise from the ICRC research on Innovative Procurement. There are therefore many syner-gies between ongoing activities with extensive cross-fertilisation of ideas. Activities include a comparative analysis of performance of PFI and non-PFI hospitals, and an investigation of the way in which financial structures and procurement methods impact innovation in infrastruc-ture delivery. Current activities within Care Delivery Practices include an exploratory case study currently being conducted with the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. However, the various internal HaCIRIC projects are not described in detail here given that they will be reported elsewhere. For the purposes of this report HaCIRIC is declared as a single project which has been allocated £450,000 of ICRC funds. Two HaCIRIC research fellows are directly funded from ICRC funds: Dr Richard Davies and Dr Hedieh Wojgania. The responsibility of the ICRC research manager, Ms Jeni Giambona, also extends across the full remit of SCME’s HaCIRIC activities. In addition to Davies and Wojgani, HaCIRIC currently employs a further three research assistants who are funded from the additional £1.1 million secured competitively from EPSRC.

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Summaries of selected projectsThis section contains individual summary reports for selected projects within the Centre:

Through-life knowledge and information management (Grand Challenge)

Collaborative knowledge management for the support of through-life building processes

Innovation and the sociology of technology

Building Information Modelling in building production management

Developing a framework for continuous innovation diffusion and knowledge transfer through integrative procurement systems

Achieving design quality in schools

Infrastructure through life: Technology use in global projects

Measuring export performance for the UK construction sector

Sustained competitiveness in the UK construction sector: A fresh perspective

Health and care infrastructure research and innovation centre

The information provided and format is in accordance with EPSRC guidelines.

PartnersThe project is led by the University of Bath, in collaboration with 10 other universities, 17 core industrial partners and over 40 industry collaborators.

Key industry partners at Reading include:

ABB Engineering

Balfour Beatty, Construction

Bovis Lend Lease, Construction

Halcrow, Construction

Max Fordham, Construction

Skanska Construction

Rolls Royce, Aerospace

The research is inter-disciplinary and involves collaboration with other universities. Particularly strong links have been established with researchers from the following centres:

Innovative Design and •Manufacturing Research Centre, University of Bath

The School of Management, •University of Bath

Cambridge Engineering Design •Centre, University of Cambridge

Lancaster University •Management School

University of Liverpool •Management School

Loughborough Innovative •Manufacturing and Construction Research Centre, Loughborough University

Brief description of aimsReading’s work addresses the following aims:

To investigate the dynamics •of knowledge capture and use throughout the life cycle of complex product-service systems.

To study how knowledge •can be incorporated in decision support models at key decision pinch-points throughout the project life cycle.

To investigate how procurement •frameworks and governance arrangements can be used to incentivise innovative responses from service providers and their supply chains.

To explore and make recommen-•dations on the human resource management (HRM) policies and practices necessary to support the shift from product delivery to service provision.

Description of progress to dateThe research team is working closely with key industry partners, especially: ABB, Balfour Beatty, Bovis Lend Lease, Halcrow, Rolls Royce and Skanska. Several of the key partners are from outside the construction sector, thereby provid-ing opportunities for cross-sectoral comparisons.

Case studies have been completed with ABB, Balfour Beatty, Bovis Lend Lease and Rolls Royce, includ-ing formal feedback to senior management. These are already influencing practice. Further company-based case studies are underway with Halcrow and Skanska investigating approaches to the combination of BIM models with RFID technology.

Project profile

ThemeThrough-life management and innovation / Innovative procurement

Project codeH3071900

Start Date 01/10/05

End Date 31/03/09

Investigator

Prof. Stuart Green

Co-investigators

Prof. Roger Flanagan

Prof. Will Hughes

Staff employed

Dr Roine Leiringer Research Fellow

Mr Jawwad Raja Research Assistant

Dr Weisheng Lu Research Assistant (left on 7 July 2008)

Mr Koray Pekericli Research Assistant

Mr Wisdom Kwawu Research Assistant

Mr Jan Hillig Research Fellow

Through-life knowledge and information management (Grand Challenge)

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Brief description of aimsThe main aims are to:

Identify various stakeholders •involved in the construction process, and analyse their requirements for data production and use,

Develop theoretical and practi-•cal frameworks for capturing and managing both the data produced, and the IT-mediated interactions between stakeholders,

Design prototype ICT tools and •related concepts and methods for capturing, manipulating and managing data across the construction process for concept testing and viability analy-sis. These will be informed by the stakeholder analysis, and grounded in the frameworks developed.

Through workshops with key •stakeholders, develop a vision and road-map for the future develop-ment of an extensive knowledge management system which builds on the work conducted and the prototype tools developed.

DeliverablesAs a pilot study, significant deliverables for the project will be validated roadmaps for a unified knowledge management system across the lifecycle of construction products and the research activities required to develop it. In addition, there are a number of other key deliverables: testing and developing the methodological approaches suit-able to conduct such further study; establishing a theoretical and practical grounding for robust, IT mediated practices of data coordina-tion; generating prototype concepts and tools for exposure to potential industry users; elaborating on the resources required to develop and implement an integrated system. Overall this project represents a substantial collaboration between the ICRC and the Informatics Research Centre (IRC) University of Reading, which will form the groundwork for significant future joint research.

