| 1. |
- Adrian, Juliane, et al.
(författare)
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A Glossary for Research on Human Crowd Dynamics
- 2019
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Ingår i: Collective Dynamics. - 2366-8539. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents a glossary of terms that are frequently used in research onhuman crowds. This topic is inherently multidisciplinary as it includes work in and across computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, psychology and social science, for example. We do not view the glossary presented here as a collection of finalised and formal definitions. Instead, we suggest it is a snapshot of current views and the starting point of an ongoing process that we hope will be useful in providing some guidance on the use of terminology to develop a mutual understanding across disciplines. The glossary was developed collaboratively during a multidisciplinary meeting. We deliberately allowseveral definitions of terms, to reflect the confluence of disciplines in the field. This also reflects the fact not all contributors necessarily agree with all definitions in this glossary.
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| 2. |
- Al Khalidi, Marwa, et al.
(författare)
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The positive impact of negative role models
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The attitude of teachers towards students can vary substantially in relation to different factors, such as educational background, pedagogical training, teaching methods, etc. In this paper, we explore the impact of negative role-models on future teaching. In particular, past experiences of teachers as students as well as the contextual influence of other teachers on their future teaching has been explored. The scope of this paper is to assess the possible impact that negative role-models may have on teaching performance, methods and quality. While the positive impact of positive role-models have been deeply investigated in the literature, the study of the impact of negative role-models is somewhat controversial. To investigate the positive impact of negative role-models, the key factors involved in the influence of role-models are presented and discussed through a set of case studies. Recommendations to address problematic cases are also presented.
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| 3. |
- Alonso-Gutierrez, Virginia, et al.
(författare)
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The simulation of assisted evacuation in hospitals
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Fire evacuation in hospitals is a challenging process that involves the evacuation of patients that are not able to evacuate by themselves and may require assistance. Health-care personnel is generally responsible for assisting the patients during this process. Assisted evacuation in a hospital relies on a pre-determined procedure that defines the priority of patients. The evacuation will depend upon the personnel actions and decisions during the procedure. Evacuation models are powerful tools to investigate evacuation strategies and they have been applied to different types of scenarios. Based upon the self-evacuation approach, the input variables typically used in different scenarios are pre-evacuation times, walking speeds, route selection and exit flows. However, hospitals involve different factors that may potentially affect the evacuation times such as the time to prepare, the evacuation priority (the assignment of the patients to each staff member) based on the protocol, the time to reach a patient, the time to prepare the patient before starting the evacuation movement or the time to move each patient. In addition, some of the existing models are capable of modelling wheelchair users; however in hospitals, non-ambulant patients may need to be assisted also by using a stretcher, blanket or similar device that may have to be moved using a blanket drag. This paper proposes a modelling strategy to simulate a hospital evacuation. The capabilities of two commercial evacuation models, STEPS and Pathfinder, are explored to evaluate their ability to simulate this type of scenarios. This includes the study of the issues concerning the simulation of horizontal hospital evacuation (i.e. calibration issues, capabilities and limitations). A case study is presented in this paper by using STEPS model.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Arias, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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An experiment on ascending evacuation on a long, stationary escalator
- 2016
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Ingår i: Interflam 2016.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ascending evacuation is becoming more relevant with underground stations reaching increasing depths. Therefore there is need for better understanding of the effects of physical exertion during evacuation. An experiment was conducted in a 61 m long, stationary escalator in Stockholm (Sweden) in order to obtain data on walking speeds, resting and behavior, which consisted on measuring the walking speed and gathering data about the perceived exertion of test participants walking up the escalator. The walking speeds of 29 single individuals and a group of 21 individuals were obtained. The results showed that people decrease their walking speed with the height, and some of them need to take breaks along the climb. No clear influence of background participants’ variables was found on the results. In the group experiment, the slower people had an impact on the walking speed of others due to the reduced space between them at the beginning of the climb. However, the slower participants gradually move to the right hand of the escalator to allow overtaking on the left hand side, and the faster ones could move at their preferred speed. This behavior is similar that observed during regular use of escalators.
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| 6. |
- Arias, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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Forensic virtual reality : Investigating individual behavior in the MGM Grand fire
- 2019
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Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-7112. ; 109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The forensic investigation of human behavior in fires can benefit from a first-hand perspective of what happened during the fire. Complementing the on-site investigation and the witnesses’ accounts with a virtual reality replication of the real fire, forensic investigators could gather valuable data from having non-victims experiencing it. This paper aims to introduce and develop the forensic virtual reality method as a tool to provide a better understanding of the behavior of the building occupants. To assess the method, a virtual reality scenario based on the conditions in a hotel room during the MGM Grand fire in 1980 was created, and 55 naïve participants were exposed to it. Their behavior was later compared to that of the survivors of the real fire. The results show that the virtual environment made approximately 50% of the participants feel urgency due to the emergency and act on it. A comparison to the data from the MGM Grand fire confirmed that real life behavior can be observed in the virtual environment, although the frequencies of actions performed were lower in the virtual reality experiments.
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| 7. |
- Arias, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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ForensicVR: Investigating human behaviour in fire with Virtual Reality
- 2018
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A forensic investigation of a fire scene can provide insights on the circumstances of a fatal fire. However, people’s attitudes and subsequent behaviour can only be inferred. A full reconstruction in real life of a fatal fire is generally not possible due to ethical reasons regarding the serious threat people would be exposed to and the costs that such an experiment would have. We propose here the ForensicVR method, a novel and innovative way to study human behaviour in fire by recreating, in Virtual Reality (VR), evacuation scenarios from real-world, well-documented fatal fires. The methodology has been developed and tested for two case studies, namely 1) a hotel fire scenario, in which the behaviour of individuals in their rooms was investigated and 2) a nightclub fire scenario, in which the impact of social influence on evacuation behaviour have been studied. Two set of VR evacuation experiments have been conducted for these case studies, including a total of 122 participants. Results show that participants in a VR experiment attempt and succeed at performing both simple and complex actions when exposed to a fire evacuation scenario. Participants reported some level of stress due to the simulated emergency, despite knowing the threat was not real. Participants in the scenario behaved in a comparable way as the victims of the corresponding real fires, which supports the potential of the ForensicVR methodology.
