Innovative Construction Research Centre (ICRC)

Lead Research Organisation: University of Reading

Department Name: Construction Management and Engineering

Abstract

The Innovative Construction Research Centre (ICRC) is dedicated to socio-technical systems research within the built environment, with particular emphasis on through-life performance in support of the client's business operations. Our vision is for a research centre that not only supports the competitiveness of the architectural, engineering, construction and facilities management sectors, but also supports societal needs for built infrastructure and the broader competitiveness of the UK economy. The domain of enquiry lies at the crucial interface between human and technical systems, thereby requiring an inter-disciplinary approach that combines engineering research methods with those derived from the social sciences. The ICRC's research portfolio is organised into six themes: (1) Integration of design, construction and facilities management. Concerns the through-life management of socio-technical systems within the built environment. Topics of consideration include: integrated logistic support, design for reliability and systems integration for building services. Of particular concern is the way that firms within the supply chain are integrated to provide solutions that add value to the client's business. (2) Knowledge management and organisational learning. Addresses the means of supporting knowledge flows across extended supply chains and the extent to which procurement systems learn across projects. Of particular importance is the design of learning mechanisms that extend across organisational boundaries. Also investigates the degree to which the construction sector can learn from other sectors, i.e. aerospace, automotive, retail, defence. (3) Human resource management and the culture of the industry. The construction sector is too often characterised by regressive approaches to human resource management (HRM) with little emphasis on developmental to support innovation. Of particular importance is the concept of 'high commitment management' that has emerged as a central component in the quest to link people management to business performance. Any attempt to improve HRM practices in the construction sector must also recognise cultural barriers to the implementation of new ways of working.(4) Innovative procurement. Includes legal, economic and organisational aspects of procurement systems. The last twenty years has seen a plethora of new procurement methods seeking to encourage different behaviours and allocations of risk. Many such initiatives experienced significant reality gaps between technological intent and resultant behaviours. Of particular importance in the current context is the notion of performance-based contracting which seeks to reward parties on the basis of building performance.(5) Innovation in through-life service provision. Most innovation in facilities management (FM) is concerned with service provision rather than the design and construction of the built asset. The inclusion of FM-service provision reflects the ICRC's strategic focus on through-life issues. The shift towards service provision is reflected in practice through procurement approaches such as PFI/PPP. But the issue has a wider significance as construction contractors increasingly embrace service philosophy. (6) Competitiveness, productivity and performance. 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, benchmarking, value management, risk management and life-cycle costing. 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.

Funded Value:

£3,684,284

Funded Period:

Jan 07 - Dec 11

Funder:

EPSRC

Project Status:

Closed

Project Category:

Research Grant

Project Reference:

EP/E001645/1

Principal Investigator:

Stuart Green

Research Subject:

Civil eng. & built environment (100%)

Research Topic:

Construction Ops & Management (100%)

Organisations

People	ORCID iD
Stuart Green (Principal Investigator)
Tabarak Ballal (Co-Investigator)
Will Hughes (Co-Investigator)
Scott Fernie (Co-Investigator)
Colin Gray (Co-Investigator)
Roger Flanagan (Co-Investigator)
Derek Clements-Croome (Co-Investigator)
Abbas Elmualim (Researcher Co-Investigator)
Roine Leiringer (Researcher Co-Investigator)

Publications

Author Name Title

Publication Date Published

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Ramalingam S (2014) Achieving reliability in transnational work on complex projects: new directions for research in Engineering Project Organization Journal

Schweber L (2010) Actors and objects: a socio-technical networks approach to technology uptake in the construction sector in Construction Management and Economics

Lees T (2013) An evolutionary innovation perspective on the selection of low and zero-carbon technologies in new housing in Building Research & Information

Whyte J (2013) Beyond the computer: Changing medium from digital to physical in Information and Organization

Davies R (2009) Care pathways and designing the health-care built environment: an explanatory framework in International Journal of Care Pathways

Schweber L (2014) Comparing the fit between BREEAM assessment and design processes in Building Research & Information

Raja J (2010) Concurrent and disconnected change programmes: strategies in support of servitization and the implementation of business partnering in Human Resource Management Journal

Zhou W (2012) Construction safety and digital design: A review in Automation in Construction

Green S (2010) Contextualist Research: Iterating between Methods While Following an Empirically Grounded Approach in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Whyte J (2010) Coordination and control in project-based work: digital objects and infrastructures for delivery in Construction Management and Economics

Shibeika A (2015) Diffusion of digital innovation in construction: a case study of a UK engineering firm in Construction Management and Economics

Bresnen M (2010) Editorial: objects, knowledge sharing and knowledge transformation in projects in Construction Management and Economics

Harty C (2010) Emerging Hybrid Practices in Construction Design Work: Role of Mixed Media in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Yang T (2012) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology

Green S (2008) Forum Theorizing in the context of professional practice: the case for middle-range theories in Building Research & Information

Schweber L (2015) Framing evidence: policy design for the zero-carbon home in Building Research & Information

Whyte J (2013) From projects into operations: lessons for data handover in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law

Ness, K (2012) Human Resource Management in Construction

Davies R (2013) Implementing 'Site BIM': A case study of ICT innovation on a large hospital project in Automation in Construction

Harty C (2010) Implementing innovation: designers, users and actor-networks in Technology Analysis & Strategic Management

Lu X (2010) Integration of chaos theory and mathematical models in building simulation in Automation in Construction

Schweber L (2017) Jack-in-the-black-box: Using Foucault to explore the embeddedness and reach of building level assessment methods in Energy Research & Social Science

ALwaer H (2010) Key performance indicators (KPIs) and priority setting in using the multi-attribute approach for assessing sustainable intelligent buildings in Building and Environment

Ewenstein B (2009) Knowledge Practices in Design: The Role of Visual Representations as `Epistemic Objects' in Organization Studies

Abstract

Organisations

People

ORCID iD

Publications