Publications from the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)

This edited book addresses a gap in literature by advancing current understandings of the applications of immersive technology within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector. Globally, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector makes an enormous contribution to the socio-economic development of nations, which is primarily evidenced by its creation/provision of the built environment. The sector has, however, often been criticised for inefficiencies, waste, and diverse forms of adverse impacts that are associated with the lifecycle of the provision of built assets – design, construction, operations & maintenance, and end-of-life phases. Over the years, the inefficiencies, waste and adverse impacts have often been a catalyst for calls and initiatives to transform the AEC sector. The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (commonly referred to as, ‘Industry 4.0’), which entails the automation and digitalisation of production, presents opportunities to leverage emerging technologies to improve the image and productivity of the sector. Prominent among the emerging technologies in the Industry 4.0 era is that of immersive technology, which includes virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. The capability of immersive technology to deliver beneficial impacts for multiple construction sector stakeholders throughout the construction lifecycle has been acknowledged within the industry and this continues to stimulate interest amongst practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. Despite this phenomenon, at present there is no dedicated compendium of research-informed text that focusses on the multifaceted applications of immersive technology throughout the lifecycle of the provision of built assets right from concept design to end-of-life. This book thus addresses this gap in literature by advancing current understanding of the applications of immersive technology within the AEC industry.  Readers will understand how the technologies are applied, the resulting array of impacts including benefits, drawbacks, challenges and future directions for applications, research, and development.

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.

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.

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.

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.

People with dementia (PwD) often experience behavioral and psychological symptoms (Cerejeira et al., 2012; McCleery, 2020). A possible intervention can be the use of technology to provide affective touch, similar to the physical touch of a human being. Although several different solutions have been developed to facilitate in this (Biswas et al., 2024; Hung et al., 2019), there is still a need for a broader understanding to what extent these devices could improve sleep quality and reducing disruptive behavior, thereby complementing the effects of sedative medication. This might have a reduction of sedative medication usage as a result. This study evaluated the HUG; a cuddle doll equipped with a pulsing heartbeat and weighted limbs, mimicking a human embrace. A field study was conducted to explore the influence of the cuddle doll on sleep quality, disruptive behavior and sedative medication use of PwD. Data was collected through focus groups, observations, and questionnaires. The field study suggests that cuddle dolls can positively impact the well-being of people with dementia, especially when used alongside sedative medication to improve sleep and reduce agitation. The heartbeat sensation and feeling of social closeness contributed to these improvements. However, attention must be paid to how and at what moment the cuddle doll is introduced and whether it is an appropriate solution for each individual resident. Moreover, we will share four design recommendations for cuddle dolls. References 1.Cerejeira J, Lagarto L, Mukaetova-Ladinska EB. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Front Neurol. 2012;3:73. doi:10.3389/fneur.2012.00073. 2.McCleery J, Sharpley AL. Pharmacotherapies for sleep disturbances in dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;11:CD009178. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009178.pub4. 3.Biswas B, Dooley E, Coulthard E, Roudaut A. Autoethnography of living with a sleep robot. Multimodal Technol Interact. 2024;8(6):53. doi:10.3390/mti8060053. 4.Hung L, Liu C, Woldum E, Au-Yeung A, Berndt A, Wallsworth C, et al. The benefits of and barriers to using a social robot PARO in care settings: a scoping review. BMC Geriatr. 2019;19(1):232. doi:10.1186/s12877-019-1278-3.

