Erica D. Kuligowski

SFPE handbook of fire protection engineering

Revised and significantly expanded, the fifth edition of this classic work offers both new and substantially updated information. As the definitive reference on fire protection engineering, this book provides thorough treatment of the current best practices in fire protection engineering and performance-based fire safety. Over 130 eminent fire engineers andresearchers contributed chapters to the book, representing universities and professional organizations around the world. It remains the indispensible source for reliable coverage of fire safety engineering fundamentals, fire dynamics, hazard calculations, fire risk analysis, modeling and more. With seventeen new chapters and over 1,800 figures, the this new editioncontains: • Step-by-step equations that explain engineering calculations • Comprehensive revision of the coverage of human behavior in fire, including several new chapters on egress system design, occupant evacuation scenarios, combustion toxicity and data for human behavior analysis • Revised fundamental chapters for a stronger sense of context • Added chapters on fire protection system selection and design, including selection of fire safety systems, system activation and controls and CO2 extinguishing systems • Recent advances in fire resistance design • Addition of new chapters on industrial fire protection, including vapor clouds, effects of thermal radiation on people, BLEVEs, dust explosions and gas and vapor explosions • New chapters on fire load density, curtain walls, wildland fires and vehicle tunnels • Essential reference appendices on conversion factors, thermophysical property data, fuel properties and combustion data, configuration factors and piping properties.

Pedestrian and evacuation dynamics

Preface.- Dedication.- Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics Awards.- Five Grand Challenges in Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics.- Data Collection (Evacuation).- Data Collection (Pedestrian).- Data Collection (Vulnerable Groups).- Data Collection (Transport).- Data Collection Methods.- Theory for Models.- General Model Development.- Large-scale Modeling.- Transport Modeling.- Modeling Methods.- Model Calibration / Validation.- Vertical Egress.- Regulations / Engineering Guidance.- Posters

The Need for Behavioral Theory in Evacuation Modeling

This paper posits the need for a complete, comprehensive conceptual model about human behavior in fire evacuations. This would be of intrinsic value to improve training, education, and future data collection efforts, but would also allow for a complete behavioral representation to be embedded within simulation tools. This paper begins by discussing the current, separate theories or “behavioral facts” extracted from research on evacuations from building fires. Then, the paper discusses the methods used by current computer evacuation models to simulate these “behavioral facts” and the limitations of these methods. Last, the paper argues for the inclusion of a comprehensive behavioral conceptual model in computer evacuation models, specifically by highlighting the benefits of behavioral theory for evacuation models and providing examples of social theories used to predict whether people will evacuate from disasters in communities.

Stairwell Evacuation from Buildings: What We Know We Don’t Know

Occupant descent down stairwells during building evacuations is typically described by measurable engineering variables such as stairwell geometry, speed, density, and pre-evacuation delay. In turn, predictive models of building evacuation use these variables to predict the performance of egress systems for building design, emergency planning, or event reconstruction. This paper provides a summary of literature values for movement speeds and compares these to several new fire drill evacuations. Movement speeds in the current study are observed to be quite similar to the range of literature values. Perhaps most importantly though, the typical engineering parameters are seen to explain only a small fraction of the observed variance in occupant movement speeds. This suggests that traditional measures form an incomplete theory of people movement in stairs. Additional research to better understand the physiological and behavioral aspects of the evacuation process and the difference between fire drill evacuations and real fire emergencies are needed.

The Process of Human Behavior in Fires

Evacuation models, including engineering hand calculations and computational tools, are used to calculate the time it takes to evacuate a building, which can then be used in an engineering safety analysis. However, there is a lack of available data and theory on occupant behavior for use by evacuation models to estimate evacuation time results and their uncertainty. In lieu of data and theory, evacuation models (and users) make assumptions and simplifications about occupant behavior, which can inappropriately characterize the time it actually takes to evacuate a building. In cases where assumptions lead to evacuation estimates that are either too optimistic or too conservative, buildings and procedures can be designed with either insufficient or unnecessary (and costly) egress routes and fire protection/notification systems. A solution to this problem is to generate theory on human behavior during evacuations from building fires that can be incorporated into evacuation models. Once this theory is robust, validated and incorporated into evacuation models, these tools can begin to predict occupant evacuation behavior rather than relying on the user to determine behavior before the simulation begins, as is now the case.

