• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.91-118
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• 2019

Every year, many people are severely injured or lose their lives in accidents such as fire, chemical spill, public pandemonium, school shooting, and workplace violence. Research indicates that the fate of people in an emergency situation involving one or more hazards depends not only on the design of the space (e.g., residential building, industrial facility, shopping mall, sports stadium, school, concert hall) in which the incident occurs, but also on a host of other factors including but not limited to (a) occupants' characteristics, (b) level of familiarity with and cognition of the surroundings, and (c) effectiveness of hazard intervention systems. In this paper, we present EVAQ, a simulation framework for modeling large crowd evacuation by taking into account occupants' behaviors and interactions during an emergency. In particular, human's personal (i.e., age, gender, disability) and interpersonal (i.e., group behavior and interactions) attributes are parameterized in a hazard-impacted environment. In addition, different hazard types (e.g., fire, lone wolf attacker) and propagation patterns, as well as intervention schemes (simulating building repellent systems, firefighters, law enforcement) are modeled. Next, the application of EVAQ to crowd egress planning in an airport terminal under human attack, and a shopping mall in fire emergency are presented and results are discussed. Finally, a validation test is performed using real world data from a past building fire incident to assess the reliability and integrity of EVAQ in comparison with existing evacuation modeling tools.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.509-514
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• 2010

A numerical simulation of passenger evacuation in a subway station was performed by coupling the passenger flow analysis and the fire simulation. The algorithm of the passenger flow analysis was based on a DEM (Discrete Element Method) using the potential map of the direction vector for each passenger. This algorithm was improved in the present study as to use finer grid smaller than a passenger in order to resolve detailed geometry of the station and to resolve the behavior of passengers in the bottleneck at the ticket gate considering the collision of passengers to a wall or with other passengers. In the fire simulation, the CO distribution predicted by using CFD was used to take into account the effect of toxic gases on the passengers' mobility. The methodology proposed in the present study could be used in designing safer subway station in case of fire occurrence.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.10 no.2 s.39
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• pp.131-136
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• 2007

In this paper, the methodology to predict the number of deaths and possible fire propagation scenarios will be described in case of fire on a train in a tunnel. We use a probabilistic analysis method for the evaluation of possibility for each scenario and the deaths tolls are calculated with the help of the passenger evacuation simulation program. The resulting safety of passengers is displayed on a F/N graph, which could be used in part as a guideline to predict the safety level of the tunnel in fire.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2014

Recently, the safety assessments with using the various evacuation programs are performed for improving the performance of fire and evacuation safety in the building. Generally, the evacuation programs can simulate the human behavior in fire situation by applying the variation of the movement speed and Fractional Effective Dose (FED) index in the smoke. However, if the simulation is performed without optional setting around the fire, the agents do not avoid the fire and they move through the fire. Therefore in this study, we define the radiative repulsion force which exists between the fire and the agents. Moreover, we modify the Helbing's movement model by adding the radiative repulsion force. As a result of the modified movement model, all agents move around the fire and they do not enter the upper bound area of radiative heat flux, $2.4kW/m^2$. From these results, we verified the reliability of the modified movement model.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.509-515
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• 2021

This study analyzes the efficient floor layout plan of classrooms for securing evacuation stability in school in case of fire by using the Pathfinder simulation program. Efficient evacuation methods and safety were evaluated by analyzing REST (Required Safe Egress Time) according to the allocation of personnel by floor targeting a high school 5-story building equipped with a ramp and stairs. The current status of personnel assignments exceeded the Required Safe Egress Time(RSET), resulting in a problem with evacuation safety. When students were placed on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors, the result was that the time exceeded RSET the most. When students were placed on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, the result was that they completed evacuation in the shortest time, less than RSET. In the current state, when evacuation was guided by designating an evacuation exit depending on the location, the result of shortening RSET was obtained. As a result, it is effective to put the students on the lower floors when placing students in high-rise school buildings in terms of evacuation safety, and in the preliminary training, it is required to designate evacuation exits so that they can use the nearest exit for each location in case of a fire. As a future research project, additional research is needed on the RSET when a fire occurs in a specific location according to whether the automatic fire door at that location is opened or closed.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.62-69
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• 2003

The smoke control system in subway platform is not only using for smoke exhaust facility but also using ventilation system. For this reason, smoke vent effectiveness is depending on its position, ventilating volume capacity and the vent method. In this study, the passenger's evacuation time was calculated for the case of fire on sloped subway train vehicle in subway platform. In order to recommend the mechanical smoke exhaust operation mode, SES (Subway Environmental Simulation) was used to predict the airflow of the inlet and outlet tunnel for the subway station. Fire dynamics Simulator(FDS) was used the SES's velocity boundary conditions to calculate the smoke density and temperature under the condition of fire on stopped subway train vehicle at the platform. We compared smoke density and temperature distributions for each 6 types of smoke exhaust systems to clarify the characteristics of smoke and hot air exhaust effectiveness from the result of fire simulation.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.36-42
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• 2005

A study on fire phenomena in a subway transit mass station has been carried out as a part of disaster prevention plan at the subway station. The ventilation facilities installed in both the platform and the trackway are designed to convert into a smoke exhaust system in emergency situation, creating an environment necessary for evacuation. 3 dimensional Numerical Simulations based on the CFD are carried out using a simulation tool, Fire Dynamic Simulator. Total of six different cases are made and performances are compared each other to find optimal vents operation to ensure safer environment for evacuation at the platform area considering the installation of platform screen door.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.274-280
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• 2011

Evacuation and Fatalities Simulation is one of the core technologies for performance based design. Recently, developed programs in foreign countries have limitations such as simple fatality calculation and coarse visual interface. This study developed an advanced evaluation program for evacuation and fatalities to overcome limitations of existing programs and improve various applications, i.e., an evacuation algorithm using elevators as well as evacuation stairs. In addition, the evaluation program can let users make a decision of fatalities from fire by coupling with FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) from NIST and realizes three-dimensional virtual space using a graphic module.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.65-69
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• 2015

The university dormitory have various functions and large floating population so in the occurrence of fire, there could be heavy casualties. Also, when university dormitory is located far from fire station, it is difficult to fire brigade arrives on Golden Time. Therefore, university dormitory need response capabilities for fire by itself. This study conducted a simulation experiment on those residing in K University dormitory in Gangwon-do, where site proximity is unfavorable, to observe evacuation characteristics of the occupants. As a result, evacuation is delayed due to a lack of evacuation routes and administrator, some students lack of fire awareness. Also fire brigade didn't arrive on Golden Time. Therefore, to resolve problems it is proposed that a student fire volunteer department.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.93-100
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate specific crowding areas resulted from diverse physical factors of multi-plex theaters in a fire evacuation, and more accurately predict the evacuation route of people. To achieve these purpose, the architectural characteristics of three multi-plex theaters in Jinju have been chosen, and the evacuation experiments through the computer simulation called Simulex were carried out for each on the these theaters. The conclusions from this study are as follows: (1) Crowding usually happens cross areas between theater inside and corridors, and Crowding rate depending on the number of cross areas. (2) It is necessary to design the escape routes being employed ordinary times. And the egress routes planning should be integrated into space programming at the early stage of building design.