Influences of intelligent evacuation guidance system on crowd evacuation in building fire

•The effects of visual-inducing of safety signs on crowd evacuation are analyzed.•Visual-inducing has higher efficiency than sound-inducing in good visibility.•The sound-inducing has higher efficiency in low visibility.•Ground installation mode and space suspension mode should be used together.•Sound-inducing should be combined with visual-inducting in practical engineering.

The intelligent evacuation guidance system (IEGS) is a new concept and product in China, using an intelligent inducing algorithm to get dynamic evacuation routes and improving evacuation efficiency. This paper analyzes IEGS's influences on crowd evacuation by simulating a fire scene on the experimental platform of the “black house”, and some important conclusions are obtained. These conclusions including layout of exit position, settings of evacuation channel number and width, determining of installation distance and installation position mode of the intelligent acousto-optic evacuation indicator (IAEI), and choice of sound and visual inducing, can be a guidance in practical engineering and provide a reference for national standard ‘fire emergency evacuation lighting indication system (EELIS)’ modification.