Life Safety Code Plans and Wall Graphics

[BIM Branch]

I have read several threads about the same subject I am now asking a question about. So I need to see if anyone can help me with this, or at least tell me what they have done to work around this situation.

I manage a large healthcare facility here in Birmingham, Alabama, and we are now bringing in the Life Safety Code Plans into our BIM Master Model of our buildings on campus. Traditionally, this has been done in Autocad. However, we are phasing out all of the Autocad drawings and practices to moved everything over to a BIM process. With that said I am having to deal with the "old guard" of Architects who are clinging the Autocad way of thinking. For the most part with a majority of the things they want to do, I can do it with Revit. However, for some reason I am having a mental block on this one.

I have attached a PDF file that shows the four (4) types of walls graphics that I need to have created. Here is the criteria that I want to do with my facility.

1. I have created a series of standard wall types that are used or will be used in the hospital. For this particular example, I will use a common wall type that we created: A-31. A-31 may have the following conditions: non-rated, smoke partition, smoke barrier, or 1-hour resistance.

What I don't want to do is create four types of walls for the various ratings. My thought was to create the one wall, and add a Project Parameter that allowed me to control the graphics with a filter.

2. I want to create a Project Parameter for Walls; which is instance based that is called: LSC Wall Condition, which is a text parameter, that I would put under Identity Data.

3. I would next create a series of filters called: Non-Rated, Smoke Part, Smoke Barrier, 1-Hour, associate them to wall types, using the Project Parameter - LSC Wall Condition; with the filter equal to the four named codes: NR, SP, SB, 1H.

4. Finally, I would apply the filter to the View Template in Visability Graphics; applying an override on the Patterns under the Cut category.

Note: This is where I want to be able to create the patterns shown in the PDF to display in the cavity of the wall stud. What I have found is that you can only apply model fill patterns on these overrides. The next thing is that I want to be able to have the graphics turn 90 degrees or as the wall changes directions. (See the PDF attached). Can this be done?

I need some advice on how to create the wall pattern and do this. I can do everything in Steps 1-4 with in a normal setting. I am just having a hard time making this happen.

If it cannot be done, then someone give me some good compelling reason so I can take on the old guard, besides "this is Revit and you have to embrace how the technology has changed the way you think". That does not work with these guys.

Appreciate any help!

[Revitaoist]

I think you will not be able to do this easily without going the multiple wall types route. Under course fill pattern, edit the pattern and you will see a parameter for 'orientation in host layers', set it to align with element.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

It probably can be done but (as always) ask yourself why?
Why would you reproduce CAD graphics such as these?

These graphics are difficult to distinguish at small scales.
The ability to distinguish these graphics on short wall segments will be marginal at best.
You may not be able to produce these graphics as a 'pattern' and if you do they will be next to impossible to keep oriented to align with the wall.
Only drafting patterns can be used as cut fill patterns

My compelling argument would be this;
Color is a simple, effective and superior method of distinguishing these walls
Color is effective at all scales and could actually reduce printing costs, if you are still printing to paper (try plotting the graphic lines out on letter size and see how legible they are)
Color will work in section as easily as plan
Doing this in color is as close to 'automatic' as it gets
Color is prettier ;)

My $.02

[BIM Branch]

Dimitri,

I agree with everything you said. I am trying to support my stance in the fact that "old school" methods really need to be evaluated and sometimes it is better to make a change that does what you and I both are saying. I have tested methods with the thoughts about the walls aligning and the scale. Thanks for your .02 cents - we are on the same page!:)

[BIM Branch]

Revitaoist,

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I will explore it, but I am thinking that we may have to look at some newer approaches. But I really appreciate the tips!

[rosskirby]

Before I go on and on about how you could go about creating walls that automatically display those linetypes, or instance parameters for walls, etc., I want to ask a few questions.

- What is the intended output from your model?
- Is it something that is only going to be viewed digitally (i.e. in the model itself, or as a PDF)?
- Is it something that you have to produce updated hard copies of on occasion (in B/W or color)?
- Will you distribute these models to consultants (architects, engineers, etc.) for their use, and then incorporate any changes into your master model?

And the reason I ask is that there's a very easy way to display the info you want (admittedly not exactly as shown in your wall type legend), but whether or not it's right for you depends on the desired output.

[BIM Branch]

rosskirby,

The output would be viewed both digitally(PDF) and quarterly printed reports. Yes, these models are used actively by myself and the engineers. That is the easy part to manage. My wall type legend is the "old guard" demands. I have the ability to change the method, but being fair I wanted to do my due diligence in trying to do this. Please explain what you had in mind. I am very much interested in what tips you may have.