Value of research outcomes to collaborators Minor value to partners

Adventure rating Breakthrough research

Project profile

ThemeThrough-life management and innovation

Project code

H5003714

Start Date 06/10/08

End Date 05/04/10

Investigator

Dr Chris Harty

Staff employed

Mr Bill Collinge Researcher

Collaborative knowledge management for the support of through-life building processes

DeliverablesAt the end of the project the follow-ing deliverables will have been met:

Contingent guidance for practices •and mechanisms in support of ‘learning from use’ throughout the total product life cycle. Cov-erage will include construction, engineering and defence projects.

Generic strategies for ensuring •organisational and individual learning routines are better aligned with service-based modes of working and through-life commitments.

Contingent guidance on the •appropriate human resource management (HRM) policies necessary to support the shift to product-service ways of working.

A compilation of the state-of-the-•art in decision modelling within the context of product-service projects in different sectors.

Recommendations on various •forms of decision support models suitable across different stages of the procurement and project life cycle.

Recommendations on the suitabil-•ity and practical implementation of communities-of-practice (CoP) in achieving organisational learn-ing and knowledge retention in service-based organisations.

Academic outputs in the form of •journal and conference papers.

Recommendations on how to •formulate and implement per-formance based contracts and the advice on the consequences of using such contracts through-out project supply chains.

Notable achievementsThe unprecedented scale of the project has presented significant management challenges; many lessons have been learnt which can be carried forward into future collaborative projects. The project stands as an exemplar of co-pro-duction research involving close collaboration between academics and practitioners with a shared emphasis on moving knowledge into practice. The project has also been characterised by a high degree of interdisciplinarity. A high level of support and engagement that has been generated amongst senior mangers in the collaborat-ing companies. In ABB, the project is championed by one of the senior vice presidents for the UK. The situation in Balfour Beatty is very similar with the Group Director of Engineering taking an active part. In Rolls-Royce, the team’s contact is the HR director with global responsibility for services. The new cross-disciplinary relationships that have been formulated on this project have significantly enhanced the UK’s research capacity in the area of Through-life knowledge and information management.

Evidence of impactThe project has generated signifi-cant interest at senior management level. There is extensive industry involvement in the Executive Steer-ing Committee and in various steering committees at work package level. The ongoing high levels of active participation stand as evidence of the increasing impact of the project.

The research team has already been invited to present the project at a wide variety of industry events, including conferences organised by:

The Advanced Institute •of Management (AIM)

The British Institute •of Facilities Management (BIFM)

The Chartered Institute •of Building (CIOB)

The Highways Term Maintenance •Association (HTMA)

The Institution of Mechanical •Engineers (IMechE)

Interim results have continuously been disseminated through a series of industry focused seminars.

Early evidence of impact can be found in Balfour Beatty choosing to incorporate the feed-back from the initial phases of the research in their CAT assessment for the Highways Agency and ABB Service using the research outputs in their reorganisation of the service organisation.

Academic outputs from the Reading team so far include five refereed journal papers and eight refereed conference papers.

Value of research outcomes to collaboratorsMajor value to partners

Adventure ratingBreakthrough research

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Partners

Skanska Technology

MR1 Consulting

Brief description of aimsThis project consists of a number of related research strands, including empirical studies of construction activities around innovative digital technologies and exploring poten-tial new applications with industry partners. The research provides accounts of the development and implementation of various technol-ogies and the benefits realised and challenges faced when doing so on live construction projects. Across the various streams of research, the core aim is the consideration of how people and technological artefacts interact, and how new practices emerge and are shaped. More specifically, the research aims to:

Investigate the socio-technical •systems and practices which emerge as new technologies are implemented.

Investigate ways of capturing •emerging practice and of measuring benefits of new ways of working.

Explore potential new •applications of various technolo-gies with industry partners.

Description of progress to dateThe project is on-going, but has produced a extensive amount of research data and significant industry engagements. The various aims it incorporates reflect the recognition within construction organisations that the social and technological aspects of innova-tion are inseparable and need to be understood together. The chal-lenges of innovation are neither purely social nor purely technological.

DeliverablesThere are no fixed deliverables, but so far the project has produced 2 published journal papers, 2 journal papers in review, 7 confer-ence papers, and involves regular reporting (generally through pres-entations) to industry partners. These have extended to senior management of Skanska UK. Alongside further academic papers, there are also practitioner-oriented publications in development, co-authored with industry partners.

The development of a set of qualita-tive and quantitative measures of the effectiveness of various tech-nologies and new practices is being considered.

Notable achievementsIn response to this work, Skanska UK and several of their preferred supply chain partners are working with Dr Harty preparing a co-funded bid to the Technol-ogy Strategy Board. Skanska have committed considerable cash and in-kind resources to this project.

Evidence of impactThe continual engagement with industry partners and their com-mitment to further collaboration serve as a good indication of the value of this work.

