Fire resistance assessment of building structures: performance-based approach in a BIM environment

Designers must investigate solutions that represent the best trade-off between the results of different design options. This entails a quantitative assessment of safety levels. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) facilitate this assessment by providing a clear and concise visualization of safety levels in buildings. This paper concerns the fire safety design of buildings, focusing on the fire resistance of structural components. Technically, we developed a framework, integrated in a BIM environment, to implement performance-based assessments of structural elements, ensuring that fire safety objectives are met. Fire safety performances are tracked by means of a KPI identified for its representativeness. The visualization of the KPI in BIM models highlights critical elements and enables a quick refinement of design solutions. The outcome is a BIM information rich model handed over to facility managers to track the performances of structural components and implement timely renovation actions during the operational phase of buildings.