FIRE EVACUATION SIMULATIONS: CASE STUDY IN A UNIVERSITY BUILDING

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate fire evacuation times for a university building using the Pathfinder application, simulating two scenarios. Set 1 employed the actual occupant count (371 people), while Set 2 utilized the maximum load one evacuation route could support (2,400 people), with an additional 1,000 people for a significant student activity on the 2nd floor. The impact of fire-resistant walls on evacuation times was explored for both sets, and an extra evacuation route on the 2nd floor was considered for Set 2. The five-story building, standing at 21.36 meters, featured four stairs from the 5th to the 1st floor and an additional stair near the event. Parameters such as height, occupant shoulder width, and moving velocity were validated by aligning simulated evacuation times with an actual fire drill involving 74 people in 182 seconds, serving as benchmarks for further simulations. In Set 1, with the actual occupant count, the evacuation time was determined to be 225 seconds. For Set 2 scenarios (2,400 and 3,400 people), evacuation times ranged from 720 to 1,147.5 seconds, adhering to the one-hour rule for 23-meter-high buildings. Interestingly, the presence of both fire-resistant walls and regular walls did not significantly impact evacuation times, as the application only stopped counting time when the last person in the building reached the safety area. The utilization of the extra evacuation route on the 2nd floor reduced the time to evacuate. Additionally, the swift evacuation times, coupled with well-managed fire evacuation routes (clear signs, etc.), affirmed the building's safety for its occupants.