Value of research outcomes to collaboratorsStrategic investment, no direct value to partners

Adventure ratingSpeculative research

Project profile

ThemeThrough-life management and innovation


Start Date 01/05/06

End Date 30/04/09

Investigator

Dr Chris Harty

Staff employed

Dr Chris Harty Senior Research Fellow

Innovation and the sociology of technology

Partners

Tekla Finland Brief description of aimsThe proposed research project aims to determine the scope and effect of the mechanisms by which sophisticated BIM databases and interfaces can improve construction at the job site. Taken as a whole, the research will establish the value proposition of BIM tools adapted for use in construction planning and production management. The motivation for this project comes directly from the need expressed by construction software compa-nies, who are anxious to formulate their future software developments in ways that respond to novel approaches to production manage-ment in construction, such as those being developed in the framework of lean construction.

Description of progress to dateThe research team are in talks with several contractors in the UK in order to investigate the extent BIMs could be applied for an on-site production management. So far Laing O’Rourke, Skanska and Balfour Beatty have agreed to participate in this research with meetings to be held shortly.

The team have agreed with Tekla team on dates for the first workshop to be held in Helsinki on 12 and 13 January 2009.

In addition, the team has obtained necessary equipment and installed the required Tekla software.

DeliverablesThe first deliverable will be a set of information delivery interfaces to be developed as a result of site investigations and workshops.

The second deliverable will detail the benefits integration of the interfaces in construction manage-ment information systems can provide to construction workers, (e.g. remuneration, working condi-tions, safety), general contractors (e.g. smoothed workflows, reduced waste, increased prefabrication and building owners (e.g. cost, schedule, quality).


Adventure ratingIncremental research

Project profile

ThemeCompetitiveness, productivity and performance theme

Project codeH5003751 / H3014500

Start Date 05/09/08

End Date 05/09/10

Investigator

Dr Milan Radosavljevic

Staff employed

Prof Rafael Sacks Visiting Academic

Building Information Modelling in building production management

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Partners

ABB Ltd

Andrew Wilkes Management

Atkins

Audit Commission

Bernard Williams Associates

Collier & Catley

Department of Education & Skills

Fulcrum Consulting

Hans Haenlein Architects

Performance Building Partnership

Walters & Cohen

Wilkinson Eyre Architects

Brief description of aimsThis project aims to:

Assess the way in which the •briefing processes in the strategic national investment programme ‘Building Schools for the Future’ impacts on the design quality of schools.

Improve the understanding of •current practice and how it can be adapted to enable the creation of well designed schools.

Description of progress to dateFollowing a detailed analysis of 40 policy documents relating to design quality in schools, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 stakeholders across the Building Schools for the Future programme, including the relevant personnel within PfS, CABE, CIC and firms such as Costain; Haddon, Few and Such and Wilkinson Eyre. The researcher has also had the opportunity to act as a participant observer in a CABE design review and participated in a DQI workshop. This has given the team an under-standing of the mechanisms used to ensure design quality within the programme. Detailed observational

data has been used to understand the visual practices used in briefing and organizational transformation. Further data on an international comparator has also been collected, with a one week visit to exemplar schools in Sweden in addition to previous work in Denmark. A visit to Dubai in November provided a further opportunity for data col-lection. Publications based on the research have been presented and discussed at two international con-ferences, at EGOS in Amsterdam in July; and at CIB W65 in Dubai in November 2008. The work has benefited from this discussion of interim findings with colleagues in the international research community as well as with practi-tioners. Journal publications have been prepared and submitted to the international journals Archi-tectural Engineering and Design Management and Design Issues. A further paper is in preparation for Design Studies. The academic work within these papers will provide a solid basis for recommen-dations to industry. A final stage of data collection has been set up with a focus on leadership within the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). In earlier work concern was expressed that junior managers within the SPV had responsibility for very experienced design teams and that that was an uncomfortable rela-tionship. Our current and ongoing data-collection and research is focused on exploring this relation-ship in more detail and drawing on the literatures on management and leadership to give recommen-dations to contractors on how to develop capabilities in this area.

Project profile

ThemeThrough life management and innovation


Start Date 01/12/05

End Date 30/11/09

Investigator

Dr Jennifer Whyte

Prof. Derek Clements-Croome

Staff employed

Paula Cardellino Researcher

Achieving design quality in schools

Partners

Highways Agency

National Audit Office

Rolls Royce Plc

University of Manchester

Brief description of aimsThis research proposes a frame-work with a capacity to develop, absorb and exploit knowledge to enable continuous innovation dif-fusion within and between projects by evaluating the effectiveness of integrative procurement systems.

Description of progress to dateExtensive engagement with industrial practitioners involved in various types of PFI projects has been carried out. This has gener-ated considerable amount of data based on 11 interviews. The analysis of this data is nearing completion and the next step is to conduct an industry-wide questionnaire survey.

DeliverablesKnowledge transfer model; innovation management model

Notable achievements

One journal paper in press •and three conference papers.

Development of metrics •for innovative measurement.

Evidence of impactAs a result of dissemination of preliminary findings of this research to a delegation of senior academics and industrialist from Greece, an undergraduate student from the National Technical Uni-versity of Athens was granted a scholarship to spend a full aca-demic term with Dr Ballal in order to apply the models developed in this research to public-private partnership projects in Greece.

