Hospital Fire Safety & Compartmentation Rules (HOSP-FIRE)

Under the NHS HTM 05-02 Firecode, acute healthcare buildings must be subdivided into fire compartments and sub-compartments of not more than $2,000\text{ m}^2$ to contain fire and toxic smoke within the zone of origin while allowing progressive horizontal evacuation.

1. HOSP-FIRE-001: Sub-Compartment Fire Barrier & Door Rating Match

Statutory Standard & Intent

Strict Fire Rating Token Parser

A common data defect in hospital BIM models is unstructured or ambiguous text strings entered into the Fire Rating field. BIM Checker's analytical parser evaluates property strings strictly:

  1. Catalog Ambiguity Detection: Flags multi-value placeholder text such as:
    • '20 minute, 45 minute, 60 minute'
    • '30/60/90 min' These strings represent unselected catalog options that prevent deterministic statutory certification.
  2. Numeric Extraction: Recognizes international designations:
    • European: EI 60, REI 120, EW 30
    • British Standard: FD60S, FD30, FR 60
    • Plain minutes: 60 min, 90 minutes
  3. Mismatched Rating Detection: Detects any unrated door (0 min) or lower-rated door (FD30S) installed inside a $60\text{-minute}$ fire barrier wall.

Client-Configurable Parameters

{
  "nominalThreshold": 60,
  "requiredRating": "EI 60",
  "doorMatchRating": "FD60S",
  "unit": "min",
  "comparisonOperator": ">="
}

Defect Message

"Door 'DR-L2-302 [0x200000018f2]' installed in 60-minute fire compartment wall has an unrated or ambiguous specification ('20 minute, 45 minute, 60 minute'), violating NHS HTM 05-02 required rating of FD60S."

2. HOSP-FIRE-002: Fire Barrier Full-Height Slab-to-Slab Integrity

Statutory Standard & Intent

The "Suspended Ceiling Void" Defect

Architects frequently terminate internal partition walls at the false ceiling height (e.g. $2.70\text{ m}$), leaving an open plenum space above where fire and poisonous combustion gases can spread unhindered across sub-compartment boundaries.

BIM Checker tests that every fire-rated wall:

  1. Extends $\ge 3.20\text{ m}$ (or reaches the bottom elevation of the upper concrete floor slab).
  2. Has its top constraint set to the upper slab datum rather than an unconstrained offset.

Client-Configurable Parameters

{
  "nominalThreshold": 60,
  "ceilingHeightThreshold": 3.20,
  "requiredRating": "EI 60",
  "unit": "min",
  "comparisonOperator": ">="
}

Validation Geometry

Emits UNSEALED_SMOKE_PLENUM (a 3D spatial envelope spanning from the top of the non-compliant wall up to the structural ceiling datum, highlighting the unsealed plenum gap where smoke can bypass the compartment barrier).

Defect Message

"Fire Barrier Wall 'WALL-FIRE-60-L3 [0x2000000412b]' has a modeled height of 2.70 m, failing NHS HTM 05-02 requirement to extend full height to structural soffit (threshold: ≥ 3.20 m, void shortfall: -0.50 m)."

What Must Be in the iModel (Revit & IFC Data Requirements)

Discipline Element Category Parameter / Property Set Expected Value
Architectural Walls (OST_Walls) Fire Rating EI 60, 60 min, or REI 60
Architectural Walls (OST_Walls) Top Constraint Attached to Upper Slab Datum
Architectural Doors (OST_Doors) Fire Rating FD60S or 60 min
IFC Export IfcWall / IfcWallStandardCase Pset_WallCommon.FireRating String matching EI 60
IFC Export IfcDoor Pset_DoorCommon.FireRating String matching FD60S

Pre-Flight ECSQL Diagnostic Query

Query all walls and doors to verify fire ratings before auditing:

SELECT 
  w.ECInstanceId AS wallId,
  w.UserLabel AS wallName,
  w.BBoxHigh.z - w.BBoxLow.z AS wallHeight,
  p.FireRating AS wallFireRating
FROM bis.GeometricElement3d w
LEFT JOIN IFCDynamic.ifcAspect_Pset_WallCommon p ON p.Element.Id = w.ECInstanceId
WHERE (ec_className(w.ECClassId, 's.c') LIKE '%Wall%' OR w.UserLabel LIKE '%Wall%')
  AND (w.UserLabel LIKE '%Fire%' OR p.FireRating IS NOT NULL)