Building Safety Symposium held as finale of Building Safety Week 2022 (with photos)
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More than 600 building professionals, members of the building management sector, government officials and academics exchanged views on the topic of “Innovation and Technologies for Building Safety” in the Building Safety Symposium organised by the Buildings Department today (October 28).
Speaking at the symposium, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the Government has been committed to promoting wider use of innovative technologies in different stages and aspects of building developments. They include developing the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure, which can facilitate city planning and design of the built environment; actively promoting wider adoption of building information modelling by the industry; developing the Electronic Submission Hub to enable paperless submission of building plans; and promoting digitisation of public works projects and extensive use of modular integrated construction to enhance site safety.
Ms Linn pointed out that in order to meet the challenges of ageing buildings, the Government would continue to make good use of innovative technologies in its roles as the facilitator, promoter and guardian. While committing resources, it would also encourage the industry to adopt various innovative technologies to enhance safety and promote the importance of building maintenance among the community.
The Director of Buildings, Ms Clarice Yu, in her closing remarks said that the Building Safety Symposium provided a good opportunity for the industry to add value and exchange views. The experience shared by the speakers on innovative design and construction methods, as well as digital supervision of works and the use of big data, would lead to further discussion and sharing of insights among the participants. She said she anticipated that, with the joint effort of the Government and the industry in adopting innovative technologies in building design, construction and repair, buildings in Hong Kong will become safer, more environmentally friendly and more liveable.
In the symposium, a number of local experts gave presentations the following topics:
- Innovative Building Design, Construction and Supervision;
- Application of Technologies for Enhancing Building Safety;
- Fire Engineering and Safety Management for Mega Projects;
- Big Data and GIS Application: A New Era of Promotion of Building Rehabilitation and Preventive Maintenance; and
- Challenges of Drainage Disrepair in a Dense Urban Environment.
In addition to the speeches mentioned above, the symposium also featured two panel discussion sessions.
Held at the Xiqu Centre today, the Building Safety Symposium was the closing event of Building Safety Week 2022. Over the past week, the Building Safety Carnival and the Buildings Department Inno Tech Open Day were staged to let members of the public experience the convenience and advancement in the building industry brought about by innovative technologies.