Research Agenda

Digital structural engineering for resilient civil infrastructure

A 3-5 year research direction built around REF-relevant outputs, UKRI/EPSRC and Innovate UK fit, postgraduate teaching, and responsible industry collaboration.

Theme 1

AI-enabled infrastructure resilience

Developing data-driven and mechanics-informed methods for multi-hazard civil infrastructure assessment, resilience evaluation, and maintenance decision support.

critical infrastructurelong-span structural systemsmulti-hazard resilience

Theme 2

Digital structural engineering and digital twin modelling

Combining sensing, model updating, BIM/GIS integration, point-cloud reconstruction, and simulation to create asset-level and system-level infrastructure evidence.

digital twin modellingreality captureBIM/GIS

Theme 3

Construction robotics and automation research testbeds

Using laboratory and field-test workflows to study robotic perception, inspection, construction-process coordination, and research-led teaching in digital construction.

construction roboticsresearch testbedautomation

Theme 4

Knowledge transfer and industry collaboration

Translating research methods into transferable workflows for asset management, predictive maintenance, infrastructure safety, and digital engineering practice.

KTP fitindustry collaborationpublic value

UK Funding and Impact Fit

The agenda is designed to support competitive research proposals, REF impact narratives, and industry-facing innovation.

EPSRC and UKRI alignment

AI for engineering systems, resilient infrastructure, digital twins, sensing, construction productivity, and data-informed decision support.

Innovate UK and KTP alignment

Applied research demonstrators, digital workflow adoption, asset-management productivity, and knowledge transfer with infrastructure and built-environment partners.

Horizon Europe collaboration

International collaboration around sustainable infrastructure, circular construction, automation, monitoring, and data-driven resilience.

Recent 2025-2026 outputs and manuscript activity extend this agenda in BIM-enabled design, corrosion and reliability assessment, structural health monitoring, predictive maintenance, and evidence-traceable decision support. Under-review and in-preparation manuscripts are tracked internally and are not presented here as published outputs.
Public research descriptions are intentionally capability-level. Confidential partner names, project identifiers, agreement data, unpublished patent content, internal platform names, and deployment details are not published.

Research Evidence Pathways

How the agenda connects to existing public evidence.

Selected REF-relevant outputs Capability portfolio Teaching readiness Public patent portfolio