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Haijiang Li

Professor Haijiang Li

Professor - Chair in BIM for Smart Engineering

School of Engineering

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Professor HaiJiang LI (BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA, FBCS, FICE)

Chair in BIM for Smart Engineering
Head of Research Group - Computational Mechanics and Engineering AI (CMAI)
Head of Cross-cutting Group – InSilico Digital Twins and Virtual Environments
Director of BIM for Smart Engineering Centre, Lab & MSc Programme
Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Chair of EG-ICE - European Group of Intelligent Computing in Engineering

Standards Committee Technical Executive – buildingSMART

Editor-in-Chief (past): Construction Innovation (Impact Factor: 3.3) 

Associate Editor: Automation in Construction (Impact Factor: 10.3) 

 

Research Areas - For more than 20 years, Prof. Li has been working towards a new generation smart computational engineering platform underpinned by super power computing, big data and machine learning, inter-linked domain knowledge, artificial intelligence algorithms and BIM based standardization across sectors throughout project life cycle, to support large scale engineering data / information / knowledge processing, smart engineering optimization and holistic decision making to help to achieve sustainable and resilient infrastructure system and built environment.

Prof. Li has been intensively working in civil, structural, hydraulic and maritime engineering, through digital twinning along with smart design, modelling, analysis, simulation, reasoning, optimization & management in support of smart energy in buildings, district and cities; water distribution and urban water management; sustainable and resilient cities and built environment development including emergency response and management.

 

Research Focuses -


(1) Fundamental life cycle and across domains complex data, information and knowledge processing 
(2) Large scale data driven engineering computing, data analytics and optimization
(3) Knowledge based and artificial intelligence supported holistic and systematic decision making

 

Funding and Team: Prof. Li has secured significant research funds from UK, EU and China, as a Principal/Co-Investigator, the total project value is about £40M (£9M as PI, funding sources include EPSRC, NERC, EU FP7/H2020, InnovateUK, WEFO and industry funding). He has established the BIM for Smart Engineering research theme in Cardiff University since 2006, leading the BIM for Smart Engineering Research Group, Centre, Lab (focusing on HPC, BIM, VR/AR/MR, Digital Twins) and MSc programme, working with a team of more than 70 research fellows/associates/PhDs (and >60 MSc project students) in total since 2006. Prof. Li has secured more than £2M industry investment to support BIM and Smart Engineering related research projects.

 

Academic Impact - Prof. Li has produced more than 250 publications (papers, books, patents and official reports), served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Construction Innovation (Impact Factor: 3.3), and an associate Editor for the Journal of Automation in Construction (Impact Factor: 10.3); He also serves as editorial board members for other 5 international journals; and reviewers for EPSRC (UK), NSERC (Canada), EU, China, Singapore funding applications and 50+ international journals and conferences (as scientific committees / chairs); delivered 70+ invited / keynote speeches in UK, EU, China and USA. He is a Fellow of British Computer Society, member of EPSRC Peer Review College. He has actively been engaging with most of the major international associations regarding BIM and ICT in AEC domain, e.g. EG-ICE, ICCCBE, CIBW78, ECPPM and ASCE. He has been leading/participating UK, EU FP7 / H2020 research projects intensively and created a significant international base for academic and industry collaboration; he is the Chair for EG-ICE: European Group of Intelligent Computing in Engineering, which is a highly established international academic association in BIM and intelligent computing area.

 

International BIM standards & policy - Prof. Li has been working with open BIM buildingSMART since 2010, serving first as a committee member of BuildingSMART UK technical group, together with BRE (Building Research Establishment), advising the UK government on their BIM policy making and industry implementation agenda; and now as a Standards Committee Technical Executive (SCTE) – buildingSMART international, overseeing international open BIM standards developments and personally leading IFC Ports & Waterways standards development project. In China, Prof. Li serves as a guest BIM scientist for China State Construction Engineering Group & China Communications Construction Company. A BIM policy book was published in 2019 - "CHINA, USA & UK BIM STANDARDS AND POLICY" (China Construction Industry Publisher) to comprehensively introduce and compare the BIM standards and policies in China, USA and UK.

