Investigation of building fire safety measures in building information modelling (BIM) environment

In parallel with the advancement of building technology, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has gained prominence among stakeholders in the design and construction industries. BIM is becoming an increasingly effective tool in the field of fire safety, as it is in most design disciplines. In this study, an office building was modelled with Revit, one of the most extensively used BIM software, and its fire safety features were investigated utilising CYPEFIRE Design and FINEFIRE software operating in the BIM environment. The fire safety requirements of the office building are governed by the regulations outlined in Turkey's Fire Protection Regulation and the pertinent standards. By the standards outlined in EN ISO 9241-11, a usability assessment was conducted to evaluate the dimensions of learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction. The assessments revealed that the CYPEFIRE Design software provided 13 (52%) and the FINEFIRE software 10 (40%) compliance checks by the regulations and standards about the building's 25 fire safety measures. In terms of usability parameters, the CYPEFIRE Design software is rated first for efficiency and error assessment, while the FINEFIRE software is rated first for learnability and memorability. The two software programs are distinct from one another and offer particular advantages in specific areas. The decisions made based on the data obtained from this software can examine the influence of fire safety measures on the entire structure and facilitate more effective management of the fire safety design process. In light of the prevailing circumstances, it seems inevitable that Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology will become more prevalent and comprehensive in the field of fire safety shortly.