Simulating a Building as a People Movement System

Egress models are being used more frequently to simulate people movement; i.e., how people enter, use, and leave a building. However, little has been written on the different phases of people movement over the lifecycle of the building that can be examined and how these models may achieve this. In addition, little has been written on how these phases interact. This interaction may be due to these different phases occurring simultaneously or when an individuals experience in one phase (e.g., entering a building) influences another (e.g., route selection when leaving). This paper presents six modes in which an egress model can be applied: Naïve, Operational, Predictive, Engineered, Real-Time, and Interactive. The paper describes what is needed to enable these application modes, in terms of data, expertise, and model functionality and the benefits that these modes provide. These modes should appear in the same model enabling a comprehensive and integrated representation of people movement, and the factors that influence it, to be produced.

Application Modes of Egress Simulation

Egress models are being used more frequently to simulate people movement; i.e. how people enter, use and leave a building. However, little has been written on the different aspects of people movement that can be examined and how these models may achieve this. This paper outlines six modes in which an egress model can be applied: Naive; Operational; Predictive; Engineered; Real-Time; and Interactive. The paper outlines what is needed to enable these application modes, in terms of data, expertise and model functionality, and the benefits of doing so. This is intended to highlight the challenges faced by egress models and the complexities of the subject matter being examined: people movement under emergency and non-emergency scenarios. Currently, no model includes all of the six modes identified. The authors hope that this discussion will identify the importance of these modes, the need for them to be addressed within the same model and the clear benefits of doing so.

Human Behavior in Fire

Human behavior in fire is at the core of all life safety projects completed by fire safety or fire protection engineers. A better understanding of how people respond to building emergencies can aid in safer building design; improved use or development of calculation tools used to ensure the level of safety afforded by these designs; and more effective emergency procedures, emergency communication systems, and pre-event emergency training for buildings and communities. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a basic understanding of human behavior in fire concepts and theory for use by engineers. The chapter contains the following aspects of human behavior in fire and other emergencies: a definition of human behavior in fire, including a discussion of the types of disciplines employed in the study of people in fires; a presentation on what human behavior in fire is not, including examples of disaster myths; an overview of the disaster-based decision-making process in fires and other emergencies; a discussion relating theory to practice (highlighting studies from fire events that support the decision-making theory); the identification of important factors that influence the decision-making process; and a conclusion highlighting what is missing in the field of human behavior in fire. Each section of this chapter will include an implications section that outlines the reasons why these ideas or theories are important for engineers to understand and incorporate.

Risk perception in fire evacuation behavior revisited: definitions, related concepts, and empirical evidence

Risk perception (RP) is studied in many research disciplines (e.g., safety engineering, psychology, and sociology). Definitions of RP can be broadly divided into expectancy-value and risk-as-feeling approaches. In the present review, RP is seen as the personalization of the risk related to a current event, such as an ongoing fire emergency; it is influenced by emotions and prone to cognitive biases. We differentiate RP from other related concepts (e.g., situation awareness) and introduce theoretical frameworks relevant to RP in fire evacuation (e.g., Protective Action Decision Model and Heuristic-Systematic approaches). Furthermore, we review studies on RP during evacuation with a focus on the World Trade Center evacuation on September 11, 2001 and present factors modulating RP as well as the relation between perceived risk and protective actions. We summarize the factors that influence perception risk and discuss the direction of these relationships (i.e., positive or negative influence, or inconsequential) and conclude with presenting limitations of this review and an outlook on future research.

A Performance-based Egress Analysis of a Hotel Building using Two Models

This article compares results from similar egress models that are each based on different documented evacuation movement data. The models studied are EXIT89 and Simulex, which are used to calculate evacuation times for a hotel building. Differences in results from the models are identified. Evacuation times obtained from the EXIT89 model are found to be 25 to 40% shorter than those from the Simulex model for the same design scenarios, attributed to differences in unimpeded speeds, movement algorithms, methods of simulating slow occupants, density in the stairs, and stair configuration input between the models. A bounding analysis shows that EXIT89 produces maximum evacuation times 25 to 40% shorter than those from Simulex.