Though recently retired from BRE Ken Treadaway retains an enthusiastic interest in the construction industry, its operations and processes, and research and education in support of the industry.
Ken has broad experience of working in the industry. A Chartered Chemist and graduate in applied chemistry from Salford University, he spent the first 25 years of his career undertaking research in the areas of concrete and construction metals durability. Following a secondment at the Taylor Woodrow Research laboratories, he returned to the Department of the Environment in 1991 where he managed research programmes into the amelioration of CO2 emissions from non-domestic buildings and the performance and durability of timber construction. He also managed day-to-day liaison with EPSRC where he was involved with LINK, Teaching Company Schemes and the Innovative Manufacturing Initiative. He was appointed to head of BRE's new Construction Process Division in 1994 where he re-established construction process research as a core part of BRE's overall programme. He retired from BRE in 2001 having held the post of Secretary of the Construction Round Table from 1997.
Against this background of experience Ken's interests have now focused on mechanisms to establish new and goals for the industry through improved understanding of the business case for the construction and the objectives of clients and suppliers alike. His work to develop the Clients' Charter through its Management board allows him to pursue these objectives. He sees wider adoption of process management tools like Salford's Process Protocol as central to industry improvement. The ability of suppliers to deliver products that delight their clients is an important objective that can be met in part by further development of Salford's work on briefing aimed in particular at capturing and articulating clients business needs and aspirations.
His goal is "Assets that Work" where an integration of Client's and Supplier's business objectives are delivered through well controlled processes realizing reliable products that exceed client expectations.
He sees SCPM's broad range of high quality research, with its undergraduate teaching, links with industry and other Salford Research Centres and universities as being able to make a major contribution to achieving these goals. As a Visiting Professor Ken is keen to enable and indeed become involved in this exciting work.
