Jones, L (2023) The golden thread of information and fire safety in construction: Making our buildings safer through the development of a robust design specification strategy and BIM framework integration. PhD thesis, University of Derby, UK.
Abstract
In this research, the development of a novel expert knowledge based system for fire safety building design specification and compliance is discussed. Its purpose is to create a beneficial design aid that is integrated with building information modelling (BIM), for helping to design and maintain safer buildings, to ease the navigation through a complex regulatory compliance regime and to mitigate risk of various potential contributors. The research reflects on the current status of the UK fire safety regulatory system in the construction industry, key professional competencies and the areas in which risk could be mitigated through the implementation of this technology. Whilst the system developed in this research is based upon the UK regulatory framework and guidance, it is adaptable to any international country building regulations and standards. The high-level system framework has been developed, connecting the expert knowledge based system to the proprietary building information modelling (BIM) software and to both a descriptive and performance based specification system. The additional purpose of BIM integration is to create an auditable fire safety design trail of a digital record for the building throughout its lifecycle, from initial design through to construction and subsequent occupancy. The feasibility of implementing an expert knowledge base system to aid both design, specification, and compliance checking was tested through the development of a system prototype. Connectivity to the building model and specification are critical in ensuring all outputs are both aligned and robust. Data is proposed to be captured within a common data environment (CDE), aligned to the UK BIM framework, thus capturing a ‘golden thread of information’. The outcome from testing of the proposed expert knowledge base system demonstrates strong potential for an effective technological aid to mitigate risk of failure or non-compliance of designed and built assets in respect to fire safety.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Ceranic, B and Tracada, E |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | UK; building design; building information modelling; common data environment; compliance; design aid; failure; fire safety; integration; lifecycle; occupancy; performance based specification; professional; safety; specification; standards |
| Index terms: | building design, building regulation, building information modelling, knowledge-based system, lifecycle, testing, construction industry, implementation, fire safety, robust design, connectivity, compliance, performance-based specification, knowledge base, regulatory system, specification, prototype, strategy, integration, regulatory compliance, common data environment, built asset, design aid |
| Subjects: | organizational analysis, regulatory law, industry analysis, information systems, political science, management, contractual condition, modelling and simulation, artificial intelligence, project delivery, design methods, computing systems, networking, asset management, health safety and environment, environmental policy, professional practice, contractual arrangements, architectural design |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Procurement, Sustainability, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Organizational Design, Contract Administration, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here