Did you know about the fire that sparked on 9 January 2022 in Twin Parks North West apartment building in the Bronx, New York? In this sparked fire incident, eight people were dead, and many were injured. Later, it was found out that there were no escape doors in case of a fire emergency in such a high-rise building. To avoid such scenarios, it has become essential to design a fire protection system at the earliest stages. This is where a fire protection engineer comes in with his expertise to save the high-rise buildings and infrastructure.
Traditional methods of fire protection lack communication gaps and are not fully secure. BIM Modelling has resolved these issues, and when a fire protection engineer comes with detailed 3D BIM fire protection models, it goes beyond the alarms and sprinklers and involves all information, such as smoke control systems, fire-resistant materials, emergency lighting, escape routes, and suppression system layouts, etc.
Importance of BIM in Fire Protection Models
According to BIM professionals on Reddit, projects can save an average of 2% in costs, and enhance savings up to 18% due to improved collaboration and smooth communications. BIM models address all the issues that traditional methods lack. BIM models are very helpful for the construction systems, including the fire protection systems, from the schematic design to the final installations.
What Does a Fire Protection Engineer Do?
The fire protection professional plays a very important role in protecting the building from fire hazards. From the initial system design to the final approval of the design, fire protection specialists handle everything. The following are the core responsibilities of a fire protection professional.
- They develop designs for the fire detection, suppression and stopping the fire. They also detect the smoke control systems that are essential for safe buildings. They create such designs that help in the integration of alarming networks and assist in the timely evacuation if the fire erupts.
- They also assess the potential fire risk, such as a system’s electrical layouts or any other material which can cause a risk of fire eruption. They not only detect risks but also propose a customized solution to avoid such situations and provide a solution in case of any emergency.
- They ensure to create such a fire protection system design that follows the regulatory codes and standards set by the higher authorities, such as NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), IBC(International Building Code) and ASHRAE.
Common Challenges in Fire Protection System Design
Integration of fire protection systems at the initial stage of designing is essential; otherwise, it can create several issues which may cause a potential fire hazard to the buildings and their resident. The following are some challenges that occur if the design process proceeds without fire protection engineers.
Poor Coordination with MEP Trades
Various systems within a building share the same space for elements/components installations, such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing and smoke detector pipes, etc. There are chances of overlapping of these pipes, which is a potential risk for the building. Therefore, it is essential to integrate the fire protection systems with these systems to avoid any conflict. Identifying these clashes is a big concern for the engineers when designing fire protection systems.
Late Clash Detection
Detecting the clashes late in a project increases the risk of fire eruption. For example, if a sprinkler shares a duct with the HVAC system, it is against the standard rules implemented by fire protection authorities. It is a big challenge for the fire protection expert to detect such clashes at the earliest stage to avoid the costly rework and install all system components effectively in their places by making the building protected.
Manual Evacuation Planning Errors
It is the prime duty of the fire protection engineer to create such designs that prevent the fire eruption. However, if it still happens, then there must be a safe evacuation plan with the right integration of alarms and smoke control. It is a challenging task for the engineers to create a safe evacuation plan for occupants manually. Manual evacuation plans have errors and can be a risk for the fire eruption in buildings.
How BIM Helps Fire Protection Engineers
According to the CSE Magazine statement, “BIM automates occupant load and exit capacity calculations, ensuring faster and more accurate evacuation planning”
Indeed, BIM software has evolved the fire protection design system for engineers. Now they don’t need to create manual designs and rely on the 2D drawings; instead, they can create detailed 3D models, including handling of sprinkles, alarms, smoke detectors and suppression systems. BIM helps the engineers get accurate data such as coverage area, water pressures, and evacuation plans, etc.
Smarter system layouts
BIM help the engineer to design a smarter and safer system. Now they can visualise the water pipes, alarm wiring, and safety equipment in the real-world model and can create the designs that are clash-free and in accordance with the codes. For example, if any shadow zones are found in the way of the sprinkles, then this can be fixed by visualising the digital representation of the 3D design.
Collaboration with other disciplines
BIM models enable the engineers to share the fire protection design with the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing teams. These shared models allow engineers to work on the same page and resolve all the clashes even before the construction begins on the site. Enhanced collaboration among stakeholders prevents costly mistakes, saves time, and ensures that all the components are smoothly installed and fit in their places.
