Evacuation Of People Research Articles

Defining a pattern in the loss of integrity by ribbed plates under fire conditions

This paper reports a study aimed at assessing fire resistance of reinforced concrete ribbed slabs at the onset of integrity loss limit state. EN 1992-1-2 lacks calculation methodology for determining the limit of fire resistance of reinforced concrete slabs when the limit state of integrity loss occurs. Scientific works are focused on two limit states of fire resistance: load-bearing capacity and heat-insulating capacity. Experimental tests are criticized because of difficulties in registering signs of the onset of the limit state of loss of integrity, in particular due to the need to control the unheated surface of the ribbed plate during a fire under the action of mechanical load. Therefore, there is no calculation methodology for assessing the fire resistance of reinforced concrete ribbed slabs upon the onset of the limit state of loss of integrity. At the same time, to ensure the safe evacuation of people in the event of a fire, to prevent the spread of fire, as well as to carry out the effective work of rescuers, it is necessary to use building structures with guaranteed fire resistance classes. The paper reports the results of solving thermal engineering and static problems, which relate to the temperature distribution and stress-strain state of the investigated ribbed plate. Conducting research into the fire resistance of reinforced concrete ribbed slabs, taking into account the onset of the limit state of loss of integrity, made it possible to establish the dependence of the fire resistance limit of these structures on the loss of integrity on the level of applied mechanical load. The resulting dependence plot makes it possible to evaluate reinforced concrete ribbed slabs according to the criterion of the onset of the limit state of loss of integrity, which provides an opportunity to determine fire resistance more objectively

მიწისქვეშა ავტოსადგომების კვამლისაგან დაცვა ხანძრის დროს

The work examines current issues of fire, sanitary, hygienic and environmental safety of ventilation of underground parking lots. It has been established that, according to European standards, smoke removal systems with jet fans act much more efficiently than air ducts, quickly displacing smoke and exhaust gases towards the air intake grilles, from where and they come out. The design and parameters of the ventilation system are selected based on its ability to quickly and safely ensure the evacuation of people through smoke-free exits, as well as provide air parameters in the parking lot that meet the requirements of the design and installation of a ventilation unit in accordance with industry regulations of Georgia.

Proposal of an Effective Way of Rescuing People from a Cable Car

This study presents a proposal for procedures and recommendations for the evacuation of people from cable cars. The proposals and procedures were carried out in a specific facility located in the east of Slovakia. Cable cars represent a certain risk of endangering the lives and health of people. This threat can be caused by technical failures, meteorological conditions, or human factors. Despite the existing safety measures, which are at a high level today, extraordinary events occur on cable cars that require the intervention of the integrated rescue system. The rescue services themselves have their own specific rescue procedures and equipment for rescuing people from heights, and in this paper the most frequently used rescue procedures and methods performed by members of the Fire and Rescue Service will be presented. This paper summarizes individual rescue actions, activities, and technical equipment used in rescuing people from cable cars, as well as an analysis of individual rescue and evacuation techniques from the Skipark Erika cable car. The result of the contribution is a proposal for coordination and an evaluation of the best and most suitable method of rescue in terms of time and safety.

Factors affecting household evacuation decision making in response to disaster: Case study from the 2021 South Kalimantan floods, Indonesia

Understanding the factors that influence evacuation decisions is crucial for optimizing resource allocation and formulating an effective emergency plan, particularly in the communication and implementation of warnings. To assist with this endeavour, this study investigates whether selected variables affected evacuation decision-making during the 2021 South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Floods. This is achieved through identifying significant factors in a binomial regression model constructed using a resident survey during the extreme floods of January 2021 and the more typical frequent floods of December 2021. The survey captures sociodemographic, capacity-related, hazard-related and warning-related factors from 375 residents including 205 in West Banjarmasin (urban area) and 170 in Tabuk River (rural area). It was found that families with partial ownership of their house (renting or living with another family) and those with a higher number of members are less likely to evacuate, as are those with a lack of knowledge about evacuation shelters and routes. External factors influencing people's evacuation decisions included the flood height and duration as well as whether there was an unofficial warning to evacuate. The findings suggest the following actions could assist with encouraging safety-seeking behaviour through evacuation: ensure evacuation instructions reach larger families and households and that they are relevant for them; include evacuation instructions with warnings; and conduct regular evacuation drills that include information about the flood risk map and the location and route to relevant evacuation shelters.

