Life Safety in Revit
A Super Duper Click Saver Production
Jarod Schultz, Director of Autodesk Services
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Table of Contents
Fire Tape View Setup .................................................................................................................................... 4
View Template Manager ........................................................................................................................... 4
Applying View Template Settings ............................................................................................................. 4
Filter Settings ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Fire Rating Values for Types...................................................................................................................... 6
Labeling Fire Rating ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Fire Rating on Doors...................................................................................................................................... 8
Smoke Compartment .................................................................................................................................... 9
Egress Path .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Additional Symbology ................................................................................................................................. 14
Fire Extinguisher ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Stair/Exit Capacity Symbol ...................................................................................................................... 16
Smoke Compartment Wall Symbol ......................................................................................................... 17
Life Safety Legends (Different Scales) ..................................................................................................... 18
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Fire Tape View Setup
Built into the Page’s Revit template are settings to do Fire Tape but depending on the view it might need
to be setup. Certain settings that you will need for the view can be applied using a view template so the
walls and doors display correctly.
View Template Manager
Page has View Templates built-in to establish the correct view settings. To see what settings are
available go the Ribbon and select the View tab -> View Templates drop-down, and choose Manage
View Templates.
NOTE: Notice the different versions for color or black/white along with the different scales. Be careful
with the color versions, this can cause unexpected results if grayscale is chosen. Orange will plot looking
like Existing wall types which can cause issues.
Applying View Template Settings
To apply one of these you can either use the Ribbon; View Tab -> View Templates drop-down -> Apply
Template Properties to Current View, or on the Properties palette choose the button for View
Template and apply the selected view template from the list. Or you can right-click on the view in the
Project Browser and Apply the View Template.
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NOTE: When applying one of the view templates for Fire Tape to a view take note of the check mark on
Worksets. You might not want these settings to interfere with your current overrides that you have set
your Workset settings.
Filter Settings
Type VG or on the Properties palette pick Edit for Visibility/Graphics Overrides. In the
Visibility/Graphics Overrides dialog box go to the Filters tab. This is where you will find the different
types of Fire Tape that can be used in the view.
NOTE: Using the Add button there are additional filters that can be added to the view including Door
Ratings. You can use the Up and Down buttons to sort the filter list.
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Fire Rating Values for Types
With the Filters now setup in the view we need to set the correct settings on the Walls and Doors so
they start showing the Fire Ratings. With this not setup the elements will not show fire tape correctly.
In each wall or door type we need to input the appropriate value that matches the value for the filter to
work. For walls this is: 1 HR WALLS = 1 HR, 2 HR WALLS = 2 HR, 3 HR WALLS = 3 HR, 4 HR WALLS = 4 HR,
SMOKE WALLS = SMOKE, 1 HR SMOKE WALLS = 1 HR SMOKE, 2 HR SMOKE WALLS = 2 HR SMOKE, 3 HR
SMOKE WALLS = 3 HR SMOKE, 4 HR SMOKE WALLS = 4 HR SMOKE
For doors we need to input: Doors 20 MIN = 20 MIN, Doors 45 MIN = 45 MIN, Doors 60 MIN = 60 MIN,
Doors 90 MIN = 90 MIN.
NOTE: Make sure to Duplicate the existing wall or door type and name it accordingly. When switching
out types this will make it easier for everyone that is on the project.
Once you have applied the correct value to the type the view will automatically update once you pick Ok
on the Type Properties dialog box.
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NOTE: If the walls look solid and do not show the appropriate line pattern it is because the Detail Level
needs to be set to Course. Any other Detail Level the line patterns will show solid, the view template
should have set this correctly but beware of this issue.
If you have to have other elements showing the Detail Level higher than Course then at the bottom of
the screen using the View Bar, set the Detail Level as Medium. Now use VG and go to the Walls category
and change the Detail level to Course.
