Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Outputs (21)

Volumetric Modular Construction research (2024)
Report
Brennan, J., Vokes, C., Massey, T., Duncheva, M., Plowas, W., Livingstone, A., Reid, A., Bros Williamson, J., & Hairstans, R. (2024). Volumetric Modular Construction research. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Building on a pledge to support Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in its Autumn Budget of 2017, the 2019 Conservative party manifesto reaffirmed the target of 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s and made explicit commitment to support MMC. The n... Read More about Volumetric Modular Construction research.

Global Policies Influencing the Greater Adoption of Timber in Construction (2024)
Report
Hairstans, R., Ridley Ellis, D., Cramer, M., Plowas, W., Hart, S., Rogers, L., Connell-Skinner, K., & Seminara, P. (2024). Global Policies Influencing the Greater Adoption of Timber in Construction. Forest Industries Ireland

This report prepared on behalf of the Timber in Construction Steering Group and Forest Industries Ireland and authored by Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) and Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), emphasises the critical role of increa... Read More about Global Policies Influencing the Greater Adoption of Timber in Construction.

Offsite Ready Booklets (2020)
Report
Duncheva, M., Calcagno, C., Henquel, V., Leitch, K., Stinson, J., Plant O'Toole, E., Bros-Williamson, J., Livingstone, A., De Saint-Sernin, A., Hairstans, R., Hillier, J., Bentley, A., Barran, R., Avins, L., Setiati, D., Richards, L., & Ferriz-Papi, J. A. (2020). Offsite Ready Booklets. Edinburgh: Construction Industry Training Board

Refocusing modern methods of construction on the climate emergency: a 'five capitals' model for action (2020)
Journal Article
Campbell, A., Hairstans, R., & Jones, G. (2020). Refocusing modern methods of construction on the climate emergency: a 'five capitals' model for action. The structural engineer : journal of the Institution of Structural Engineers, 98(9), 22-28

Adrian Campbell, Robert Hairstans and Giulia Jones explain how natural, human, social, manufactured and economic capital can all benefit from a sustainability-focused approach to off -site manufacturing.

Core off-site manufacture industry drivers. (2019)
Book Chapter
Hairstans, R., & Duncheva, T. (2019). Core off-site manufacture industry drivers. In J. S. Goulding, & F. P. Rahimian (Eds.), Offsite Production and Manufacturing for Innovative Construction: People, Process and Technology. Taylor & Francis

The manufacture and pre-assembly of components, elements or modules offsite before installation into their final location are evident throughout construction history. Medieval carpenters’ pre-manufacturing the frames of buildings in their yards to en... Read More about Core off-site manufacture industry drivers..

Decision Support Tool for Enhancing the Economic Impact of Construction using Offsite Systems (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Duncheva, T., & Hairstans, R. (2019, May). Decision Support Tool for Enhancing the Economic Impact of Construction using Offsite Systems. Presented at Modular and Offsite Construction Summit, Banff, Canada

The construction industry is facing productivity stagnation across the globe, and several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon exist, most often associated with low use of digitisation, skills shortages and unpredictable market trends. Yet the econo... Read More about Decision Support Tool for Enhancing the Economic Impact of Construction using Offsite Systems.

Bim-enabled health & safety analysis of cross laminated timber onsite assembly process. (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Duncheva, T., BuHamdan, S., Hairstans, R., & Al-Hussein, M. (2018, September). Bim-enabled health & safety analysis of cross laminated timber onsite assembly process. Presented at Modelling and Applied Simulation, Budapest, Hungary

There is a global need for sustainable urban housing and offsite timber systems such as Cross Laminated Timber construction can be part of the solution to this need. However, the health and safety (H&S) impacts of CLT installation technologies have n... Read More about Bim-enabled health & safety analysis of cross laminated timber onsite assembly process..

Sustainable Communities Premanufactured from Wood (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Duncheva, M., Calcagno, C., & Hairstans, R. (2018, June). Sustainable Communities Premanufactured from Wood. Poster presented at Timber 2018

The UK produces high quantities of softwood timber through forestry plantations concentrated in Scotland, however this resource is currently under-used and its full potential for application in construction is still to be realized. However, the focus... Read More about Sustainable Communities Premanufactured from Wood.

