Construction Project Management with Foundation Year

This module is designed to support students in developing the academic and personal skills necessary for success in higher education. It introduces key strategies for effective study, analysis, academic writing, and personal development. Students will explore techniques for managing time, working collaboratively, and engaging with feedback, while also reflecting on their own learning styles and goals. 

Module Aims:  

This module will enable you to correctly apply suitable knowledge and techniques to assess, record and present information in respect to the properties and performance of construction materials. 

The module will also provide you with broad underpinning knowledge and understanding of the variety of building technology (construction methods and techniques) along with the main influencing factors to enable them to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles of the construction of buildings.  

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

Fundamentals of Buildings: 

• Foundation construction   
• Ground floor construction  
• Wall construction   
• Internal Floors / Stairs  
• Roof construction  
• Steel / concrete frames  
• Doors, windows internal finishes  
• Curtain walling and cladding  
• Mains services supply  
• External and internal drainage  
• Introduction to future technologies  
• Introduction to Health & Safety 

Materials: 

• Concrete – manufacturing, testing of fresh properties, testing of harden properties 
• Masonry - manufacturing of masonry units, the application, properties of bricks and mortar, Standards  
• Timber - production, use and testing of timber, different types of timber products; performance of different timber beams and the manufacture of a composite beam using three different timber species 
• Metals - testing the properties of a variety of different metals using tensile testing machines  
• Plastics – testing of properties  
• Composites - production, manufacture, properties and use of composite materials, testing 
• Thermal Performance of construction materials (calculation of U and R values) 
• Sustainability of materials

Module Aim:  

This module will provide you with a grounding in the fundamental principles of surveying, setting out and planning methodologies, giving you the opportunity to gain the skills that construction project managers need to enable them to plan and implement a variety of construction projects around the world. Digital data gleaned from surveys will be used to inform and develop effective planning skills through industry-based scenarios, whilst also introducing the current surveying technologies used in industry.   

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• Industry technologies such as Drones, 3D scanning  
• General surveying principles, including setting out 
• Digital drawing and planning skills  
• Site and environmental considerations  
• Quantification of works 
• Identify and evaluate the resources needed for the site. 
• Planning techniques include Gantt Chart, network analysis, critical path, etc.  
• Project Planning: use of simple planning software 
• Project Plans – SWMP, Site Layout Plans, Traffic Management Plans 

Module Aim:  

This module will give you the skills and knowledge that you need to get the best out of your studies at university level and it will inspire and empower you to aim for a great career in the built environment in your chosen discipline through engagement with employers and the world of work, including though an employer-brief based Applied Project. 

Indicative content:  

 Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• An orientation to study and life at University (including study skills; assessment literacy; academic integrity; academic advising; welfare support; equality, diversity & inclusion; effective team working) 

• An introduction to your course (including building your course community; getting to know each other; field trip; meeting other year groups and graduates from your course) 

• An orientation to careers in the built environment (including ‘professionalism’; the range of built environment roles; understanding your professional identity; professional bodies and their requirements; ethics and professional standards; career planning and employability skills; employer presentations; networking) 

• An employer-led introduction to a core area of work in your discipline (by for example, a set of sessions in which professionals take you through the reality of how they deal with a key task, from start to finish) 

This module is key to settling you into your course and connecting you to the opportunities that successfully engaging with the course will give you. 

Module Aim:  

Built environment professionals need to understand how the projects that they are involved in are shaped by the interaction of social, legal, economic and environmental factors. This module will introduce you to the core concepts of sustainability, law and economics, by exploring them in the specific context of an area of contemporary challenge within the built environment, such as how to increase the number of new homes being constructed.  

Indicative content:  

 Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• Sustainability (What is sustainability? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does sustainability enable housing development? How does it restrict it?  How does sustainability look in other countries? Is sustainability just about the environment? How is sustainability assessed within built environment projects?) 

• Law (What is law? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does law enable housing development? How does it restrict it? How do disputes arise and how are they dealt with? How is legal risk identified and managed within built environment projects?) 

• Economics (What is the economy? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does economics enable housing development? How does it restrict it? What shapes the economy at national and local level? How is scarcity dealt with? How is economics used in managing built environment projects?) 

• Housing (What is housing? Where does it come from? Who is in control? Who provides housing? Who restricts it? Why is there a shortage? What could be done differently? How is housing provided around the world?) 