Value of research outcomes to collaboratorsStrategic investment, no direct value to partners


Project profile

ThemeInnovative procurement


Start Date 01/09/06

End Date 30/11/09

Investigator

Dr Tabarak Ballal

Staff employed

Dr Lei Zhou Researcher

Developing a framework for continuous innovation diffusion and knowledge transfer through integrative procurement systems

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Deliverables

Guidelines on the specific steps •that could be taken to facilitate good design in schools:

Two papers in refereed academic •journals and two articles in trade magazines.

A series of industry focused •workshops and seminars.

The project will also produce a number of less tangible outputs such as (1) a deeper understand-ing of how the underlying policies of the BSF programme affect the realisation of well designed schools, with particular emphasis on the briefing process. (2) Insights into how providers adapt to the BSF poli-cies and restrictions. (3) A greater appreciation of how and the extent to which the views of the various stakeholders are being considered and prioritised in the design phase.

Notable achievementsThe three prepared journal papers present significant findings in relation to:

understandings of design quality 1 across the BSF programme

visual practices in briefing 2 and the organizational transformation in schools

lessons from high quality 3 examples of schools in Denmark and Sweden

The empirical work highlights issues of particular concern to practitioners:

The large number of stakehold-•ers (CABE; CIC; RIBA etc) and processes involved in regulating design quality at the programme level; and how these may send dif-ferent and sometimes conflicting signals to design teams working on school projects.

The difficulty that consultant •design practices have in sus-taining and motivating a good design team to work on a BSF project given the long time-scales involved; the amount of work that needs to be done before contract and the stop-start nature of the process.

Evidence of impactThe interim findings of the project have been discussed with the Director of Design Review and Head of Design Review at CABE, the CEO of the Design Council, the Chair of the Working Party on Sustainable School Building and the Chair of Construction Industry Council’s Design Quality Indicators (DQI) Development Board. We have been invited to present on the find-ings of the project at RIBA. These senior managers within industry will be sent a draft consumable report for comment and invited to the workshop that is planned for early 2009.

A member of the team sits on the CIBSE Schools Group and in 2009 findings from the project will be reported within the CIBSE knowledge series and technical memoranda that review aspects of design for schools.


Adventure rating Breakthrough research

Partners

Arup

Atkins

Halcrow

Institution of Civil Engineers

Mott Macdonald

ECOCIT

Collaboratory for Global Projects

Brief description of aimsThis project aims to:

Develop theoretical understand-•ing of the challenges associated with using digital models in the delivery of mega-projects.

Identify practical risks •and opportunities associated with digital models.

Assess the importance of these •risks and opportunities as work progresses through the various stages of the life of a project.

Capture best practices and lessons •learnt and disseminate these to industrial collaborators and the wider industry.

Description of progress to dateThree case studies have been conducted on previous Arup Infra-structure projects, involving 8–10 interviews each. In addition, a lon-gitudinal study of a further project has been initiated through Halcrow and data collection through RIBA Stage E/F of the design process is ongoing, involving monthly visits to design office. This collabora-tion has led to a CASE studentship in which the student will work alongside the project. The DongTan Ecocity Project in China was visited to study the challenges of cross-cul-tural working on a global project, as part of this research as well as to build a wider participation in the ECOCIT Network.

Data was collected at the FIATECH conference in the USA and the connection with the Collaboratory for Global Projects in Stanford has been strengthened. A international academic advisory group for the project has been set up, includ-ing Prof Ray Levitt (Stanford), Prof Kristian Kreiner (Copenhagen Busi-ness School) and Dr Andrew Davies (Imperial College). Because of the commercial sensitivity of some of the research data this has been kept separate from the industrial advisory board. However, an indus-trial advisory board for the project has also been set up and a work-shop is arranged for 2009.

The project is also supporting the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Information Management in Major Projects workshops. These high-level events involve senior engineers and managers respon-sible for delivering the major UK projects, such as the London 2012 Olympics and CrossRail Updates on the project are placed in the related online community of experts.

DeliverablesTheoretical understanding of the •challenges associated with using digital models in the delivery of megaprojects.

Identification of practical risks •and opportunities associated with these digital models.

Assessment of the relative •importance of these risks and opportunities as work progresses through the various stages of the life of a project.

Best practices and lessons learnt •disseminated to industrial collabo-rators and the wider industry.

Project profile

ThemeThrough life management and innovation


Start Date 01/03/08

End Date 28/02/11

Investigator

Dr Jennifer Whyte

Staff employed

Dr Sunila Lobo Researcher

Infrastructure through life: Technology use in global projects

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Partners

Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE)

British Expertise

RICS

RIBA

CIOB

Construction Products Association

UK Trade & Investment

Office of National Statistics

Brief description of aimsMap the construction sector, 1 defining the sub sectors in the industry; its supply chain and export performance.

Survey companies across 2 the industry to evaluate the use of export statistics and users’ needs.

Map existing industry clas-3 sifications against export data headings, identifying the gaps.

Identify the bottleneck between 4 the supply and demand of con-struction services export data.

Develop a model of construction 5 services exports, identifying the components and stakeholders and establish criteria for more effective compilation and distribution of the data.

Description of progress to dateLiterature review undertaken and ongoing. Several scoping interviews undertaken. 3 papers in progress. Steering Group meeting held.