Mass Customisable Roofing Solutions for the New Build and Retrofit Markets in the UK (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Plowas, W., Hairstans, R., & Felingham, J. (2018, March). Mass Customisable Roofing Solutions for the New Build and Retrofit Markets in the UK. Presented at Modular and Offsite Construction Summit

Major house builders and contractors in the UK are seeking alternative solutions to form the structural frame of pitched roofs for various reasons; speed, health and safety, quality ease of use. They are exploring the use of offsite systems, which ar... Read More about Mass Customisable Roofing Solutions for the New Build and Retrofit Markets in the UK.

The merits of varying forms of mass timber products for offsite and modular construction (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Hairstans, R., Smith, R., & Wilson, P. (2018, March). The merits of varying forms of mass timber products for offsite and modular construction. Presented at Modular and Offsite Construction Summit

Mass timber is a family of Solid Laminate Timber Systems (SLTS) formed from smaller sections of timber connected by glue, mechanical fixings, moisture movement or a combination of methods. These products, which include Structural Composite Lumber, G... Read More about The merits of varying forms of mass timber products for offsite and modular construction.

Mass Timber - an introduction to solid laminate timber systems (2018)
Book
Hairstans, R. (2018). Mass Timber - an introduction to solid laminate timber systems. Arcamedia Ltd

The past two decades have witnessed an extraordinary upsurge in the use of mass timber products and systems in construction - a global phenomenon driven by greater emphasis on the sustainable use of renewable resources and by significant technologica... Read More about Mass Timber - an introduction to solid laminate timber systems.

Built Environmnet Episteology: Knowledge exchange through university-industry communities of practice (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Hairstans, R., & Smith, R. (2017, June). Built Environmnet Episteology: Knowledge exchange through university-industry communities of practice. Presented at Architecture of Complexity - Design, systems, society and environment, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

This paper explores the nature of knowledge through a history of knowledge production in society. It emphasizes the modes of knowledge including explicit and tacit and argues for knowledge management and knowledge transfer as strategies to both codif... Read More about Built Environmnet Episteology: Knowledge exchange through university-industry communities of practice.

Offsite HUB (Scotland): establishing a collaborative regional framework for knowledge exchange in the UK (2017)
Journal Article
Hairstans, R., & Smith, R. E. (2017). Offsite HUB (Scotland): establishing a collaborative regional framework for knowledge exchange in the UK. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 13, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2017.1314858

The UK is set to become Europe’s largest construction market by 2030. However, UK construction productivity performance is regarded as weak, with low skills levels considered to be a key contributory factor. Consequently, off-site construction has be... Read More about Offsite HUB (Scotland): establishing a collaborative regional framework for knowledge exchange in the UK.

A Scottish perspective on timber offsite construction (2017)
Book Chapter
Hairstans, R., & Sanna, F. (2017). A Scottish perspective on timber offsite construction. In Offsite Architecture: Constructing the future. Routledge

This Chapter exemplifies the recent advancements in Scottish offsite construction through the research work carried out at the Centre for Offsite Construction + Innovative Structures (COCIS) at Edinburgh Napier University, Institute for Sustainable C... Read More about A Scottish perspective on timber offsite construction.

Understanding the compatibility of UK resource for dowel laminated timber construction (2016)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Plowas, W., Bell, T., Hairstans, R., & Williamson, J. B. (2016, June). Understanding the compatibility of UK resource for dowel laminated timber construction. Paper presented at Integrated Design Conference

Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT also know as Brettstapel) is a technique of constructing large-scale solid timber panels for use as structural or non-structural elements. The technique utilizes smaller sawn timber sections mechanically fixed together wit... Read More about Understanding the compatibility of UK resource for dowel laminated timber construction.

Increasing need for Offsite Construction and Manufactured Infrastructure in the UK Economy (2015)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Smith, R. S., Wood, J. B., & Hairstans, R. (2015, December). Increasing need for Offsite Construction and Manufactured Infrastructure in the UK Economy. Presented at CIAT Symposium 2016

Due to increasing demand for housing and other building infrastructure the methodology of offsite construction is becoming more attractive to developers, local authorities and government organisations. This paper outlines some of the key drivers such... Read More about Increasing need for Offsite Construction and Manufactured Infrastructure in the UK Economy.

A strategic review of the offsite construction sector in Scotland. (2013)
Report
Smith, S., Hairstans, R., Macdonald, R., & Sanna, F. (2013). A strategic review of the offsite construction sector in Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Government

The offsite construction sector covers a wide spectrum of companies and supply chains across Scotland. This study primarily involved a review of the offsite construction sector for homes and buildings. The following key points have been extracted for... Read More about A strategic review of the offsite construction sector in Scotland..