 

 

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

  • Li, H., Miles, J. C., Stevenson, G. and Poulter, R. 2008. Web enabled 3D collaborative conceptual design and facility management. Presented at: Intelligent Computing in Engineering (ICE08), Plymouth, UK, 2-4 July 2008 Presented at Rafiq, Y. and Sternad, M. eds.Intelligent Computing in Engineering 2008 conference. Plymouth: American Society of Civil Engineers pp. 250-259.

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Research

COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING AI GROUP

I am the Group Head for Computational Mechanics and Engineering AI (CMAI) in Cardiff Engineering School.


CMAI has established their international stands on developing next generation smart computational engineering solutions to enable the digital transformation for built environment. CMAI’s physics and mechanics informed Engineering AI, which is data-driven, enabling smart materials, structure and digital twin development, aligns well with major funding priorities. The research substantializes domain-oriented AI algorithms, to make a breakthrough towards generic, responsible and explainable AI, to enable human-centered digitalization for the built environment.

CMAI focuses on three main areas:  

  1. Computational models for advanced smart materials 
  2. Computational models for advanced structures and meta-structures 
  3. Advanced BIM and Physics informed Digital Twins 

The first one, in short, Smart Materials, involves state of the art topics such as modelling of micro- and nano-structured materials and composites, electroactive materials, biological materials (*), quasicrystals (*) and architected meta-materials (*), which means we can produce bespoke manmade new materials to help achieving net-zero sustainable built environment.  

Regarding the second, in short, Smart Structures, the topics are composite aerospace structures, finite elements method for multiscale problems (*), robust aircraft design optimisation, uncertainty quantification and management in engineering applications (*), smoothed-particle hydrodynamics for modelling flow of particulate composites, modelling of meta-structures for elastic waves (*), structural dynamics (*), dynamical systems, elastic waves propagation and absorption (*), structural optimization, topological mechanics (*), which means we can understand and produce novel and sustainable structural at all scales to help achieving long lasting and sustainable built environment. 

The third area, Digital Twins,  focuses on the pioneering physics informed data driven engineering AI and their applied smart engineering applications,  including Symbolic Mathematics, Game Playing, Neutral Networks, Expert Systems, Fuzzy Logic, Robotics and Natural Language Processing (*); multi-dimensional BIM data, information and knowledge processing (*); Large scale smart engineering computing, data analytics and optimization (*); and Knowledge based / cognitive modelling and artificial intelligence supported holistic decision making (*), which means we can understand super complex engineering issues and produce holistic and systems approach to enable human centred digitalization.  

In all those topics the group is present at a level recognised as at least internationally excellent. Those indicated with the (*) are trendy topics that are attracting most of the attention of the world-leading research centres. 

RESEARCH PROJECTS 

Project title

Duration

Value to Cardiff

Digital Standards for Maritime Engineering & supporting smart platfrom development
Funding: Industry

2024 - 2027

£200,000

Open BIM & Digital Twin Standards Developments for Maritime Infrastructure 
Funding: Industry

2023 - 2027

£500,000

BridgeTwins: BIM and Digital Twins in support of Smart Bridge Structural Surveying, Funding: Innovate UK

09/2021-04/2025

£363,300

MEECE - Marine Energy Engineering Centre of Excellence - Smart Maritime Infrastructure Health Monitoring Platform Development
Funding: WEFO

01/2023-
06/2023

£82,260

AI-Bridge: Physics-informed AI Digital Twins supported Smart Bridge Structural Safety, Funding: WEFO

11/2021-12/2022

£248,560

Digi-Transportation - Digital Construction and Asset Management for Transportation Infrastructure - standards, key technology and knowledge transfer  

01/01/2021- 31/12/2023

£50,000

MetaBIM: Smart BIM Meta-Standards and Quality Assurance Research and Development, Funding: Industry

01/01/2019-12/31/2022

£300,000

IFC-Harbour: Open BIM IFC standard and supporting platform for water transportation infrastructure - stage 2, Funding: Industry

01/02/2019-01/02/2023

£365,000
Total value:¥12M 

IFC-Harbour: Open BIM IFC standard and supporting platform for water transportation infrastructure - stage 1, Funding: Industry

