Infrastructure Research Group

The Infrastructure Research Theme brings together an interdisciplinary team to develop collaborative research with our industrial partners to support the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on road, rail and housing.

The two broad aims are to achieve greater efficiency from the existing infrastructure, and provide novel solutions for new construction.

Housing (Value management, lean integrated, and regulation, aging society, energy efficiency, renewable materials and energy)

Highways (Road asset management, road economics, road development and strategic planning, road maintenance and operation, safety and reliability analysis of highway bridges, road administration, the development of long-term prediction relationships, data collection and analysis methods, data integrity and information quality)
Railways (development and application of more rational and sustainable safety, risk, reliability and decision-making techniques. Development of the advanced procedures for minimising risks by improved design aspects, construction and maintenance strategies based on safety and reliability assessment. Development of decision support tools for maintenance, renewal, system and asset management)

Research topics

Risk and safety assessment in design, construction & maintenance
Reliability Assessment
Value Management
Lean Project Delivery
Procurement – particularly social return on investment
Innovation & Regulation

The team

Sectors

Rail – Particularly risk and reliability assessment of railway infrastructure systems in order to contribute towards (1) improving the safety, reliability and capacity of the rail network; (2) reducing the impact of railways on the environment; (3) making rail travel more attractive for passengers; and (4) improving industry practice and informing policy development.
Road – Particularly Lean delivery, and transportation safety analysis with a focus on Strategic Road Network to meet the targets of operating, maintaining and improving highway network.
Housing – particularly offsite manufacture, energy efficiency, and sustainable construction
Schools/Hospitals – Value Management

Research projects

KTP with Manchester City Council – The KTP will create the ability to confidently commission the use of OSC solutions. MCC will lead a consortium of 5 HAs and manufacturers to establish commissioning frameworks to support large scale off site modular construction. For this KTP there will be some housing manufacturers engaged in order to facilitate the delivery of these houses.
KTP with Procure Plus Limited – The project aims to develop an active framework management tool to support evidenced performance management and continuous improvement for SME contractors and clients.
iCase with Arup – this PhD project is to study the design and implementation of a BIM-based team space that can provide stronger collaboration among the key partners as well as specific information access to their supply chain partners
iCase Award with United Utilities – this PhD project aims to develop a New Delivery System for water sector infrastructure projects
New Methodology for Maintenance Decision Making for Highway Bridge Structures (Funded by the Highways England. Researchers: Min An, Wasfe Ali and Hamed Almutairi).
Risk Assessment and Safety Management of Railway Out-of-gauge and Overweight Freight Transportation (Funded by China Scholarship Council of Ministry of Education. Researchers: Min An and Yinggui Zhang).
Railway Emergency Preparedness Planning and Reliability Analysis (Funded by China Scholarship Council of Ministry of Education & Beijing Jiaotong University. Researchers: Min An and Li Wang).
Optimal oil and gas revamp project, program and portfolio management: Nigeria in perspective (PhD project. Researchers: Clement Ifeanyi Isbor and Min An)
Decision Making in Real Estate Investments under Uncertainty (PhD project. Researchers: Charles Nsibande and Min An)
Pilot study to investigate the effective deployment of Lean within SME’s and the wider supply chain (Highways Agency) Principal Investigator: C Abbott Co-Investigator: Z Aziz
Earthworks Control Automation, Highways Agency, Principal Investigator: C Abbott
The impact of environmental regulation on innovation in the housing sector: the case of the Code for Sustainable Homes (ESRC) M Sexton, C Abbott
Maximising the diffusion and impact of microgeneration technologies in new housing (EPSRC) C Abbott W Swan M Sexton SL Lu S Green

Publications

Dindar S., Kaewunruen S., An M. and Sussman J.M., 2018, ‘Bayesian network-based probability analysis of train derailments caused by various extreme weather patterns on railway turnouts’, Safety Science, 110 (Part B), pp. 20-30

Wang L., An M., Qin Y. and Jia L., 2018, ‘A risk-based maintenance decision-making approach for railway asset management’, International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (Ijseke), 28 (4), pp. 453-483.

