AXA Commercial uses AI to identify RAAC-affected buildings

RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete used from the 1950s to the mid-1990s, which is weaker and less durable than standard concrete. It was often used in the construction of schools and other public buildings, but it was also used in some commercial buildings.

RAAC is more susceptible to cracking and erosion than standard concrete. This can lead to structural problems, including the risk of collapse.

The AI tool scanned over 70,000 multi-page documents for mentions of RAAC in just a few hours, which would have taken at least 12 months to complete manually.

Initial checks identified 65 cases as potentially containing RAAC. After a detailed desktop review of the reports, four were confirmed.

Dougie Barnett, director of mid-market and customer risk management at AXA Commercial, said: “This was a situation where speed was of the essence - our customers were concerned about their buildings, and we were able to provide reassurance about which ones were at risk.”

“Using the AI tool enabled us to react quickly to an urgent issue, rapidly reviewing thousands of pieces of data to identify those customers whose buildings could have been constructed using RAAC.”

“Our customers are our priority, and we are constantly exploring ways to use new technologies to improve and enhance our processes. This powerful AI tool has shown it has the potential to revolutionise admin-heavy tasks of unstructured data and allow us to respond when needed rapidly.”