West Yorkshire-based Airedale General Hospital is saving time monitoring its issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) thanks to a digital twin developed by BIS Consult.
Among hospitals affected by the nationwide issue, Airedale has the largest extent of RAAC – 83% of the estate is constructed almost entirely of the material – and has more than 50,000 RAAC panels in its walls, floors and ceilings.
Nick Campbell-Voegt, director at BIS Consult, explained how the hospital has been dealing with the issue. “Accurate and reliable information is a critical resource to help the hospital manage the risk of RAAC,” he said. “Data collected during daily inspections helps to track changes in RAAC condition and monitor the overall risk profile of wards and floors. This informs the remediation plan and ensures that works are installed effectively and efficiently.
“Until recently, the inspection process has been paper-based, with field workers marking up floor plans and completing hand-written surveys. These were then scanned and transposed to Excel. Photos were taken in the field and uploaded manually back at the office, with drawings frequently updated to show changes to risk.”
Since being appointed to implement a RAAC data management solution, BIS Consult has incorporated CAD files and RAAC data to create a digital twin of the RAAC throughout the hospital.
Streamlining data collection
Campbell-Voegt said: “We have established an end-to-end workflow that enables surveyors to capture information in a live operational environment, using a mobile device to streamline their data collection and reporting process. This has now been effectively deployed, providing a system of record that drastically reduces the time needed to manage, analyse and report on RAAC information, creating a 50% efficiency saving. Ultimately, the tool provides stakeholders with greater insight and assurance around RAAC by helping to manage risk.”
Airedale’s inspections team has reduced the manual effort in collating, managing and reporting on data by three FTE (full-time employees) per month on average. The increased frequency of inspections enables an accelerated programme of work.
Airedale is keen to continue to mature the RAAC digital twin and data analytics capabilities, with a desire to understand the root cause of changes to planks and events that could trigger plank deterioration, such as adverse weather.
BIS Consult will continue to develop and enhance the data model to incorporate new data sources, including from sensors that could trigger alerts.
Richard Burgin, RAAC programme director at Airedale General Hospital, noted: “Moving forward, the reporting function will act as a single source of truth with accurate and up-to-date reports being generated in a range of formats. This will enable clear and factual supporting data to be presented to both internal and external stakeholders.”
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