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| 8. |
- Arias, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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Pursuing behavioral realism in Virtual Reality for fire evacuation research
- 2021
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Ingår i: Fire and Materials. - : Wiley. - 0308-0501 .- 1099-1018. ; 45:4, s. 462-472
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of virtual reality in human behavior in fire research has the advantage of being able to produce results comparable to more traditional laboratory or field experiments. This method relies not only on the technology employed but also on the participants' perception of realism when exposed to a virtual emergency scenario. A virtual scenario can be perceived as realistic based on the way it looks and on the way objects in it operates. However, in some experiments, behavioral realism can be the most relevant feature to obtain meaningful results. In this article, knowledge gained by running four different virtual reality experiments is presented in the form of challenges and recommendations to enhance the realism of the virtual experience. Although not in a comprehensive way, these challenges and recommendations refer to different parts of the process of running a virtual reality experiment for research in human behavior in fire, from the design of the environment to the behavior of the participants in it. The recommendations provided are based on observations. By spreading this knowledge, it is expected to aid the broader fire safety engineering community to develop more realistic virtual reality experiments for data collection on human behavior in fire.
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| 9. |
- Arias, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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Virtual Reality Evacuation Experiments on Way-Finding Systems for the Future Circular Collider
- 2019
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Ingår i: Fire Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0015-2684 .- 1572-8099. ; 55, s. 2319-2340
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evacuation times can be shortened in fire scenarios if people choose appropriate routes. Way-finding systems can be used to aid this process, thus their effectiveness needs to be evaluated. In the present study, the way-finding evacuation systems of the Future Circular Collider (FCC) of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) are investigated as its evacuation design presents several challenges from the fire safety perspective. To perform a comparison of different evacuation design solutions, a set of Virtual Reality (VR) experiments involving a total of 111 participants was performed. VR was used because the FCC facility is not built yet, and it allows for high experimental control and cost-effectiveness for comparisons of way-finding systems. The VR experiments reproduced a hypothetical fire emergency in which participants’ egress behaviour was investigated. Three scenarios were represented, each of them adopting different evacuation safety concepts and way-finding systems. Different installations were included in the scenarios, such as scenario (1) flashing lights, scenario (2) static or dynamic signage (i.e. active and dissuasive signage indicating the direction towards or away from the danger) and scenario (3) a robot placed on a monorail on the vault of the tunnel, able to localize people in the tunnel and provide way-guidance information. Results show that the combination of red flashing lights at the exits, dynamic signage and a robot equipped with green flashing lights yielded the highest compliance to the way-finding intent of the system (92.6% compliance vs 62.9% and 77.5% for scenarios 1 and 2 respectively).
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| 10. |
- Bode, Nikolai, et al.
(författare)
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Statistical model fitting and model selection in pedestrian dynamics research
- 2019
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Ingår i: Collective Dynamics. - 2366-8539. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pedestrian dynamics is concerned with understanding the movement patterns that arise in places where more than one person walks. Relating theoretical models to data is a crucial goal of research in this field. Statistical model fitting and model selection are a suitable approach to this problem and here we review the concepts and literature related to this methodology in the context of pedestrian dynamics. The central tenet of statistical modelling is to describe the relationship between different variables by using probability distributions. Rather than providing a critique of existing methodology or a "how to" guide for such an established research technique, our review aims to highlight broad concepts, different uses, best practices, challenges and opportunities with a focussed view on theoretical models for pedestrian behaviour. This contribution is aimed at researchers in pedestrian dynamics who want to carefully analyse data, relate a theoretical model to data, or compare the relative quality of several theoretical models. The survey of the literature we present provides many methodological starting points and we suggest that the particular challenges to statistical modelling in pedestrian dynamics make this an inherently interesting field of research.
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| 11. |
- Boustras, Georgios, et al.
(författare)
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Fires: fund research for citizen safety
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 551:7680, s. 300-300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Bukvic, Olivera, et al.
(författare)
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A review on the role of functional limitations on evacuation performance using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
- 2021
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Ingår i: Fire Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0015-2684 .- 1572-8099. ; 57:2, s. 507-528
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This scoping review addresses the role of functional limitations on evacuation performance of adults in public buildings. Although this topic has been addressed in evacuation research, no linkage is currently available between functional limitations, the predominant activities affected by them and evacuation performance. This review strives to open a debate on the need to classify the impact of disability in terms of functional limitations on evacuation performance according to methods adopted in health science. This paper reviews literature concerning evacuation from public buildings with adults aged ≥ 60 years and/or adults aged ≥ 18 years with functional limitations. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health has been used to identify predominant activities during an evacuation and to perform a structured classification at different levels of resolution to address self-evacuation possibilities. Results of the review are presented in a tabular form linking predominant activities in terms of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and six categories of functional limitations with the engineering evacuation time-line. The suggested classification can facilitate the assessment of the evacuation-related issues in buildings in relation to the population under consideration. The main research gaps identified include the lack of studies concerning the impact of cognitive limitations on egress, and the need to add the temporal dimension to the methods adopted in accessibility research to allow for their use in the egress field.
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| 14. |
- Carattin, Elisabetta, et al.
(författare)
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Affordance-based evaluation of signage design for areas of refuge
- 2016
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Ingår i: 14th International Conference and Exhibition on Fire Science and Engineering, Interflam 2016. - 9780993393310
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The evacuation of disabled persons from multi-storey buildings requires, typically, the provision and use o Areas of Refuge (AoR). Building complexity, together with the low level of detail in the regulatory guidance- relating to AoR signage, may lead to inappropriate signage system designs. In turn. this may lead to difficulties in locating and or identifying AoR. This paper illustrates the use of the Theory of Affordances a framework for assessing AoR signage system design.
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| 15. |
- Catovic, Lamija, et al.
(författare)
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A survey on the factors affecting horizontal assisted evacuation in hospitals
- 2018
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Ingår i: 3rd European Symposium on Fire Safety Science 12–14 September 2018, Nancy, France. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588. ; 1107
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the results of a survey on assisted evacuation conducted with 120 hospital staff members in Sweden. Staff members included people with different roles in the hospital (e.g. doctors, nurses, department heads, etc.). The survey consisted of a questionnaire aiming at investigating the factors which affect assisted evacuation in hospitals and the current status of assisted evacuation training in Sweden. The survey included a list of questions concerning factors which were previously identified through a literature review and that they may affect the effectiveness of horizontal assisted evacuation in hospitals. Hospital staff had to evaluate the importance of these factors through a Likert-scale questionnaire. Three factors were identified in the survey by hospital staff as the most important in horizontal assisted evacuation, namely 1) coordination/collaboration between staff, 2) the patient need for assistance and 3) Training on evacuation routines. According to the questionnaire results, occupants who are in need for life-sustaining equipment can be the most difficult to evacuate. Results also show that only 52% of respondents had ever taken part into an evacuation drill and 50% had practiced how to handle evacuation aid tools needed for assisted evacuation, with rescue mattresses being the most used evacuation aid. 78% of respondents were aware of the person responsible for arranging tasks in case of an emergency situation.
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| 16. |
- Cosma, Giovanni, et al.
