Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number: 1051
How to Create a Fire Door and Schedule
The information in this article applies to:- Chief Architect X5
- Chief Architect X4
- Chief Architect X3
- Chief Architect X2
QUESTION
My projects typically include one or more self-closing fire doors. How do I specify a door as a fire door?
ANSWER
Fire doors are meant to protect both property and lives by slowing the spread of fire through a building. They are characterized by a number of special features, including:
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Steel bearing hinges
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An automatic ;closing mechanism
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Fire resistant materials
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A fire resistant frame
Some fire doors are also required to protect a building's occupants from heat and smoke so that they have adequate time to exit safely in the event of a fire and have:
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Heat resistant materials and construction
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Draft and smoke resistant gaskets or seals
By following a few steps, any door in Chief Architect can be specified as a fire door and listed as such in the Materials List and Door Schedules.
To create subcategories for door schedules and the materials list
- Open the plan file in which you need to create a fire door.
- Select Edit> Preferences ;
from the menu and go to the Categories panel of the Preferences dialog.
- In the list of Categories, click on Doors, then click the Add button.
- In the Sub Category dialog:
- Type a short name in the Sub field. This will be a new column in the Materials List. In this example, "FIRE" is used.
- Type a Column Heading for Schedules. In this example, "Fire Rating" is used.
- Click OK to close the dialog and create a new subcategory.
- Type a short name in the Sub field. This will be a new column in the Materials List. In this example, "FIRE" is used.
- Repeat Step 4 to create additional subcategories, as needed. ; Additional subcategories that might be useful include Conformity, Temperature Rise Rating, Closing Mechanism, and Location or Use.
- When you have created the required subcategories, click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
To create a fire door
- Place the desired door in the plan, either using one of the Door Tools or by placing a Door from the library.
- Click the Select Objects
button, then click on the door to select it and click the Components
edit button.
- In the Components dialog:
- Click the Add button once for each new door subcategory. ; The new accessories will be added to the "Doors" category.
- Click in the Sub Category field for the first accessory, then click the drop-down arrow and select one of the available door subcategories.
- Click in the Description field and then type the information associated with the selected subcategory.
- If you want to use this information in a Door Schedule but do not want it listed as a line item in the Materials List, click in the Use column to remove the checkmark from the field.
- Repeat these three steps for each of the newly added accessories.
- Click the Add button once for each new door subcategory. ; The new accessories will be added to the "Doors" category.
- When you are finished, click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes.
- With the door still selected, click the Open Object
edit button. On the Label tab of the Door Specification dialog:
- Click the button next to Specify Label.
- Type the desired label in the text field.
- In Chief Architect X3 and later, you can click the Insert arrow and add the Width and Height Object-Specific Text Macros to your label.
- Click OK to close the dialog and apply your custom label.
- In this example, ;%width%%height% - fire is entered in the specification dialog to produce a label that says 3680 - fire in floor plan view and will automatically update if the door's size is modified.
- Click the button next to Specify Label.
- With the door still selected, click the Add to Library
edit button to add the customized fire door to the User Library for future use.
To create a fire door schedule
- Select CAD> CAD Detail Management
from the menu. In the CAD Detail Management dialog:
- Click the New button.
- Type a short, descriptive name for the CAD Detail window where Door Schedules will be saved and click OK.
CAD Detail windows are an excellent place to organize detail drawings, schedules, legends, and other 2D information related to a project.
- Click the New button.
- With the new CAD Detail window active, select Tools> Schedules> Door Schedule
from the menu, then click once to place a schedule at that location.
- Click the Select Objects
button, then click on the schedule to select it and click the Open Object
- Modify the selected door schedule's Title to describe its particular purpose.
- Check the boxes beside your new custom door subcategories in the list of Columns to Include.
- If there are any columns that you don't need in the schedule, uncheck the boxes beside those items.
- Modify the selected door schedule's Title to describe its particular purpose.
- Click OK to close the dialog and see the results.
Last updated on: Mar 29, 2013
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