{"id":26369,"date":"2024-06-26T16:12:15","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T23:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/how-bim-helps-make-buildings-safer\/"},"modified":"2024-06-26T16:12:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T23:12:17","slug":"how-bim-helps-make-buildings-safer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/how-bim-helps-make-buildings-safer\/","title":{"rendered":"How BIM Helps Make Buildings Safer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"-\"<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

\n

There are many uses for
\nbuilding information models that are yet to be discovered. One Finnish team
\ncollaborated with a city and fire & rescue authority to explore how BIM
\nwould help make buildings safer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine a fire inspector in a building with an AR headset. He can retrieve
\ndata from the building\u2019s digital model and hence get an x-ray view of the pipes
\nand cables behind the lowered ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Timo
Timo Lehtoviita<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

That\u2019s a scenario that Timo
\nLehtoviita<\/strong> pictured when we discussed the experimentation project which he
\nled at Saimia<\/a>, Saimaa University
\nof Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

Saimia, the city of Lappeenranta<\/a> and their real estate
\ncompany LATO, and the Rescue Department of South Karelia partnered in 2018 to
\nexplore the possibilities of using BIM to make buildings safer. The project,
\ntitled \u201cEnhancing building safety using information models,\u201d formed part of the
\nnational KIRA-digi built environment digitalization program.<\/p>\n

From Drawings to BIMs<\/h2>\n

Fire and
\nrescue authorities hold paper drawings, or sometimes pdf files, of buildings
\nfor inspection and firefighting purposes. At least in Finland, rescue authorities
\nare not familiar with the use of building information modeling in this context.<\/p>\n

Digital
\nmodels can contain much more information than two-dimensional drawings,
\nincluding a three-dimensional representation of a building. With BIM, the
\nauthorities would get a more comprehensive view of the facility they\u2019re
\ninspecting or rescuing. That would save time, improve the quality of
\noperations, and even save lives.<\/p>\n

The city of Lappeenranta in southeastern Finland is a forerunner in
\nutilizing building information modeling. The city has corporatized its real estate
\nfunctions into LATO, which provides facilities for the city and SMEs in the
\narea. LATO requires that all the building projects that they commission must
\nuse BIM and provide models in an open IFC format. After project completion, the
\nmodels become the property of the city.<\/p>\n

Lappeenranta
\noffered experimentation models from three construction projects: a daycare
\ncenter, a fire station, and a sports hall. The models were transferred in a vendor-neutral
\nIFC format.<\/p>\n

The Three Use Cases<\/h2>\n

The project
\nstudied three use cases for BIM: planning permission, inspections, and rescue
\noperations. The last mentioned was studied at a concept level.<\/p>\n

The
\nbenefits of BIM at the planning permission stage were obvious. The authorities need
\nto inspect the plans to ensure they satisfy fire codes. They want to know how
\nthe building is compartmentalized, where the exits are, and where the fire protection
\ndevices are located. That\u2019s far easier to do with a 3D model, with searchable
\ndata and physically realistic representation, than on a 2D drawing.<\/p>\n

\"Hovinpelto\"Hovinpelto
Hovinpelto daycare, BIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe test
\nimmediately convinced the rescue authorities. From now on, they are committed
\nto using BIM for compliancy checking in Lappeenranta,\u201d says Lehtoviita.<\/p>\n

Three-dimensional
\nmodels also help facilitate inspections during and after construction, too. The
\nexperimenters tested the Microsoft HoloLens to visualize, in situ, how
\nreal-life and digital information can be combined and utilized.<\/p>\n

Fires and chemical
\naccidents are the most extreme scenarios to which BIM would add value. At the
\nvery beginning of the rescue operation, the rescuers can learn about the
\nbuilding, its spaces, and the placement of fire detectors, extinguishers, and
\nother related equipment. Firefighters with AR gear are also able to navigate themselves
\ninside the building, even in limited visibility.<\/p>\n

In addition
\nto the use cases, the project touched on the documentation that fire
\ndepartments need in cases of emergency. In Finland, buildings with an automatic
\nfire alarm system must provide a special document\u2014a so-called target
\ncard\u2014that contains a schematic plan of the building and information about the
\nfire protection systems. The project tested how the target card could be reconfigured
\nas a BIM model.<\/p>\n

Making BIMs More Useful
\nfor Rescue Purposes<\/h2>\n

Building
\ninformation models are created and used mainly by professionals: architects,
\nengineers, and managers on construction sites. The user interfaces of the
\nmodeling software are intimidating for occasional users.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur
\ncriteria for selecting the BIM tools were that they would read IFC files, be
\nlightweight and intuitive, and have a user interface in Finnish,\u201d Lehtoviita
\npoints out. \u201cAs always, we did not find one tool that would be perfect in all
\naspects. We ended up testing Solibri Model Viewer, Trimble Connect, and Dalux
\nBuild.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project
\nteam soon realized that some information for rescue purposes was missing from
\nthe BIMs that they received. The national common BIM requirements used by
\nLappeenranta did not specify the rescue-related data adequately.<\/p>\n

That find inspired
\nthe project participants to create an extension to the current common BIM
\nrequirements. They have shared their suggested additions with buildingSMART
\nFinland, the organization that coordinates the updates nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe propose
\nthat all the authorities should collaborate during the planning permission
\nprocess with BIM,\u201d says Lehtoviita. \u201cIn fact, we\u2019ve created project flowcharts
\nshowing how to do it. In all, the results of this project are a good basis for
\nfurther development for cities and tech companies.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the project, contact Timo
\nLehtoviita at

Title photo: Tuomas Pylkk\u00e4nen<\/strong>, preparedness chief at the Rescue Department of South Karelia is testing an AR headset.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n