CIRIA

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CIRIA

Industry	Construction, Built Environment, Civil Engineering
Founded	1960
Headquarters	London, Old Street
Products	Collaborative research, consultation and dissemination
Services	Consensus building, development of guidance and assisting implementation through training, workshops and seminars
Website	http://www.ciria.org

CIRIA is a member-based research and information organisation dedicated to improvement in all aspects of the construction industry.^[1] Members include representatives from all parts of the supply chains of the modern built environment, covering building and civil engineering as well as transport and utilities infrastructure. CIRIA is a not-for-profit company, with all membership subscriptions, earnings and external funding being invested back into industrial and public seminar events, training courses and research assignments with the overall goal.

History

The Construction Industry Research and Information Association was founded in London in 1960. In recent times the organisations' name has been shortened to CIRIA. Today, CIRIA is now known solely by its abbreviated name. CIRIA's mission is to improve the performance of those in the construction and related industries.

Research

CIRIA’s research spans the market sectors of buildings and facilities, water and sustainability, environment, civil and ground engineering, process and management, and technology. Working both within and across these market sectors, the themes of work cover a wide remit related to construction including: technical issues, legislation, regulation, training, management and economics. While much of the work benefits from public sector funding. Many of CIRIA's research projects and activities culminate in the publishing of guidance documents, many of which have been adopted as the standard for excellence in their respective areas.^[2] The outputs of research projects have also taken the form of training seminars and workshops.

Training

CIRIA provides a range of training courses. Each course is based on a CIRIA area of expertise and an accompanying CIRIA publication, where applicable, is distributed to course delegates . All courses are certified for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and the content is continuously updated to reflect industry and legislative changes.

The training modules are designed for all levels of knowledge from less experienced professionals fairly new to construction through to professionals who have extensive knowledge and experience.

In 2010 CIRIA launched the UK's first online training course in contaminated land.^[3]

http://www.ciria.org/documents/training/Training/index.html

Networks

CIRIA manages a number of Learning Networks. The main event-based network is called the CIRIA network (www.ciria.org/network). The networks deliver around 70 workshops and seminars each year across the UK. The seminars involve industry-practitioner speakers and the transmission of event summaries to all registered members of the networks.

CIRIA also manages a number of more focused networks including:

LANDFORM (Local Authority Network on Drainage and Flood Risk Management) – a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise in flood risk management and sustainable drainage

Buildoffsite - an industry-wide campaigning organisation that promotes greater uptake of offsite techniques by UK construction

SAFESPUR – to share for supplier good practice for nuclear defence sites

EMSAGG (European Marine Sands and Gravel Group) – to provide the marine aggregate industry with the opportunity to discuss the issues affecting this sector

LACL (Local Authority Contaminated Land Network) – working together to deliver sound contaminated land management throughout the UK.

BRMF (Brownfield Risk Management Forum) - promoting sustainable and good practice in brownfield projects in the UK.

Ownership

CIRIA’s owners include representatives from all parts of the supply chains of the modern built environment, covering building and civil engineering as well as transport and utilities infrastructure. CIRIA is led by a member-wide council. Bill Healy was appointed as CEO in 2007.^[4] Membership of CIRIA’s Executive Board currently comprises:

Dr John Connoughton (Chair) - Professor of Sustainable Construction University of Reading
Ginny Clarke – Director of Safety, Standards and Research, Highways Agency
Dr John Connaughton - Professor of Sustainable Construction University of Reading
Professor John Miles - Global Consulting Business, Arup and University of Cambridge
Jim Neill - Company Chief Engineer, Sir Robert McAlpine
David Rooke - Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency

References

↑ Trade Federation Sections- About CIRIA
↑ The 2002 Fairclough review of construction research Rethinking construction innovation and research : a review of government R & D policies and practices reported a high industry regard for CIRIA, ranking it highest of all research providers on polls of both industry users and public sector funders of construction research.
↑ Contaminated Land online training
↑ Bill Healy appointed as new CEO

External links

CIRIA also manages a number of project and membership related web sites.

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