Conceptual Fire Risk Management Framework of Building Information Modeling and Fire Dynamic Simulator ^†

Abstract

Fires in buildings result in the undesirable loss of life and property. Despite fire safety designs, the frequent occurrence of fires indicates a need for improvements in fire safety management. Conventional fire safety management is based on regulations managed separately by different parties at various stages of a building’s lifecycle. This study aims to present a conceptual framework for building information modeling (BIM)-based fire safety and risk management using the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) for a three-story building. A BIM model was developed for the building with fire safety compliance checks, and a simulation was conducted using FDS to integrate the results into the BIM model and test the model’s feasibility. The framework process consists of modeling, analysis, data integration, and user education. The BIM model was developed using Revit during the modeling stage and evaluated for fire safety compliance using Dynamo scripts. Concurrently, FDS simulations were performed for fire risk assessment in various scenarios, and evacuation route planning was established, considering the available evacuation time obtained from FDS results. Fire safety information, such as available evacuation time and optimal evacuation paths, was then integrated back into the BIM model for data integration using Dynamo scripts. In the model, fire safety compliance and simulation results were successfully integrated into the BIM model, serving as a platform for effective fire safety and risk management and providing fire safety information for building residents.

1. Introduction

Building fire safety has always been a concern in the construction industry. According to the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia [1], 9352 building fires occurred in 2023, with estimated losses of USD 580 million. To prevent such losses, effective strategies are mandatory to manage the fire risk and safety management of buildings. The main cause of a fire may not be inadequate fire protection design but rather due to faulty equipment, lack of law enforcement, poor maintenance, inadequate management, and insufficient awareness [2]. Kodur et al. [3] also noted the main causes of building fires as poor compliance with fire safety regulations and a lack of consumer education.

Conventional fire risk management of buildings relies on manual inspection, which is susceptible to human error. These inspections are prone to mistakes influenced by personal judgment and observational skills [4]. To enhance the effectiveness of fire risk management, building information modeling (BIM) has been widely adopted. In this study, a conceptual fire management model was developed by integrating BIM with the Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) to achieve effective fire risk management. The model was tested on a three-story building and demonstrated the proposed conceptual method’s efficacy in improving fire risk management.

2. Literature Review

Building fires result in the immense loss of life and property, necessitating the implementation of appropriate measures [5]. However, conventional fire safety measures, while effective in fire prevention, are often not fully integrated into building designs. This lack of integration can limit their ability to address various factors influencing fire safety comprehensively. Fire safety management plays an important role in ensuring the safety of buildings and construction projects. Appropriate fire risk management effectively and quickly identifies, prevents, and controls fires in buildings and construction sites [6,7].

Repetitive fire drills are effective in preventing fires. However, for convenience, simulations are conducted for effective fire prevention [8]. To effectively manage building fires, BIM is widely applied. Schönfelder et al. [9] incorporated fire safety equipment and keypoint-based symbol detection in escape plans. Ding et al. [10] applied BIM to simulate a fire evacuation system for large buildings. BIM provides the geometrical information of a building as the input for a computational algorithm. Li et al. [11] used BIM to develop the fire risk simulation for evacuation while considering the impact of fire on the evacuation path. Sun and Turkan [8] developed a fire safety management model that simulated fire spread while considering factors in the evacuation process. Mirahadi and McCabe [12] adopted BIM to build a real-time evacuation management model to identify fire hazards and predict emergency evacuation paths in the fire.

Despite the extensive research on BIM applications and their integration with simulation software for fire safety management, the evacuation methods have been focused on, rather than a holistic approach. Sun et al. [8] mentioned that the full potential of BIM for fire safety has yet to be realized due to research focus, data interoperability, and technical limitations of BIM software.

In this study, a conceptual fire management model was constructed by integrating BIM and FDS. This model focused on building modeling, fire safety compliance, simulation, evacuation planning, and user education for efficient fire management.

3. Model

The proposed fire safety model consists of four main components to manage fire risk and safety for buildings: modeling, analysis, data integration, and user education (Figure 1a). Revit was used for designing a BIM model. Fire safety compliance for the model was reviewed using the dynamo application programming interface (API). The BIM model was exported to FDS for simulation and analysis. Fire safety compliance and FDS results were integrated back into the BIM model via Dynamo API. The BIM model was integrated with fire safety information to determine the level of fire safety compliance, evacuation planning, and emergency alerts in the event of fire.

3.1. Modeling

Revit is used to create the BIM model using architectural, structural, and mechanical, and electrical (M&E) designs. In this study, the basic geometric layout and building component information (Figure 1b) were used for the building regulations compliance check and FDS simulation.

3.2. Analysis

The model was analyzed for compliance with fire safety regulation and fire event simulations.

3.2.1. Compliance

Building inspections for regulation and safety requirements are usually performed upon the completion of construction. This is undesirable, as the late detection of non-compliance leads to changes and delays in obtaining the certificate of fitness. Therefore, an early inspection of regulation compliance is necessary using the BIM model. The Dynamo API was used in this study as a powerful plugin for Revit as it extends its functionality. Using the Dynamo API, the BIM model is inspected for fire safety compliance based on input scripts. A warning system is constructed to avoid human error in overlooking design requirements to avoid post-construction amendments. In the design stage, the warning system helps to ensure fire safety requirements.