Numerical simulation of the water flow field on subway stairs and evaluation of people safety evacuation

ABSTRACT Stairs in subway stations are vulnerable to floods when rainstorm disasters occur in cities. The stairs, as a critical way for human evacuation, can affect the safe evacuation of people on flood-prone stairs. To evaluate the risk of people evacuating through different slopes and forms of stairs when floods invade subway stations, a numerical model for the water flow on stairs based on the volume of fluid model and the realizable k-ε model was established. The water flow patterns on stairs at the subway station entrance under different slope conditions and with/without rest platforms were simulated. The real-time water flow process on stairs at different inlet depths was obtained, and the escape control index F was used to evaluate the risk of people evacuating through stairs at different slopes and water depths. The results indicate that the presence of a rest platform can cause an increase in water velocity and depth on pedestrian stairs, and people should choose stairs without a rest platform for evacuation during the evacuation process. The research results hope to provide a reference for the people evacuation on stairs, and further improve the theory of safe evacuation of personnel on flood-prone stairs.

SIMULATION THE PROCESSES OF ORGANIC MATERIALS DESTRUCTION AND COMBUSTION PROCESSES CONDITION OF FIRE INTENSEICATION

Problem statement. The rapid occurrence and development of fires are caused by the occurrence of combustible materials and structures in their focus. This complicates, and in some cases makes impossible, effective firefighting, evacuation, and rescue of people and property. In order to correctly assess fire resistance, effectively increase fire resistance, and change the flammability of materials, it is necessary to study the materials burning process. The purpose of the article. To study of the combustion of easily dispersible substances and the development of gaseous reactions and their combination using the example of wood combustion. Methods. We use mathematical modeling of combustion and destructive processes under the high temperatures, taking into account the rules of thermodynamics. Research results. The conducted analysis showed that the selection of the main stages in the simulation of wood combustion is much less developed than in the case of the combustion of gas systems. It is especially difficult to do this to describe the combustion of wood, on the surface of which there is an interaction of masses (and heat) during the combustion of individual components, and the size of the front surface per unit cross-section of the sample may also change over time. Therefore, the definition of the main stage in wood burning should be used mainly in the qualitative analysis of the process, and quantitative models of wood burning should be built, if possible, taking into account all the determining factors characterizing the phenomena. Scientific novelty. For the first time, on the basis of the modeling of organic material combustion is proposed. We determine the patterns of destructive processes, which, depending on the temperature, have common patterns of qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The chemical phasing and its connection with the physical phasing of the transformation of combustible organic materials dispersed in the surface layer with the overall thermal effect of the combustion wave were determined. Practical value. The identification of stages during the wave burning of wood allows for a qualitative display of processes depending on the spatial zone and its distance from the gas zone, which allows predicting the development of protective means of organic materials against combustion.

Evacuation of the population from the starving provinces by the local authorities of the Central Commission for the Evacuation of the Population in 1921–1923

During the famine of 1921–1923, which engulfed vast territories of the country, there was such a phenomenon as the mass evacuation of people from the affected areas to relatively prosperous provinces in terms of food. The evacuation was both spontaneous and centralized. The authorities, through the structures of the Central Commission for the Evacuation of the Population, took out from the starving areas, first of all, children, as well as skilled workers with their families. The entire course of the evacuation was fraught with a large number of problems and difficulties that arose as the situation in the starving provinces worsened and required an immediate solution. The central and local authorities responsible for the evacuation of the population had to constantly change their strategy and tactics. The main burden of the evacuation campaign fell on the line departments of the Central Evacuation Commission. The article gradually traces the change in the strategy of centralized evacuation of the population from the starving provinces and, incidentally, discusses the specifics of the work of the Eastern Basic Administration and the linear points of the Central Commission for the Evacuation of the Population. The article widely uses materials from such a little-studied source as the verbatim report of the meeting of evacuation workers of the Eastern Base Department on March 21–23, 1922.

СТРУКТУРНАЯ СХЕМА СИСТЕМЫ ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЭВАКУАЦИЕЙ

In an emergency, such as a fire or a terrorist attack, an important aspect is the safe evacuation of people. The unpredictability of the situation makes the task of emergency evacuation one of the main problems. The development of artificial intelligence technologies opens up possible promising ways of developing evacuation management systems. An intelligent evacuation management system can help track the movement and coordinates of people and related critical factors during the evacuation process (for example, slowing down traffic along the paths, blocking the paths, etc.). The study is devoted to the construction of a decision support system for the evacuation of people from buildings based on the results of modeling the development of a fire, intelligent forecasting of the evacuation time in the conditions of the current situation during a fire. The system allows dynamically forming optimal evacuation routes in a changing situation. The proposed results allow us to further move on to the development of an automated intelligent evacuation management system, which will ensure increased safety for evacuees, regardless of evacuation scenarios and the current situation in the building.

