Dr Alba Fuertes

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(0) 118 378 4717
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Associate Professor
Office
127Building location
Chancellor's BuildingAreas of interest
Originally trained in construction management and engineering, my research has often focused on improving construction processes for a more sustainable and healthier built environment. I am particularly interested in climate change adaptation in the construction industry. This includes understanding: the level of awareness amongst construction professionals; the ability of businesses to systematically analyse climate change risks and their impact on their processes and operations; and current and future adaptation actions. In addition to mitigation measures, the construction sector must take significant adaptation actions to minimise the effects of climate change, including higher temperatures, extreme weather events, flooding and poorer air quality. To do so, construction organisations will need to systematically identify the short-term and long-term vulnerabilities of their managerial practices and operational processes, and analytically assess climate change related risks (e.g. heat-related H&S risks on workers, supply chain reliability, project delays and profit) and provide actions to address these risks.
I am particularly interested in establishing research collaborations with industry and attracting research funding that can benefit both academia and construction organisations. Specific research areas of interest are:
- Climate change adaptation and resilience
- Effects of weather on construction workers’ H&S and wellbeing
- Effects of weather on construction productivity
- Climate change risk assessment in construction projects
Postgraduate supervision
- Ayoubi, Q.: Mitigating the effects of rising temperatures on construction labourers’ health and wellbeing in the UK.
- Ajanyi, A.: Climate change risks adaptation of construction organisations and on-site processes
- Jones, S.: An investigation of the association between construction, indoor air quality and health
- Akinbami, A.: Effects of daylight on health and productivity of healthcare personnel
- Ulrich de Alencastro, J.P.: Impact of quality management on the thermal performance of social housing in UK
- Dangana, Z.: A decision support framework for selecting innovative sustainable technologies for delivering low carbon retail buildings.
- Tamang, P.: Organisational implications of robotics and automation in construction supply chains
- Al Mazrooei, K.: Automation adoption readiness of Oman’s construction industry
Teaching
Convenorship:
- CE2CBT1 - Building Technology (UG Year 2)
- CE3CPE - BEM Project (UG Year 3)
- CE3CPM - Construction Management Project (UG Year 3)
Contributing to:
- CE3CCD - Dissertation Supervision (UG)
- CEM10A - Research Skills (MSc)
- CEM10/18/19B - Dissertation Supervision (MSc)
Research centres and groups
Research projects
- Climate change readiness of SMEs in the Spanish construction sector: Occupational health and safety under warm temperatures (Co-I). IAPRL, Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Risks, Government of Andalucia, 2024-2025
- Sustainability Hub: Low Carbon Devon (Co-I). European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), 2019 – 2023
- Energy Game for Awareness of energy efficiency in social housing communities (EnerGAware) (PI at UoP). European Commission Horizon2020, 2