(författare)
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Way-finding lighting systems for rail tunnel evacuation: A virtual reality experiment with Oculus Rift
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Transportation Safety & Security. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1943-9962 .- 1943-9970. ; 8:No. S1, s. 101-117
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An experimental study has been conducted to investigate if a new and simple system, that is, stripes of high-bright dynamic green LED lights installed on the floor, can support people way-finding in smoke-filled railway tunnel evacuations. The impact of way-finding installations on people evacuation (intended as people movement paths and evacuation times) has been studied using Oculus Rift, a head-mounted display (HMD) device for virtual reality. Two different way-finding installation setups have been investigated. A rail tunnel evacuation scenario has been developed in a virtual environment and the behavior of 60 test participants has been observed (one control group with no installations available and two groups with either alternate or continuous high-bright dynamic green lights). Results show a positive impact of way-finding lighting installations on people evacuation safety. No significant differences have been found between the impact of dynamic alternate and continuous lights on participants' evacuation behavior. Both installation setups influenced movement paths of test participants during the evacuation process, that is, participants tend to walk closer to the lights.
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| 17. |
- Cuesta, Arturo, et al.
(författare)
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Collection and Use of Data from School Egress Trials
- 2015
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Ingår i: [Host publication title missing]. - 9780993393303 ; , s. 233-244
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data was collected from five evacuations from the same school building, conducted in Spain between 2011 and 2014. Children from 6 to 16 years old were observed during the evacuation exercises. Four of the evacuations were unannounced, while one was semi-announced: the staff being aware that the drill would be conducted on a particular day, while the students were unaware. Information was gathered on the key factors deemed to influence evacuation performance: a description of the geometry, the population involved, the procedures employed and the organization of the drill itself. This information should allow interested parties to gain a reasonably detailed understanding of the initial conditions of each of the five trials. Evacuation data was also collected, focusing on the pre-evacuation times, the routes employed, the speeds adopted and the arrival times. Where data is ambiguous, flawed or omitted, this is documented in an attempt at transparency. To demonstrate an application of this data, we performed a series of small test cases using the Pathfinder, STEPS and EXODUS evacuation tools. The purpose of this work is to (1) provide insight into the configuration of these models for equivalent scenarios; (2) examine any variation in the simulated conditions given equivalent initial conditions; and (3) make public the configuration files (e.g. architectural files, raw experimental data, etc.) and analysis to contribute to the understanding the emergency movement of school pupils and the subsequent use of this data as part of modelling validation exercise. It is suggested that the very transparency of this process is relatively novel in the area of egress modelling.
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| 18. |
- Cuesta, Arturo, et al.
(författare)
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School egress data: comparing the configuration and validation of five egress modelling tools
- 2017
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Ingår i: Fire and Materials. - : Wiley. - 1099-1018 .- 0308-0501. ; 41:5, s. 535-554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data were collected between 2011 and 2014 from five evacuations involving the same school buildings located in Spain. Children from 6 to 16 years of age were observed during the evacuation exercises. Background information was collected on key factors deemed to influence evacuation performance: a description of the geometry, the population involved, the procedures employed and the organization of the drills conducted. Using live observations and video footage of these drills, evacuation data were collected, focusing on the pre-evacuation times, the routes employed, the travel speeds adopted and thearrival times. These data informed a range of a posteriori simulations, conducted by using four computer models (buildingEXODUS, MassMotion, Pathfinder and STEPS) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineering hydraulic model (i.e. Society of Fire Protection Engineering hand calculations). Comparisons were drawn between the models’ output and against the observed outcome for one of the trials to determine the accuracy of the model predictions given that they were configured by using the initial conditions for a specific evacuation. The purpose of this work is to (1) provide insight into the configuration of these models for equivalent scenarios, (2) examine any variation in the simulated conditions given equivalent initial conditions, and (3) provide suggestions on how to perform validation studies for multiple evacuation models.
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| 19. |
- Delin, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Ascending stair evacuation : walking speed as a function of height
- 2017
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Ingår i: Fire and Materials. - : Wiley. - 0308-0501 .- 1099-1018. ; 41:5, s. 514-534
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is reason to believe that factors such as physical exertion and behavioural changes will influence the ascending walking speed and ultimately the possibility of satisfactory evacuation. To study these effects, a 2-year research project was initiated with the focus on effects of physical exertion on walking speeds, physiological performance and behaviours during long ascending evacuations. Two sets of experiments on human performance during ascending long stairs, with a height of 48 and 109 m, were performed. The results include aspects such as walking speeds, physical exertion (oxygen consumption, heart rates and electromyography data), perceived exertion and behavioural changes, showing that physical work capacity affects walking speeds in case of long ascending evacuation and should be considered while using long ascending evacuation. Analysis of both walking and vertical speeds is recommended because it provides additional insights on the impact of stair configuration on vertical displacement and the importance of not using the same value for walking speed for different stairs because the design of the stairs has an impact. The novel datasets presented in this paper are deemed to provide useful information for fire safety engineers both for assisting fire safety design as well as the calibration of evacuation modelling tools.
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| 20. |
- Fridolf, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Full Scale Tunnel Evacuation Experiment to Determine Appropriate Emergency Exit Portal Designs in Road Tunnels
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings from the Seventh International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security. - 9789188349118 ; , s. 441-452
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this paper, the execution and results of an evacuation experiment that was conducted in a road tunnel in Stockholm in 2014 is presented. The primary objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of different emergency exit portal designs, and other technical installations/aids in the tunnel, during a fire evacuation in smoke. Based on the results, it is concluded that the emergency exit portal design, which was developed and evaluated prior to the experiment, seems appropriate for the intended use. However, in order to increase the portal may be complemented with information signs on the wall opposite to the exit, way-finding signs including distances to the closest emergency exits on both tunnel walls, and a loudspeaker installation that can inform evacuating people about the location of the available exits.
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| 21. |
- Fridolf, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Movement speed and exit choice in smoke-filled rail tunnels
- 2013
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Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-7112. ; 59, s. 8-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An evacuation experiment including 100 individuals was performed inside a tunnel in order to study the effectiveness of different way-finding installations and to collect data on movement speeds and human behaviour. The participants took part in the experiment individually, and no group interactions were studied. The experiment tunnel was 200 m long and an emergency exit was located 180 m into the tunnel. In addition, emergency signs including distances to nearest exits were located every eight meters on both sides of the tunnel. The tunnel was filled with artificial smoke and acetic acid, which produced a mean light extinction coefficient of 2.2 m−1. Participants had been told that they would participate in an evacuation experiment, but they had not been informed about the layout of the tunnel or the technical installations. The average movement speed was found to be approximately 0.9 m/s, independent of tunnel floor material examined. The experiment also demonstrated the importance of the emergency exit design. A loudspeaker, which provided people with an alarm signal and a pre-recorded voice message, was found to perform particular well in terms of attracting people to the exit, independent of which side of the tunnel the participants were following.
