Computer Evacuation Models for Buildings

With the rapid increase in computer capability and the increase in egress model development, there is a need for guidance on evacuation modeling, specifically the process involved and the models available. This chapter provides general guidance to users on the first three steps of the evacuation modeling process, namely, (1) identifying project requirements, (2) selecting the appropriate model (including a review of 26 current building evacuation models), and (3) configuring the model scenarios. In addition, an example of evacuation modeling configuration is provided to identify the factors to consider when configuring the building, the population, and the procedures. The chapter briefly reviews the final three steps of the evacuation modeling process, which are applying the model, obtaining output, and analyzing results. These final steps are important but only briefly mentioned due to the fact that these are often specific to the evacuation model chosen and the goals of the project. Overall, this chapter aims to provide necessary guidance that is general enough to be model independent and specific enough to be valuable to the model user.

[1]  Jason D. Averill,et al.  Occupant behavior, egress, and emergency communications , 2005 .

[2]  G. W. H. Silcock,et al.  Toward the Characterization of Building Occupancies for Fire Safety Engineering: Capabilities of Disabled People Moving Horizontally and on an Incline , 1999 .

[3]  P. Brennan.  Modelling Cue Recognition And Pre-Evacuation Response , 2000 .

[4]  Erica D. Kuligowski.  The Evaluation of a Performance-Based Design Process for a Hotel Building: The Comparison of Two Egress Models , 2003 .

[5]  Benigno E. Aguirre,et al.  A Critical Review Of Emergency Evacuation Simulation Models , 2004 .

[6]  R L. Paulsen.  Human Behavior and Fire Emergencies: An Annotated Bibliography. | NIST , 1981 .

[7]  Edwin R. Galea,et al.  A review of the methodologies used in the computer simulation of evacuation from the built environment , 1999 .

[8]  John M. Watts,et al.  Computer models for evacuation analysis , 1987 .

[9]  S. Gwynne,et al.  Employing the Hydraulic Model in Assessing Emergency Movement , 2016 .

[10]  Daniel M. Madrzykowski,et al.  Report of the technical investigation of The Station nightclub fire :: appendices , 2005 .

[11]  Douglas J. Carpenter,et al.  An Updated International Survey of Computer Models for Fire and Smoke , 2003 .

[12]  James A. Milke,et al.  A Performance-Based Design of a Hotel Building Using Two Egress Models: A Comparison of the ResultsS , 2004 .

[13]  John J. Fruin,et al.  Pedestrian planning and design , 1971 .

[14]  Peter A. Thompson.  Developing new techniques for modelling crowd movement , 1994 .

[15]  James A. Milke,et al.  A Survey of Occupant Load Factors in Contemporary Office Buildings , 1996 .

[16]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  NUMERICAL STUDIES ON EVACUATION PATTERN IN A LECTURE HALL , 2001 .

[17]  S. Gwynne,et al.  What a User Should Know When Selecting an Evacuation Model. | NIST , 2005 .

[18]  Daniel M. Madrzykowski,et al.  Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 1 | NIST , 2005 .

[19]  L. Bisby.  SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, Fifth Edition , 2016 .