Integrating BIM, IoT, and Augmented Reality for Real-Time Fire Safety Monitoring and Evacuation Planning in Multi-Storey Buildings

Multi-storey buildings are being constructed at an unprecedented rate worldwide, driven by urban population growth and limited land availability, intensifying the challenge of fire safety and emergency evacuation, as events such as the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017 have exposed the limitations of conventional two-dimensional evacuation planning. While Building Information Modelling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Augmented Reality (AR) each offer potential to strengthen fire safety, most studies examine them in isolation, and little empirical evidence exists on how practitioners and building users perceive their integration in real-world settings. This study addresses that gap using a qualitative design combining a review of fire safety regulation and technology, comparative case studies of fire incidents across different regulatory jurisdictions, and semi-structured interviews with seven purposively selected participants spanning high-rise residents of varying ages and health conditions, a wheelchair user, a hotel guest, and a former firefighter now working in training.

Interview data were analysed thematically, including a structured comparison of how participants responded to conventional 2D evacuation plans versus AR and 3D visualisation. The analysis found preference to be split and context-dependent rather than uniform: older and less technology-familiar participants valued the familiarity of 2D plans under stress, whereas younger, technology-proficient, and mobility-impaired participants favoured AR and 3D views for spatial orientation and real-time guidance. Participants consistently identified usability, accessibility, training, and system reliability as decisive factors, and highlighted that BIM is rarely linked to live IoT sensor data in practice. The findings support integrating these technologies from the design stage, particularly under the UK Building Safety Act 2022.