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| 22. |
- Fridolf, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Människors gånghastighet i rök: Förslag tillrepresentation vid brandteknisk projektering
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is limited information about the behavior and movement of people in case of fireevacuation in smoke-filled environments, and there is limited guidance on how peoples’walking speed in smoke can and should be represented in the fire safety design process.In this report, a literature review within this area, and a subsequent recommendation onhow to represent walking speed in both smoke-free and smoke-filled environments ispresented. The recommendation includes three different methods to represent the peoples’walking speed in a life safety verification, depending on how the treatment ofuncertainties is done on an overall level within the analysis. Finally, in the end of thereport, a direction for future research in order to reduce the current uncertainties ispresented.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Fridolf, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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The relationship between obstructed and unobstructed walking speed: Results from an evacuation experiment in a smoke filled tunnel
- 2015
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Ingår i: [Host publication title missing]. - 9780993393303 ; , s. 537-548
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to increase the knowledge on human behavior in smoke, an evacuation experiment was performed in a road tunnel in Stockholm in July, 2014. The experiment included 66 participants, who individually were instructed to evacuate a smoke-filled tunnel. The experiment focused on measuring the participants’ walking speed in smoke-filled, as well as smoke-free parts of the tunnel. In addition, exit choice was studied. In this paper, the experiment is described, and novel data on walking speed in smoke is presented, including coupled data on unobstructed walking speed. In addition, a short presentation of the results related to way-finding and exit choice is included. It is clear that although this paper expands the current knowledge on walking speed in smoke, future research is necessary in order to conclude how to represent an individual’s walking speed in smoke. Recommendations on a way forward are suggested, and included is a review of the now currently available data-sets, as well as a suggestion for a future evacuation experiment.
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| 25. |
- Fridolf, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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The representation of evacuation movement in smoke-filled underground transportation systems
- 2019
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Ingår i: Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0886-7798. ; 90, s. 28-41
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Limited guidance is available to engineers on how people's walking speed in smoke can and should be represented in the fire safety design process of underground transportation systems, such as road and rail tunnels. To address this issue, the behaviour and movement of people in case of evacuation due to a fire in underground transportation systems has been investigated. In this paper, the relationship between walking speed and visibility conditions has been analysed by performing a systematic review of current experimental research conducted in the field. This includes data-sets collected in Sweden, Japan, UK, Norway, Finland, Canada, and The Netherlands. A design recommendation on how to represent walking speed in both smoke-free and smoke-filled environments is presented. Uncertainty in data is thoroughly discussed and addressed in the recommendation. Three different methods to represent walking speed during the design of an underground transportation system are suggested. The selection of the method depends on the required treatment of uncertainty in the design. The developed representation substantially differs from existing methods used in fire engineering design to represent walking speed in smoke since it describes walking speed as a function of visibility, rather than the extinction coefficient. This permits comparison of data-sets collected in relationship to the presence of reflecting or emitting lights. Finally, suggestions on future research to be conducted in order to reduce the current uncertainties are provided.
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| 26. |
- Gissi, Emanuele, et al.
(författare)
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Transparency vs magic numbers : The development of stair design requirements in the Italian Fire Safety Code
- 2017
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Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-7112. ; 91, s. 882-891
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Practitioners may face difficulties in the interpretation of fire codes since they often present so called "magic numbers", i.e. numbers available in the codes which are listed for providing the design of building fire safety, for which the derivation and justification are not explained. The present paper discusses the need for a transparent regulatory approach, in which legislators publicly justify each of the choices made during the development of the fire codes. This approach has been used for the first time during the development of the Italian Fire Safety Code DM03/08/15, where the process adopted for the development of the code requirements has been publicly released in parallel with the code itself. This is deemed to facilitate the interpretation of the fire code, avoiding mis-use and preventing criticism on lack of transparency. To address this issue, the Italian legislators have conducted a process of reconstructing the assumptions adopted for the definition of magic numbers in other International codes (i.e., British Standard 9999) in order to identify suitable specifications for the national context under consideration. This includes the performance of a series of calculations rather than a mere historical examination of their basis. As a first attempt towards an increased transparency in fire code development at an International level, this paper publicly summarizes the process adopted by the Italian legislators for the development of the new Italian fire code, focusing on the exemplary case of the calculations performed for the definition of the requirements concerning stair design (i.e. vertical evacuation). This is presented by comparing the deemed-to-satisfy provisions of the Italian code with the ones given in the British Standard 9999. The process of developing fire codes is discussed together with the benefits associated with transparency in the assumptions adopted for their definition.
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| 27. |
- Gwynne, Steven M V, et al.
(författare)
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Bounding defaults in egress models
- 2015
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Ingår i: Fire and Materials. - : Wiley. - 1099-1018 .- 0308-0501. ; 39:4, s. 335-352
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Egress model developers are in a difficult position. It is in their interest to develop models that are simplified representations of reality and at the same time reduce inadvertent misuse. While default values enable immediate (i.e. out-of-the-box) use of models without in-depth familiarization with modelling assumptions, defaults often represent optimistic and/or even unrealistic evacuee behaviours. In this paper, the term ‘default’ relates to a preset, fixed setting or value (or distribution) for a parameter or algorithm. Most egress models provide default values for five core behavioural elements: pre-evacuation time, travel speeds, route usage, route availability and flow conditions. These behavioural elements typically need to be represented in order for the model to function. The authors suggest that bounding default settings, rather than optimistic values, should be provided for each behavioural element. Here, a bounding default setting is a value derived from relevant empirical data that prolongs the overall evacuation time produced for a particular design. If a user wishes to decrease the conservative nature of a setting, he or she would be required to justify the modification of the bounding default value(s). This approach allows immediate model use but forces the user to modify the settings to obtain credible design scenarios.
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| 28. |
- Gwynne, Steve M.V., et al.
