Building Safety Symposium successfully held
More than 300 building professionals, property management practitioners, academics, government officials and non-governmental representatives attended the Building Safety Symposium organised by the Buildings Department (BD) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (November 14). They explored innovative solutions to enhance building safety and advance the future development of the industry by delving into the application of innovative technologies in optimising building design, repair and maintenance, and construction site safety management.
Speaking at the symposium, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the use of new technologies to enhance building safety and efficiency is an inevitable trend. The Government is committed to promoting construction digitalisation, including plans to announce a revamped roadmap for Building Information Modelling (BIM) by the end of this year to progressively extend BIM application to private development projects of different scales.
With regard to construction and site safety, Ms Linn said that the Government is actively promoting the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) method. The guidebook to facilitate cross-boundary trade of MiC modules has been released earlier, along with the implementation of MiC Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme, to encourage more MiC projects. The Government will conduct central procurement on a trial basis in the first half of next year, piloting in the procurement of commonly used materials including steel reinforcement and MiC modules, and will also launch a Project Cost Management Platform to establish a market price database. Moreover,the Government will continue to promote the wider adoption of the Smart Site Safety System (4S) in the industry. Over 550 public and private construction sites have been awarded the 4S label so far.
Ms Linn said that the use of innovative technologies such as AI and the like is essential to the work of the BD. She expected that the department will further enhance co-operation with the industry to promote the application of more innovative technologies in areas including building maintenance and repair, building safety design, digital services platform and data interoperability, and so on.
In the welcoming speech of the Director of Buildings, Mr Ho Chun-hung, he said that the BD is dedicated to exploring and utilising innovative technologies to enhance the regulation of building safety and its services. He cited the BD's proactive approach to inspect the external walls of high-risk buildings, using drones and AI to assist with the inspections and analysis of building defects.
To enhance enforcement efficiency, the BD launched last month an electronic case management and reporting platform, which could automatically generate warning letters upon expiry of the due dates of statutory orders, replacing the manual process of issuing letters. Owners can also access the platform via the BD website or by scanning the QR code on the letter to report their compliance with orders and notices.
To promote wider adoption of BIM in the industry and enhance the design, construction and maintenance of buildings, the BD has developed a series of automated checking tools. These include area, fire safety and structural checking tools, which are available for download free of charge from the BD website. This enables the industry to verify in advance whether their designs comply with the Buildings Ordinance. The BD will also launch a tool for checking building separations for compliance with the sustainable building design guidelines by the end of the year.
Mr Ho said that the BD will continue to work hand in hand with the industry to seize the opportunities arising from technological advancements and digital transformation, with the aim of creating a safer and more sustainable built environment.
The Building Safety Symposium is the closing event of Building Safety Week 2025. The theme of this year's symposium is "Digital Transformation for Safer Building Design, Construction and Maintenance". In the symposium, a number of local experts spoke on the following topics:
• Integration of Advanced Technologies to Enhance Construction Safety;
• Digital Works Supervision System: Enhancing Safety and Quality through Smart Site Management;
• Urban Renewal Authority in Building Rehabilitation - The Lighthouse in the Darkness;
• Smart Governance: Digital Transformation for Building Control and Sustainability;
• Embodied AI in Construction; and
• Implementation of Advanced Technologies for Maintenance of Existing Buildings.
In addition to the above speeches, the symposium featured two panel discussion sessions, enabling industry professionals and expert speakers to share insights and explore the implementation and development of building safety in more depth.
In addition, an award presentation ceremony for the Building Safety Pioneer Programme was held during the symposium to commend student pioneers for applying their knowledge of building safety by running interactive game booths at the BD Open Day last Saturday (November 8), thus fulfilling their mission to promote building safety to the public. An award presentation ceremony for the Building Façade Design Competition was also held today. This competition aimed to encourage the public to actively participate in building a livable community and make them understand the close relationship between building maintenance and their daily life. The winning entries are currently on display at the MTR Community Art Gallery in Yau Ma Tei MTR Station.
Building Safety Week is a major event of the BD's public education and publicity efforts. Over the past week, the BD has organised an open day and an experience-sharing session, with the aim of further promoting building safety messages to the public through a series of activities.
Building Safety Symposium successfully held Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Building Safety Symposium successfully held Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Building Safety Symposium successfully held Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
