A Review of Building Evacuation Models - NIST Virtual Library

For validation of the airEXODUS model, the model results were compared against Cranfield
Trident Three experiments (an example of past experiments). Here, people evacuated from
Trident Three aircraft cabin sections and the model correctly predicted the trends in evacuation
times, according to Gwynne et al. AirEXODUS results are also compared against certification
trials of aircrafts, specifically the B767-304ER. These trials are performed only once and after
running several runs of the model, it was shown that the performance of the certification trial
was near optimal by the passengers and crew. Therefore, the optimal EXODUS predictions were
compared to the trial and were within 2 % of the measured trial evacuation time.
Validations studies of buildingEXODUS 42, 62 using the following buildings are available: seven
pavilions of the Tukuba International Expo in 1985, the Stapelfeldt experiments (evacuation of
police cadets from a school gymnasium), and the Milburn House, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.
Reasonable agreement was found, when looking past deficiencies in the data. The developer
notes “excellent agreement between buildingEXODUS predictions and observed evacuation
times.”
Special features:
Counterflow – Yes, occupants can be assigned a specific itinerary that involves traveling against
the flow to a certain point in the building.
Manual exit block/obstacles – Yes.
Fire conditions affect behavior Yes, from the Hazard submodel and CFAST.
Defining groups – Yes.
Disabilities/slow occupant groups – Yes.
Delays/pre-movement time – Yes, these are either provided as a user-defined distribution for
different groups in the structure or by assigning specific itineraries to certain occupants.
Toxicity of the occupants – Yes.
Impatience/drive variables – Yes.
Route choice of the occupants/occupant distribution – Globally, the potential leads to shortest
route and can be overridden by local information and events. Route choice is conditional.
Limitations: If users decide to purchase the level 1 option, the website notes that “Level 1 can
handle multiple floors and unlimited population sizes, includes the movie player facility and the
data analysis tool askEXODUS. Limitations are dictated by the capabilities of the host
computer. This version does not include a toxicity sub-model and posses a limited capability
hazard sub-model.” The Level 2 option involves “As level 1 but includes a toxicity model that
allows the inclusion of the fire hazards of smoke, heat and toxic gases within the simulation. An
ability to import history files from CFAST V4.01 in order to define the fire atmosphere. This
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