Monte Carlo Analysis for Evacuation in Multipurpose Event Spaces

This paper addresses the evacuation of people from multipurpose halls and introduces an innovative approach that uses a probabilistic model, specifically the Monte Carlo method, to analyse iterative evacuation processes. The aim is to explore how this modern technology can contribute to the development of effective and safe evacuation plans for mass events. The Monte Carlo method was applied to a specific example of a multipurpose hall that offers different configurations for events such as sports matches, concerts, or performances. The evacuation of people was analysed for two configurations: a hockey match with a capacity of 9500 people and a concert with a capacity of 11,000 people. In both cases, the total evacuation of people from the hall was analysed, and the evacuation time was evaluated when two parameters were changed: speed of movement and preference for door selection. The results of the simulations can provide valuable information for the design of effective safety measures in multipurpose halls and other similar multipurpose venues. This innovative approach to evacuation analysis allows for a comprehensive assessment of the evacuation process, identification of critical areas, and verification of the layout of the space.

Analysis of Emergency Protection and Evacuation Strategies for Disabled People in the Noto Earthquake in Japan

This article takes the Noto earthquake in Japan as the background, studies the emergency protection and evacuation strategies for disabled people during earthquakes, analyzes the characteristics of the Noto earthquake, including the basic information such as the time, location, and magnitude of the disaster, as well as the particularities of the disabled group in terms of physical, psychological, and economic aspects. The article discusses the existing problems, such as incomplete infrastructure, poor information transmission, and insufficient social support, and proposes optimization countermeasures, including improving infrastructure, strengthening information transmission, and increasing social support. This article aims to provide useful references and guidance for the emergency protection and evacuation of disabled people in earthquakes.

A model for visual evacuation of people considering the effects of gravity

This paper improves the visual change-based personnel evacuation model by considering the evacuees’ gravity. Specifically, first, the new model incorporates the gravity formula in the model’s mechanic part to consider the influence of gravity. Second, the new model involves rules for determining the visual range of personnel moving in the stairwell. Third, the proposed model investigates the influence of the angle and width of the stairwell, the number of people, and other factors during personnel evacuation under the influence of gravity. The model is developed in Python and is compared with actual results, revealing that the proposed model is more realistic considering the evacuation time compared to current models. Indeed, under a fixed number of people, when the stairwell angle is less than 34°, the evacuation time decreases as the angle increases, and when the stairwell angle exceeds 34°, the evacuation time is almost unchanged. Additionally, under a fixed number of evacuees, the evacuation time decreases as the width of the stairwell increases, and due to stairwell width space redundancy, the evacuation time tends to stabilize. The results of the new model research provide reference for the design of building safety evacuation, thereby improving the safety of buildings.

Optimization Model of Emergency Evacuation Network Based on Genetic Algorithm

Aggregation and dispersion are the normal states. In economic production and social life, the evacuation of people and materials deserves extensive attention. From the perspective of mathematics and economics, arranging a thoughtful evacuation is essential for the best balance between personal satisfaction and cost. In this paper, evacuation is deeply studied by a genetic algorithm; the balance, cost, and willingness (satisfaction) priority models, which consider both satisfaction and cost, are established. In this paper, based on the field investigation and questionnaire survey conducted by Oriental Sports Center, overall satisfaction is inferred by the satisfaction of each person in the tested sample, and the time cost from the evacuation point to different reception points is inferred through actual investigation. Based on these data, a balance model is established, and the calculation is performed. The ratio of the total willingness value of the evacuated individuals to the total cost is taken as the function of the optimization objective. When the optimization objective function is complex, the genetic algorithm is used to search for the optimal solution by simulating the process of natural evolution. At the same time, the cost priority and willingness priority models are established to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different evacuation schemes and their applicable situations. The evacuation of Oriental Sports Center is studied using a genetic algorithm. The objective function value of equilibrium model optimization is 0.2155 (optimal solution), significantly different from willingness priority model optimization (0.0300). After calculating the optimization objective function value and cost value under the conditions of cost priority and willingness priority, a “People-oriented and cost-balanced” suggestion is put forward for a large crowd evacuation scheme.