(författare)
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Roxborough Park Community Wildfire Evacuation Drill : Data Collection and Model Benchmarking
- 2023
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Ingår i: Fire Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0015-2684 .- 1572-8099. ; 59:2, s. 879-901
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wildfires are increasing in scale, frequency and longevity, and are affecting new locations as environmental conditions change. This paper presents a dataset collected during a community evacuation drill performed in Roxborough Park, Colorado (USA) in 2019. This is a wildland–urban interface community including approximately 900 homes. Data concerning several aspects of community response were collected through observations and surveys: initial population location, pre-evacuation times, route use, and arrival times at the evacuation assembly point. Data were used as inputs to benchmark two evacuation models that adopt different modelling approaches. The WUI-NITY platform and the Evacuation Management System model were applied across a range of scenarios where assumptions regarding pre-evacuation delays and the routes used were varied according to original data collection methods (and interpretation of the data generated). Results are mostly driven by the assumptions adopted for pre-evacuation time inputs. This is expected in communities with a low number of vehicles present on the road and relatively limited traffic congestion. The analysis enabled the sensitivity of the modelling approaches to different datasets to be explored, given the different modelling approaches adopted. The performance of the models were sensitive to the data employed (derived from either observations or self-reporting) and the evacuation phases addressed in them. This indicates the importance of monitoring the impact of including data in a model rather than simply on the data itself, as data affects models in different ways given the modelling methods employed. The dataset is released in open access and is deemed to be useful for future wildfire evacuation modelling calibration and validation efforts.
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| 29. |
- Gwynne, Steve, et al.
(författare)
-
Modeling and mapping dynamic vulnerability to better assess WUI evacuation performance
- 2019
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Ingår i: Fire and Materials. - : Wiley. - 0308-0501 .- 1099-1018. ; 43:6, s. 644-660
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire incidents are likely to become more severe and will affect more and more people. Given their scale and complexity, WUI incidents require a multidomain approach to assess their impact and the effectiveness of any mitigation efforts. The authors recently produced a specification for a simulation framework that quantifies evacuation performance during WUI incidents including inputs from three core domains: fire development, pedestrian performance and vehicular traffic [26]. This framework could produce new insights by simulating evolving conditions of WUI incidents based on developments and interactions between the core components. Thus, it aims to overcome known limitations of previous approaches (eg, static assessment, single domain approaches, or lack of projection), as well as to provide explanatory insights into the outcomes produced by the simulation. The proposed framework would also advance geo-spatial mapping of WUI incidents. The concept of dynamic vulnerability, (Formula presented.), is at the core of the framework and is enabled by the integrated simulation framework and the emergent conditions predicted. This allows users to construct richer incident narratives from the perspective of specific locations or subpopulations, and also makes fewer simplifying assumptions regarding interactions between the three core domains.
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| 30. |
- Gwynne, Steve, et al.
(författare)
-
The future of evacuation drills : Assessing and enhancing evacuee performance
- 2020
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Ingår i: Safety Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-7535. ; 129
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evacuation drills are generally the main mechanism for improving or measuring occupant performance in emergency situations, but their effectiveness is often hard to measure, and there is limited evidence for sustained training benefits. However, innovations in technology (e.g., augmented/virtual reality, novel sensors and wearable tech) offer (when combined with new approaches to designing and delivering drills) significant opportunities for a “next generation” of evidence-based evacuation drills. In this paper, we present the findings of a recent trans-national research project; we establish the main limitations of existing drills, propose a framework for the assessment of both training and evaluation aspects of drills, make a number of recommendations, and suggest a programme of work for their implementation. The paper, therefore, provides a conceptual foundation for future work which will focus on (1) establishing an evidence-based methodology for assessing evacuation drills (and alternatives), (2) harnessing novel objective and automatable approaches to data capture/analytics in order to better characterize performance, (3), developing alternatives to the current drill model, based on emerging technologies, and (4) developing guidance for regulatory bodies on the costs and benefits of each approach for different scenarios.
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| 31. |
- Haghani, Milad, et al.
(författare)
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Human behaviour in fire : Knowledge foundation and temporal evolution
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - 0379-7112. ; 144
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding human behaviour in fires (HBiF), whether in building or wildland fire contexts, is crucial for saving lives and managing evacuations. However, existing research lacks a comprehensive analysis of HBiF knowledge from both perspectives. To address this issue, we examined nearly 1900 HBiF-related research papers and their references, identifying around 6600 frequently cited references as the HBiF knowledge foundation. We focused on highly prominent items using metrics like citation frequency, burst, and centrality. By analysing co-citation patterns among these references, we unveiled current trends and waning areas of HBiF research. This study identifies knowledge gaps and potential future directions for the field, enabling both mapping of the research concerning our fundamental understanding of behavioural decision-making in fires as well as developing more effective life-saving strategies.
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| 32. |
- Intini, Paolo, et al.
(författare)
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A review of design guidance on wildland urban interface fires
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas is a worldwide problem, which is gaining more importance over time due to climate change and constructions in the WUI areas. Standards and guidelines may greatly help the activities of planning, prevention and protection against wildfires. Some countries/States/local communities can already rely on existing standards and guidelines, while other areas, even if potentially subject to wildfires, not. This work presents a systematic review of standards and guidelines belonging to selected countries/States/local communities in the Western world, namely: North American countries (USA, Canada), European countries (France, Italy), Oceanic countries (Australia, New Zealand), and trans-national codes. The main information reviewed includes: hazard definition and severity classes, land factors (vegetation, defensible space and topographic factors), building materials and construction requirements, utilities (resources, firefighters, planning, outreach), fire protection measures, environmental factors (weather, fire history), and access requirements. A comparative analysis regarding the main similarities/differences between all the considered standards and guidelines was performed after the review process. This comparative analysis may be useful for the further development and/or revision of (novel) standards/guidelines for planning, preventing and protecting against fires in WUI areas.
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| 33. |
- Intini, Paolo, et al.
(författare)
-
Guidance on Design and Construction of the Built Environment Against Wildland Urban Interface Fire Hazard : A Review
- 2020
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Ingår i: Fire Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0015-2684 .- 1572-8099. ; 56:5, s. 1853-1883
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires, a worldwide problem, are gaining more importance over time due to climate change and increased urbanization in WUI areas. Some jurisdictions have provided standards, codes and guidelines, which may greatly help planning, prevention and protection against wildfires. This work presents a wide systematic review of standards, codes and guidelines for the design and construction of the built environment against WUI fire hazard from North American, European, Oceanic countries, alongside with trans-national codes. The main information reviewed includes: the definition of WUI hazards, risk areas and related severity classes, the influence of land and environmental factors, the requirements for building materials, constructions, utilities, fire protection measures and road access. Some common threads among the documents reviewed have been highlighted. They include similar attempts at: (a) defining WUI risk areas and severity classes, (b) considering land factors including the defensible space (also known as ignition zones), (c) prescribing requirements for buildings and access. The main gaps highlighted in the existing standards/guidelines include lacks of detailed and widespread requirements for resources, fire protection measures, and lacks of taking into account environmental factors in detail. The main design and construction principles contained in the reviewed documents are largely based on previous research and/or good practices. Hence, the main contributions of this paper consist in: (a) systematically disseminate these guidance concepts, (b) setting a potential basis for the development of standards/guidelines in other jurisdictions lacking dedicated WUI fire design guidance, (c) highlighting gaps in existing standards/guidelines to be addressed by current and future research.
