Lattice gas simulation and experiment study of evacuation dynamics

Xiaomeng Li, Tao Chen, Lili Pan, Shifei Shen and Hongyong Yuan

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2008, vol. 387, issue 22, 5457-5465

Abstract: In this paper, evacuation dynamics in an office building is studied by experiment and simulation. A lattice gas (LG) model is developed. A parameter called ‘exit bias’ is introduced into the model to describe the occupants’ familiarity with different exits in a building. The evacuation experiment, which consists of seven scenarios under various conditions, is conducted to verify the model and calibrate the model’s input parameters such as pedestrian speed and exit bias. The effect of exit width on flow rate, and the effect of occupants’ familiarity with the building on their route selections, are studied. It is found that the accuracy of simulation depends a lot on the model’s pedestrian speed. The optimal pedestrian speed is decided by not only occupant characteristics, but also flow features determined by people distribution, building structure, environment pressure, etc. LG models with proper pedestrian speed are capable of simulating the dynamic process of orderly emergency evacuations.

Keywords: Lattice gas model; Evacuation experiment; Flow rate; Route selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:387:y:2008:i:22:p:5457-5465

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2008.05.024

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