FIRE SAFETY
Compliant Construction : BIM and fire door safety
» PAUL THOMPSON , HEAD OF Specification & Openings Studio for ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions , discusses the duty of contractors to ensure a building ’ s fire doors are installed correctly , and how Building Information Modelling ( BIM ) holds the key to ensuring compliance .
Since its introduction in 2022 , the Building Safety Act has overhauled existing regulations , with an aim to create lasting change and make clear how buildings should be constructed , maintained and made safe .
This has given contractors the responsibility of ensuring that the products they install meet these requirements , as well as guaranteeing a safe working environment during the construction phase .
When installing doorsets in particular , there are a range of standards that must be adhered to , as part of the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 ( Fire Safety Order ).
Many contractors are turning to technology to help , with BIM providing the tools needed for more efficient planning , design and building processes , as well as providing the essential ‘ golden thread ’ approach outlined by Dame Judith Hackett in her report , ‘ Building a safer future ’.
So , what are the latest innovations in BIM , and how are they assisting contractors when it comes to installing compliant fire doors within a building ?
Adoption of BIM
BIM is a tool that reduces waste and risk of error and facilitates the sharing of detailed information throughout the design , construction , and operational phases of a project , which ultimately results in safer and more efficient buildings .
The latest NBS Digital Construction Report 1 found 70 % of construction professionals use BIM . What ’ s more , contractors ( 41 % of which are main contractors ) are the group most likely to have been involved with tasks or platforms such as common data environments ( CDEs ).
1 https :// www . thenbs . com / digital-construction-report-2023 /_ download /
Main contractors will often have their preferred CDE and manage much of the information sharing on a project . They are also more likely to be involved in BIM Execution Plans ( 73 %) and detailed responsibility matrices ( 60 %), whether that involves receiving or developing them .
When it comes to installing doorsets and ironmongery in particular , using BIMenabled tools can offer many advantages . Having intelligent , data rich environments in which to collaborate throughout the stages of design , manufacture , installation and ongoing maintenance , provides contractors with a powerful tool to ensure that every fire door installed is compliant with current standards .
Openings Studio
ASSA ABLOY ’ S Openings Studio™ provides a direct interface with the building design model and can be used to extract , develop and update all relevant door design information within the model , including configurations , hardware and performance criteria against each individual door .
Utilising this digital collaboration tool enables the specifier to work closely with the manufacturer in real time to develop the design intent through to a compliant specification .
The application provides visual representations of not only the bespoke product but also indicative imagery of product in-situ within the 3D model . Each asset carries all relevant technical and design data , and as this is a live working environment it captures and logs progressive design changes throughout design and construction .
ASSA ABLOY ’ s manufacturing facilities can seamlessly use this data to provide product specific cost information but most importantly manufacture and supply the door solution in accordance with the latest design intent .
An extension to Openings Studio , through a mobile app , directly accesses this data to capture production quality inspections and assist during the door installation process , ensuring full validity of the finished product prior to project completion .
What ’ s more , every door logged in Openings Studio is automatically assigned a unique asset tag , which can be affixed to the door as either a QR code or RFID Tag , enabling direct access to the door details , including installation , inspection , and service history .
The asset tag functionality enables direct access from the mobile app to information such as product specification , hardware schedule , product information , inspection reports , digital images , and change management tracking .
Ultimately , BIM is not just a technological advancement ; it is a critical component of a contractor ’ s professional responsibility . By using the tool , a contractor can :
Mitigate risks
Ensuring that all specified products are compliant with current standards significantly reduces the risk of safety failures and legal repercussions . BIM and Openings Studio provide the necessary tools to verify product certifications and compliance , allowing contractors to mitigate potential risks associated with non-compliant materials .
38
SEPTEMBER 2024
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