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| 34. |
- Intini, Paolo, et al.
(författare)
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Modelling the impact of wildfire smoke on driving speed
- 2022
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-4209. ; 80
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traffic models can be used to study evacuation scenarios during wildland-urban interface fires and identify the ability of a community to reach a safe place. In those scenarios, wildfire smoke can reduce visibility conditions on the road. This can have serious implications on the evacuation effectiveness since drivers would reduce their speed in relation to the optical density on the road. To date, there is no traffic model which explicitly represents the impact of reduced visibility conditions on traffic evacuation flow. This paper makes use of an experimental dataset collected in a virtual reality environment to calibrate two widely used macroscopic traffic models (the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards and the Van Aerde models) in order to account for the impact of reduced visibility conditions on driving speed. An application of the calibrated traffic model considering the impact of smoke has been performed using the WUI-NITY platform, an open multi-physics platform which includes wildfire spread, pedestrian response and traffic modelling. A dedicated verification test has been developed and performed considering different values of optical densities of smoke and traffic densities to ensure the model has been implemented correctly in WUI-NITY. A case study that demonstrates the applicability of the model to real life scenarios was also implemented, based on data from an evacuation drill. This paper shows that the presence of smoke on the road can significantly decrease movement speed and increase evacuation times thus highlighting the need for inclusion of this factor in traffic evacuation models applied for wildland-urban interface fire scenarios.
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| 35. |
- Intini, Paolo, et al.
(författare)
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Traffic modeling for wildland-urban interface fire evacuation
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Journal of Transportation Engineering Part A: Systems. - 2473-2907. ; 145:3
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several traffic modeling tools are currently available for evacuation planning and real-time decision support during emergencies. This paper reviews potential traffic-modeling approaches in the context of wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire-evacuation applications. Existing modeling approaches and features are evaluated pertaining to fire-related, spatial, and demographic factors; intended application (planning or decision support); and temporal issues. This systematic review shows the importance of the following modeling approaches: dynamic modeling structures, considering behavioral variability and route choice; activity-based models for short-notice evacuation planning; and macroscopic traffic simulation for real-time evacuation management. Subsequently, the modeling features of 22 traffic models and applications currently available in practice and the literature are reviewed and matched with the benchmark features identified for WUI fire applications. Based on this review analysis, recommendations are made for developing traffic models specifically applicable to WUI fire evacuation, including possible integrations with wildfire and pedestrian models.
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| 36. |
- Johansson, Nils, et al.
(författare)
-
The use of multi-zone modelling for tunnel fire risk analysis
- 2021
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tunnel fire risk analysis are a useful tool to ensure adequate safety levels in tunnels. This report presents the work conducted to integrate a multi-zone modelling approach into a fire risk assessment tool, called ARTU. This work was performed to improve its fire modelling predictive capabilities compared to the currently adopted 1D fire modelling representation. This is deemed to allow for the use of multi-scale modelling, i.e., to select among different modelling approaches in relation to the scenarios under consideration. The multi-zone model integrated within ARTU is based on an existing tool, i.e., the MZ Fire model developed for large spaces which has been updated and adapted for tunnel environments. The integration of MZ Fire model into ARTU involved a set of developments needed specifically for tunnel fire scenarios (e.g. considering tunnel gradient, tunnel section representations, customization of outputs for use in a tunnel fire risk assessment tool, etc.). Those new features are here presented along with a sensitivity analysis looking at zone size. Benchmarking of the results produced is performed through comparison with data from the 2006 BeNeLux tunnel experiments and the 2015 Runehamar experiments. The multi-zone model results were also compared against results from the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for a set of tunnel configurations.
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| 37. |
- Johansson, Nils, et al.
(författare)
-
The use of multi-zone modelling for tunnel fires
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0886-7798. ; 134
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper introduces the use of a multi-zone modelling approach for analysing smoke spread in tunnels. The approach suggested in this paper is based on an existing model, i.e., the Multi-Zone Fire model developed for large spaces. The Multi-Zone Fire model has been adapted and modified for tunnel fire scenarios by including features that consider longitudinal ventilation flow, tunnel gradient and tunnel section representations. An evaluation of the model has been conducted through benchmarking against experimental data from the BeNeLux tunnel experiments and the Runehamar tunnel fire experiments. The results from the Multi-Zone Fire model results were also compared against results from the Fire Dynamics Simulator. The results of the benchmarking exercise indicate that the multi-zone approach can be a time-efficient and useful tool for studying tunnel fire dynamics. The Multi-Zone Fire model performs well 50–200 m from the fire for heat release rates of 5–20 MW and moderate longitudinal ventilation flows. The model results are more conservative for the studied scenario with a higher heat release rate.
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| 38. |
- Kalogeropoulos, Nikolaos, et al.
(författare)
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Design of stochastic trigger boundaries for rural communities evacuating from a wildfire
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - 0379-7112. ; 140
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Well-planned evacuation is an effective and often necessary tool to protect life in communities threatened by wildfire. In previous incidents, community evacuations have been called too late resulting in entrapment, such as in Mati, Greece in 2018. The most reliable method to determine the safe time to call an evacuation is through trigger boundaries, perimeters on the landscape surrounding a community where the approaching wildfire is an amount of time away from the community equal to the evacuation time. This paper presents a new tool, k-PERIL, that calculates stochastic trigger boundaries, based on the variability of wildfire behaviour around a community due to the influence of historic wind, weather and vegetation variations on the wildfire. k-PERIL is applied to the rural community of Roxborough Park, Colorado, USA, producing probabilistic trigger boundaries and showing the model's ability to find and quantify areas of elevated uncertainty of evacuation. The concept of uncertainty rosettes is introduced, which show the areas where incoming wildfires cause larger variation to the boundary location because of higher sensitivity to changes in fuel, wind or evacuation. The k-PERIL tool can be used to inform effective evacuation preparation and enhance long term planning, improving community safety and wildfire resilience.
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| 39. |
- Kazemzadeh, Khashayar, et al.
(författare)
-
Electric bike navigation behaviour in pedestrian crowds
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Travel Behaviour and Society. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-367X. ; 20, s. 114-121
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigates the influence of pedestrian crowdedness on e-bike navigation behaviour in a controlled field experiment. The dataset includes a total of 1520 trajectories, including 18 pedestrians and one e-bike at a time. Based on the e-bike navigation through the pedestrians, the so-called “hindrance” concept was used to classify the data into two phases: passing (same-direction encounters), meeting (opposite-direction encounters). E-bike speed and its lateral position within the pedestrian crowds have been quantified to compare the passing and meeting phases. The results show that, the e-bike generally maintains an average speed during the meeting phase regardless of pedestrian crowdedness; however, the e-bike slows down in a linear trend when pedestrian crowdedness increases during the passing phase. Furthermore, the e-bike during the meeting phase has less lateral displacement compared to in the passing phase, which could be the consequence of the aforementioned speed and crowdedness relationship. The findings have applications for the e-bike level-of-service studies and also the design of bike tracks and sidewalks when there is mixed traffic of e-bikes and pedestrians.
