Edinburgh Napier University > Institute for Sustainable Construction > Staff and Expertise > Centre for Offsite Construction and Innovative Structures

Centre for Offsite Construction and Innovative Structures (COCIS)

Led by Dr Robert Hairstans, the Centre for Offsite Construction and Innovative Structures (COCIS) is focussed on delivering efficient offsite solutions and structural innovations.

Having close links with other Edinburgh Napier University centres of excellence including the Centre for Timber Engineering, Building Performance Centre and Scottish Energy Centre, COCIS is ideally positioned to provide the range of expertise required to ensure optimisation.

The Centre presents its results and findings in books and papers aimed at the research community and all the actors of the construction industry, from designers to manufacturers. Among its most recent publications is Off-site and modern methods of construction: a sustainable approach by Robert Hairstans, a guide which examines production concepts that improve the efficiency of timber construction, following its history around the world.

Key competencies

Structural appraisal and experimental investigation of components, connections and structural systems
Eurocode design and detailing
Continual professional development delivery
Applied research and knowledge transfer
Delivering innovative solutions to technical problems

The COCIS mission is to generate an evolutionary cycle whereby quality product is delivered efficiently, resulting in improved profitability and competitiveness leading to further future investment in research.

Research

COCIS Diagram The Centre launched a new research project in June 2011, Structural Optimisation of Timber Offsite Modern Methods of construction – a Sustainable Approach, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Thanks to its objectives and topics of interest, this project has already attracted considerable attention from academia, professionals and industry.

The overall aim of this project is to evolve the current open panel platform timber frame construction industry to become a sustainable and structurally viable closed panel engineered off-site modern method of construction (MMC) in order to meet future regulatory and market requirements.

The key objectives are:

resolve the structural performance issues identified as stability, robustness, durability, standardisation, design life, movement and fire resistance, evolving open panel timber frame to a closed panel engineered system solution
derive novel technical solutions to overcome specific structural requirements without impinging upon overall system efficiency
create a whole house engineering (WHE) mechanism from test information capable of structural optimisation and cross correlation with Eurocode.

The Centre and the EPSRC Project have numerous Supporting Partners:

Bre
CCG OSM
CSC
Harley Haddow
Kraft
Neil Sutherland Architects
NHBC
Oregon Timber Frame Engineering
Structural Engineers Registration
The Scottish Government
Timber Solve
UK Timber Frame Association

Education

Timber roof being lifted into place COCIS firmly believes in the advantages of a close interrelationship between research & development and education at both academic and professional level. The Centre’s staff deliver various modules in several undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses within the School of Engineering & the Built Environment:

Principles of Civil Engineering (1st year, BSc & BSc (Hons))
Methods of Construction (3rd year, BSc & BSc (Hons))
Forensic Engineering (5th year, MEng, & MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering)

COCIS also offers continuing professional development courses and seminars for architects, engineers and other professionals involved in the design and building process.