The development of a real performance-based solution through the use of People Movement Modelling Analysis (PeMMA) combined with fire modelling analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a real study case in which fire engineering (i.e., performance-based) solution was developed to address a deviation from a prescriptive fire safety code. The study case, investigated in this paper, consists in a TV Studio (i.e., assembly), which is occupied by a maximum number of 928 people. In this instance the exits provided are 1×3920, 3×1040, 1×1650 and 910mm clear width and after discounting the largest (in this case a 1040 and the 3920mm wide exits were discounted because they are close together), the maximum occupant capacity under the Approved Document B (AD B) is 806 people. Therefore, in order to address this non-code compliance condition, evacuation and fire modelling analyses were carried out to estimate the Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) and the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) for people evacuation from the TV Studio. The results have shown that this methodology addressed satisfactorily the occupants’ safety, validating the use of the BS 7974 as an efficient alternative document to the AD B. This study shows how the appropriate use of People Movement Modelling Analysis (PeMMA) and fire simulation models can help immensely the development of performance-based designs. The results are presented and discussed in this paper.