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| 40. |
- Kazemzadeh, Khashayar, et al.
(författare)
-
Expanding the Scope of the Bicycle Level-of-Service Concept: A Review of the Literature
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 12:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research into the bicycle level-of-service (BLOS) has been extensively conducted over the last three decades. This research has mostly focused on user perceptions of comfort to provide guidance for decision-makers and planners. Segments and nodes were studied first, followed by a network evaluation. Besides these investigations, several variables have also been utilized todepict the users’ perspectives within the BLOS field, along with other cycling research domains that simultaneously scrutinized the users’ preferences. This review investigates the variables and indices employed in the BLOS area in relation to the field of bicycle flow and comfort research. Despite generalagreement among existing BLOS variables and the adopted indices, several important research gaps remain to be filled. First, BLOS indices are often categorized based on transport components, while scarce attention has been paid to BLOS studies in trip-end facilities such as bicycle parking facilities.The importance of these facilities has been highlighted instead within research related to comfort. Second, the advantages of separated bike facilities have been proven in many studies; however, scarce research has addressed the challenges associated with them (e.g., the heterogeneity within those facilities due to the presence of electric bikes and electric scooters). This issue is clearly noticeablewithin the research regarding flow studies. Furthermore, network evaluation (in comparison to segment and node indices) has been studied to a lesser extent, whereas issues such as connectivity can be evaluated mainly through a holistic approach to the system. This study takes one step toward demonstrating the importance of the integration of similar research domains in the BLOS field toeliminate the aforementioned shortcomings.
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| 41. |
- Kazemzadeh, Khashayar, et al.
(författare)
-
From bike to electric bike level-of-service
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Transport Reviews. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0144-1647 .- 1464-5327. ; 42:1, s. 6-31
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The evaluation of electric bike (e-bike) riders’ perception of comfort can lead to a better understanding of user requirements. This can be performed through Level-of-service (LOS) studies. To date, the e-bike LOS (ELOS) concept is scarcely developed and research concerning e-bike travel behaviour characteristics is relatively sparse. In this paper, we use bike LOS (BLOS) studies as a foundation to identify the knowledge gap for ELOS. Along with BLOS, e-bike riding comfort and the distinction between bikes and e-bikes characteristics were scrutinised. Travel behaviour, and e-bike modal substitution research were also reviewed to provide a better picture of e-bike riders’ requirements. Based on these domains, we propose a preliminary conceptual framework for the development of ELOS. The results suggest that there is a limited number of studies that whether explicitly evaluate ELOS or consider the e-bike in the BLOS analysis. Also, the extent of substitution of cars, public transport, and bikes by e-bikes can range from partial to complete replacement, thus potentially affecting ELOS developments. The specification of this substitution contributes to a deeper understanding of the ELOS concept in relation to the adaptation of LOS indices used for other transport modes. Finally, it appears evident that ELOS developments would require further research on e-bike interaction analysis in shared mobility in which vulnerable road users are present. The findings of this study help researchers and policy-makers assessing the knowledge gap in ELOS and provide them a preliminary conceptual framework for ELOS development.
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| 42. |
- Kinateder, Max, et al.
(författare)
-
Social influence on route choice in a virtual reality tunnel fire
- 2014
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Ingår i: Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. - : Elsevier BV. - 1369-8478. ; 26:A, s. 116-125
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Evacuation from tunnel fire emergencies requires quick decision-making and swift action from the tunnel occupants. Social influence (SI) has been identified as an important factor in evacuation. Methods Two experimental groups were immersed into a virtual road tunnel fire. In the SI group participants saw a virtual agent moving on the shortest route to the nearest emergency exit. In the control group, participants were alone. Destination and exit choices were analyzed using functional analysis and inferential statistics. Results SI affected route choice during evacuation but not destination choice: There were no group differences regarding destination choice. Participants in the SI group were more likely to choose a route similar to the virtual agent. Participants in the control group were more likely to choose a longer route along the tunnel walls. Discussion Social influence does not only affect behavior activation but also more subtle choices, such as route choice, during evacuation.
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| 43. |
- Kinateder, Max, et al.
(författare)
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Virtual Reality for Fire Evacuation Research
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems. - 2300-5963. ; 2, s. 313-321
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Virtual reality (VR) has become a popular approach to study human behavior in fire. The present position paper analyses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of VR as a research tool for human behavior in fire. Virtual environments provide a maximum of experimental control, are easy to replicate, have relatively high ecological validity, and allow safe study of occupant behavior in scenarios that otherwise would be too dangerous. Lower ecological validity compared to field studies, ergonomic aspects, and technical limitations are the main weaknesses of the method. Increasingly realistic simulations and other technological advances provide new opportunities for this relatively young method. In this position paper, we argue that VR is a promising complementary laboratory tool in the quest to understand human behavior in fire and to improve fire safety.
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| 44. |
- Kubota, Jun, et al.
(författare)
-
Assessing the compliance with the direction indicated by emergency evacuation signage
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Safety Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-7535. ; 138
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The type and relative position of evacuation signage to evacuees’ location can affect their likelihood to understand and comply with the information provided. To address this issue, a Virtual reality (VR) experiment with 60 participants was carried out to investigate the effect of signage vs viewer placement on the compliance with the indicated direction in case of evacuation. The VR experiments were conducted with a head mounted display. Different independent variables linked to the signage placement/type were investigated in a VR underground square scenario, namely (1) the installation position (i.e., distance, angle of interaction), and (2) the arrow type in use on the signage. Participants selected evacuation routes in VR and a questionnaire investigating their degree of confidence regarding their choice was performed. Results show that the angle of interaction affects the evacuees’ chosen direction. Participants showed a higher degree of confidence when the arrow pointed towards the centre of the route. In addition, after a distance of 2.0 m from the centre, the correct answer rate of the evacuation signage for the cases of arrows pointing left, right and up become comparable. The use of an up arrow performed as well as the use of left and right arrows, while an arrow pointing down was not as clearly understood. The concept of visible area ratio is suggested to evaluate the compliance with the direction indicated by evacuation signage. The result is supported by the relationship between the lateral position of the signage and the calculated angle of interaction.
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| 45. |
- Kubota, Jun, et al.
