Publications from the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)
Below is a selection of the latest publications by CABER members. A complete list of publications can be found in the UWE Bristol Research Repository.
Books
A list of the most recent published books by our members.
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Handbook of Drivers of Continuous Improvement in Construction Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
Authors:
This Handbook presents opportunities, best practices, and case studies backed by cutting edge research on the drivers of continuous improvement of health, safety, and wellbeing in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management sector. The book consists of 23 chapters with six themes covering: ● Drivers of the business case for healthier and safer construction ● Opportunities and drivers of digital technologies for improving health and safety ● Drivers of human factors for improving health and safety ● Drivers of safer design and procurement ● Drivers of better health and wellbeing for construction. ● Opportunities for driving equality and inclusivity for safer construction. The book will be beneficial to academics, undergraduate and postgraduate (research and taught) students, professional institutions (such as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health), health and safety professionals (health and safety officers, consultants and managers), occupational health professionals, mental health and wellbeing professionals, construction managers, architects, project professionals, engineers (design, construction, project, site, electrical, mechanical, civil, building services, and structural), facilities managers, quantity surveyors, and site managers. The aim of the book is to provide critical perspectives alongside evidence based practical examples of success stories, that should inspire readers and engender continuous improvement in health, safety, and wellbeing in the construction industry.
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Research Handbook on Flood Risk Management
Authors: Lamond, Jessica; Bhattacharya-Mis, Namrata; Proverbs, David
Pushing the boundaries of flood risk management research, this comprehensive Research Handbook presents pragmatic insights into all areas relating to flood risk. Through its use of dynamic and people-centred paradigms, it explores urban flood management within localities, properties, neighbourhoods and cities. Structured around the flood risk management cycle, chapters explore the critical importance of managing the consequences of flooding whilst examining key concepts such as mitigation, preparedness, emergency management and recovery. An international range of expert contributors from an array of disciplines recognize the inadequacies of existing governance approaches and mechanisms when it comes to addressing urban flooding, and identify the ways in which these can be strengthened in order to create an integrated flood and water management framework. Adopting a forward-thinking approach, the Research Handbook also investigates future directions of flood risk management research. The Research Handbook on Flood Risk Management will be an indispensable resource for academics, researchers and students interested in environmental geography, environmental governance and regulation, urban studies, politics and public policy, and the management of natural resources.
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Routledge Handbook of Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment
Authors:
This handbook explores the critically important topic of embodied carbon, providing advanced insights that focus on measuring and reducing embodied carbon from across the built environment, including buildings, urban areas and cities, and construction materials and components. Split into five distinct sections, international experts, researchers, and professionals present the recent developments in the field of embodied carbon from various perspectives and at different scales of material, building, and city. Following an introduction to the embodied carbon question, the chapters in Section 1 then cover the key debates around issues such as the politics of embodied carbon, links between embodied carbon and thermal mass, and the misuse of carbon offsets. Section 2 reviews the embodied carbon policies in a selected number of countries. Sections 3, 4, and 5 approach the topic of embodied carbon from urban-, building-, and material-scale perspectives, respectively, and use case studies to demonstrate estimation techniques and present opportunities and challenges in embodied carbon mitigation. This will be important reading for upper-level students and researchers in Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering, and Construction disciplines. Presenting case studies of embodied carbon assessment, this book will also help practicing architects, engineers, and urban planners understand embodied carbon estimation techniques and different mitigation strategies.
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Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the COVID-19 era
Authors:
This edited book presents a significant and timely contribution to our understanding of a broad range of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to occupational safety, health and well-being (OSHW) in the global construction industry. The editors first introduce the industry and its poor OSHW history before highlighting some of the broader impacts of the pandemic on the sector. The book is then divided into two sections. Section One focuses on the management of COVID-19 transmission risk. It captures insights, practices, technologies and lessons learned in relation to what has and is being done to prevent or mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission among the construction workforce. Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the COVID-19 Era also details case studies, lessons and best practices for managing sites and workforces when infections inevitably do occur. Section Two brings together international chapters discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on the OSHW of the construction workforce both on and off-site, as well as the management of those impacts. Furthermore, this presents implications of the pandemic (at the short-, medium-, and long-term) for other performance measures of construction projects such as cost, schedule, quality and, most importantly, how the pursuit/non-pursuit of such performance measures have impacted/will impact the OSHW of construction workers and professionals in the industry. This book addresses the gap in literature by offering global perspectives on the OSHW impacts and implications of COVID-19 in the construction industry and will help its wide readership (including construction industry organisations, professionals, researchers, government bodies/policy makers and students) to understand a broad suite of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to OSHW in construction.