The collaboration of HUG by LAUGH® and Milbotix SmartSocks® represents a groundbreaking, evidence-based approach to dementia care. HUG®, a sensory comfort device co-designed through the AHRC-funded LAUGH project at Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, combines soothing tactile stimulation that provides the reciprocal experience of giving and receiving a hug. It has a simulated heartbeat, and customizable music. SmartSocks® are a newly launched innovation developed through research at UWE Bristol and University of Bristol UK. They monitor physiological indicators of stress and anxiety, offering real-time, quantitative insights into a wearer’s emotional state. By integrating HUG® with SmartSocks® it has enabled rigorous evaluation of HUG®’s calming effects, producing data-driven evidence to support its adoption as a non-pharmacological intervention. Evaluations in the UK and the Netherlands have delivered significant results showing that HUG can promote better sleep, improve mood, enhance engagement and social connection, and in some cases reduce medication use by decreasing agitation. Both HUG® and SmartSocks® have received funding and support from Alzheimer’s Society and UK Government Research and Innovation. This presentation shares findings from the collaboration’s recent feasibility studies and highlights how these innovations can inform policy, advance compassionate non-pharmacological care, and inspire best practice in dementia and palliative support internationally.

Buildings contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 38% of CO₂ emissions and 35% of global energy consumption (1). In April 2021, the EU shifted its focus from nearly zero-energy buildings to a zero-emission target for 2030, mandating national legislation to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 (2). Although sustainability policies are well-planned, implementation challenges persist, often identified as difficulties in integrating new technologies and work processes, viewed as risky and costly (3). A large body of literature has recently emerged further identifying specific challenges and opportunities including regulatory, financial, and technological issues (5,12,13). However, the continued slow adoption of NetZ-WLC buildings suggests that further investigation into the underlying reasons is needed. This paper explores the multidisciplinary approaches which have tackled this problem, as the challenge spans technical, economic, and policy domains and involves various actors and industries. This paper aims to identify research gaps to guide future studies and improve strategies for the uptake of NetZ-WLC initiatives in buildings.

The construction industry is facing numerous demands. For example, a contractor will have to ensure they achieve their cost targets and time and quality contractual obligations whilst also meeting any social value and environmental expectations. Social value is an increasingly important concept within the UK construction industry. Its importance has been reinforced by legislation, its growing weighting in public sector procurement, and the enhanced expectations of private sector stakeholders. Construction contractors therefore need to evidence their social value credentials in order to increase procurement success and meet stakeholder expectations. Addressing climate concerns is also a topic of increasing focus. Achieving extreme low carbon buildings has been proposed as one solution to this. The problem exists that there are numerous competing contemporary demands placed upon contractors. Such demands are often arguably viewed as disparate and competing and so potentially serve to restrict evolution and innovation across all areas. Practices that address both ultra-low carbon buildings and social value simultaneously could potentially serve to reduce the competing demands placed upon contractors and lead to a more focused and productive contractor output and greater benefits for the intended recipients. The links between social value and ultra-low carbon developments have not been well explored in the literature. This lack of research potentially hinders ultra-low carbon developments from achieving SV, or at least the recognition of the SV impact such developments have. The aim of this research to critically analyse both concepts to identify areas of cross over and consider if ultra-low caron design can satisfy multiple stakeholder demands. The findings indicate a focus on achieving ultra-low carbon projects would lead to increased levels of social value achieved.

This paper exposes the hidden carbon impact of repeated cycles of aspirational, and investment led home improvement. Homeowners are largely unaware of whole life cycle assessment (WLCA) representation of choices and cycles of interior fitout replacement and disposal of what is a largely unregulated but could be notifiable construction activity. When coupled with urgent expectations to upgrade envelope fabric and replace systems such as fossil fuel heating, these impacts can become significant burden on individuals’ carbon footprints. Extrapolated at a national (and global) level, expectation for achieving net zero is challenged by these behaviours. Exploring an alternative approach to projecting the impact of refurbishment in the residential sector through literature and modelling, the paper makes recommendations for expressing and representing the issues of embodied carbon for a non-specialist (and regulatory) audience by the supply chain, professional advisors and consider simplifications for regulation and restrictive covenants in new home conveyancing. Highlights •Highlighting the relationship between upfront and operational emissions in domestic context •Facilitating carbon awareness for aspirational and investment led home improvements •Implications for planning conditions, housing developers and conveyancing