MSc/PgDip/PgCert Advanced Construction Technologies & BIM

This module evaluates the innovative methodologies and approaches for adopting cutting-edge construction and ICT technologies to address the myriad issues related to AEC industry. Students will develop professional skills on the effective use of technologies in construction of buildings and infrastructures. They will also gain knowledge on innovative research and development in this field. This module also aims to provide rich connections to other related subject fields with more focus on integrated ICT in construction in order to develop a holistic view of the sustainable engineering of buildings and infrastructures. The module will fill the gap in curricula by supporting the AEC industry in coping with Industry 4.0 principles and the prospective BIM Level 3.

This class will provide you with an understanding of the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development. The social, environmental and economic impact of development strategies will be identified and the mitigation of negative impacts discussed. The class will cover:

• Shifting world views
• Green politics
• Green Perspectives
• Climate change
• Sustainable development
• Limits to growth

This module aims to develop students’ professional skills to address important issues on the management of built assets including buildings and infrastructures in connection with technical aspects on three domains covering clients and professionals, service products, and management processes.

This class provides structured introduction to the design management process, issues and tools. It includes:

• organisation structures for effective design 
• design models, approaches and methods 
• the importance of costs and good design 
• innovation in design management 
• design performance

You'll gain project management skills with particular emphasis on the effective and efficient use of resources. The class will cover:

• project management techniques and project control
• project teams; project features; project constraints and resources; quality assurance
• presentation techniques as used in industry
• budgetary control including cash flow, financial borrowing and investment

This module seeks to encourage interdisciplinary collaborative learning between civil engineering and architectural students through examining role of the construction industry client. The assessment for this module requires students to complete a cooperative group project based on research involving a local / national construction industry client. The module takes inspiration from a former President of the Institution of Civil Engineers:

The principal duties of an engineer in all the branches are to safeguard the interests of the client or organization for whom he is working and to ensure a sound engineering job at a reasonable cost. One of the first tasks of the consulting engineer is the study of the client and his organization. How does the client operate; how should one organize one’s own practice to fit in with the client’s requirements, which can vary to a considerable extent? (Sir Thomas Angus Lyall Paton, ICE President 1970-1971).

The aim of this module is to provide the students with insight about main concepts and principles of Building Information Management (BIM), vis-à-vis processes, protocols, and enabling technologies. The module is mainly concerned with recent paradigm shift within the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industries worldwide to implement BIM Level 2 and target BIM Level 3 in all public projects as well as encouraging it in private projects. This module is also heavily inspired by the UK Government's BIM mandate to adopt BIM technologies and processes on all public sector projects from 2016. 

You'll work collaboratively with students from different themes utilising various digital tools, BIM technologies and protocols to develop solutions for specific projects. These projects will address social, economic or environmental aspects of sustainability within a practice-based environment in association with an appropriate design or industrial organisation.

Field trips and regular progress reports are an important aspect of the project. Students present the outcomes of their group work at the annual student group project conference.

This module aims to give students an understanding of types of knowledge, techniques and systems used in building knowledge-based systems and discussion on the application of these techniques; and an understanding of the types of different approaches, techniques and systems used in building information-based systems.

This class provides an introduction to the methods used to predict environmental impacts, and evaluates how these may be used to integrate environmental factors into decisions.The class draws principally on the UK planning context of environmental impact assessment of individual projects (project EIA), but also takes account of EIA experience in other countries and international organisations.

The class introduces elements of financial engineering that are applied to reduce risk of business insolvency and enhance the financial robustness of business enterprises.Also covered are the essentials of financial engineering both as an academic discipline and as a strategy of financial and business risk management in the light of current conditions.

Under Health and Safety legislation, and under the wider European Post-Seveso Directives, it's mandatory for any industries to carry out risk assessments with the aim of showing that risk is “As Low As Reasonably Practicable”.

The dissertation project enables students to demonstrate independent research abilities and project development skills. You'll have the chance to investigate a research problem and write a thesis on a selected topic under supervision of a member of staff. You will be able to combine many of the aspects learned during other modules within a specific topic and a coherent body of work. The dissertation project should demonstrate a substantial theoretical argument, critically reviewing you own work and reflect upon specific theoretical and practical issues of construction practices.