Assessment of safety evacuation of persons in the design of assembly areas

Abstract

Fires and other emergencies in the premises of assembly areas (e.g. shopping centres) may have tragic consequences for persons and the environment. Current buildings are designed as construction objects that are larger and more complex than ever before, and therefore the range of potential disasters that may occur is much more diverse. Therefore, emphasis should be given on designing safe evacuation from these assembly areas in particular with regard to uneven distribution of persons in the building. The aim of the article is to present the simulation results of several variants of evacuation in a selected commercial centre with different densities of persons by the buildingEXODUS evacuation model and compare these with the current project regulations. There will also be assessed the potential impact of the negative effects of fire on the escaping persons. © 2013 WIT Press.