Dr Kirti Ruikar

BArch MSc EngD FHEA

  • Reader in Digital Construction
  • University Special Envoy (India)

Research groups and centres

Publications
ORCiD Google Scholar
Kirti Ruikar

Research and expertise

Shape ethical thinking and drive excellence through innovation in research, and teaching. Measure success of my practice through the future leaders I shape.

A Reader in Digital in Construction with 19-years of research and innovation experience, having directed research that applies digital technology to design thinking to achieve safety, performance, and resilience objectives in buildings and infrastructure. My research responds to nationally and internationally critical topics and combines the latest in advanced ICT and data science with design thinking to develop innovative technology-led, process-driven solutions that improve performance, resilience, and safety of the built environment. Throughout my career I led funding applications submitted to national and international research councils including Innovate UK, Innovate UK Smart Grant, EPSRC, Construction N+, Royal Academy of Engineering, UKGOVSIT, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), under Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, Leverhulme Trust, British Council, Royal Society. I have been PI and Co-I on research projects (circa £1m) from internal and external funding bodies.My research is primarily applied in nature and I have collaborated with industry stakeholders such as Asite, BuroHappold, Arup, FPA, Aconex, FPA, Pyrology and Derby City Council, to name a few.

Research Publications and Visibility

Authored >150 publications. 3 books, 50 international refereed journal papers [45% Q1 journals], 58 conference papers, 14 book chapters.

Example Research Projects

Recent publications

All publications

Teaching

I contribute to learning and teaching activities across the School’s programmes including:

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2010.
  • Leading international teaching partnerships (4+1) between with Symbiosis International University, India and LU (ABCE, Wolfson, Computer Science, Business School and Institute for Digital Technologies (LU London).
  • Leading PGT Recruitment activities in India
  • Leading numerous UG and PG modules on programmes such as Architecture, Architectural Engineering Design Management, Construction Project Management, Construction Management, and others.
  • Moderatoring and/or Supervising >100 UG and PG projects.
  • External Examiner of MSc taught programme on Architecture and Sustainability at De Montfort University, UK (2017-21).

Profile

Traditional design development processes have come a long way since the drawing board. The accelerated use of ICT-based digital systems means that the industry has steadily moved towards a digitised future. A future, where increasingly unstructured information is created, shared, manipulated, stored and archived in a variety of digital media that support the four pillars of visualisation, integration, communication, and intelligence on which typical construction projects currently stand.

The growth in the ICT field combined with the unprecedented advances in communication and network media usage, have resulted in hyper-interconnectivity on a global scale. This hyper-connectivity through developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT) creates global opportunities for collaboration, not previously possible.  It links ‘human’ and ‘social’ networks with ‘technical’ systems. With the vast volumes of digitally-connected ‘big’ data, come new opportunities for learning; which if harnessed can enhance future design performance in previously unchartered areas. My research has attempted to tap into the knowledge contained with the System of Systems (SoS) using tried and tested techniques of process management. My interest lies in the development of a digitised operation’s SoS that collates ‘biggish’ data from smart meters/sensors, applies algorithmic ‘conditions’ to the data to observe performance trends and guide users with measures that enhance performance and build-in resilience. Our pioneering research has already demonstrated how it is possible to draw meaning from data contained within the system. Since the data is pre-conditioned to the users’ behavioural patterns the need to map these patterns may not always be necessary. It, however, could be seen as a ‘self-healing’/self-learning SoS that learns from itself and adjusts behaviour to the ‘detected’ conditions. In doing so, it enhances the resilience of the built asset. I foresee this as the next big shift, which would drive the industry’s focus from building as a product towards building as a service paradigm. This resonates with the pioneering works of academic and industry stalwarts such as Koskela, Anumba, Bouchlaghem, Glockling and others, who have been powerful infleunces in my career.

Professional affiliations

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the Council of Architecture, India (CA/95/18991)

Awards

  • Built Environment Beacon Doctoral Award - Dr Rizwana Shaheen Hussain, Supervised by Dr M Enoch, Dr K Ruikar, Dr Nigel Brien, Mr David Gartside
  • Built Environment Beacon Doctoral Award - Dr Mesut Pala, Supervised by Dr F Edum-Fotwe, Dr K Ruikar, Mr Nathan Doughty, Mr Chris Peters
  • Brian Mercer Feasibility Award, Royal Society. Co-Recipients: Dr P Demian, Dr K Ruikar Prof. A Morris, Dr A O'Brien

External activities

 International Leadership

  • Founding member and Leader International CIB Task Group 83 on e-Business in Construction.
  • Member of Governing Body of India BIM Association.
  • Appointed as first University Special Envoy (India) – Led innovative research (split-site PhD programme), and teaching partnerships (4+1) with academic institutions, industries, and Government to create better futures, together

National and International PhD External Examinerships

  • 2019, President of Tribunal, PhD Examiner at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain
  • 2018, PhD External Examiner, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
  • 2018, PhD External Examiner, University of Huddersfield, UK
  • 2018, PhD External Examiner, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  • 2017, PhD External Examiner, RICS School of Built Environment Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • 2017, PhD External Examiner, School of Civil Engineering and the Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
  • 2015, PhD External Examiner, Salford University, UK.

Journal Editorship

  • Associate Editor of Journal of IT in Construction ITcon.org (2006-2019). I was ITcon’s (first) and only female Editor from 2006-19
  • Deputy Editor of the internationally renowned [Q1] journal, ECAM (Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management).
  • Guest Editor, ITcon special issue on ‘Next Generation ICTs - How distant is ubiquitous computing?’ (https://www.itcon.org/paper/2021/33)
  • Guest Editor, ITcon special issue on 'Technology Strategies for Collaborative Working' (http://www.itcon.org/)
  • Guest Editor for ITcon/IT-AEC special issue on 'E-commerce in Construction' (http://www.itcon.org/cgi-bin/special/Show?_id=2006ecommerce&sort=DEFAULT)
  • Guest Editor, for ITcon Journal's special issue on 'Innovation in Construction eBusiness' (http://www.itcon.org/)

Journal Editorial Advisory Board Member/Editorial Board Member

  • Editorial Advisory Board member of NICMAR Journal for Construction Management
  • Built Environment Project and Asset Management
  • International Journal of Knowledge-Based Organisations
  • International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling (IJ3DIM)

Other

  • Conference Advisory Committee Member (https://www.nicmar.ac.in/iccrip2024/)
  • CIB TG83 International Working Group on E-business in Construction. Founding Member and Joint Coordinator (2011-2019)