Agent-based modeling of high-rise building fires reveals self-rescue behaviors and better fire protection designs

Abstract

It is always challenging to seek external rescue assistance in high-rise building fires. Therefore, it is critical for individuals to master survival skills. For crowd dynamics modeling, previous research focused on numerical simulations and building designs with little attention to the self-rescue mechanism. It is critical to understanding crowd evacuations and better response strategies. We modeled the Grenfell Tower (a high-rise building with a complicated structure) case in 2017. Based on the percolation and social force models, we build an agent-based model to simulate individual behaviors inside. We obtain the optimal solution and robust paralleled outcomes under all counterfactual situations based on precisely matching tangible case outcomes (fire duration, deaths, and injuries). For individuals, mastering self-rescue skills is better at reducing social losses (deaths & injuries). In terms of high-rise buildings design, the central alarm system is also useful to reduce them. Besides, the crowd evacuation guided by the social force model also reduces deaths & injuries. This work provides insight into better high-rise building design and practical response strategies for societies. The central alarm system and fire-proof materials should be used in high-rise buildings. The residents should have routine training in social force-based evacuations and survival (self-rescue) skills to better the evacuation process and outcome under natural disasters and social emergencies.