Dr Karen Blay

MCP BSc PgCert MSc PhD FHEA MACM AMASCE MCIOB

  • Senior Lecturer in Digital Construction and Quantity Surveying
  • Construction Management Group co-lead
Construction Management
Publications
ORCiD Google Scholar

Research and expertise

My research mainly seeks to advance Information Resilience and Digital Inclusion across the Digital Built Environment (DBE). I, therefore, lead the virtual Centre for Information Resilience and Digital Inclusion (CIRDI).

Example of completed projects under the Information Resilience theme:

Example of ongoing research under the Information Resilience theme:

  • A PhD supervision on Information Integrity in the Digital Built Environment

Example of completed projects under the Digital Inclusion theme:

  • HP Digital Inclusion report: Digital Inclusion: ‘Six ways to advance innovation in AEC’
  • Autodesk Digital Inclusion: click here and here 

Networks: 

  • Centre for Digital Built Britain,
  • National Health Service (NHS), 
  • Autodesk,
  • Hewlett-Packard

Other Research Activities

  • Social Value in a Digitalised Built Environment
  • Artificial Intelligence for RAAC Monitoring
  • Blockchain for Project Governance

Recently Completed Research Projects 

  • Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Digital strategies for community resilience
  • Interplay between density, design, and well-being towards developing resilient cities

Recent publications

Jaillant L., Aske C., Blay K., Hidalgo-Urbaneja M., Maguire M., Saveliev S., (2023) Governance of AI:https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/113826/html/

Kurwi, S, Demian, P, Hassan, T, Blay, K (2022) A process model for collaboration at the design stage of rail project delivery, Journal 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 requirements, Journal 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 opportunities, Built 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 vulnerabilities, Cities, ISSN: 0264-2751. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2018.06.015.

All publications

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

Enterprise activities

  • 2018-Inclusive Engineering for Project Management Institute (PMI)
  • 2019- MentorSET Facilitation with Women in Engineering Society
  • 2019- Association for Project Management- Exploring research opportunities for Project Management and Artificial Intelligence.
  • 2021 to date- NHS UK- Digital Estate Group

Consultancies

  • Cross-Government Program of the Research into Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) Plank Performance. (Artificial Intelligence for Defect Monitoring) 

Profile

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 with diverse teams in managing Information Technology Systems and Construction Projects and as a Quantity Surveyor on local and international projects. I am currently researching in the areas of Information Resilience (Socio-technical systems) and Inclusion in the Built Environment. Within the school, I am the Construction Management co-group lead and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion co-director (maternity cover).

Professional Affiliations

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (MACM)
  • Affiliate Member American Society of Civil Engineers (AMASCE)
  • Member of The Charted Institute of Builders (MCIOB)

External Activities

  • Summer School Chair European Council for Computing in Construction (EC3)
  • 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)
  • Chair of research committee for BIM Africa
  • Member of the BIM4Health Task Group

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
  • National Health Service (NHS)