DeliverablesA model of construction services exports, identifying the com-ponents and stakeholders and establish criteria for more effective compilation and distribution of the data.

Notable achievementsOne journal paper in press and three conference papers.

Evidence of impactUK Trade and Industry have used the results to inform their consid-erations of UK export strategy.



Project profile

ThemeCompetitiveness, productivity and performance


Start Date 30/10/07

End Date 30/10/09

Investigator

Prof Roger Flanagan

Carol Jewell

Staff employed

Caner Anac Researcher

Measuring export performance for the UK construction sectorThe findings of the research will be disseminated to academic colleagues through high-ranked journal publication; and to industrial colleagues through close collaboration in the research, industry workshops and reports and through wider participation in industry bodies.

Notable achievementsClose working relationships have been developed with key collabora-tors and empirical data has been collected about technology use and learning across 3 previous projects and one ongoing project.

Case reports have been written summarising and feeding back the findings associated with 3 of these cases to our industrial collaborator and a draft paper is being prepared for submission to Construction Management and Economics. The empirical work has been discussed in a web-based seminar with col-leagues from Stanford University, and findings related to the theoreti-cal work of the project have been presented in seminars at Bristol, Manchester, Case Western and Reading; and conferences in Phila-delphia and Stanford Sierra.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has invited the team to report on the forthcoming workshop on Information Management in Major Projects which will involve senior engineers and managers from major UK projects.

Evidence of impactDr Whyte was asked by the ICE’s Information Systems Panel to draft a proposed Appendix to the Joint Board Moderators guide-lines for engineering courses that addresses the teaching of technol-ogy across accredited engineering programmes in the UK. She has also been invited to write a book chapter on ‘Information Manage-ment and its Impact on Project management’ for the Oxford Handbook on Managing Projects. She was an invited attendee at the EPSRC ‘Digital Economy in Busi-ness’ pre-sand-pit workshop and at the American NSF ‘Digital Chal-lenges in Innovation Research’ conference. She is on the editorial board of a forthcoming special issue of Organization Science on Digital Challenges in Innovation Research. The work forms the basis of planned teaching at the Univer-sity of Reading, which will link students in global teams as part of a wider initiative lead by colleagues at Columbia University in the USA.



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PartnersThe project has involved widespread collaboration with regional contractors and SMEs in the construction sector. Geoffrey Osborne Construction, Dean & Dyball Construction, and Clugston Construction have been especially closely involved. The project also involves a close collaboration with two other research centres: Loughborough University and University of Salford.

Brief description of aimsThe primary aim of the research was to engage industry in the development of a fresh perspective on construction sector competitive-ness. Specific research objectives were to:

Identify the drivers for change •that will shape the performance requirements of the construction sector over the next 20 years.

Investigate the structural and cul-•tural factors that have contributed to the UK construction sector’s dominant development path.

Develop a grounded model •of sustained competitiveness that is specific to the UK construction sector.

Engage a diverse cross-section •of industry representatives in an evaluation of the future implications of current trends.

Identify a 10-year research agenda •to support the UK construction sector’s capability to deliver the future requirements of society and industry.

Provide guidance to industry on •practical steps towards sustained competitiveness.

DeliverablesSix refereed journal papers •already published, two cur-rently under review; two about to be submitted. Eight refereed international conference papers including one prize-winning paper at ARCOM 2008. Finally, the project will hold two high-profile one-day industry conferences in London and Manchester to disseminate the research findings to the industry.

The project has also produced an industry-focused glossy bro-chure describing the developed approach, together with a ten- year research agenda.

Notable achievementsThe project had extensive •engagement with the industry, including three in-depth case studies of construction firms, over fifty interviews with practi-tioners, eight industry workshops, and two industry conferences. The research will continue to be disseminated for several years.

The project stands as an exemplar •of inter-disciplinary collaborative research across institutions.

The research has made a signifi-•cant theoretical contribution to understanding the way in which competitiveness is enacted in the construction sector.

Practical guidance has been pro-•duced and widely disseminated to the construction sector.

Project profile

ThemeCompetitiveness, productivity and performance


Start Date 01/04/2005

End Date 31/07/2008

Investigator

Professor Stuart Green

Staff employed

Dr Chung-Chin Kao Researcher

Dr Graeme Larsen Researcher

Dr. Chris Harty Researcher

Sustained competitiveness in the UK construction sector: A fresh perspective Evidence of impactThe project has achieved sig-•nificant international recognition and has led to an international comparative project involving the National University of Singapore and the University of Hong Kong.

Construction firms have been •extensively involved in the research process, therefore contributing directly to their unfolding strategies. This is espe-cially true for Kier and Conlon for whom the research team con-ducted strategy workshops.

The research has also produced •a number of commercial consul-tancy assignments directly taking the results out into practice.

Numerous presentations have •been made at industry events and policy fora.

Winner of the Chartered Institute •of Building’s ‘Innovation Research Paper’ award.