Dindar S., Kaewunruen S. and An M., 2018, ‘Identification of appropriate risk analysis techniques for railway turnout systems’ , Journal of Risk Research, 21 (8) , pp. 974-995

Ahmed V., Aziz Z. U. H., Tezel A. and Riaz Z., 2018, ‘Challenges and drivers for data mining in the AEC sector’ , Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 25 (11) , pp. 1436-1453.

Bayar M. S. and Aziz Z. U. H., 2018, ‘Rapid prototyping and its role in supporting architectural design process’, Journal of Architectural Engineering, 24 (3)

Dogruyol K., Aziz, Z. U. H. and Arayici Y, 2018, ‘Eye of sustainable planning: a conceptual heritage-led urban regeneration planning framework’, Sustainability, 10 (5), no.1343.

Ogbonda U. J., Ji Y., Coates S. P. and Bichard E., 2017, ‘The impact of gas flare on oil fields’ environments’, Proceedings of Academicsera 10th International Conference.

Mollasalehi S., Arachchi Rathnayake Mudiyanselage A.P., Abou Moemen A. A., Underwood J., Fleming A.J., Kulatunga U. and Coates S. P., 2017, ‘How BIM-lean integration enhances the information management process in the construction design’, Proceedings, 25th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) , pp. 531-538.

Alazmeh N., Underwood J. and Coates S.P., 2017, ‘Implementing a BIM collaborative workflow in the UK construction market’, International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 13 (1) , pp. 24-35.

Jones K., Desai A., Brosnan N., Cooper J. C. and Ali F., 2017, ‘Built asset management climate change adaptation model’ , International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 8 (3) , pp. 263-274

Munonye C. C. and Ji Y., 2018, ‘Adaptive thermal comfort evaluation of typical public primary school classrooms in Imo state, Nigeria’ , African Journal Of Environmental Research, 1 (1) , pp. 11-24.

Marshall A.S., Fitton R., Swan W., Farmer D., Johnston D., Benjaber M. A. A. and Ji Y., 2017, ‘Domestic building fabric performance: closing the gap between the in situ measured and modelled performance’, Energy and Buildings, 150 , pp. 307-317.

Ji Y., Korolija I. and Zhang Y., 2017, ‘Thermal responses of single zone offices on existing near-extreme summer weather data’, Building Simulation, 11 (1) , pp. 15-35.

Awuzie B. O., Farag F. F. and McDermott P. 2017, ‘Achieving social value through construction frameworks: the effect of client attributes’, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Management, Procurement and Law, 171 (1) , pp. 25-31.

Awuzie B. O. and McDermott P., 2017, ‘An abductive approach to qualitative built environment research : a viable system methodological exposé’, Qualitative Research Journal, 17 (4) , pp. 356-372.

Awuzie B. O. and McDermott P., 2016, ‘A systems approach to assessing organisational viability in project based organisations’, Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 6 (3) , pp. 268-283.

Alawadhi S. and Udeaja C. E., 2018, ‘Obstacles and benefits in implementation of gold, silver, and bronze (GSB) model in emergency response in the UAE’, Procedia Engineering, 212 (2018) , pp. 427-434.

Nwachukwu C.V., Udeaja C. E., Chileshe N. and Okere C. E., 2017, ‘The critical success factors for stakeholder management in the restoration of built heritage assets in the UK’ , International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 35 (4) , pp. 304-331.

Tan A., Udeaja C. E., Babatunde S. and Ekundayo D., 2017, ‘Sustainable development in a construction related curriculum – quantity surveying students’ perspective’ , International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 21 (1) , pp. 101-113.

Partners

Railways – Balfour Beatty, China Ministry of Transportation, Eurostar (UK) Ltd, London Underground Ltd (LUL), Network Rail, Rail Safety & Standard Board (RSSB), Risktec Solutions Ltd, Serco Assurance Ltd, TACO, Tube Lines Ltd
Roads – Akins, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Highways England
Housing – Arup, BAE systems, Currie & Brown, Ernst & Young, Faithful & Gould, Guinness Trust, Infrastructure UK, Mott McDonald, Scott Wilson, Seddons, Sir Robert McAlpine, Turner & Townsend

Contact

Professor Zeeshan Aziz
Maxwell Building Room 433b

T: +44 (0)161 295 3822
E: z.aziz@salford.ac.uk