WATCH: How is the golden thread of building information created and applied?

Our last webinar looked at the implementation of the golden thread on construction projects. As we reflect back to the tragic circumstances upon which the decision was made to enlist Dame Judith Hackitt to produce the “Building a Safer Future” report – which was published in May 2018 – the tragedy of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire will be forever locked in our memories.

Hackitt’s review led to the introduction of “the golden thread” – an accurate and up to date digital record of building data – after this damning report on the construction industry called for ‘a radical rethink of the whole system and how it works’ (Hackitt 2018, 5). Hackitt’s verdict on the current system concluded that ‘regulations and guidance are not always read by those who need to, and when they do the guidance is misunderstood and misinterpreted’ – and if there was ever a need to standardise project information, the time is now.

After two years, the industry has made progress, but not enough. In this webinar discussed how the golden thread of information is created, maintained and deployed.

Digital and innovative use of data allows us to shift towards value-based decision making, be better connected and deliver transformational outcomes. Mitigating risk and avoiding mistakes at pre-construction stage.

The golden thread was very much a catalyst for the onset of industry transformation, creating trusted and consistent data that is transferable between all appointing parties across an assets lifecycle.

The key is to digitise accurate information from the very start of a project.

This webinar was hosted by BIM Academy Managing Director, Peter Barker, who was joined by Director Dr Graham Kelly and Ryder Architecture’s Dr Oliver Jones and Alex Blaylock.

Peter the scene perfectly in outlining just what is the golden thread of information and why we need it. Closely followed by Alex who explained what this means to the construction industry at large and how the different elements of the UK government’s proposals fit together for digital data management.

As we know the golden thread is a product of the Hackitt report following the Grenfell fire disaster, but as Oliver told us, the golden thread is about more than simply fire safety. We need to use the golden thread to capture value and whole life performance of our assets. Taking into consideration intelligent use of data to benefit social and economic wellbeing, as well as modifying the way we design and build for the better.

This was demonstrated in the case studies presented by BIM Academy’s Dr Graham Kelly, particularly the use of data in the Forest City project in Malaysia when we developed a hierarchy of digital requirements to enable the future operation and maintenance of asset information throughout the life cycle of new structures.

The golden thread is needed now to manage projects more efficiently, and its future use is essential to building safely and in a socially responsible way.

If you would like to learn more about the golden thread, contact BIM Academy’s Peter Barker or Dr Graham Kelly for a more detailed discussion and find out how we can help transform your digital future.