Fire Egress Simulations Based on Human Behavioural Patterns

Fire safety is essential in all buildings. Hazardous fires can result in injuries, death, and property damage. Necessary and appropriate regulations/policies and building designs for preventing fires from starting in buildings should be in the first place. However, practical and efficient evacuation plans need to be developed in the case of fire. Developing such plans requires an understanding of human behaviours during fires. Human behaviours during fires have been studied using various methods such as interviews, video footage, full evacuation demonstrations with human participants, virtual reality, and computer simulations. This paper uses computer simulations to test fire evacuations using an agent (evacuee) modelled based on actual human behavioural patterns in the case of fire. The paper presents how the evacuee model was developed by employing human instincts. The model was then tested and verified by simulating it in a maze-like environment. Finally, the paper showcases the model used to evaluate an actual building to see how a real person would behave in the case of fire in the building. The model can be used to evaluate the fire safety of various buildings.