Integration of building product models with fire simulation software

Abstract

There is considerable interest within the construction industry to develop models that are able describe the whole life-cycle of a building in an electronic form. Such models would allow for the sharing of building information across the wide range of industry disciplines and lead to efficiencies in the design and construction of buildings. This thesis examines the technologies available and specifically within the context of fire engineering. Database methods are used to create a repository of fire growth information which can be accessed through web pages or client applications. The IFC Model has emerged as an internationally agreed building model and this thesis investigates its applicability to fire engineering. A suite of software applications have been developed that interpret IFC documents in a form that can be imported into fire simulation models. The thesis discusses the limitations of the current IFC model for use by fire engineers, the challenges in developing IFC interpretation software that can be successfully integrated with the range and complexity of fire simulation software and suggests where future work should be directed to overcome these concerns.