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Handbook of Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the Industry 4.0 Era
Authors:
This Handbook seeks to examine and advance current understanding of the confluence of construction health, safety and well-being and the broad range of Industry 4.0 technologies in use in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Globally, the construction sector accounts for more than 100,000 occupational fatalities annually. In many countries, reports of work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses are commonplace, and there is an urgent need to improve the occupational safety and health (OSH) outlook of the construction sector. The fourth industrial revolution presents opportunities to leverage modern technologies (e.g., big data, artificial intelligence, automation, sensors, AR, VR and robotics) to improve the poor OSH performance of the construction industry. However, embracing such technologies could also induce unintended adverse consequences for the safety, health and well-being of construction workers. Therefore, the realisation of the opportunities as well as the mitigation of potentially adverse consequences requires research-informed holistic insights around the union of Industry 4.0 and construction occupational safety and health management. This cutting-edge volume addresses a significant gap in literature by bringing together experienced academics and researchers to highlight the drivers, opportunities and drawbacks of the merging of Industry 4.0 with construction health, safety and well-being. After a detailed introductory section which highlights key issues and challenges, section one covers the application of a broad range of digital technologies; then section two discusses the application of industrial production and cyber physical systems in the context of construction safety and health management. Readers from a broad range of AEC backgrounds as well as safety professionals and technologists will come to understand how the technologies are applied and the resulting OSH benefits as well as potential drawbacks.
Journal articles
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BIM, IoT, and GIS integration in construction resource monitoring
Authors: Liu, Xiang; Antwi-Afari, Maxwell Fordjour; Li, Jue; Zhang, Yongcheng; Manu, Patrick
In recent years, the advancement of digital technologies such as building information modeling (BIM), internet of things (IoT), and geographic information system (GIS) has had many impacts on the construction industry. However, limited research has been conducted on the integration of BIM, IoT, and GIS technologies, especially in construction resource monitoring. Therefore, this paper presents a state-of-the-art review of BIM, IoT, and GIS integration by focusing on their applications, challenges, research gaps, and future research directions. A systematic literature review and science mapping analysis were adopted in this study. The results identified the gaps in BIM, IoT, and GIS integration in construction resource monitoring, which include interoperability, data security, real-time dynamic monitoring, complex environmental data processing, environmental sustainability studies, prediction models, and convenience for the users. Moreover, challenges and future research directions were proposed. This paper contributes to extending the integrated applications of digital technologies in construction resource monitoring.
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Biomimetic adaptive solar building envelopes: Trends, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable applications
Authors: Jalali, Sara; Badarnah, Lidia; Nicoletti, Eleonora
As global energy demand continues to rise, the importance of effective solar management in building design becomes increasingly critical. Solar management encompasses strategies for harvesting, regulating, and utilizing solar energy, contributing significantly to sustainable and renewable energy solutions. Biomimetics presents a promising approach to adaptive design by drawing inspiration from nature's solar management strategies. This research conducts a systematic review of biomimetic adaptive solar building envelopes (Bio-ASBEs), classifying them into three key solar management strategies: solar regulation, solar harvesting, and thermoregulation. A comparative analysis of existing studies highlights trends, gaps, and opportunities in the field. Findings indicate growing interest in biomimetic solutions for solar management, with a predominant focus on energy efficiency. However, the study identifies limited research on energy harvesting and indoor environmental quality, as well as a reliance on shading techniques, potentially overlooking alternative thermoregulation and solar harvesting strategies. Furthermore, the study highlights the scarcity of mixed-method research, emphasizing the need for multifaceted approaches that integrate, qualitative and quantitative data into actionable solutions. Finally, this study reveals the untapped potential of biomimetic solar management strategies, demonstrating how integrating solar harvesting, regulation, and thermoregulation can drive the development of adaptive, energy-efficient building envelopes. By bridging research gaps and exploring nature-inspired multifunctional solutions, it paves the way for scalable, climate-responsive technologies that support net-zero goals and a more sustainable built environment.