[vivalaverdad]

Dave, what method did you end up going with for your wall ratings in Revit?

[jsteinhauer]

Dave,

What are smoke & fire rated walls reviewed so often? Once they are in place, what is the concern unless you're working on remodels? I would go with the NCS standard for rated wall fill patterns applied as the course fill pattern. Color schemes would work great as well.

[dkoch]

Dave,

What are smoke & fire rated walls reviewed so often? Once they are in place, what is the concern unless you're working on remodels? I would go with the NCS standard for rated wall fill patterns applied as the course fill pattern. Color schemes would work great as well.

The OP stated he managed a large healthcare facility. Life Safety Plans, and knowing which walls are rated, are critical to maintaining licensure (not to mention maintaining actual life safety), as most states will require periodic inspections. If the facilities staff maintains a current document, they have half a chance at preventing the next IT/Communications upgrade from turning those rated partitions into Swiss cheese above the ceilings.

Nothing worse that working on a project at a facility that does not have current documentation on that, and then having to "guess" where the existing smoke barriers and other fire-resistance-rated construction are located.

[dhurtubise]

It probably can be done but (as always) ask yourself why?
Why would you reproduce CAD graphics such as these?

These graphics are difficult to distinguish at small scales.
The ability to distinguish these graphics on short wall segments will be marginal at best.
You may not be able to produce these graphics as a 'pattern' and if you do they will be next to impossible to keep oriented to align with the wall.
Only drafting patterns can be used as cut fill patterns

My compelling argument would be this;
Color is a simple, effective and superior method of distinguishing these walls
Color is effective at all scales and could actually reduce printing costs, if you are still printing to paper (try plotting the graphic lines out on letter size and see how legible they are)
Color will work in section as easily as plan
Doing this in color is as close to 'automatic' as it gets
Color is prettier ;)

My $.02
I agree but a photocopy on the field... does not always have color ;)

[jsteinhauer]

If the facilities staff maintains a current document, they have half a chance at preventing the next IT/Communications upgrade from turning those rated partitions into Swiss cheese above the ceilings.

Correct, but when the walls are constructed & the facility has passed it's initial inspection, subsequent inspections are not going to take away licensure for a facility if it hasn't done any work between inspections.


Nothing worse that working on a project at a facility that does not have current documentation on that, and then having to "guess" where the existing smoke barriers and other fire-resistance-rated construction are located.

Agreed, I am currently involved in a utilization study of a large campus, and most of their building involved in this study are linked to one or more buildings. The overlap of the CAD plans is very bad, and I've had to guess at how buildings are connected, because the plans don't match between CAD files. Even floor to floors of the same building are not consistent. I'm not even to the level of Smoke or Fire Barriers... :(

[dkoch]

Correct, but when the walls are constructed & the facility has passed it's initial inspection, subsequent inspections are not going to take away licensure for a facility if it hasn't done any work between inspections.

Subsequent inspectors are still going to want to see plans delineating the various rated Walls so that they can be spot checked. If absolutely no work is done between initial construction and subsequent inspection, then all should be well. I know of few medical facilities where "no work" of any sort is done over the course of several years. And it is usually not the formal construction projects that cause deficiencies, but maintenance staff coming in to fix a problem, or someone running new cabling for a new telephone/computer/security/whatever system and using ill-advised methods for getting the cabling through partitions.

And while the subsequent inspections may not cause the loss of a license, they do result in major headaches and expense for the medical facility, as they try to bring construction back up to snuff and then document that. Far better to be pro-active and minimize breaches to rated construction by knowing where it is and being able to easily communicate that information to anyone doing work in the facility that could compromise the rating. On one project I worked on a few years ago, the owner spent quite a bit of money installing special devices at each room that provided a rated protection for low-voltage cabling entering each room. The design of the devices allows for future removal of old cables and the introduction of new cable, eliminating the need for future low-voltage work to poke holes in the partitions, which would then need to be fire/smoke sealed. Gangs of these devices were installed in the cross-corridor smoke barriers, to avoid the need to make future holes in those, as well.

[ghale]

The VA has a standard that attempts to accomplish the same goal of utilizing patterns to identify wall ratings. It applies a pattern to walls that can be viewed in both 2D and 3D. We applied these patterns into the wall types so that graphic filters were not necessary and you it would be difficult for any discipline to ignore when looking at floor plans and sections. We also added color to the patterns because, on short walls and at small scales, the pattern was not legible without it. A couple of images are provided as examples.
95750 95751

[Jeff606432]

Are the VA Wall Rating Patterns available for download anywhere?

[ghale]

See attached zip folder
96066