New automation tools cut engineering checks from four hours to 10 minute

Developed in partnership with Midlands steel construction specialist HadleyFRAME, these tools speed up the process of checking thousands of structural connections in digital building models before components are manufactured. This has allowed for a 96% time saving by helping engineers identify potential problems earlier, reducing the risk of costly errors later on.

The custom automation programs were developed in collaboration with Midlands-based HadleyFRAME through a Business & Innovation Support Sprint project funded by the West Midlands Advanced Construction Cluster and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The first tool streamlines the copying process by allowing engineers to define their own parameters each time, removing the need to manually re-configure the tool for every new scenario. This cut the time it takes for a batch of five copies from 15 minutes to 12, a 20% saving that can have a huge impact on large-scale projects.

The second tool automatically scans an entire digital building model to flag missing or unexpected structural connections before components reach the factory floor.

“Both savings matter not just for efficiency but for safety,” said Dr Ilnaz Ashayeri, senior lecturer in construction management at BCU and Principal Investigator of the project.

“Working closely with HadleyFRAME and supported by our research team, we focused on developing practical solutions that could be tested against real engineering challenges and deliver immediate value to industry.

“Missing structural connections have historically gone undetected until the fabrication stage, where identifying and fixing errors is far more costly and disruptive.”

The technology was tested on a five-storey modular residential building in Derbyshire containing more than 18,000 structural connections, demonstrating its ability to work at the scale required for real construction projects.

“Automation isn't optional anymore in construction, it's a necessity," Dr Ilnaz Ashayeri added. “But big promises don't move industries forward, real deliverables do.

“Small, focused projects like this one are exactly what it takes to show people what's actually possible and get them genuinely interested in doing more.”

These tools were built, tested and validated against real-world projects delivered by HadleyFRAME, providing credible evidence of how targeted automation can improve productivity, quality assurance and safety within modern methods of construction.

The automation tools were designed, developed, tested and validated by Research Assistant and PhD student Fatemeh Najafi Sanagoo, who was a runner up in the 3-Minute PhD Pitch competition during BCU’s 2026 Innovation Fest.

The project was also supported by Professor Franco Cheung and Dr Panagiotis Patlakas from BCU’s School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering.

“Working directly with Birmingham City University gave us the opportunity to test innovative ideas against live projects and real detailing requirements,” said Oliver McCormick, lead draughtsperson at HadleyFRAME.

“The collaboration ensured the tools were not only technically robust but also capable of delivering meaningful benefits to the way modern construction projects are designed and delivered.”

Supported through the Business and Innovation Support Sprint programme, the study is intended as a replicable template that other firms and projects across the construction sector can build on.

It is demonstrating how targeted automation tools can be applied to real engineering challenges while improving efficiency, productivity and safety.

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