MSc/PgDip/PgCert Advanced Construction Technologies & BIM

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development. The social, environmental, and economic impact of development strategies are identified and the mitigation of negative impacts are discussed. The class will cover Shifting world views, Green politics, Green Perspectives, Climate change, Sustainable development, and Limits to growth.

This module focuses on developing knowledge, thoughts and skills about advanced construction technologies (ACT) for dependable built environment. It evaluates the innovative methodologies and approaches for adopting cutting-edge construction technologies and ICT to address the myriad issues related to the fragmented nature of Architecture/Engineering/Construction/Operation (AECO) sectors. With the guidance of the body of advanced professional knowledge, i.e. ACTBOK: Advanced Construction Technology Body of Knowledge, students will develop professional skills on the principles and the contemporary best practice on the effective use as well as innovative research and development for the construction of buildings and civil infrastructures in connection with technical aspects on three domains, i.e. engineering requirements, technical functions, and applications. This module also aims to provide rich connections to integrated ICT in construction to develop a holistic view of the sustainable engineering of dependable buildings and civil infrastructures.

This module provides students with an understanding of the major issues of law embraced by construction projects. It enables students to analyse professional liability and evaluate methods of extending/limiting liability and to assess the extent of liability outside the contractual relationship. The module also aims to give students an in-depth understanding of the issues related to construction disputes and the various commonly used methods of dispute resolution.

This module is an opportunity to learn how to develop informed design in connections to considerate construction and operation for lasting impression and value in use. It aims to provide students from different backgrounds the opportunity to engage in useful learning into the subject field of facilities management (FM) with focuses on the body of advanced professional knowledge, i.e. FMBOK: Facilities Management Body of Knowledge, with comprehensive sophisticated principles and contemporary best practices in an international perspective and to develop professional skills to address important issues on the management of built assets including buildings and civil infrastructures in the context of the technical aspects of three domains covering clients and professionals, service products, and management processes with regard to subject mastery and personal abilities focusing on the best practice and further research towards technical innovations and the continuous enhancement of professional competence in the subject field of FM as well FM informed practices in design and construction. In the meantime, this module aims to provide rich connections to other related subject fields for students to develop a holistic view of the sustainable engineering of buildings and civil infrastructures in terms of the use of advanced construction technologies and the implementation of building information management.  This module will develop knowledge and skills for students to improve design with regard to verified FM principles. 

This module takes inspiration from a former President (Sir Thomas Angus Lyall Paton, ICE President 1970-1971) of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The 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.

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

• background to design for competitiveness and sustainability.
• integrated Product Development methodologies, and different approaches and aspects to design development including concurrent engineering, team engineering, product management, design management, distributed design, and decision support.
• the design activity, methods and process models including role of the market, specification, conceptual and detail design
• basic team and management structures (organisation).
• key issues related to design complexities (e.g. relating to the people, processes, resources, product, key considerations, knowledge and information, decision making) and the key aspects of design co-ordination
• design performance and innovation

This module aims to develop project management skills with particular emphasis on the effective and efficient use of resources. The module focuses on the following issues:

• 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 aims to provide the students with an insightful account of building information management (BIM), in relation to concepts and scenarios, principles, people, processes, protocols, enabling technologies, and best practices in design, construction and operation, etc. It is mainly concerned with the current digital transformation across sectors in the global construction industry in the context of project-based BIM at various levels and by different project stakeholders. Both lectures and the assignment of this module will give students not only the useful learning experience about current practices on BIM but also the opportunity to explore technical advances, process reengineering, and decision intelligence.

This module aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills through collaborations in study groups. Each group work focuses on innovative research into a specific area in relation to advanced construction technologies (ACT) and building information modelling/management (BIM). There are various ways and opportunities for students to work in their study groups with an extensive guide from the supervisor. The outcomes from study groups are recognised as novel solutions to tackle challenges identified in research and/or practices under the sustainability agenda.

The module introduces the elements of financial engineering applied to reduce risk of business insolvency and to enhance the financial robustness of business enterprises. This module also covers 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 the wider European Post-Seveso Directives, it is mandatory for many industries to carry out risk assessments with the aim to show that risk is As Low As Reasonably Practicable. This module introduces the fundamental techniques of risk analysis and risk-informed decision making. Students will learn the general principles of methods and their applications in risk management, have the opportunity to develop skills in applying risk management methods in a variety of engineering examples.

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 module 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 module 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.

This module aims to further develop students’ knowledge and skills in academic research and to enable students to advance and demonstrate independent research abilities and project management skills. Students are encouraged to pursue novel research based on individual effort with support from experienced dissertation supervisors. Both research and dissertation are developed with regard to academic rigor and professional implications for the advancement of theory and/or praxis in related areas.