An adaptive evacuation system for the Gran Sasso underground laboratory

The Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) is, at present, the largest deep underground laboratory in operation for astroparticle physics and rare event research. The LNGS was created to carry out this research exploiting an overburden of 1,400 m of rock to reduce the flux of muons from cosmic rays. Operating an underground laboratory and its facilities implies a high level of risk. To mitigate risks at the LNGS, a crucial aspect is represented by the evacuation of people from an underground environment during emergencies. The connection between the underground facilities and the outside infrastructure is limited, and the intervention by rescue teams is complicated. This paper reports the study of an adaptive evacuation system to improve the evacuation performance in underground laboratories. The system proposed is composed of a combination of passive, dynamic, and adaptive signage that is able to adapt itself to lead the laboratory occupants to the safe location for evacuation (assembly point). The system collects information from all safety plants, and the data are processed using a customized path-finding algorithm. In the computational algorithm, the underground laboratory is represented as a grid, and the customized path-finding algorithm discovers all available paths to reach the identified evacuation assembly point.

Pedestrian evacuation planning under dam-break flood disaster considering road risk and road pedestrian demand

When facing disasters, a well-planned evacuation of people can significantly reduce casualties and disaster losses. Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, causing multiple dam failures and resulting in Lake Pontchartrain flooding back into the city. Taking this disaster as an example, this paper evaluates the risk of pedestrian evacuation on roads during dam-break flood disasters. The evaluation considers three aspects: road evacuation difficulty, disaster risk and road pedestrian demand. The fuzzy VIKOR model was used to evaluate 8 indicators for 50 candidate shelters. A dual-objective planning model was proposed to consider the time-varying and diverse emergency needs of disaster victims. By assessing the risk of pedestrian evacuation on the road and delineating restricted areas, the optimal path distance is calculated. Pareto optimality is then employed to achieve a trade-off between the convenience, cost, and applicability of the evacuation plan. In a complex post-disaster environment, the model can adapt flexibly to emergency rescue situations at various stages by adjusting the parameters in the objective and constraint equation. The Pareto optimal frontier can assist in determining the most suitable solution for the current scenario. In the case of New Orleans, 22 and 18 shelters were respectively selected from 34 candidate shelters for evacuation based on the simulated scenarios.

Two-stage problems of optimal location and distribution of the humanitarian logistics system’s structural subdivisions

Purpose. To ensure the rational organization of the evacuation of people from a region affected by an emergency by developing a mathematical and algorithmic toolkit that will allow for the early distribution of transport and material resources, maximizing coverage of the affected areas while minimizing evacuation time. Methodology. System analysis of evacuation processes; mathematical modeling, the theory of continuous problems of optimal partitioning of sets, non-differentiable optimization. Findings. The object of the study is the two-stage evacuation logistic processes that occur when serving the population of areas affected by emergencies of a natural or technogenic nature. The research considers the possibility of optimally distributing human flows within the transportation system, the structural subdivisions of which are first-stage centers (first aid stations that carry out the reception of citizens from areas affected by the disaster) and second-stage centers (specialized units of the emergency aid system that provide further services to the evacuated population). The proposed mathematical model deals with the problem of optimally partitioning a continuous set with the placement of subset centers and additional connections. Methods for its solution have been described. We demonstrate the versatility of these models, as they can be used to describe logistic evacuation processes, organize assembly points, intermediate locations, evacuation reception points, and those providing primary assistance to the affected population. We calculate the appropriate number of essential products and deliver them from existing warehouses through distribution centers to the affected areas. Originality. As preventive measures to increase the level of population safety during an emergency, we consider the optimal placement of rescue facilities and the zoning of the territory to distribute evacuation traffic. We also address the problem of the optimal distribution of human flows in the transport and logistics system. Practical value. The presented models, methods, and algorithms enable the solution of many practical problems related to the development of preventive measures and the planning of rescue operations to ensure the population’s safety in case of emergencies. The theoretical results obtained are translated into specific recommendations that can be utilized when addressing logistical problems related to the organization of primary evacuation of the population from affected areas and their subsequent transportation to safer locations for further assistance.

A multi-objective optimization model to minimize the evacuation time during a disaster considering reconstruction activity and uncertainty: A case study of Cork City

Disasters can potentially disrupt transportation systems, resulting in complete or partial blockages of specific links, which can limit the available options for transportation. During a disaster, crucial decisions must be made, such as planning the safe evacuation of people from affected areas and strategizing to repair damaged transportation links. The primary objective of this research is to develop a multi-objective optimization framework that can enhance the effectiveness of transportation networks in natural disasters, such as floods. To achieve this, the proposed model incorporates fuzzy set theory since it is challenging to determine parameters like capacity precisely in these situations. The model assumes that some damaged links can be reconstructed within the available resources and budget. The optimization model focuses on minimizing the total evacuation time and reconstruction cost, and its effectiveness is validated using a case study of Cork City with 100 nodes and 141 links. The model is solved, and optimal solutions are generated using an exact method to handle various uncertainty scenarios. The results demonstrate that developing the fuzzy optimization approach as an analytical tool can be used to make critical decisions for evacuation planning and emergency management.