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Implementing environmental management systems (ISO 14001) in the construction sector of Ghana
Authors: Boateng, Ransford; Booth, Colin, A.; Horry, Rosemary, E.; Wiejak-Roy, Grazyna; Agyekum, Kofi; Joseph, R.; Manu, Patrick; Prabhakaran, Abhinesh
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) enable organisations to manage their environmental impacts. Globalisation has resulted in more organisations needing to engage in environmental sustainability. In developed nations ISO 14001 provides the key guidance, but in developing nations, sustainability remains a new concept. This study investigates EMS implementation within the Ghanaian construction sector which has low EMS adoption. A critical literature review identified 11 benefits, 11 barriers and 10 strategies for implementing EMS in the construction sector. The views of construction professionals in Ghana were sought regarding thesguree benefits, barriers and strategies. Of 150 questionnaires distributed, 60 were returned and 52 were deemed usable. Data was analysed using the Voting Analytic Hierarchy Process (VAHP) (Manu et al., 2019). The results showed that 'cost savings due to the reduction of fines associated with convictions’ was the main perceived benefit of implementing EMS, while the major barrier was ‘a lack of government legal enforcement’. The most significant implementation strategy was suggested to be ‘the implementation of a legal requirement for environmental protection for EMS’. It is concluded that lack of legal requirements may impede ISO 14001 engagement. The recommendation is that environmental regulations and policies are created to encourage the adoption of EMS.
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Insights into the use of GRESB as an ESG benchmarking tool
Authors: Anders, Gregory; Booth, Colin A.; Wiejak-Roy, Grazyna A.; Horry, Rosemary E.; Squires, Graham
Purpose - Sustainability practices and reporting have consistently evolved over the years with trends towards more holistic approaches with respect to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). In the real estate sector over the last decade, GRESB (formerly known as Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) has become the leading global ESG benchmarking tool for real asset investments. However, it has attracted limited research, and this underpins this works’ motivation for the exploration of the perspectives of real estate stakeholders relating to the uptake and use of GRESB. Design/methodology/approach - The approach used in this study is qualitative in nature, adopting a phenomenological research design to capture the essence of the lived experiences of purposely sampled participants. This is done through an interpretative phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews. Findings - Legislation, regulation and risk management are the main motivations for engaging with ESG-related issues. The main benefit of GRESB is benchmarking, while the main weaknesses lie in the data collection and the undeveloped social component. Within data, the major challenges are observed for the transparency of performance data and overreliance on policies instead of performance. GRESB would benefit from the inclusion of (1) more detailed sustainability benchmarks relating to social and governance components, and (2) social value metrics in their overall assessment. Practical implications - Policymakers need to develop or support globally recognized reporting standards to increase the quality, accuracy, and comparability of ESG information. Originality - This is the first study on ESG reporting using a phenomenological research design.
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Moderating effects of coping behaviors on stressors–Stress relationships of ethnic minority construction workers
Authors: Ahmed, Khursheed; Leung, Mei-yung; Yang, Wenqian; Manu, Patrick
To overcome the shortage of construction workers in developed countries, the construction industry recruits a minority workforce from developing countries. However, ethnic minority construction workers (EM-CWs) experience numerous stressors in the host country that may induce stress significantly. Inadequate coping strategies in response to stress could affect overall health and performance in the construction industry. Nevertheless, studies examining moderating effects of coping behaviors is neither specific to stressors and stress relationship nor tailored to EM-CWs. Therefore, it is essential to get nuanced understanding of how EM-CWs respond to various stressors and stress, which could be quite different than native workers. The current study adopted mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve research triangulation. Valid 243 responses from a questionnaire survey and 17 interviews of EM-CWs were included for data analysis. The results revealed that (1) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of migration and work-family conflict on emotional stress, (2) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of work time pressure on physical stress, and (3) religious-focused coping moderates the effects of demanding physical workload on emotional stress. The study can contribute to the development of proactive tailored stress management strategies for EMs, particularly identifying the most effective coping behaviors and understanding complex interaction of stressors, stress and coping behaviors for EM-CWs. Moreover, it is the first empirical study to date that has also included the religious-focused coping in the context of moderators for EM-CWs in stressors-stress relationship. This study offers valuable insight into establishing guidelines and policy for ethnic minorities to manage ethnic diversity and improve multicultural integration successfully within organizations and society.
