Integrating 4D BIM and FDS to Simulate and Assess Fires in Buildings under Construction

Construction fires are a big threat to human life and property safety. Buildings under construction are largely unprotected as they are not yet equipped with fire protection systems. Consequently, any construction operation that fails to adhere to fire safety procedures will increase the fire risk to the site itself as well as to the adjacent buildings and put occupants at risk of injury and death. To enhance safety awareness and understanding of fire risks and consequences, it is necessary to provide construction participants a tool for fire risk assessment during early phases of a construction project at an activity level and on a daily basis. Therefore, this study proposes a modeling solution that applies a four-dimensional (4D) (3D + time) Building Information Model (BIM) along with the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) tool to simulate and assess fires in buildings under construction. A numerical implementation is conducted as a case study to validate the practicality of the proposed work. This study is expected to promote awareness of construction fire safety as well as provide a tool for construction participants in better understanding and identifying construction fire risks. The study results can in turn help to mitigate fire hazards and prevent incidents from occurring during the early phases of a construction project, and ultimately reduce labor fatalities and injuries as well as property loss as a result of a construction fire hazard.