The Use of Building Information Modeling in Fire Safety Engineering

Abstract

Buildings are among the basic infrastructures for developed societies. Every project includes various stakeholders during its life cycle that need to collaborate to improve the project's effectiveness. Hence, poor communication causes many problems and one of the major incidents is fire outbreak which happens consequently during operational phases. This causes significant fatalities and financial loses, thus it is necessary to have quicker reactions in such cases. Normally, there is a lack of quick access to building information which is created in the early stages of the project. This issue is significant when it comes to the public buildings owing to high density and far locations.Indeed, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has created to allow stakeholders access to required information to improve their works. On the other hand during emergencies, it is very critical for occupants and firefighters to response truly and on time, which can easily be provided by the BIM. This paper reviews the importance of using BIM in fire safety engineering and its applications to reduce the number of human loses and project safety incidents. In this study, by using an in-depth literature review, the necessity of using BIM for fire safety engineering has been evaluated. The results of this study show the significance of sharing information through BIM in earlier stages of infrastructure projects. The results taken from this study reveals the positive impact of BIM on the evacuation process and allows future project managers to understand the necessity of using it. This will help reduce operational issues and duplications that occur due to lack of coordination among different phases of a project.