Ronchi, Enrico, Hunt MBE, Aoife ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6670-8779 and Kinsey, Michael J. (2026) Chapter 71. Computer simulation models for building evacuation. In: Society of Fire Protection Engineers, SFPE, (ed.) SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers Series . The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) - Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 2353-2374. ISBN 978-3031592119 (doi:10.1007/978-3-031-59212-6_71)

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Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of evacuation models for fire safety engineering applications. Evacuation models are computer simulation tools used to assess the evacuation of occupants during fire scenarios. They allow for the representation of human behavior in fire and provide insight into the evacuation process. Evacuation models are used to estimate evacuation times and emerging behavior and conditions linked to crowd dynamics. While evacuation models cannot precisely predict how people will behave during an emergency event, they provide valuable insight into the evacuation process that can be used to inform building design and fire management procedures. This chapter outlines the process of evacuation model development, describes the main characteristics of evacuation models, and provides guidance for model users on selecting an appropriate model and configuring it for a given application. The chapter also includes a review of current verification and validation procedures for evacuation models. Evacuation models have become increasingly sophisticated with advances in computer processing power, leading to the development of parallel computing versions and cloud-based versions of evacuation models. The use of virtual reality hardware has also enabled interaction with the simulated space. Overall, this chapter provides key information for fire safety engineers on the selection and application of evacuation models, including model development, model characteristics, assessment of model credibility, and applications. While the chapter is written for fire safety engineers, many of the concepts presented could be applicable to other fields of application for evacuation models.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	behavioural representation, building design, building evacuation, Computer Simulation Models, crowd dynamics, evacuation modeling, evacuation models, fire management, human behavior, model characteristics, model development, representation of people, simulation analysis, simulation tools, verification and validation
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD61 Risk Management Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences (CMS)
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2026 11:01
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/54379

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