Congestion-Based Earthquake Emergency Evacuation Simulation Model for Underground Structure

• Published in: Buildings (Basel) 2024-10, Vol.14 (10), p.3217
• Main Authors: Yoo, Mintaek, Haam, Sunnie, Song, Woo Seung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Casualties; Computer simulation; Computer-generated environments; Congestion; Damage assessment; Dijkstra algorithm; Dijkstra's algorithm; Disasters; earthquake; Earthquake damage; Earthquakes; Evacuation; Evacuation of civilians; Evacuation routing; evacuation simulation model; Evacuations & rescues; Real time; Seismic activity; Simulation; Simulation models; South Korea; Structure-function relationships; underground structure; Underground structures
• ISSN: 2075-5309; 2075-5309
• DOI: 10.3390/buildings14103217

Herein, the Dijkstra algorithm was used to develop a model that considers evacuee congestion and derives an optimal evacuation route in underground structures in the event of an earthquake. The ground conditions and seismic intensities were varied, and the evacuation route was analyzed for four cases. The damage index for each underground structure due to an earthquake was determined considering the ground conditions and structure depth, and the evacuation speed reduction was evaluated as a function of the damage index. A congestion coefficient was applied when the evacuation capacity exceeded the threshold to reflect the evacuation speed reduction due to increased congestion in the same evacuation route. The evacuation route in some sections changed when congestion was considered, and the final evacuation time increased significantly when the congestion coefficient was applied. When the evacuation capacity at each node exceeded the threshold, the 1/3 value was applied as the congestion coefficient to evacuation velocity. When the original evacuation route was used after applying the congestion coefficient, the evacuation time increased by up to 220%. However, the evacuation time can be reduced by applying an alternative route that considers congestion. When an alternative route derived from considering congestion was used, the evacuation time decreased by up to 45% compared to that when the original route was used, and the time required decreased by up to 840 s. Hence, the reduction in evacuation speed due to evacuee congestion must be considered to derive alternative, optimal evacuation routes in the event of a disaster. In addition, evacuation routes should account for the location of evacuees using technologies such as real-time indoor positioning to consider the congestion level of evacuees.