Adventure ratingSpeculative research

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Partners

HaCIRIC is led by Imperial College, London and, in addition to Reading, also involves the universities of Salford and Loughborough. Partners include: Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals NHS, Foundation Trust, Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foun-dation Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospi-tal for Children NHS Trust, Health Protection Scotland, Department of Health, Ove Arup, KPMG, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hopsital NHS Trust, Univer-sity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Medical Architec-ture Research Unit at London South Bank University, Guys & St Thomas Hospital NHS Trust, British Telecom, WT Partnership, Pembury Hospital.

Brief description of aims

HaCIRIC aims to engender a practice of ‘innovation as normal business’ within the care delivery system. In particular, HaCIRIC will:

Create a national strategic •capability to enable significant and timely advances in innovative healthcare delivery.

Improve flexibility of care system •infrastructures and technologies.

Understand and remove •constraints to innovation in infrastructure delivery.

Enable the critical assessment •and evaluation of innovations in infrastructure and services.

Capture potential benefits •in large scale and complex health and care innovations.

Enhance value for money, •wealth creation, and quality of life within the healthcare delivery system.

Description of progress to dateSeven Research Fellows •appointed and one PhD student (department funded).

Numerous projects ongoing •or completed:

Procurement of NHS Trust •hospitals: Two retrospective case studies (ongoing).

Comparative analysis of •performance of PFI and non-PFI hospitals (completed).

Coordinating information •on major construction projects: technologies, users and practices at the Barts and the London hospitals (ongoing).

Care pathway and infrastruc-•ture changes for improvement in day surgery performance in a NHS acute trust (ongoing).

Consideration of care pathways •in the briefing process (ongoing).

Healthcare facilities, the envi-•ronment and users’ behaviour, and how these relate to the acquisition of hospital acquired infection – A pilot study (ongoing).

Design guidelines for •controlling hospital acquired infection (ongoing)

Influence of intelligent health-•care environments on human behaviour and states (ongoing).

Financial structures and pro-•curement methods and their impact on innovation in infra-structure delivery (ongoing).

Project profile

ThemeThrough-life management and innovation and Innovative procurement

Project codeH3112400 / H5003705

Start Date 01/06/06

End Date 31/05/11

Investigator

Prof. Colin Gray

Prof. Will Hughes

Prof. Stuart Green

Staff employed

Dr Richard Davies Researcher

Dr Sepideh Arkani Research Fellow

Hedieh Wojgani Researcher

Dr Jai Kai Wang Researcher

Dr Obuks Ejohwomu Researcher

Dr Qiuping Li Researcher

Amna Shibeika Researcher

Jeni Giambona Research Manager

Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) The impact of project •organisational structures on innovative practices in healthcare infrastructure procurement processes (ongoing).

Incentivisation and innovation •in construction supply chains (ongoing).

Publication including •internal reports (2), reports (1), conference papers (7), journal papers (1 submitted).

Development of HaCIRIC col-•laborative projects with Imperial and Salford (Pembury Hospital).

Development and approval •of projects with HaCIRIC external collaborators.

DeliverablesHaCIRIC aims to deliver:

New knowledge on technology •and innovation management within the care system.

Practitioner-oriented analyti-•cal and management tools and simulations for application in organisations and firms.

New techniques for specifying, •designing delivering, maintain-ing, modifying and disposing of buildings.

Policy instruments and recom-•mendations for government, industry and other organisations.

Skills and practice development •within the core consortium members.

Improved delivery of live •care infrastructure projects through action research.

knowledge transfer programme.•

Notable achievementsProf. Gray is a member of an •international review panel for the Acute Care facility in Bern, Switzerland, that is using system separation as a management methodology.

Creation and maintenance of •quarterly regional ‘Support, Research & Innovation Group’ constituted of local healthcare professionals to advise and support the research.

Creation of project cluster on •healthcare acquired infections – three interrelated projects including: Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Medical Archi-tecture Research Unit at London South Bank University, Guys & St Thomas Hospital NHS Trust, Loughbourgh University – recruitment of research fellows and statisticians in collaborating institutions.

Evidence of impactFeedback from •professionals

Continued attendance •at workshops

Research participation •and in-kind contribution



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Year Theme Journal papers

Conference papers

Keynotes / invitations

Books / book chapters

Other

2000 CPP 3 3 2 1 -TMI 1 2 1 - -

IP 3 3 1 3 -Total 7 8 4 4 0

2001 CPP 4 3 4 5 1TMI 4 1 2 1 1IP 3 2 2 1 -Total 11 6 8 7 2

2002 CPP 1 6 5 1 -TMI 3 9 4 - -IP 1 2 3 1 -Total 5 17 12 2 0

2003 CPP 1 5 4 3 1TMI 8 6 6 1 -IP 1 1 2 2 -Total 10 12 12 6 1

2004 CPP - 6 6 1 -TMI 4 12 7 1 -IP 1 1 3 1 1Total 5 19 16 3 1

2005 CPP 7 12 9 - -TMI 5 8 8 2 1IP 2 4 6 2 1Total 14 24 23 4 2

2006 CPP 2 8 10 4 -TMI 6 8 12 2 3IP 4 11 9 2 -Total 12 27 31 8 3

2007 CPP 10 21 14 3 -TMI 5 20 12 1 2IP 5 7 10 1 1Total 20 48 36 5 3

2008 CPP 19 20 10 6 4TMI 6 16 8 1 2IP 3 10 6 1 -Total 28 46 24 8 6

Output summary tableThis table summarises the output from the Centre since 2000.