01/10/2017-30/09/2020

£115,485
total value ¥3M  

IFC-Harbour: Open BIM IFC standard and supporting platform for water transportation infrastructure - preliminary research, Funding: Industry

04/01/2017-03/04/2017

£35,960
total value ¥1M 

BIMEET: BIM-based EU - wide Standardized Qualification Framework for achieving Energy Efficiency Training  Funding: EC H2020

01/04/2017-31/03/2019

€123,125
total value
€998,417

BIM4QA: BIM governance framework supporting multi-facet project and organization quality assurance. Funding: KESS2 & Enterprise Ltd.

01/10/2017-30/09/2020

£98,566

Green Construction – Funding: Ministry of Science and Technology, China

2016- 2020

total value: ¥90M

Future BIM: Enhancing the key understanding future BIM and its roadmap development Funding: Royal Academy Engineering

13/06/2016-24/07/2016

£4,572

REACH: Resilience to earthquake induced landslide risk in china
Funding: NERC& NSFC - National Science Foundation of China

25/01/2016-24/01/2019

£502,952
total value £1M 

BIM4VET: Standardised Vocational BIM Training in Europe
Funding: EC - ERASMUS+

01/09/2015-31/08/2017

£66,985 
total value
€273K      

BIM4EA: Facilitating the release of geographical and built asset data
Funding: UK Environmental Agency

15/03/2015-31/05/2015

£100,000

GovernBIM: BIM execution governance across lifecycle and supply chains
Funding: EPSRC

01/10/2015-31/03/2019

£84,000

OptiCloudBIM - Research on key technologies of Cloud, BIM and energy big data processing framework for Shanghai City, China
Funding: Shanghai City

15/06/2014-14/06/2016

£19,753
total value ¥1M 

WISDOM: Water analytics and intelligent sensing for demand optimised management Funding: EC FP7

01/02/2014-31/01/2017

£352,687 
total value
€4.4M    

BIM4Highway: Developing a BIM based Real Time Decision Making System for Highways Asset Management Funding: EPSRC

01/10/2014-30/09/2017

£56,000

OntoCrowd - Knowledge mining based on massive simulation
Funding: EPSRC

01/10/2014-01/10/2017

£56,000

BIM4H&E: Using BIM to enhance construction safety
Funding: China Scholarship Council

01/10/2014 -30/09/2017

£83,000

PERFORMER: Portable, exhaustive, reliable, flexible and optimized approach to monitoring and evaluation of building performance Funding: EC FP7

02/09/2013 - 1/09/2017

£459,505 
Total value
€8.2 M   

CloudBIM: To develop an innovative private cloud system to support multi-business collaboration, utilizing governance and versioning, for the construction industry using building information modelling Funding: KTP and Wakemans Ltd

01/02/2013 -31/01/2015

£133,033   

Wanda: Developing a real time abstraction & Discharge permitting process for catchment regulation and optimised water management Funding: Innovate UK

01/08/2013 -31/07/2016

£224,959 
Total value 
£1.2M    

Infrastructure-BIM: A Contractor’s perspective of Infrastructure Information Modelling, Funding: EPSRC.

01/07/2013 -31/12/2016

£79,399

RESILIENT: Coupling Renewable, Storage and ICT'S, for low carbon intelligent energy management at district level  Funding: EC FP7

01/09/2012 - 1/08/2016

£527,442 
total value
€8.1M    

SPORTE2: Intelligent Management System to integrate and control energy generation, consumption and exchange for European Sport Recreation Buildings Funding: EC FP7

06/07/2012 - 8/02/2014

£235,871 
total value
€4.7M    

RegBIM: BIM- based Regulatory Compliance Design Environment, Funding: Innovate UK

01/02/2012 - 1/01/2014

£127,278 
Total value 
£1.1M   

KNOWHOIEM: Knowledge based energy management for public buildings through holistic information modelling and 3D visualisation, Funding: EC FP7

01/09/2011 - 1/08/2014

£286,252 
Total value:€4.5M 

SCriPT: Sustainable Construction Service Platform Funding: Welsh Assembly Government (A4B)

01/01/2010 - 0/06/2013

£339,295

Digital building - From conceptual design through to life-long management
Funding: EPSRC

01/07/2006 -01/10/2009

£83,092

 

Teaching

Prof. Haijiang Li has been playing the leading role for promoting BIM research, teaching & training in Cardiff since 2006.

