Customising Evacuation Instructions for High-Rise Residential Occupants to Expedite Fire Egress: Results from Agent-Based Simulation

As the possibility of safe escape is one most crucial aspects a building’s fire safety features, understanding human behaviour under conditions important for successful evacuation. Although today’s buildings are equipped with systems, can still occur at anytime and anywhere in building have devastating consequences. In last decade, researchers practitioners used information technology to assist design emergency management. Building Information Modelling (BIM) an exemplar process whose underpinning digital has been helpful design, simulation, analysis, but there lack research on how BIM-based models combined agent-based simulations help improve evacuation via effective navigation wayfinding high-rise residential buildings. Customising instructions based BIM, simulation results occupant location, delivery these bespoke occupants’ smartphones during relatively novel needed realise potential this approach. Therefore, study investigates customised delivered each could result faster incident. The adopted case Pathfinder (agent-based software) simulate from eleven-floor Cairo, Egypt. Constraining evacuees (simulated agents Pathfinder) take particular exit routes was as proxy delivering actual evacuees. Simulation show that, general, allowing use lifts benefit disabled occupants lead their misuse by able-bodied occupants; would attempt first visible point regardless crowded it is. With optimally instructions, time was, average, 17.6 min (almost 50%) shorter than when occupant’s choice egress route simulated standard path planning factors such length, nearby crowds hazards. sent smartphones, more rapidly alternative routes. Such were shown reduce adverse effects crowdedness uneven distribution along vertical horizontal time.