- Author
- Tsai, W. L.
- Title
- Validation of EvacuatioNZ Model for High-Rise Building Analysis.
- Coporate
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Report
- Fire Engineering Research Report 07/8, September 2007, 247 p.
- Keywords
- evacuation | validation | high rise buildings | literature review | hotels | office buildings | human behavior | occupants | evacuation time | handicapped | people movement | time | stariwells | lighting equipment | scenarios | data input | fire models | sensitivity analysis
- Identifiers
- component testing; trial evacuation on a 21-storey hotel building; trial evacuation on a 13-storey office building; trial evacuation on a 21-storey office building; evacuation timing; movement of disabled occupants; physical aspects; behavioral aspects; pre-movement time distribution function; lighting system in the stairwells; data inputs/assumptions; EXIT89; Simulex; EvacuationNZ; evacuation procedure/timeline; preferred route; connection for long stairs
- Abstract
- This thesis covers a variety of analytical approaches that validate the use of the EvacuatioNZ model on high-rise building analysis. Through performing a number of sensitivity analyses, several model deficiencies as well as functional limitations were improved upon and part of the model developments are continued based on the previous research done by two Master's students at the University of Canterbury. In this thesis, data from three evacuations were considered for different validating aspects. These evacuations were, a hypothetical 21-storey hotel building located in the United States of America, which was previously simulated using Simulex and EXIT89; a trial evacuation that was carried out in a 13-storey office building located in Canada; and a fire drill conducted at a 21-storey office building located in Australia. Overall, the results indicated that the EvacuatioNZ is able to produce reasonable predictions of the total evacuation time regardless of the number of floors involved. The component testing also showed satisfactory outcomes regarding the involvement of disabled occupants, complexity of node configurations, and different pre-movement time distributions. However, the current model still has a number of limitations that need to be verified and tested. These include the preferred route function and the connection problem for long stairs. Further research should also be carried out on the use of the Evacuation model on other types of building structures so as to increase the confidence level of utilizing the EvacuatioNZ model for general applications.