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Chapter 14
Design and Implementation
of PropertySafety:
A Wireless Sensor-Based Solution for
Safety Management of Vacant Properties
ABSTRACT
Each year millions of dollars are spent for the prevention of fooding, fre, and burglaries in vacant
properties. Keeping a vacant property secure is the most important aspect in preventing damage and
one of the most crucial tasks for property owners and facility managers. Building Information Modeling
(BIM) is an emerging technology platform that has the potential to be explored in safety-planning solu-
tions for vacant properties. In an attempt to reduce vacant property hazards, this chapter reports upon
an integrated system architecture that utilizes BIM and wireless sensor technology to produce a proac-
tive safety and emergency management system entitled PropertySafety. The proposed solution collects
real-time temperature, activity, and water detection data remotely; notifes property owners and facility
managers through efective visualizations of a building using the BIM platform; and ultimately attempts
to contribute in reducing property hazards during the facility management phase of a building lifecycle.
INTRODUCTION
Vacant property can be defined as a property that is
unoccupied (Gannon, 2014). Such vacant proper-
ties may pose a risk to public safety if constantly ne-
glected by the property owners (Wilkinson, 2011).
In the UK, vacant properties have been repeatedly
targeted by vandals and criminals in the last few
years. According to an insurance company Aviva,
around £2 billon of damage is done to property
in the UK through arson and vandalism, 25% of
which relates to vacant properties (Cosh, 2012).
Muhammad Arslan
National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
Zainab Riaz
National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
Adnan Khalid Kiani
National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6623-8.ch014