Labeling Fire Rating
Each wall type can be labeled in the view with the correct fire rating from the wall type. If the wall type
changes to a different fire rating then the label will automatically update to the new value.
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On the Project Browser use the slider bar until you see Families -> Annotation Symbols. Pick on the +
button to open the category and use the slider bar until you see ANNO-Wall Fire Smoke Rating Tag.
Pick on the + button to open the type and right-click on Fire/Smoke Rating Tag. Select Create Instance
and make sure the Leader option is checked marked.
NOTE: Once you have a fire/smoke tag on the view, select it, then type CS for Create Similar to create
another one.
Fire Rating on Doors
There is a unique view element at Page where the fire tape will go through the door. Using the settings
that are supplied in the Page Revit template it will give you this graphical look automatically. Let’s take a
look at the settings so you understand what is happening and how to modify it if needed.
On the Properties palette select the Edit button next to View Range. This is the first setting that needs
to be looked at and maybe adjusted depending on the view. Note that the Cut Plane has been adjusted
to 4’-2” instead of the normal 4’-0” that Revit usually uses.
NOTE: By setting this to 4’-2” you will notice the fire tape now goes through the door whereas before
the fire tape was being cut by the door when it was 4’-0”.
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There is a base set of settings but this can be adjusted further if the view cut plane needs to be different.
Select a door and on the Properties palette pick Edit Type. Each door type can have an adjustment for
the Firetape Height, the default in the template is 4’-1”.
These settings are not only here for the Life Safety plans but are also here for your regular plans. So take
note that in your regular plans the Firetape Height is set to 7’-2” on doors that are not fire rated and the
View Range Cut Plane is set to 4’-0”.
NOTE: All doors that have this type of adjustment to them have (adj cut plane) in the name.
Smoke Compartment
Under the sheets category in the Project Browser you will find the GL-101 sheets, and above, for the Life
Safety Plans. There are instructions in red to help remind you on the workflow that needs to be
followed.
NOTE: The Life Safety Area Scheme can also be used for Occupancy Areas
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We will be creating the Smoke Compartment and Egress Path in an Area Plan called ARCHITECTURAL LIFE SAFETY PLAN - LEVEL 01. In the Project Browser under the GL-??? Sheet you can make this view
current by using the + button and double clicking on the name.
The reason for using an Area Plan is for the Color Scheme and Smoke Compartment. The Color Scheme
is optional and can modified or turned Off by using the Color Scheme option on the Properties palette.
If you pick on the Color Scheme called Life Safety Area this is where you can modify the colors or set it
back to (none) to turn Off.
On the Ribbon pick the Architecture tab -> Area to establish the Areas and the Tags to go with it. By
default Areas work much like Rooms where it finds the boundaries but with Area a lot of times you will
need to use the Area Boundary tool.
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Use the Area Boundary tool to either pick on existing walls using Pick Lines or on the Ribbon use the
Draw panel and draw lines anywhere you need them.
When placing the Area make sure on the Properties palette that you use the Smoke Comp Area Tag this
will automatically capture the area and add it to the tag. Now just pick on the Area tag to rename it to
what it needs it to be.
Once the Areas and the Area tags have been place go back to the GL-??? Sheet. In the top right corner
of the sheet is the Life Safety Legend. You should notice that the Smoke Compartment information is
filled out along with the square footage filled out.
On the Project Browser you will find two schedules that is gathering the information, one schedule is
called LIFE SAFETY - SMOKE COMPARTMENT AREAS - Level 01. There is a secondary schedule which
does not go on a sheet called *AREA - LIFE SAFETY SMOKE COMPARTMENTS which shows the entire
project.
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If you have multiple floors then you will need to duplicate the existing LIFE SAFETY - SMOKE
COMPARTMENT AREAS - Level 01 schedule for the other floors. Just right-click on the existing schedule
use Duplicate View -> Duplicate. Now rename it by right-clicking on it so it has the appropriate level.