Methods for Risk Reduction: Training and Exercises to Pursue the Planned Evacuation

Natural and anthropic disasters produce relevant economic and environmental losses at a global level. Many countries have adopted a risk management cycle to limit these losses. Agenda 2030 defined specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and relative targets dedicated to disaster risk reduction. Planned actions can pertain to the context “before” or “after” a disastrous event. The United Nations recommend a risk-informed approach for achieving the SDGs by working on anticipation and prevention. Planning with training and exercises, referring to transport systems in emergency conditions, can limit disaster impacts and strongly support the pursuit of sustainability. This research focuses on actions and methodologies for increasing preparedness levels “before” a disastrous event, to improve the capabilities of managers and people by increasing awareness of the effects of planned actions. Transport system models (TSMs) play an important role in simulating the evacuation of people to reduce theoretical risk, thereby reducing theoretical exposure. In this work, a method is presented that allows us to investigate how this theoretical reduction can become effective, through training and exercises. The paper proposes a general framework of training and exercises for risk reduction based on a given transportation planning model. The framework supports ex ante evaluations of exposure reduction produced by an evacuation plan. The obtained results show that the effectiveness of the planned actions increases with different levels of exercise implementation. The progressive implementation of exercises contributes to achieving the risk reductions estimated at the evacuation planning stage. The TSM in the mitigation phase is the basis for the development of specific quantitative evacuation plans, that must be implemented in the preparedness phase by means of training and exercises to test the planned actions in terms of reducing the exposure risk component. Some exercises implemented worldwide verify the proposed framework by means of some empirical evidence. The results and discussions reported in this paper can be useful for researchers, decisionmakers, and society by offering a contribution to the growing knowledge about risk and the potential actions and their relative effects on reducing it.

A Case Study on the Evacuation of People during a Fire in the Workshop of a Large Factory

A workshop, as a crowded place, is quite easy to cause serious casualties and economic losses once there is a fire. In this paper, Pathfinder software was used to simulate fire emergency evacuation in a workshop of a large factory with building structural symmetry. According to the simulation results, several obstacles to the evacuation were discovered and further analyzed. The results showed that the main factors affecting the evacuation were the width of exits, the distribution of occupants and the effective evacuation width of stairs. Among them, only changing the width of exits had little influence on shortening evacuation time. While changing the effective evacuation width of stairs could greatly relieve the evacuation pressure, every increase of 0.5 m in the width of the staircase could shorten the evacuation time by 30.0 s. Meanwhile, the larger the number of people in high-rise buildings, the longer the evacuation time was. Therefore, the means of restricting people from entering the high-rise buildings in batches could be used to prevent personnel from being evacuated in time when a fire incident occurs.

The problem of pedestrian evacuation of people from high-rise buildings

The article considers the actual problems of compliance with the conditions of timely and unimpeded evacuation of people from high-rise buildings, arising from the analysis of volume-planning solutions of objects and design directions, as well as by analyzing the regulatory documentation in the field of safety of people in case of fire. The problem of evacuation of people from a high-rise building is solved by developing an algorithm for phased evacuation of people from the floors. When developing the algorithm, the maximum number of people on the floors is determined to determine the calculation blocks that allow their simultaneous evacuation without crush in the stairwell, the distance between the calculation blocks of evacuated floors of the building and the time of signaling to the beginning of the movement of human flows for the floors included in the calculation block.

Rescue system for people evacuation for highrise buildings

The article deals with the issues of ensuring fire safety of multifunctional high-rise buildings and structures. Measures are given to ensure fire safety of multifunctional high-rise buildings and structures. Effective modern methods of improving the safety of using constructive solutions that prevent the spread of fire and the evacuation of people from places covered in flames and smoke by combustion products and blocking access to stairwells are reflected. Since in some cases it is not possible to save people from a burning building in traditional ways, structural solutions are additionally presented that contribute to the safe evacuation of residents of the house. When reviewing existing designs, their shortcomings were identified. The authors proposed a new design of an effective, non-traumatic and safe device for saving people, especially those with low physical fitness and limited physical abilities. It allows you to simplify the design, provide the necessary speed, ensure the availability of evacuation of people with physical disabilities, avoid the presence of auxiliary equipment on a stationary ground object, ensure manufacturability in use, which does not allow, if necessary, to save people from windows and balconies, increase productivity in the “descent-ascent” mode.