BIM has been enabling a revolutionary way of working for the worldwide construction industry since it was first coined in 2003. It now triggers a worldwide tipping point to completely transform the oldest while still with the lowest productivity construction industry. At present, there are urgent demands for BIM graduates at all levels from UK & worldwide in AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry. 

In 2018, Prof. Li developed a MSc programme - BIM for Smart Engineering  to welcome master students all over the world who are interested in BIM in Engineering. The programme has put Cardiff into the front tier for BIM training and education in UK and worldwide.

Module Leader for three BIM core modules:

BIM Computing and Information Processing (ENT516)
Building and Infrastructure Information Modelling (ENT768)
Building and Infrastructure Information Modelling (EN4308)

Other modules involved:

Integrated Building/Infrastructure Design
(ENT510 & EN4102)
Engineering Case Study (ENT725)
Dissertation (Civil, Structural, Geo-environmental, Water) (ENT509)

Supervisions

OPPORTUNITIES...  PhD research scholarships - Study - Cardiff University

There are several research associate / assistant roles and several fully funded PhD scholarships available (from industry / China Scholarship Council) for applications in the area of BIM supported Smart Engineering. If you are interested, email  lih@cardiff.ac.uk, and application link is - click to submit your PhD application

Research Assisstants/Associates/Fellows/Visiting Academic (22)    

  1. Huajie Wang - Key technologies in the complex structure construction and Structural Health Monitoring (Visiting Academic)
  2. Xudong Jiang - computer-based simulation and optimization for Sustainable Design (Visiting Academic)
  3. Yi An - Information entropy and fuzzy system  
  4. Xiaofeng Zhu - Smart Compliance checking using LLM 
  5. Guanyu Xiong - BIM and Digital Twins in support of Smart Bridge Structural Surveying
  6. Ali Khudihair - Smart Structural Health Minitoring for critical structures
  7. Tian Zhang - Digital twins for smart Bridge maintenance (2022, Visiting Academic)
  8. Guihe Tang - BIM supported Structural Engineering (2019, Visiting Academic)
  9. Li Huang - BIM supported construction safety for tunnel engineering (2019, Visiting Academic)
  10. Alex Bradley - IFC Ports & Waterways Standard and Platform Development (comppleted)
  11. Alan Rawdin - AutoBIM - BIM processes automation (comppleted)
  12. Guoqian Ren - Digital Twins - for Cities and Harbours Project (comppleted)
  13. Kai Zhao - Physics-informed AI Digital Twins supported Smart Bridge Structural Safety (completed)
  14. Tom Bower - MetaBIM - Smart BIM Certification Project (completed)
  15. Ioan Petri - SCRIPT & SPORTE2 Projects (completed)
  16. Baris Yuce - SPORTE2 Project (completed)
  17. Tom Beach - REGBIM Project (completed)
  18. Jean-Laurent Hippolyte - RESILIENT Project (completed)
  19. Yang Liu - WANDA Project (completed)
  20. Wanqing Zhao - REACH Project (completed)
  21. Michael Dibley- KNOWHOIEM Project (completed)
  22. Ian Wilson - SCRIPT Project (completed)

PhD (56)

  1. Automatic Extraction of Tunnel Geological Parameters and Construction Safety Diagnosis, Adili Rusuli (2024.12)
  2. Multi-source information driven shield tunnel structure evaluation model: from construction to maintenance stage, Linghan Ouyang (2024.9)
  3. Digital twins supporting traditional architecture preservation, inheritance and innovation, Shiyi Sun (2024.9)
  4. Construction Safety Monitoring based on Text and Image Data Fusion, Kunyao Li (2024.9)
  5. Multi-time scale planning based on multi-autonomous agent systems, Yujia Zhao (2024.4)

