CON6006 - Research Project

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

This final year module will be taught for a full year to ensure students can demonstrate, through independent research, evidence of undertaking a critical review of existing primary and secondary data from established research sources such as the BRE, ONS, CIOB, RICS, EST.

The choice of a dissertation topic within Construction and the Built Environment will be guided by any of the following:

Emerging technologies/concept(s):
- Examine, industry’s preparedness to embraces new and emerging concept(s)
- Explore the use of 4D/5D technologies on productivity, project planning, quality and speed of assembly, health and safety, cost effectiveness, delay avoidance
- Evaluate and quantify impact of low cardon detailing on the long-term performance of new and existing buildings and how this informs design.

Research in Cost Engineering, Contracts Management:
- Critically evaluate and apply established research methods and techniques frequently adopted to articulate the challenges and prevailing issues within the discipline of cost/contract engineering management.

Ongoing issues on Production Cycles of buildings:
- Explore the challenges the production of building imposes across the sector in efficient management of health and safety practices from first principles through to occupation and maintenance, including, fire and safety inadequacies as prevalent in the current legislation and launching of the new Building Safety Act.

Building Pathology/Diagnostic Tools/ Recyclability:
- Using knowledge of construction technology to explore and evaluate new methods of undertaking diagnostics structural survey and building pathology so that new design solutions are compatible with the existing structure, fabric and services and that any interventional measures prolong the recyclability of historic/non-historic buildings.

Business management/ professional standards/procurement/dispute resolutions:
- Explore business and management challenges among construction SMES skills, the roles of clients in changing the dynamics and adversarial nature of procurement routes, contractual disputes and prevalence of ADRs.

Quality of Assembly, Airtightness, Lean assemblies, Low carbon Detailing:
- Industry’s preparedness to embraces new design approaches to sustainable practices using low carbon detailing in prefab and offsite manufacturing systems.

Diversity, Inclusion, Human Rights, Un Conventions, Social Justice:
- Identify and apply solutions to the challenges the sector faces in embracing new principles of equality, diversity and inclusion to ensure equitable access and opportunities for everyone.

Role of PSBRs in Shaping Graduates and Ethical Conduct of Professionals:
- Identify PSBRs areas of interests in creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, included and valued, irrespective of gender identity, ethnicity, age, and to prevent unconscious bias
- Promote ethical practices that uphold the principles of social justice, as evidenced in initiatives/policies designed to reduce climate change effects
- Identify the interdependences of sustainable design and consumer behavioural changes in living standard choices and lifestyle.

Climate Change/ Depleting Resources/ CSR:
- Critically examine the impact of design, specification and how lean methods can alleviate the insatiate demand for resources and the irreversible damage on the natural world
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the emergent low carbon technologies and their impact on how we build and the quality of liveable spaces.

Design Paradigms:
- Critically evaluate the theoretical benefits of sustainable design in terms of spatial ambience, aesthetics, reduction in social inequalities among households trapped in poor-to-heat dwellings and the negative effects in the continuous decline in the utility value of such dwellings.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Seminars
Hours: 20 (2h X 10)
Intended Group Size: All cohorts

Workshops
Hours: 20 (2h X 10)
Intended Group Size: All cohorts

Guided independent study
Hours: 260



Further Details Relating to Assessment

A proposal indicates the viability of the suggested research area: whatever the topic, several issues need to be addressed by the student:
- Whether the topic is of relevance and currency to the industry
- Whether it is possible to identify and collect evidence within a specified population sample
- Whether the sampling frame is adequate and easily defined
- Whether the work be replicated
- If the type of data generated, including any new findingsto emerge, is due to the actions of taking an epistemological study for the area of interest and is also likely to validate and be validated by existing evidence
- If the findings can reaffirm any prevailing knowledge or bring about new paradigms.
Handed in week 10 of semester 1.

The proposal carries a mark of 20%, and final project marked out of 80%; however, the whole Research Project is absorbed and treated as one component.

Please note that students must achieve a pass mark in all assessed components, as this module carries Mandatory competencies for the professional bodies QS Pathway.

Further details of assessment are available in the Assessment Handbook for your programme and in Assessment Briefs provided by Module Tutors.

Assessment:

Fact File

Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level - 6
Credit Value - 60
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered -

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