Galea, E.R. ORCID: 0000-0002-0001-6665 , Sharp, G., Lawrence, P.J. ORCID: 0000-0002-0269-0231 and Holden, R. (2008) Approximating the evacuation of the World Trade Center North Tower using computer simulation. Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, 18 (2). pp. 85-115. ISSN 1042-3915 (Print), 1532-172X (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1042391507079343)

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Abstract

This article concerns an investigation of the full scale evacuation of a building with a configuration similar to that of the World Trade Center (WTC) North Tower using computer simulation. A range of evacuation scenarios is explored in order to better understand the evacuation of the WTC on 11 September 2001. The analysis makes use of response time data derived from a study of published WTC survivor accounts. Geometric details of the building are obtained from architects' plans while the total building population used in the scenarios is based on estimates produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology formal investigation into the evacuation. This paper attempts to approximate the events of 11 September 2001 and pursue several `what if' questions concerning the evacuation. In particular, the study explores the likely outcome had a single staircase survived intact from top to bottom. More generally, this paper explores issues associated with the practical limits of building size that can be expected to be efficiently evacuated using stairs alone.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	[1] ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors are indebted to the EPSRC through project HEED (GR/S74201/01 and EP/D507790) for funding this work. [2] The Journal of Fire Protection Engineering is published in association with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (http://www.sfpe.org/).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	evacuation simulation, high-rise building, WTC, World Trade Center, evacuation model, 9/11
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Pre-2014 Departments:	School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences > Centre for Numerical Modelling & Process Analysis School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences > Centre for Numerical Modelling & Process Analysis > Fire Safety Engineering Group School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences > Department of Mathematical Sciences
Related URLs:	Publisher Publisher Organisation Organisation Organisation
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2016 09:03
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/1330

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