Digital Construction, Procurement & Law Construction Procurement & Law research theme

We engage in research related to the legalities of the construction process including:

  • dispute resolution
  • procurement and off-site construction
  • AI and building regulatory enforcement
  • professional ethics
  • corporate corruption

In our most recent publications, we have studied:

  • the determinants of non-compliance with structural building code standards in Nigeria
  • the legal and contractual issues concerning off-site manufacturing components in the UK house-building sector
  • the role of mediation in planning and environmental disputes in England and Wales
  • the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to improve the regulatory compliance

Theme lead: Dr Andrew Agapiou

Selected research projects

Empowering Regulatory Excellence with a Mobile Construction Site Safety and Risk Assessment App

EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (with the Health and Safety Executive Construction Division.

The use of Image Processing and Virtual Reality interfaces to support the development of a remote building inspection framework.

Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Construction Innovation Centre I-Con challenge (with Ecosystems Technologies Ltd, ARC Digital Ltd, Crawford Building Consultancy, BDP, Scottish Government Building Standards Division and Robert Gordon University).

Procurement and contract strategies for offsite manufacturing within UK housebuilding.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Research Trust Award Scheme, with the University of Wolverhampton and the New Engineering Contract Users’ Group.

Construction clients and mediation: a follow-up study of attitudes and experiences.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Education Trust Award Scheme, with the Law School at University of Strathclyde.

The development and evaluation of a contract management simulation game for architecture students and professionals.

Association of Scottish Schools of Architecture and the Centre for Education in the Built Environment (CEBE).

Postgraduate research

PhD opportunities

The Construction Procurement & Law theme has an international and diverse cohort of PhD students. Topics of interest include:

  • mediation
  • adjudication & arbitration
  • corporate and construction professional ethics
  • construction law & technology-enhanced learning
  • law, regulation, and offsite construction
  • AI and building regulatory compliance

Selected previous PhD Projects

  • Concurrent Delay Analysis in Public Works Construction Disputes
  • An examination of key factors which impede implementation, enforcement and compliance with structural provisions of the building code standards and regulations within for mid-rise residential building projects in Nigeria
  • Nudging Saudi Arabian contracting firms within municipal road projects to bid competitively
  • Global Claims in Engineering and Construction Projects
  • Adoption of pre-assembled building services components in Saudi Arabia: Consultants’ and Contractors’ Views
  • A framework for off-site manufacturing risk ranking in developing countries: Chinese perspective
  • Framework for Chinese construction projects EOT claims analysis through a comparative study between Chinese and English legal systems
  • A collaborative framework to regulate arbitrator practice in investor-state arbitration: the case of oil and gas disputes

Selected publications by research area

  • Agapiou, A (2023) Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Construction Industry: An Evaluation of UK Research and Practice.  Ethics International Press, London. 978-1-80441-086-8
  • Agapiou, A (2018) Mediating planning disputes: opportunities, experiences and challenges. The Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction; ISSN 1943-4162, Vol. 10, issue 3, pg. 1-12
  • Agapiou, A & Ilter, D (eds) (2016) Court Connected Construction Mediation Practice: A Comparative International Review, Taylor & Francis, London, ISBN-13: 978-1138810105
  • Agapiou, A (2015) The factors influencing mediation referral practices and barriers to its adoption: A survey of construction lawyers in England and Wales, International Journal of Law in the Built Environment, vol. 7, issue 3, p. 231-247. ISSN: 1756-145

Magintharan, S and Agapiou, A (2024) Fraud in Statutory Adjudication: A Comparative Study of Common Law Jurisdictions.  International Construction Law Review. ISSN 0265-1416

  • Agapiou, A (2022): Barriers to Offsite Construction Adoption: A Quantitative Study among Housing Associations in England.  Buildings, 12, 283
  • Zhang, L and Agapiou, A (2020): Influence diagrams for off-site construction manufacturing risk assessment. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Procurement, Management and Law, June, ISSN: 1751-4304
  • Agapiou, A (2020): The factors influencing procurement route selection for the offsite house-building sector. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Procurement, Management and Law, September, ISSN: 1751-4304

Consultancy, knowledge exchange & CPD

The delivery of consultancy services and in-house CPD programmes covering Health & Safety Legislation, Dispute Resolution, and the NEC3/4 form of Engineering and Construction Contract for Housing Development Corporations, Architecture Practice and Client Organisations.

Recent development & training activities have covered:

  • an introduction to the NEC3/4 form of contract
  • the role of the Project Manager in the NEC3/4 contract
  • NEC3/4 Professional Services form of contract
  • the use of Z-clauses within NEC3/4 form of contract