With the schedule selected, on the Properties palette pick on Filter. In the dialog box change the filter
so it is looking at the correct level. Now place this on the sheet where you need it.
Also there is a Legend that is called LIFE SAFETY CODE going around the LIFE SAFETY - SMOKE
COMPARTMENT AREAS - Level 01 schedule at the top right corner of the sheet. Open this legend if you
need to change any of the information that is displayed on the sheet.
Egress Path
Creating the egress path there is no actual tool built into Revit to do this workflow so Page has come up
with a workaround that is considered “best practice” in the industry. The tool that we will be using is the
Railing tool with a railing type called RAIL-Egress Path.
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Get into the Area plan called ARCHITECTURAL - LIFE SAFETY PLAN - LEVEL 01 to start creating the egress
path(s). Notice on the Properties palette that the View Template is set to GL-100 Life Safety AREA plans
1/16". There is an additional View Template called GL-100 Life Safety AREA plans 1/8" if you need it.
NOTE: These View Templates specifically set the Railing category Detail Level to be set at Medium. If you
do not use one of the life safety view templates then you will need to set this manually in VG.
On the Ribbon select the Architecture tab -> Railing -> Sketch Path, use the Draw panel to start
sketching the lines and make sure to check mark Chain so you can draw lines continuously.
NOTE: The start of the sketch is starting position of the egress path and the end of the last line is the end
of the egress path.
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To add the Length Label for the egress path go to the Ribbon and select Annotate -> Tag by Category.
At the Options Bar make sure to turn Off Leader so the tag looks to be part of the egress path. The tag
itself is called ANNO-LS-Egress Length (railing tag) if you ever need to fix it.
Additional Symbology
Page has additional Symbology to enhance the Life Safety plan. Quite a few of the symbols can be
inserted in by going to the Ribbon and picking on Annotate -> Symbol. From the Properties palette
using the type selector you can find multiple items for Fire Symbology.
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Fire Extinguisher
There is also a special Semi-Recessed Fire Extinguisher Cabinet that has a 50 foot radius set to it for
visual display.
Go the Project Browser and select Families -> Specialty Equipment -> SPCL-FEC: Semi-Recessed Fire
Extinguisher Cabinet and place it in the view by right-clicking (create instance) or drag and drop.
NOTE: If you do not want to see the radius than select one of the fire extinguishers and on the
Properties palette select Edit Type and turn Off the 50” Radius Visible parameter.
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Stair/Exit Capacity Symbol
There is a capacity symbol to help you show the exit door and label it.
Go to the Project Browser and select Families -> Annotation Symbols -> ANNO-LS-Exit No-Capacity
Symbol: DOWN, UP, LEFT, RIGHT and place it in the view by right-clicking (create instance) or drag and
drop.
Select the capacity symbol and on the Properties palette there are Instance Properties for Exit
Number, Exit Capacity, and Actual Use Occupancy.
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Smoke Compartment Wall Symbol
For separation between different smoke compartments Page has a cross hatch symbol to help illustrate
this in your documentation.
Go to the Project Browser and select Families -> Detail Items -> DETL-Smoke Hatch line based: DETLSmoke Hatch line based and place it in the view by right-clicking (create instance) or drag and drop.
On the Options Bar you can check mark the Chain option to draw smoke hatch in a continuous run.
NOTE: You can change the thickness of the smoke hatch by selecting it and on the Properties palette
select Edit Type. Use Duplicate if you need additional types for your project.
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Life Safety Legends (Different Scales)
On the title block on the right-side are legends to help describe and show the Symbology. We have two
different legends based on scale so the Symbology better matches the view.
On the Project Browser under the Legends category you will find the two life safety legends based on
different scales: LIFE SAFETY LEGEND (1/8" scale) & LIFE SAFETY LEGEND (1/16" scale).
Depending on your scale that you have set for the view, drag and drop the appropriate legend that
matches.
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