Dr Karen Blay

MCP BSc PgCert MSc PhD FHEA MACM AMASCE

  • Senior Lecturer in Digital Construction and Quantity Surveying
  • Deputy Group Lead Construction Management

Research and expertise

My research interest falls under the following broad themes: Resilience in Projects, Building Information Modelling, Information Resilience, and Inclusion in the Built Environment. I am currently supervising PhD students in the area of Building Information Modelling (BIM)/Geographic Information Systems/Blockchain/Digitalisation in the Built Environment. At the undergraduate level, my supervised research areas include Information Security, Digitalisation, and Inclusion in the Built Environment. 

Current research activity

  • Social Value in a Digitalised Built Environment
  • Information Security in the Built Environment
  • Artificial Intelligence for RAAC Monitoring
  • Blockchain for Project Governance
  • Digital Inclusion in the Built Environment

Recently completed research projects 

  • Information Resilience in the Built Environment
  • See here for additional information
  • Building Information Modelling in Africa
  • Digital strategies for community resilience
  • The interplay between density, design, and well-being toward developing resilient cities

Recent publications

Kurwi, S, Demian, P, Hassan, T, Blay, K (2022) A process model for collaboration at the design stage of rail project deliveryJournal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(10), 04022105, ISSN: 0733-9364. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002355.

Blay, K, Yeomans, S, Demian, P, Murguia, D (2020) The information resilience framework: Vulnerabilities, capabilities and requirementsJournal of Data and Information Quality, 12(3), 14, ISSN: 1936-1955. DOI: 10.1145/3388786.

Blay, K, Tuuli, MM, France-Mensah, J (2019) Managing change in BIM-Level 2 projects: benefits, challenges, and opportunitiesBuilt Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(5), pp.581-596, ISSN: 2044-124X. DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-09-2018-0114.

Amankwaa, EF and Blay, K (2018) Cities at risk? Exploring the synergies between smartphones and everyday vulnerabilitiesCities, ISSN: 0264-2751. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2018.06.015.

Teaching

I contribute to learning and teaching activities across the Schools programmes including:

Undergraduate

  • Building Information Modelling technologies
  • Building Measurement
  • Collaborative Design Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Project Planning, Monitoring and Control
  • Qualitative Research technologies
  • Risk Management
  • Simulations and Clash Detection

Postgraduate 

  • Federated Building Information Modelling

Enterprise

Short courses 

  • Inclusive Engineering for Project Management Institute (PMI)

Consultancy

  • Cross-Government Program of the Research into Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Plank Performance

Profile

Career 

I graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a First-Class Bachelor of Science degree in Building Technology. Prior to my degree, I completed a Hardware and Networking Professional (HNQP) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification program and studied various programming languages. I have a Master of Science degree (with Distinction) and a PhD in Construction Project Management from Loughborough University and I am a Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.

I have previously worked as a Quantity Surveyor on local and international projects and worked with diverse teams in managing Information Technology Systems and Construction Projects. I am currently researching in the areas of Socio-technical systems and Inclusion in the Built Environment. Within the school, I am the Part A tutor for the Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying Program, a member of the Wellbeing Committee and I assist on the Athena SWAN Charter.

Professional affiliations

  • FHEA
  • ACM
  • AMASCE

External activities

  • Co-chair of European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3) Summer School
  • Member of the BIM4Health Task Group
  • Reviewer for the BIM Dictionary Project
  • External Examiner for the MSc BIM Management & Integrated Digital Delivery program- Middlesex University
  • Scientific Committee Member of the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
  • Research Committee member of the BIM Africa initiative

Key collaborators

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

  • Association for Project Management
  • Center for Digital Built Britain