(författare)
-
The impact of people-signage interaction on way-finding evacuation behaviour
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - 0379-7112. ; 142
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A Virtual Reality (VR) experiment with 60 participants was carried out to investigate the effect of signage on the compliance with its indicated direction in case of evacuation. Participants experienced a VR underground square scenario including different signage configurations. Variables linked to the signage placement/type were investigated, namely (1) the installation position, i.e., proximity to the indicated route, angle of interaction, and (2) the type of signage, i.e., signage on the floor, one-face signage on the ceiling, four-faced signage on the ceiling. Results show that the angle of interaction affects the evacuees’ chosen direction. Signage on the floor may lead to higher compliance to the indicated direction in presence of obstacles. Four-faced signage may lead to uncertainty since the viewer may see two faces displaying two different directions on the sign.
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| 46. |
- Kuligowski, Erica D., et al.
(författare)
-
Movement on Stairs During Building Evacuations
- 2014
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The time that it takes an occupant population to reach safety when descending a stair during building evacuations is typically estimated by measureable engineering variables such as stair geometry, speed, stair density, and pre-observation delay. In turn, engineering models of building evacuation use these variables to predict the performance of egress systems for building design, emergency planning, or event reconstruction. As part of a program to better understand occupant movement and behavior during building emergencies, the Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been collecting stair movement data during fire drill evacuations of office and residential buildings. These data collections are intended to provide a better understanding of this principal building egress feature and develop a technical foundation for future codes and standards requirements. NIST has collected fire drill evacuation data in 14 buildings (11 office buildings and 3 residential buildings) ranging from six to 62 stories in height that have included a range of stair widths and occupant densities. A total of more than 22000 individual measurements are included in the data set. This report provides details of the data collected, an analysis of the data, and examples of the use of the data. The intention is to better understand movement during stair evacuations and provide data to test the predictive capability of building egress models. While mean movement speeds in the current study of 0.44 m/s ± 0.19 m/s are observed to be quite similar to the range of values in previous studies, mean local movement speeds as occupants traverse down the stairs are seen to vary widely within a given stair, ranging from 0.10 m/s ± 0.008 m/s to 1.7 m/s ± 0.13 m/s. These data provide confirmation of the adequacy of existing literature values typically used for occupant movement speeds and provide updated data for use in egress modeling or other engineering calculations.
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| 47. |
- Larsson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of crowd composition on egress performance
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-7112. ; 120
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The data that is currently used when designing egress systems for stadia and other high-occupancy buildings was collected decades ago and might not be applicable in today's society. A systematic analysis of crowd movement was performed to investigate egress flows at a large stadium in the UK following four different event types (i.e., a football game, a rugby game, a concert featuring a male singer/songwriter and a concert featuring a female pop artist). Video footage captured the egressing crowds and the relationships between velocities, flows and densities across the different events were established. The results indicate that the crowd composition, along with external factors (e.g., weather), have a measurable impact on the velocities, flows and densities observed. These differences are likely linked to the body area occupied by different crowds and the social interaction between members of the crowd. The observed flowrates were all below 60 people/m*min, which is significantly lower than the maximum value (82 people/m*min) recommended in the 2018 Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (the sixth edition of the “Green Guide”). The observed behaviour and flowrates suggest the need to carefully consider the impact of crowd composition when planning stadium egress including emergency evacuation.
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| 48. |
- Lovreglio, Ruggiero, et al.
(författare)
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A dynamic approach for the impact of a toxic gas dispersion hazard considering human behaviour and dispersion modelling
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-3894. ; 318, s. 758-771
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The release of toxic gases due to natural/industrial accidents or terrorist attacks in populated areas can have tragic consequences. To prevent and evaluate the effects of these disasters different approaches and modelling tools have been introduced in the literature. These instruments are valuable tools for risk managers doing risk assessment of threatened areas. Despite the significant improvements in hazard assessment in case of toxic gas dispersion, these analyses do not generally include the impact of human behaviour and people movement during emergencies. This work aims at providing an approach which considers both modelling of gas dispersion and evacuation movement in order to improve the accuracy of risk assessment for disasters involving toxic gases. The approach is applied to a hypothetical scenario including a ship releasing Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) on a crowd attending a music festival. The difference between the results obtained with existing static methods (people do not move) and a dynamic approach (people move away from the danger) which considers people movement with different degrees of sophistication (either a simple linear path or more complex behavioural modelling) is discussed.
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| 49. |
- Lovreglio, Ruggiero, et al.
(författare)
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A mixed-ordered Logit approach to investigate correlations among different affordances in fire evacuation
- 2015
-
Ingår i: [Host publication title missing]. - 9780993393303 ; , s. 409-420
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The evaluation of the effectiveness of safety installations (such as emergency exits, lighting, etc.) is a key factor to improve the evacuation performance of buildings or transportation systems. In fact, even though an installation is designed to achieve a given design goal, it could happen it does not perform as intended. According to the Theory of Affordances, this could be interpreted in relation to different affordances, namely it cannot be (1) sensed (i.e. Sensory Affordance), (2) understood (i.e. Cognitive Affordance), (3) physically used (i.e. Physical Affordance), or (4) it does not fulfil its intended goal (i.e. Functional Affordance). This study investigates how this issue can be addressed combining the Theory of Affordances and the Random Utility Theory. This work shows that ordered choice models are powerful tools to investigate the relations among affordances. In this work, an ordered choice model is estimated using data from a Virtual Reality experiment aimed at investigating the design of flashing lights at emergency exit portals for road tunnel evacuation. The proposed model demonstrates that both Sensory and Cognitive Affordances statistically affect Functional Affordance. The results demonstrate also how participant demographics and installation variables affect Functional Affordance.
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| 50. |
- Lovreglio, Ruggiero, et al.
(författare)
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A model of the decision-making process during pre-evacuation
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Fire Safety Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0379-7112. ; 78, s. 168-179
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The behaviour of building occupants before the purposive movement towards an exit, known as the pre-evacuation behaviour, can have a strong impact on the total time required to leave a building in case of fire emergency as well as on the number of casualties and deaths. The pre-evacuation time can be simulated within computational models using different approaches. This work introduces a new model for the simulation of pre-evacuation behaviour based on the Random Utility Theory. The proposed model represents the pre-evacuation behaviour of simulated occupants considering three behavioural states: normal, investigating and evacuating. The model simulates the probability of choosing to start investigating and evacuating in relation to physical and social environmental factors as well as personal occupant characteristics. These two decisions make occupants pass from their starting normal states to investigating and evacuating states. The paper presents a case study of the proposed pre-evacuation time model using an experimental evacuation data set in a cinema theatre. The application of the model allows identifying the main factors affecting the decision to move from a state to another. In the present case study, the main factors influencing the decisions were the time elapsed since the start of the alarm, the occupant’s position, and social influence. The issues associated with the implementation of the model are discussed.
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