Alistair Gibb | Loughborough University (original) (raw)
Papers by Alistair Gibb
Construction workers are exposed to considerable hazards carrying a health risk, e.g., dusts, fum... more Construction workers are exposed to considerable hazards carrying a health risk, e.g., dusts, fumes, noise and manual handling, yet there is often poor occupational health service provision particularly for subcontracted labourers. This paper presents seven case studies from large, engineering construction organizations, concerning current practice in occupational health management. The results supported the fact that data and records regarding health-related absence were limited and inconsistent, and that little existed in terms of medicals and health surveillance, particularly in the case of subcontracted workers. The main difficulties envisaged were reported to be the sizeable costs involved; the temporary and mobile work force; demonstrating cost-benefits to top management and a lack of interest amongst workers, perhaps exacerbated by the threat of lost livelihood. Managers also admitted limited health expertise and knowledge of the wider role health professionals could play in health management. Training and further research in this area are indicated.
The research described in this paper addresses buildings that are designed to adapt in response t... more The research described in this paper addresses buildings that are designed to adapt in response to the changing parameters of our rapidly evolving society. These changes might be social, environmental or economic, all elements of sustainability, but they will affect the way we construct and use buildings. At the moment the majority of buildings are designed and constructed to suit a particular use at a certain time, with no thought for the future. The research focuses on two specific types of adaptable buildings, those that are pre-configured and those that can be re-configured through their lifetime and it aims to facilitate the development of adaptable buildings in the UK. Two case studies are being examined to enable this; a pre-configured components systems, Newways, envisaged by GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) and BWM (Bryden Wood McLeod) and a reconfigurable building concept, Multispace, designed by 3DReid. This paper will pay particular attention to the sustainability aspects of these ...
This article was published in the journal, International Journal for Housing Science and Its Appl... more This article was published in the journal, International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications, [© IAHS]. The increasing demand of housing supply in the UK drives the industry to consider using more alternatives of build systems. However, the selection of build systems appears to be normally left to late design stages, which may expose the business to undesirable risks. This paper aims to improve build system selection by introducing a transparent structured decision support matrix. A number of interviews with leading housebuilders were used to examine the decision criteria and establish mechanisms of selection. These firms, together, contribute a tenth housing unit completions by the industry overall. The paper develops the matrix which provides over 50 value-based criteria for system selection and methods for calculating weights of criteria and scores of systems. The matrix can be used as a tool for system selection in early design processes, which should help improve e...
Brandon/Virtual Futures for Design, Construction & Procurement, 2008
The visualization of ideas is critical to the design process. A designer will iterate a design un... more The visualization of ideas is critical to the design process. A designer will iterate a design until the desired functionality or aesthetics emerge, a design team must communicate thoughts between individuals in order to establish consensus. Further into the design, ...
Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics (CE2008), 1-3 April 2008, Nottingham, UK, 2008
Work (Reading, Mass.), 2014
The construction sector has one of the worst occupational health and safety records in Europe. Of... more The construction sector has one of the worst occupational health and safety records in Europe. Of all construction tasks, formwork activities are associated with a high frequency of accidents and injuries. This paper presents an investigation of the activities and related safety risks present in vertical formwork for in-situ concrete construction in the civil engineering sector. Using the methodology of staticized groups, twelve activities and ten safety risks were identified and validated by experts. Every safety risk identified in this manner was quantified for each activity using binary methodology according to the frequency and severity scales developed in prior research. A panel of experts was selected according to the relevant literature on staticized groups. The results obtained show that the activities with the highest risk in vertical formwork tasks are: Plumbing and leveling of forms, cutting of material, handling materials with cranes, and climbing or descending ladders. ...
Abstract: This paper represents "work-in-progress" as part of a collaborative research ... more Abstract: This paper represents "work-in-progress" as part of a collaborative research project being undertaken at the Centre for Innovative Construction Engineering for an Engineering Doctorate at Loughborough University, UK. The programme is funded by the EPSRC and is ...
