With the move toward performance-based design, engineers have been looking to evacuation computer models to assess a building's life safety. Many times, the engineer is tasked with the selection of one evacuation model for a specific project. Currently there are a wide variety of evacuation models for engineers to choose from. However, with each model containing its own unique features and simulation capabilities, confusion may arise as to which model is best for the task at hand. The results gained from this work emphasize the. importance for users to choose an egress model for each project with the appropriate input features and simulation capabilities. This report compares results from two similar egress models based on documented evacuation movement data. When EXIT89' and Simulex (both only partial-behavioral models) are used to 1) simulate the same design scenarios and 2) perform a bounding analysis of the hotel building, differences in egress times were identified. EXIT89's evacuation times were found to be (25 to 40) % shorter than Simulex for the 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. For the bounding analysis, EXIT89 produced maximum evacuation times (30 to 40) % shorter than Simulex, primarily due to the simulation of slower-moving occupants.
展开▼