Key to themes

CCP – Competitiveness, Productivity and Performance

TMI – Through-lfe Management and Innovation

IP – Innovative Procurement

AppendicesThis section contains relevant tables and charts:

Output summary table

Project summary table

Centre structure

Research staff

PhD students

Steering Committee activities

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Projects Project title Start date

End date

Grant award Industrial contribution

Total funding

1 Knowledge sharing between aerospace and construction 11/00 12/02 £95,315.40 £163,800 £259,115

2 The human resource implications of lean construction 05/01 04/03 £92,045.64 £306,950 £ 398,996

3 Integrated logistical support analysis for building services systems

10/00 04/04 £133,806.70 £393,000 £526,806

4 Cost of procurement in the construction industry 06/01 12/03 £99,374.42 £336,000 £435,374

5 Managing risk across the whole-life of a facility: Design perspective

02/01 04/03 £47,014.92 - -

6 Structured review of m4i projects 04/01 04/02 £58,296.00 - -

7 Design for reliability of building services systems 09/04 03/06 £134,296.00 £264,500 £398,796

8 International survey of corporate real estate practices 10/02 04/03 £24,125.00 - -

9 UK construction projects 1993–2002: Whole population data

03/03 11/03 £18,351.00 £16,000 £34,351

10 Impact of integrated procurement contexts on project management

04/03 03/05 £180,200.00 £111,000 £291,200

11 Integrated learning for the construction industry using simulation

04/03 07/06 £133,806.00 £10,000 £143,806

12 Measuring construction competitiveness in selected countries

12/03 12/05 £175,318.00 £93,000 £391,318

13 Premises of facilities management innovation 12/03 12/05 £76,774.00 £62,000 £138,774

14 System integration for building services 05/04 08/06 £105,538.50 £45,000 £150,539

15 Performance-based contracting 12/03 12/05 £193,212.51 £120,000 £313,213

16 Research fellowship 07/04 06/07 £71,307.00 - -

17 Research fellowship 07/04 06/07 £63,252.00 - -

18 Innovation support for industry 04/05 04/07 £150,008.00 - -

19 Sustained competitiveness (ICRC contribution) 04/05 07/08 £241,595.00 £8,500 £250,095

20 Research development account † 06/05 05/07 £25,000.00 - -

21 Grand Challenge (ICRC contribution) 10/05 03/09 £317,822.00 £597,300 £703,240

22 Innovation and the sociology of technology 05/06 04/09 £100,316.00 £155,000 £255,316

23 Identifying a good briefing and procurement method for schools

12/05 11/09 £110,913.00 £159,600 £270,513

24 Procurement for innovation 09/06 08/09 £102,275.00 £90,000 £192,275

25 HaCIRIC (ICRC Contribution) 09/06 08/11 £300,000.00 £10,000 £310,000

26 Research fellowship in socio-technical systems 04/08 03/10 £120,012.00 - -

27 Measuring export performance for the UK construction sector

11/07 02/09 £140,052.00 £50,000 £190,052

28 Infrastructure through life-technologies in global projects 01/08 12/09 £152,077.00 £158,000 £310,077

29 Collaborative knowledge management for the support of through life building processes: A pilot study

10/08 04/10 £75,397.00 - -

30 Research visit of prof rafael sacks: Building information modelling in building production management

09/08 09/08 £46,830.00 £46,600 £93,430

Project summary tableThis table summarises the projects carried out by the Centre since 2000.

† This is a fund used at the Director’s discretion for developmental activities independently of individual projects

Centre Director and designated Principal Investigator

Co-investigators Associate members Professor Emeritus

Stuart Green Tabarak Ballal Abbas Elmualim Derek Clements-Croome

Colin Gray Graeme Larsen

Roger Flanagan Rachael Luck

Will Hughes Llewellyn Tang

Milan Radosavlijevic Chris Harty

Jennifer Whyte Roine Leiringer

Who’s whoThese tables detail the staff at the Centre, and their roles.

Name Job title Start date

Research Staff

Mr Canar Anac Research Assistant 12/11/07

Dr Sepideh Arkani Senior Research Fellow 01/02/07

Mrs Paula Cardellino Research Assistant 08/12/03

Mr Bill Collinge Research Fellow 06/10/08

Dr Richard Davies Research Fellow 13/03/06

Dr Obuks Ejohwomu Research Assistant 10/12/07

Dr Chris Harty Senior Research Fellow 24/04/06

Dr Jan Hillig † Research Fellow 01/04/06

Mrs Carol Jewell † Research Fellow 01/08/07

Dr Chung-Chin Kao Research Fellow 01/04/05

Mr Wisdom Kwawu Research Assistant 18/06/07

Dr Roine Leiringer Senior Research Fellow 04/10/04

Ms Quiping Li Research Assistant 01/05/06

Mrs Sunila Lobo Research Fellow 01/03/08

Mr Koray Pekericli Research Assistant 01/03/06

Mr Jawwad Raja Research Assistant 01/02/06

Dr Rafael Sacks (visiting) - 05/09/08

Dr Libby Schweber Principal Research Fellow 01/10/08

Mrs Amna Shibeika Research Assistant 01/04/08

Mr Jaw-Kai Wang Research Assistant 08/10/07

Ms Hedieh Wojgani Research Fellow 01/07/07

Dr Lei Zhou Research Assistant 02/06/08

Support Staff

Jeni Giambona Research Manager

Shelagh McKay Centre Administrator

Research and support staff

† Funded jointly by ICRC and SCME

Full-time academic staff

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PhD studentsThis page contains a list of all ICRC PhD students and their specific themes.