Conference papers
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Hive mind for Net Zero: Towards a social engagement model for collective home energy behaviour change
Authors: Zhao, Jill; Badarnah, Lidia
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Co-production and the key aspects of community involvement in flood risk management (FRM)
Authors: Nsobya, Claude; Potter, Karen; Moncaster, Alice; Mabon, Leslie; Ramsay, Jed
Flood risk management (FRM) has shifted towards more decentralised and people-centred approaches. This increase in community involvement has become conceptually linked with ‘coproduction,’ used in other societal domains by both academics and professionals over the past decade. The two main principles of co-production are fair, equitable distribution of power and community empowerment. Mees et al. (2018) have set out typologies of citizen co-production in one of the most relevant frameworks for understanding the forms of co-production within the domain of FRM. Yet some of the Mees' categories arguably do not fully adhere or embrace the core principles of equitable power distribution and empowerment. This paper discusses how the potential limitations in these categories could inadvertently reinforce power imbalances and restrain opportunity for community empowerment. Drawing on wider research, a scoping literature review (across bibliographic databases Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar), the paper argues that five key aspects of community involvement—mutual learning, early and long-term involvement, inclusivity, clear objectives, and capacity building—would enable adherence to the core principles of co-production in FRM. These key aspects integrated with the Mees’ framework would enable the evaluation of not only the ‘form’ of co-production, but also if and how communities have been empowered in the process.
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Decision support for building thermal comfort monitoring with a sustainable GenAI system
Authors: Arslan, Muhammad; Munawar, Saba; Mahdjoubi, Lamine; Manu, Patrick
Staff expenses can account for up to 70% of business costs, with indoor conditions playing a critical role in employee health, behavior, and productivity. Optimal thermal comfort, typically around 21°C with 40-70% humidity, maximizes productivity. However, effective monitoring requires comprehensive data, particularly as energy regulations push for smarter building management. Although Building Information Modeling (BIM, a digital representation of a building's physical and functional characteristics) and sensor integration support facilities management, many existing systems are proprietary, expensive, and inflexible. To address these challenges, this study introduces ThermalComfortBot, a sustainable Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)-powered Chatbot designed as an advanced Information System (IS). Utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs, AI models for natural language understanding) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG, a method that combines data retrieval with LLMs-generated insights), ThermalComfortBot integrates data from BIM, sensors, and other relevant sources. Built on open-source technology, it is cost-effective and fully customizable, allowing users to tailor datasets to their needs. The Chatbot delivers actionable insights through a Question-Answering (QA) interface, enabling data-driven decisions on thermal comfort to improve workplace conditions and enhance operational efficiency.
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A transdisciplinary engineering and systems approach for decarbonizing UK home heating
Authors: Wise, Freya; Cooper, Adam; Eckert, Claudia
At present, only around 10% of the heat pumps required to reach our critical 2050 climate goals are being installed in the UK. The government has set ambitious targets to phase out gas boilers by 2035, replacing them with heat pumps. This paper argues that instead of viewing the low carbon heating transition as a simple techno-economic issue, solved by a technology swap, we need a transdisciplinary systems approach to address this complex socio-technical challenge. Drawing on previous research and the literature we identify the current level of heat pump uptake and consider some of the barriers to the low carbon heating transition including technical aspects, installers skill shortages, financial barriers and informational challenges. We find that these barriers are mostly addressed in silos without considering the interrelationship between different aspects. Heat pumps should be considered in the context of a whole house approach to retrofit and barriers need to be overcome to make the technology more attractive to households. In this paper we call for a systemic, transdisciplinary approach to the low carbon heating transition to accelerate uptake: combining an understanding of social, engineering and policy perspectives. Key to this are systems-based methods and transdisciplinary approaches that enable engineering and engineers to be part of the solution. We present the benefits of this approach and suggest some principles for further research.
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Exploring knowledge management principles for decision-making in low-energy building for sustainable construction
Authors: Maduka, Nnamdi; Greenwood, David; Udeaja, Chika
Low energy building retrofit presents important opportunities for reducing of greenhouse gas emissions in the environment. It has been considered as one of the key approaches to achieving sustainable development in construction industry. Nevertheless, such retrofitting proves challenging due to the fact that the industry has ignored the need to manage project knowledge in retrofitting these buildings. This has arguably made decision-making difficult for key stakeholders because lesson learned are not captured in low energy retrofit projects. Managing project knowledge has been established as essential in delivering low energy building retrofit projects through decision-making hence an informed decision support framework (IDSF) has been developed. The methodology employed in development of IDSF is through literature review covering, among other things, knowledge management (KM) principles and procedures. The IDSF will help improve decision-making capabilities of key stakeholders involved in low-energy building retrofit projects to make informed and appropriate decisions. It will also help to avoid post-decision mistakes in low energy building retrofit projects. Furthermore, IDSF will help in the development of decision support system (DSS) that will be used for making informed and sound decisions in achieving low-energy retrofit projects and also help in the full uptake of retrofit projects.
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Members of the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)
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Postgraduate research in the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)
Postgraduate research in the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER).
Research themes within the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)
Research themes for the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)