Agent-Based Evacuation Model Incorporating Fire Scene and Building Geometry

A comprehensive description of the key factors affecting evacuations at fire scenes is necessary for accurate simulations. An agent-based simulation model which incorporates the fire scene and the building geometry is developed using a fire dynamics simulator (FDS) based on the computational fluid dynamics and geographic information system (GIS) data to model the occupant response. The building entities are generated for FDS simulation while the spatial analysis on GIS data represents the occupant's knowledge of the building. The influence of the fire is based on a hazard assessment of the combustion products. The agent behavior and decisions are affected by environmental features and the fire field. A case study demonstrates that the evacuation model effectively simulates the coexistence and interactions of the major factors including occupants, building geometry, and fire disaster during the evacuation. The results can be used for the assessments of building designs regarding fire safety.