Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

An analysis of evacuation travel paths on stair landings by means of conditional probabilities

Ronchi, Enrico LU orcid ; Reneke, Paul A. ; Kuligowski, Erica D. and Peacock, Richard D. (2014) In Fire Safety Journal 65. p.30-40
Abstract
This paper analyses data on occupants׳ movement on stair landings collected during an evacuation drill performed in a six-storey office building in the United States. A total of 215 occupant travel path trajectories were filmed and time on the stair landings and egress behaviours were analysed. Data were analysed using a probabilistic approach, i.e., the probability of different occupant travel paths were calculated in relation to two different factors: (1) crowding on the landings, and (2) the type of interactions between occupants (e.g., merging flows, deference/overtaking behaviours, etc.). Results showed that a higher number of occupants on stair landings caused an increase in the probability for (1) longer travel paths and (2) usage... (More)
This paper analyses data on occupants׳ movement on stair landings collected during an evacuation drill performed in a six-storey office building in the United States. A total of 215 occupant travel path trajectories were filmed and time on the stair landings and egress behaviours were analysed. Data were analysed using a probabilistic approach, i.e., the probability of different occupant travel paths were calculated in relation to two different factors: (1) crowding on the landings, and (2) the type of interactions between occupants (e.g., merging flows, deference/overtaking behaviours, etc.). Results showed that a higher number of occupants on stair landings caused an increase in the probability for (1) longer travel paths and (2) usage of the outer boundaries on the stair/landing connections. This paper highlights that data and modelling assumptions should be used after a careful evaluation of their field of applicability. In the case of a low occupant load and non-homogenous merging streams (a higher number of people entering the landing from the stairs than the door), floors tend to be emptied from the top to the bottom. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Building evacuation, Merging flows, Pedestrian movement, Travel paths, Conditional probabilities
in
Fire Safety Journal
volume
65
pages
30 - 40
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000335612300004
  • scopus:84918541057
ISSN
0379-7112
DOI
10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.02.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
338ed029-c94d-4421-bf4c-e02908006d97 (old id 4350201)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:02:44
date last changed
2022-01-28 03:48:41
@article{338ed029-c94d-4421-bf4c-e02908006d97,
  abstract     = {{This paper analyses data on occupants׳ movement on stair landings collected during an evacuation drill performed in a six-storey office building in the United States. A total of 215 occupant travel path trajectories were filmed and time on the stair landings and egress behaviours were analysed. Data were analysed using a probabilistic approach, i.e., the probability of different occupant travel paths were calculated in relation to two different factors: (1) crowding on the landings, and (2) the type of interactions between occupants (e.g., merging flows, deference/overtaking behaviours, etc.). Results showed that a higher number of occupants on stair landings caused an increase in the probability for (1) longer travel paths and (2) usage of the outer boundaries on the stair/landing connections. This paper highlights that data and modelling assumptions should be used after a careful evaluation of their field of applicability. In the case of a low occupant load and non-homogenous merging streams (a higher number of people entering the landing from the stairs than the door), floors tend to be emptied from the top to the bottom.}},
  author       = {{Ronchi, Enrico and Reneke, Paul A. and Kuligowski, Erica D. and Peacock, Richard D.}},
  issn         = {{0379-7112}},
  keywords     = {{Building evacuation; Merging flows; Pedestrian movement; Travel paths; Conditional probabilities}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{30--40}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Fire Safety Journal}},
  title        = {{An analysis of evacuation travel paths on stair landings by means of conditional probabilities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.02.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.02.001}},
  volume       = {{65}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}