- Author
- Gwynne, S. | Galea, E. R. | Lawrence, P. J. | Jiang, C.
- Title
- Modeling of Crowd Evacuation Behavior Within a Large Pedestrian Precinct.
- Coporate
- University of Greenwich, London, England
- Report
- Paper No. 04/IM/107, May 2004, 39 p.
- Keywords
- evacuation | human behavior | human response | people movement | geometry | scenarios | simulation | fire models | evacuation time | exit signs
- Identifiers
- buildingEXODUS; definition of geometry and population; time taken to clear exit points and number of people using the exit points; exit point number; exit usage
- Abstract
- As the techniques used in evacuation modelling have evolved, so they have become capable of simulating more complex and extensive scenarios. However, the temptation for the practitioner using these models to compromise the detail of the processes being simulated in order to cater for larger geometries or populations still exists. Without the use of computational tools, the engineer would have traditionally resorted to hand-based flow calculations, which would have been insensitive to local conditions and which would have been dependent upon the engineer making a number of 'expert decisions', although able to cope. with large populations due to their relatively crude assumptions. In this paper, the evacuation of a large pedestrian precinct is examined using the buildingEXODUS evacuation model, implementing progressively more complex behavioural factors in order to gain a comprehensive and meticulous understanding of the conditions produced and to demonstrate the scope of analysis available to the engineer using a relatively sophisticated computational evacuation tool. The evacuation of the structure in question was found to be sensitive to a number of variables (e.g. the number and use of exit points, the mobility levels of the evacuees, etc.). However, the manner in which these variables interacted and the subsequent results produced were not necessarily intuitive (i.e. immediately accessible to expert opinion). The use of a simulation model is at its most beneficial in just such circumstances, where the results are not amenable to expert opinion or estimation, due to the complexity of the situation examined.