Theme 1: Competitiveness, productivity and performance

Ahmad Alkizim, Value management in construction, funded by Association of Commonwealth University. Graduated.

Bolanle Abiodun, Macro-economic indicators of construction contract prices, self-funded.

John Shearman, Strategies for reducing construction problems on archaeological sites, self-funded.

Ghada Abuzaid, Measuring competitiveness, the case of the construction industry.

Dauda Dan-Aasabe, Developing a building components coding system for improved construction logistics, self-funded.

Sorab Donyavi, The impact of effective materials management on construction site performance, self-funded.

Daisaku Nishiyama, Preventative measures to prevent delay in construction projects.

Sonia Gurjao, Inclusivity – the changing role of women in the construction workforce, self-funded.

Carol Jewell, The informal economy – a new labour market? University of Reading/ICRC employee.

Kate Ness, Corporate social responsibility in construction, EPSRC DTA.

Hamed Tehranchi, Risk management in the construction industry, self-funded. Graduated.

Theme 2: Through-life management and innovation

Mohammed Alabbad, Mobile phone enabling technology for the Saudi Arabia Construction Industry.

Mohammed Almubarak, Project management deficiencies in the developing countries.

Carmel Clifford, Radio frequency identification for Facilities Management, funded by KTP and DTA.

Graham Hough, The contribution of webcams to the UK construction industry, University of Reading scholarship.

Eddie Liang, Digital Technologies and the Management of PFI/PPP Construction Projects, funded by DTA.

Wei Mao, The design of an occupancy feedback system, EPSRC DTA.

Stuart Moran, Intelligent environment for pervasive healthcare, EPSRC.

Ernawati Mustafa Kamal, Innovation in construction companies.

Balqis Omar, Context - aware services delivery in the construction supply chain, funded by Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

Sung Ho Park (Kenny), An applicable model of whole life cost planning and appraisal for design-build projects, self-funded.

Mehmet Koray Pekericili, Object-based modelling for operation & maintenance activities in construction, ICRC employee.

Xiaoyu Wu, Knowledge based decision support systems for improving constructability, funded by Chinese Government (PRC) Graduated.

Theme 3: Innovative procurement

Naser Alnaser, Sustainable Buildings, self-funded.

Raba’a Al-Issawi, Guaranteeing the performance of contractors, self-funded.

Wisdom Kwawu, Relational contracting in the UK construction sector: a case study, ICRC employee.

Heather Hilburn, Institutional, legal & societal impacts on the changing professional role of the architect, funded by Davis, Langdon & Everest.

Wah Foo Ho, Project success in commercial high rise buildings in Singapore, self funded.

Samuel Laryea, How risk is priced in contractors’ buds: theory and practise, funded by SCME. Graduated.

Haytem Salama, Privatization of construction projects in Libya, funded by Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Graduated.

Natalya Sergeeva, Relationships, relational performance and acceptance in a Firm’s social structure, self funded.

Ya Wang, Analysing the structures of construction sector transaction in China, University of Reading scholarship.

Steering Committee membership

Name Body Joining datesIndustrial members Brian Atkin Director, Atkin Research & Development Limited Oct 2002

Tim Broyd (Chair) Group Technology & Innovation Director, Halcrow Oct 2002

Malcolm Dodds Research Director, Constructing Excellence Oct 2002

Paul Lewis Operations Director, Stanhope Plc Oct 2002

Bob White Non-Executive Chairman, Mace Ltd Oct 2002

Harvey M Bernstein Vice President – Industry Analytics, Alliances & Strategic Initiatives, McGraw-Hill Construction, USA

Oct 2003

Rennie Chadwich Managing Director – Technology Division, VINCI Construction UK Ltd

May 2006

Ian Blackburn Projects Director, Southbank Centre Oct 2006

Nelson Ogunshakin Chief Executive, Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE)

Oct 2006

Kalle Kähkönen Chief Research Scientist, VTT – Technical Research Centre of Finland

Jun 2008

David Twine Director, Arup June 2009

EPSRC members Gareth Buchanan EPSRC Oct 2007

University of Reading Membership

Colin Gray University of Reading Oct 2002

Stuart Green University of Reading Oct 2002

Will Hughes University of Reading Oct 2002

Roger Flanagan University of Reading Oct 2002

Jennifer Whyte University of Reading Jun 2008

Jeni Giambona University of Reading Nov 2008

ICRC annual report 2008

For more information, please contact:

Shelagh McKayUniversity of Reading Engineering Building Whiteknights Reading, RG6 6AY

[email protected] Tel (0118) 378 7181

www.reading.ac.uk/icrc

annual report 2008 - university of reading · 2010-09-23 · 2 annual report 2008 annual report...

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