Construction workers are exposed to considerable hazards carrying a health risk, e.g., dusts, fum... more Construction workers are exposed to considerable hazards carrying a health risk, e.g., dusts, fumes, noise and manual handling, yet there is often poor occupational health service provision particularly for subcontracted labourers. This paper presents seven case studies from large, engineering construction organizations, concerning current practice in occupational health management. The results supported the fact that data and records regarding health-related absence were limited and inconsistent, and that little existed in terms of medicals and health surveillance, particularly in the case of subcontracted workers. The main difficulties envisaged were reported to be the sizeable costs involved; the temporary and mobile work force; demonstrating cost-benefits to top management and a lack of interest amongst workers, perhaps exacerbated by the threat of lost livelihood. Managers also admitted limited health expertise and knowledge of the wider role health professionals could play in health management. Training and further research in this area are indicated.
The research described in this paper addresses buildings that are designed to adapt in response t... more The research described in this paper addresses buildings that are designed to adapt in response to the changing parameters of our rapidly evolving society. These changes might be social, environmental or economic, all elements of sustainability, but they will affect the way we construct and use buildings. At the moment the majority of buildings are designed and constructed to suit a particular use at a certain time, with no thought for the future. The research focuses on two specific types of adaptable buildings, those that are pre-configured and those that can be re-configured through their lifetime and it aims to facilitate the development of adaptable buildings in the UK. Two case studies are being examined to enable this; a pre-configured components systems, Newways, envisaged by GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) and BWM (Bryden Wood McLeod) and a reconfigurable building concept, Multispace, designed by 3DReid. This paper will pay particular attention to the sustainability aspects of these ...
This article was published in the journal, International Journal for Housing Science and Its Appl... more This article was published in the journal, International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications, [© IAHS]. The increasing demand of housing supply in the UK drives the industry to consider using more alternatives of build systems. However, the selection of build systems appears to be normally left to late design stages, which may expose the business to undesirable risks. This paper aims to improve build system selection by introducing a transparent structured decision support matrix. A number of interviews with leading housebuilders were used to examine the decision criteria and establish mechanisms of selection. These firms, together, contribute a tenth housing unit completions by the industry overall. The paper develops the matrix which provides over 50 value-based criteria for system selection and methods for calculating weights of criteria and scores of systems. The matrix can be used as a tool for system selection in early design processes, which should help improve e...
Brandon/Virtual Futures for Design, Construction & Procurement, 2008
The visualization of ideas is critical to the design process. A designer will iterate a design un... more The visualization of ideas is critical to the design process. A designer will iterate a design until the desired functionality or aesthetics emerge, a design team must communicate thoughts between individuals in order to establish consensus. Further into the design, ...
Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics (CE2008), 1-3 April 2008, Nottingham, UK, 2008
Work (Reading, Mass.), 2014
The construction sector has one of the worst occupational health and safety records in Europe. Of... more The construction sector has one of the worst occupational health and safety records in Europe. Of all construction tasks, formwork activities are associated with a high frequency of accidents and injuries. This paper presents an investigation of the activities and related safety risks present in vertical formwork for in-situ concrete construction in the civil engineering sector. Using the methodology of staticized groups, twelve activities and ten safety risks were identified and validated by experts. Every safety risk identified in this manner was quantified for each activity using binary methodology according to the frequency and severity scales developed in prior research. A panel of experts was selected according to the relevant literature on staticized groups. The results obtained show that the activities with the highest risk in vertical formwork tasks are: Plumbing and leveling of forms, cutting of material, handling materials with cranes, and climbing or descending ladders. ...
Abstract: This paper represents "work-in-progress" as part of a collaborative research ... more Abstract: This paper represents "work-in-progress" as part of a collaborative research project being undertaken at the Centre for Innovative Construction Engineering for an Engineering Doctorate at Loughborough University, UK. The programme is funded by the EPSRC and is ...