Module Aim:  

This module enables you to critically evaluate and analyse various contractual procedures and roles relating to procurement strategies, tendering procedures and standard forms of contract. You will study and apply the fundamental legal concepts and areas of law applicable to the contract and its administration to facilitate the successful management of construction projects. 

Indicative content:  
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• Employability skills for placement success 

• Procurement Routes and Strategies  

• Tendering Procedures and Analysis  

• Standard Forms of Contract 

• NEC  

• JCT 

• Administration of Contracts 

• Issues relating time, cost and quality 

• Carrying out interim valuations 

Module Aims:  

1. To provide you with the ability to evaluate in depth construction technology (construction methods and techniques) applying the main influencing factors to enable them to apply knowledge and understanding to the design and construction of buildings. 
2. To equip you the knowledge and understanding of the importance of health, safety and welfare within the UK construction industry. Specifically, the module serves to develop knowledge and application of the interpretation of key health and safety legislation and risk management mechanism in their application to the vocation. 

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

Technology part:  

• Technology of non-domestic buildings including construction detailing / build-up of typical elements 
• Develop Technical Research skills 
• Functional requirements and performance of building components informing feasibility of the design  
• Modern methods of construction - application and performance 
• Overview of civil applications (bridges, services, roads) 

Health and Safety Part: 

• Context and importance of health and safety within the built environment 
• Health and safety enforcement, prosecution for breaches of health and safety legislation, role of the HSE 
• Health and safety regulations (e.g., Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, Work at Height Regulations, Control of Asbestos at Work, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations)
• Principles and application of risk assessment, hazards and control measures within construction and the built environment
• Accident reporting and investigation processes

Module Aim:  

This module will provide you with the knowledge, skills and application opportunities to plan, monitor and control construction projects by accounting for key factors such as cost, time, quality, and health & safety for both a new build project and an existing building.  

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• Feasibility studies in terms of costs and buildability.  
• Cost estimating, planning, monitoring and control techniques for new build and maintenance.  
• Concept of building whole life cycle  
• Impact from variation: cost and programme.  
• Principles of contingencies/ risk allowance 
• Sustainable costing and construction 
• Project and site management methodology.  
• Use of current construction planning software and cost databases.  
• Complex construction methods 
• Reporting progress of works.   
• Accelerated program methods 
• Problem-solving skills.  

Module Aim:  

In this module you will put into practice the sustainability principle of ‘think global, act local’ by collaborating face-to-face with students from across the Department of the Natural and Built Environment and potentially online with students at other universities around the world, in order to work upon an Applied Project related to the resilience of built environments. 

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

Collaboration skills: 

• Working with others, building relationships, including with external stakeholders 

• Developing collaborative and strategic design proposals 

• Cross-cultural communication, collaboration and inclusivity 

• Communication, presentation and reflection skills 

• Understanding and responding to client requirements 

• Developing and presenting environmental and construction design solutions 

• Reflection on collaborative learning 

Resilient built environments:  

• Study and consideration of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

• Resilience and sustainability: are they the same thing? 

• Hazards facing built environments (e.g. climate change, flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes, heat stress, war, pandemics, energy & technology failures) 

• Infrastructure & resilience 

• Insurance, finance and resilience 

• Principles of resilient design, construction and use of built environments 

• Professional roles and requirements in built environment resilience 

• Deep-dive into one hazard (e.g. flood resilience) and contrast UK and non-UK approaches to resilience to that hazard  

Module aim:    

The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of and reflection on meaningful work placement(s).  

A work placement will provide students with opportunities to experience the realities of professional employment and experience how their course can be applied within their chosen industry setting. 

The placement will: 

• Allow student to apply the skills, theories and behaviours relevant and in addition to their course 
• Enable students to enhance their interpersonal skills in demand by graduate employers – communication, problem-solving, creativity, resilience, team work etc
• Grow their student network and relationship building skills
• Provide student with insights into the industry and sector in which their placement occurs 
• Help student make informed graduate careers choices

Indicative Content:  

In this module students undertake a sandwich placement (min 24 weeks / min 21 hours per week) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies.  

Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their placement and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for.  

To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work. 