3.2.2. FDS and Data Integration

FDS is used to simulate building fires using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, FDS lacks a graphical user interface. Thus, Pyrosim is used for FDS simulation. Zhang et al. [7] applied Pyrosim to efficiently model and simulate fire dynamics in FDS. The BIM model using Revit can be exported to Pyrosim in international foundation class (IFC) format. The results of the FDS simulation are important information including changes in room temperature, concentration of gas species, and visibility parameters over time. These time-series data are crucial for assessing the building’s safety during a fire and determining the available evacuation time. Effective evacuation planning relies on the time available before the fire reaches an intolerable state, ensuring that evacuation time is shorter than the available time [13]. The recommended temperature threshold for a safe evacuation, according to the Society of Fire Protection Engineering (SFPE), is 60 °C in FDS modeling [14]. Due to the smoke from a fire, visibility decreases, which in turn affects evacuation speed and increases the difficulty of escape [11]. SFPE recommends that visibility must be longer than 3 m for safe evacuation [15]. The concentration of a toxic gas such as carbon monoxide (CO) must be less than 1400 ppm or 1.4 Kg/m³ [14]. The threshold values for safe evacuation include a temperature below 60 °C, visibility of 3 m, and CO concentration of less than 1400 ppm. These time-series data are imported into the BIM model in the Revit schedule.

3.3. User Education

Information on fire safety compliance, evacuation planning, and fire alerts is critical for the safety of building residents. The available time for evacuation is determined by the BIM model based on the FDS analysis results. For evacuation planning, the shortest and safest path is chosen. The shortest travel distance and obstructions on the path are accurately identified using Revit’s “Path of Travel” function. This function detects and avoids obstructions such as furniture or building components by detouring them. The model calculates the optimal evacuation path with the shortest distance and time using Revit’s schedule function. Evacuation routes are thus included in the BIM model. The BIM model feeds a microcontroller, such as an Arduino board, to send emergency alerts to smartphones of registered residents. The programmable microcontroller is easy to use [16]. Additionally, other safety information such as building safety compliance and evacuation routes are shared with floor plans using cloud-sharing platforms such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Oh [17] emphasized the importance of cloud platforms for sharing effective management plans and collaboration. The model proposed in this study provides fire safety information on the building’s floor plan, fire simulation results, and evacuation plans.

4. Results and Discussion

For model testing, a three-story building with a height of 12.8 m was selected with a level of detail of 200 in Revit.

4.1. Compliance Inspection

For compliance and functionality, the building model was designed following Uniform Building By-law 1984: Act168(1) [18]. The Act stipulates that all upper floors of the building must have at least two staircases for evacuation. In case one, the staircase is not available, so the other staircase must serve as an escape route. Using Dynamo scripts, the regulation was integrated in the design model, and notifications were displayed as shown in Figure 2a.

4.2. FDS Analysis

The 3D geometrical information of the building was exported from the BIM model into Pyrosim for FDS. The fire simulation parameters in Pyrosim included a heat release rate (HRR) of 500 kW/m² (HRR can range from 150–650 kW/m²), consistent with the UK standard of BS 7974-1:2019 [19]. The simulation time was set to 20 min. Upon completion of the simulation, the results were obtained including the critical conditions for evacuation, such as room temperature over time, visibility over time, and the concentration of CO. These time-series results are crucial for estimating the available evacuation time before fire conditions become hazardous. The critical conditions are defined as a temperature below 60 °C, a CO concentration of less than 1400 ppm, and a visibility of at least 3 m [14,15]. Based on the fire simulation results, the threshold time for evacuation was determined as 331 s (Figure 2b).

4.3. Evacuation Planning

Two evacuation routes (A and B) were created on the left wing of the building’s 1st floor using Revit’s “Path of travel” function. Both paths extended from the furthest corner of the building’s left wing to the nearest staircase. A piece of furniture (a table) was presumably placed along path A to the staircase for testing purposes. The evacuation route was created to avoid the furniture on the shortest path. The travel distance was extracted from the Revit schedule as shown in Figure 2c. The time of travel was calculated using the “Path of travel” function based on the distance traveled and was found to be less than 30 s to the stairs. The available time of 331 s is adequate for ensuring a successful evacuation.

5. Conclusions

A model was constructed for fire risk and safety management in buildings using BIM and FDS. Through modeling, analysis, integration, and user education, the BIM model was created based on Revit. The compliance with safety regulations was integrated using Dynamo API in Revit. FDS was used to simulate a fire in the BIM model, and the results provided a detailed fire spread pattern and calculated the available time for successful evacuation. The results were used in evacuation planning in which the best evacuation path was selected and available evacuation time was calculated. The results were informed to the residents. The model underscores the successful integration of BIM with FDS for comprehensive fire risk management. Future research is necessary to include various fire sources, complex building types, inter-program compatibilities, and alternative methods of sharing fire safety information with stakeholders.