  6. Intelligent real-time monitoring and early warning system for underground engineering based on cloud platform technology, YAN HongChuan (2023.9)
  7. Seismic performance indices of double-column piers for evaluating post-earthquake reparability of bridges based on digital twin, DENG HaiRong (2023.9)
  8. Real-time risk assessment of bridge system based on data-knowledge-driven method, LIU JiuCai (2023.9)
  9. Micro-services based Digital Twin supporting smart bridge maintenance, CHAI Chengzhang (2023.1)
  10. Damage identification and maintenance decision optimization of bridges based on Digital Twin, YANG Siyao (2023)
  11. Self-compact concrete experimentatino and machine learning, Abdulaziz Omar F Aldawish (2023.1)
  12. BIM4H&E: Using BIM to enhance construction safety GAO Shang (2023)

  13. Connected Digital Twins And Explainable Ai Supporting Collaborative Emergency Response, CHEN Kehong (2022.10)
  14. Mechanics informed Digital Twins for bridge design and maintenance, SONG Honghong (2022)
  15. Ontological BIM supporting smart bridge design and analysis, JIANG Yali (2022)
  16. Smart building Energy, Oguzhan Gulaydin (2022.1)
  17. Smart Compliance Checking based on NLP and LLM, LIU Xiaoyu (2022.1)

  18. IoTs for Digital bridge Infrastructure surveying, XIONG Guanyu (2021.1)
  19. Machine learning supproted self-compact concrete performance prediction, CUI Tianyi (2021.1)
  20. Knowledge-based AI to supporting parametric railway tunnel design and optimization, LING Jiaxin (2021)
  21. Marco Marocco - BIM for smart engineering (2021, Università degli Studi di Trieste)
  22. Overheating risk reduction in UK buildings, Mousa Alrasheed (2020.10)
  23. BIM & Digital Twins for smart bridge asset management, GAO Yan (2020.1)
  24. MetaBIM – smart BIM compliance Checking and supporting platform development, ZHU Xiaofeng (2020.1)

  25. Theoretical framework on Information Processing, AN Yi (2019.10)
  26. BIMChain - BIM & Blockchain, ARTHUR Steven (2019)
  27. Ontology modelling for road maintenance, ZHANG Rujie, 2019
  28. Holistic design for Pile system, MENG Kun, 2019

  29. BIM4QA - Governance Framework Supporting Multi-facet Project and Organization Quality Assurance RAWDIN Alan, 2018
  30. BIM Supported Smart Manufacturing for Construction Digitalization, SU Tengxiang, 2018
  31. Holistic design based on knowledge processing and surrogate modelling, KHUDHAIR Ali, 2018

  32. Machine learning and Knowledge engineering in support of comprehensive comfort building design, BIE Sisi, 2017
  33. BIM supported Sustainable Structure Design, ZHANG Jisong, 2017
  34. Data governance network for life cycle BIM execution, Mohamed Binesmael 2017

  35. Resilient and sustainable urban infrastructures CERE Giulia, 2016

  36. Zero carbon housing in Iraq SHALLAL Balsam Alwan, 2015
  37. Govern-BIM: BIM execution governance across lifecycle and supply chains, GOONETILLAKE Jaliya, 2015
  38. BIM based Collective Decision Support for Value for money evaluation in PPP, REN Guoqian,2015
  39. Governance and assessment framework for BIM based highway asset management, LAMB Simon, 2015
     
  40. Knowledge mining for holistic design decision making by leveraging information models for crowd behaviour analysis, BOJE Calin, 2014 

  41. Ontological representations for integrated smart cities modelling & data analytics HOWELL Shaun, 2013
  42. The Development of Urban Sustainability Assessment Framework for Iraqi cities AMEEN Raed, 2013
  43. Dynamic Cloud computing platform development for engineering optimization LI Zhaojun, 2013
  44. Infrastructure-BIM: A Contractor’s perspective of Infrastructure Information Modelling, BRADLEY Alex, 2013

  45. A Proposed Framework for Resilience to Biological Disasters; The Case of Mers-COV Threat in Transient Mass Gathering Event ALSHEHRI Saud, 2012
  46. BIM based combined optimization and reasoning for smart building and district energy management JAYAN Bejay, 2012
  47. HPC / Cloud computing based engineering optimization YANG Chunfeng, 2012
  48. BIM for structural Engineering, Scott Knight 2012

