Leeds Beckett University collaborates on £1.1million project to transform building safety with AI

As part of a £1.1million Innovate UK funded initiative, LBU is partnering with GMI Construction Group, Leeds-based spatial computing and AI provider SimplyVideo, and software developer AngleStack to develop an Intelligent Golden Thread for Building Safety Management (i-GBSM).

The new i-GBSM platform is designed to make navigating the new Building Safety Act more efficient and most importantly, to improve building safety. With the potential for industry-wide adoption, the i-GBSM platform represents a significant step forward in compliance with the new building safety act.

The Building Safety Act 2022 was introduced in response to safety concerns following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. The Act brought significant changes to building regulations, focusing on the design, construction, and management of high-risk buildings to prevent future disasters. The manual process of navigating these regulations can be time-consuming and prone to error, so LBU's team of experts explored AI-supported digital solutions.

The i-GBSM platform incorporates AI Machine Learning with a host of advanced digital technologies accessible through an app, smart glasses, and even virtual reality (VR) headset This enables users to visualise and immerse themselves within a digital representation of the construction project.

A crucial feature of the i-GBSM platform is its integration of 'Golden Thread' information - a record keeping system that documents every phase of a building's lifespan, from its design and construction through to long-term maintenance. This single, unified source of information enables instant access to critical safety data when it's needed, ensuring transparency and helping stakeholders manage safety more effectively.

Dr Jamiu A Dauda, a chartered building engineer and senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, emphasises the significance of the project: "As the project's lead investigator, Leeds Beckett is thrilled to develop the research framework that supports this ground-breaking technology. Building on years of research at our School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, we're excited to collaborate with GMI Construction Group, SimplyVideo, and AngleStack to deliver the i-GBSM platform.

"Once fully assessed, this platform could have a far-reaching impact on building safety compliance. This pivotal advancement shows Leeds Beckett working at the heart of industry innovation, making things safer, and empowering stakeholders to navigate complex regulations more effectively."

The industry has been steadily incorporating advances in machine learning, automation, and digital technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), with LBU making significant contributions to research in this field. The school's Construction Informatics and Digital Enterprise Laboratory (CIDEL) offers world-class research consultancy in construction automation and has won a number of previous projects funded by Innovate UK.

Learn more about research at CIDEL into the use of machine learning in fire safety standards and building design and construction.