Optimal Exit Layout Strategy for Crowd Safety Evacuation in a Ramp Domain

Abstract

Abstract:: Pedestrian behavior modeling plays a considerably important role in improving operational efficiency and safety of pedestrian infrastructure. In this paper, we first propose a cost potential field cellular automata model that simulates crowd evacuation dynamics on a ramp with two exits. In the model, each pedestrian navigates according to the cost potential field in the ramp domain. Evacuation behaviors of pedestrians are investigated with respect to the ramp angle and the layout of the exits. An aggregated pushing force field is introduced to capture the effects of pushing interactions among pedestrians under congested situations. The phenomenon of pedestrians’ falling down is modeled and demonstrated under various scenarios with different exit layouts and ramp angles. Numerical results show that an optimal layout strategy is to set the two exits in the center of the bottom and the top of the ramp, respectively. This typical exit layout design could effectively prevent and/or reduce crowd injury caused by the domino effect of pedestrians falling down in a stampede. Keywords:: Exit layout strategy, Stampede, Potential field, Cellular automata model