  49. A Consensus-based Framework for The Sustainable Urban Planning Development of The City of Riyadh ALI Alqahtany, 2011
  50. End User Oriented BIM Enabled Multi-Functional Virtual Environment Supporting Building Emergency Planning and Evacuation WANG Bin, 2011
  51. BIM-Based Smart Compliance Checking to Enhance Environmental Sustainability KASIM Tala, 2011
  52. A Strategic Decision-Making Framework for Organisational BIM Implementation CHEN keyu, 2011
  53. BIM based holistic approach for multi-objective integrated design using ontology HOU Shangjie, 2011

  54. Managing Innovation in Public Research and Development Organisations Using A Combined Delphi And Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach MEESAPAWONG Pawadee, 2009
  55. A Comparative Study of Operating Theatre Management Systems, AL OJAIMI Abdulkarim, 2009

  56. Digital building - From conceptual design through to life-long management DIBLEY Michael, 2007

MSc (66)

2024-25
JEYAKUMAR    PREETHI
SAYED    ADNAN MOHAMMED ALI
MAJUMDER    SAGNIK

2023-24
ALEEM USAMA BIN
ANSARI GULSHANBANU SAMIRAHM
IPAENIN MUHAMMAD
PAWAR NEERAJ
RAVIHARAN SAKTHI KIRUBA
WU KEDI

2022-23
Daqi Deng
Jiefeng Zheng
Tom Gillard
Maurin Ringeisen
Mohammed Abass
Ocen Gabriel

2021-22
HIN CHAN
Yu GU
Huan Li
Peijun LIU
Wenting LIU
Jifu Zuo

2020-21
Zimo LI
Xiaoyu LIU
Zihan LIU
Weiyang WANG
Yutong WEI
Yihong XU
Qiushi WEI

2019-20
Wai Kwong Ng (Billy)
Yuhua Han (Carol)
Changhe LIU
Chengzheng Huang
Danyang WU
Rundong PU
Ruowang RUI

2018-19
David Joseph Pugh
Priyanka Narayanamoorthy
Sit Wai Choy
Xiaofeng ZHU

2017-18
DING Rui
FAN Yuxiang
GEORGIOS TSIOULOS

2016-17
APANOMERITAKI EVANGELIA
DILIP M DHARNA
NIKOLAS CHATZIIOAKEIMIDIS

2015-16
Parveer Singh

2014-15
MUHAMMAD UMARU
LI Xiao
GAO Zishu

2013-14
GAN Lu
ZOU Yang

2012-13
KNIGHT Scott
JAYAN Bejay
DU Xiang
Isaac Bamfield
SUN Yanhui

2011-12
LUO Chengshi

2010-11
ZHANG Renfei
LIN Yeli

2009-10
Atul Ravi Dongargaonkar
DONG Haichuan
SUNIL KUMAR MANNI
ZHAO Bo

2008-09
LIU Zhi
NA Qing

2007-08
ABDUL MATEEN KHAN SAFDAR

     

Current supervision

Chengzhang Chai

Chengzhang Chai

Graduate Demonstrator

Kehong Chen

Kehong Chen

Research student

Sisi Bie

Sisi Bie

Research student

Tengxiang Su

Tengxiang Su

Ktp Associate

Yali Jiang

Yali Jiang

Research student

Honghong Song

Honghong Song

Research student

Tianyi Cui

Tianyi Cui

Research student

Alan Rawdin

Alan Rawdin

Research student

Mousa Al-Rasheed

Mousa Al-Rasheed

Research student

Yan Gao

Yan Gao

Research student

Oguzhan Gulaydin

Oguzhan Gulaydin

Graduate Demonstrator

Shang Gao

Shang Gao

Research student

Xiaoyu Liu

Xiaoyu Liu

Research student

Abdulaziz Aldawish

Abdulaziz Aldawish

Research student

Linghan Ouyang

Linghan Ouyang

Graduate Demonstrator

Contact Details

Email LiH@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 75133
Campuses Queen's Buildings - South Building, Room S2.10C, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA

External profiles