How We Support Fire Protection Engineers with BIM
Contact UsFire Protection BIM Workflows in Action
BIM is not just the digital representation, rather than it’s beyond that. From the initial design to the final installation, it is a step-by-step guide that is helpful for all stakeholders. Following are brief details on how BIM helps in creating a fire protection system design
Project Analysis
The first step involves the project analysis. Your protection engineer discusses the project scope requirements, needs, and size with you to understand and work better.
System Design
The next step is designing the system following the codes mentioned by the higher authorities. From the sprinkles installation to the evacuation plans, engineers design every layout by using BIM software.
Clash Detection And Coordination
The next step is identifying the clashes of sprinkler pipes with HVAC ducts and locating the clashes between smoke-detecting pipes and electrical wires. In case of any class detection, the model is shared with the relevant stakeholders, and these issues are resolved with the mutual understanding and suggestion at the design stage to avoid rework, miscommunications and budget overruns.
As Built BIM Models
BIM models generate built-in models that are helpful for the renovation and maintenance purposes. These built-in models help the technicians to track the location of the sprinkler alarms and smoke extraction ducts accurately without spending time and they can upgrade the system much faster with the short period of time
The Future of Fire Protection Engineering with BIM
BIM has revolutionized the field of protection engineering with advancement such as digital twin and AR/VR. These technology allows the engineers to visualise the building fire safety system in real time and create such designs that are not only helpful for installing the sprinkler fire arms and smoke detectors, instead there also beneficial for maintenance. The five protection association studies have also concluded that Bim integrated with AR/VR increases the evaporation training and situational awareness. Let’s have a look how the integration of these technologies into BIM fire protection is helping the industry.
Digital twins for fire safety
A digital twin is a virtual copy of a building, which is very helpful for maintaining a secure and fire hazard-free environment within a building. For example, the sensors in the sprinkler system send the signals to the digital twins in case of any blockage in the pipes. The engineers plan the renovations and fixations before they happen in real time and cause any loss. Digital twins are also helpful to practice the models of fire eruption in the real world and create strategies to evacuate and save people.
AR/VR for firefighter training
Augmented reality and virtual reality have made the tasks of firefighters easy; now they can use VR headsets to practice the real-world crowded exits. AR is helpful to navigate the project evacuation routes. Integration of VR and AR into BIM models creates such training scenarios that use the real-world building layouts, showing where the alarms, smoke detectors, and Fire sprinkler systems are installed, which makes the evaporation process easier.
Why Choose BIM for Fire Protection Services
It has been stated by the International Fire & Safety Journal that “75% of professionals say digital twins improve fire safety equipment maintenance, while 89% believe they enhance emergency readiness” These stats show that choosing BIM for creating fire protection designs is very helpful. The following are the main benefits of selecting the fire protection services
- It creates designs that are safer than the manual fire protection designs
- It creates a 3D design that gives the details of every element and prevents costly errors.
- It enhances collaboration among the stakeholders and ensures a smooth execution.
Conclusion
BIM models are very helpful for the fire protection professional to create detailed 3D models. With the help of BIM software, they create the designs with the perfect layout for sprinklers and detectors, etc. BIM-based 3D models reduce costly errors and enhance collaboration among the stakeholders, which ensures are smooth execution. So, are you ready to design safer buildings with fire protection BIM
How We Support Fire Protection Engineers with BIM
Are you are a fire protection expert working in any corner of the USA, looking to collaborate with a reliable BIM fire protection design for your next project? In that case, we are here to serve you with our BIM services, MEP clash detection or scan to BIM services. You can contact us at any time to discuss your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fire protection engineer do in construction projects?
A Fire protection expert/engineer creates safer designs, holds meetings with all the stakeholders to detect potential clashes at the earliest stage, so that they can execute the plan effectively on the site.
How does BIM help in fire protection system design?
BIM create detailed 3D plans that are free from any clashes.
Can BIM reduce the cost of fire protection systems?
Yes definitely. Finding the potential issues at the design phase and getting their customized solutions prevents costly reworks and reduces the cost of the project.
How does clash detection improve fire sprinkler layouts?
Sometimes the sprinkler layout overlaps with the HVAC duct and the electrical wires, which can cause the blockage of water sprinkling and other parts of the building. This overlap between the pipes can help the engineers to find an alternative route to improve the sprinkler layout.
What is the role of digital twins in fire safety?
Digital twins are very helpful for the what-if scenarios. They are sources of real-world practice for the evacuation. Sprinklers in the building send signals to the digital twin in case of any blockage, and engineers plan the maintenance before any loss happens.
