Evacuation Safety and Local Crowd Density in Arenas

Abstract

Arenas and large entertainment venues host significant crowds during events, presenting challenges in evacuation safety management, particularly during emergencies such as fires or terrorist threats. In this study, critical aspects of arena evacuation are investigated, with a focus on methodology to identify local densities in key three-dimensional arena spaces where merging flows occur during emergency evacuations. Through a literature review, existing research and theories related to evacuation safety in arenas are analyzed, emphasizing the importance of considering local densities in evacuation planning. Additionally, a simplified method for measuring local density in 3D is developed, mainly for the key areas where merging flows occur at different levels, improving the overall safety of the evacuation process. Furthermore, evacuation simulations may present issues in representing flow and density at highly congested merging points such as stairs and gates. Consequently, a simple control volume method for crowd density measurement is proposed, providing an easy approach to quantifying local density in critical areas of the arena. This method was applied to a small-scale experiment using real-world data. The resulting crowd density measurements obtained through the control volume method were then compared with those obtained from modeling the same experiment using an appropriate evacuation model that is suitable for high local density scenarios. Moreover, a case study has been conducted (the Pala Alpitour Arena) to offer insights into crowd movement and evacuation dynamics in a real-world setting with high local density at merging points. Through simulating evacuation scenarios at full capacity, the study highlights critical factors influencing evacuation dynamics, particularly in areas with high local densities.

Popular Abstract

Arenas and other sports grounds host thousands of people during events, presenting challenges in terms of evacuation safety management, particularly during emergencies such as fires. While existing safety regulations typically focus on global density metrics, there is a growing recognition of the importance of assessing local densities in evacuation planning.

The aim of the thesis is to define simple methodology to identify local densities in key three- dimensional arena spaces where merging flows occur during emergency evacuations. As effective crowd management requires consideration not only of the global density but also of the local density using a simple method for estimation. The thesis will also verify the applicability of adopting evacuation modeling for high local density scenarios in arenas.

This study has reviewed existing research and theories, highlighting the importance of considering local densities in evacuation planning. Traditional approaches often rely on global density, overlooking the intricacies of crowd behavior in critical areas of arenas. By developing a simple method for measuring local density in 3D, the overall safety of the evacuation process is improved.

The simple control volume method is applied on a small-scale test. The local densities and the flows are obtained. Those results from the real-world data are compared to the modeling results for the same layout of the test. The modeling results showed relatively lower values compared to the real-world result particularly in terms of flow and density at the merging points of stairs and gates. The modeled outflow from the stairs was lower than observed in reality, affecting both stair density and evacuation time. Additionally, the reduced outflow from the stairs resulted in lower inflow at the gates, decreasing gate density compared to real-world data.

The main findings showed that while a straightforward method using control volumes provides useful insights, current evacuation models struggle to accurately estimate density due to their 2D nature and simplified assumptions about crowd behavior. To address this, the thesis emphasizes the need for advanced 3D simulations that account for non- rigid body dynamics. This could lead to more dependable evacuation models, improving safety measures in arenas during emergencies.

• author: Elsharkawi, Ahmed Hamdy Abdelrasoul Mahgoub Hassan
• supervisor: Enrico Ronchi
• organization: Division of Fire Safety Engineering
• course: VBRM05 20241
• year: 2024
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Evacuation, Safety, Local Density, Arena, Merging Flows, 3D, 2D, Modeling, Crowd Management.
• report number: 5725
• other publication id: LUTVDG/TVBB—5725--SE
• language: English
• id: 9159312
• date added to LUP: 2024-06-10 08:12:28
• date last changed: 2024-06-10 08:12:28