Module Aim:  

This module has two aims: 

Advanced Planning: to enable you to identify, formulate and articulate how construction business planning activities contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives by addressing relevant organisational strategies, factoring in bid writing for different projects, with further consideration of digital construction. 

Climate Action Retrofit Project: to enable you through working collaboratively in an immersive, work integrated learning environment, to address an employers’ brief use your disciplinary knowledge and given professional identity to identify, formulate and advance feasible retrofit proposals to address energy and environmental challenges posed to existing buildings by the climate emergency. 

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

Advanced Planning: 

• Business Planning 

• Organisation strategy / stakeholder management / Client Care 

• How to win a contract / Communication & Negotiation / Approved contractor list requirement.  

• Process Performance Management; KPI 

• Governance & Corporate Social Responsibilities 

• Planning with advanced technology (like 4D Planning)  

• Current trends in the industry (like real time construction, digital twin) 

  Climate Action Retrofit Project:  

• Climate change, energy and the built environment 

• Strategies for climate action and delivering Net Zero 

• Construction and Real Estate professionals’ roles and perspectives on climate action 

• Energy efficiency in new build 

• Retrofitting existing buildings 

• The challenges and dangers of retrofit (eg Grenfell tower) 

• Evaluating research and technologies for retrofit 

• Selecting, costing and communicating retrofit proposals 

• Reflection upon your personal development during the course and planning for your future personal development 

Module Aim:  

This module aims to develop your knowledge and skills in managing people and information within construction projects. The module will build upon prior learning to give a deeper insight to the digital technologies utilised within construction projects. The module will also encourage analysis and reflection to maximise professional skills development as the module also aims to develop your understanding of the characteristics and behaviours required to lead and manage teams to enable you to be a successful project manager in industry.   

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

Professional Development 

• Professional bodies: accreditation processes and professional membership.   

• Reflection on professional experience and managing challenges/ change.  

• Orientation to graduate careers and career planning.  

Digital Construction 

• Context, definition and concepts of Building Information Modelling (BIM) 

• BIM requirements, national and global developments 

• Industry standards and information management processes.  

• Technology/software (information production and management)  

People Management 

• Human Resource / People Management / Organisation Culture 

• Change Management / Stress Management / Negotiation Skills / Conflict Management (individual and team conflict).  

• Construction Psychology 

• Conduct rules, ethics, EDI and professional practice.  

Module Aim:  

This module will give you the skills that you need in order to plan and implement an individual research study related to a built environment topic of your choice with a particular emphasis on the types of research questions, research methods and data sources that you will encounter in professional practice. 

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

• Deciding what to research, based upon reflection on your career goals and experience to date  
• Formulating a workable Research Question 
• Research ethics  
• Critical evaluation of data sources and existing studies  
• Working with policy and business information sources  
• Understanding intellectual property, data re-usage rights and information governance  
• Gathering and preparing existing data for re-processing  
• Hypothesis testing, basic algorithms, validity and verification  
• Quantitative data analysis: working with Big Data and data mining  
• Qualitative data analysis: working with texts, maps, images, case studies, legal materials  
• Descriptive, predictive and normative analysis  
• Dealing with uncertainty, incompleteness and bias  
• Succinct communication of findings  
• Evidence-based decision-making  
• How to reflect on the progress and effectiveness of a research project 

Module Aim:  

In this module you will carry out an individual research study related to a built environment topic of your choice, and report and reflect upon the outcome of that study, with a particular emphasis on the types of research questions, research methods and data sources that you will encounter in professional practice. You will report and reflect upon the outcome of your study. 

Indicative content:  

Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:  

NB: this module will not have taught content (that is provided in the Research Methods module). The following listing is therefore the knowledge and skills that you will use and develop by undertaking your individual project: 

• Keeping your Research Question and research design under review as your study progresses 

• Critical evaluation of data sources and existing studies  

• Working with policy and business information sources  

• Understanding intellectual property, data re-usage rights and information governance  

• Gathering and preparing existing data for re-processing  

• Hypothesis testing, basic algorithms, validity and verification  

• Quantitative data analysis: working with Big Data and data mining  

• Qualitative data analysis: working with texts, maps, images, case studies, legal materials  

• Descriptive, predictive and normative analysis  

• Dealing with uncertainty, incompleteness and bias  

• Succinct communication of findings  

• Evidence-based decision making  

• How to reflect on the progress and effectiveness of a research project