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Employing the Hydraulic Model in Assessing Emergency Movement

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SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering

Abstract

This chapter provides the engineer with a model to quantify egress performance. This model is formed from a set of numerical tools that vary in their scope and sophistication. Guidance is provided on the capabilities of these tools and on when they should be employed, making reference to the data on which these tools are based. Detailed examples are presented to clarify the application of these tools, along with a description of how the use of these tools fits in with other fire engineering calculations. This chapter will, therefore, allow the engineer to assess egress performance in a responsible and informed manner.

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Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge that this work includes substantial sections from the original chapter written by Harold “Bud” Nelson in partnership with Hamish MacLennan and then Fred Mowrer.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Council Canada, Québec, Canada

    Steven M. V. Gwynne

  2. Jensen Hughes, Inc., Baltimore, USA

    Eric R. Rosenbaum

Authors
  1. Steven M. V. Gwynne
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  2. Eric R. Rosenbaum
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aon Fire Protection Engineering, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    Morgan J. Hurley P.E., FSFPE (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

  2. Hughes Associates, Baltimore, USA

    Daniel Gottuk Ph.D., P.E.

  3. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, USA

    John R. Hall Jr. Ph.D.

  4. Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kazunori Harada Dr. Eng.

  5. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA

    Erica Kuligowski Ph.D.

  6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, USA

    Milosh Puchovsky P.E., FSFPE

  7. The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

    José Torero Ph.D.

  8. The Fire Safety Institute, Quincy, USA

    John M. Watts Jr. Ph.D., FSFPE

  9. FM Global, Johnston, USA

    Christopher Wieczorek Ph.D.

Nomenclature

ASET

Available safe egress time

RSET

Required safe egress time

t d

Time from fire ignition to detection

t n

Time from detection to notification of occupants of a fire emergency

t p−e

Time from notification (or receipt of cues) until evacuation commences

t e

Time from start of purposive evacuation movement until safety is reached

t esc

Escape phase, being the sum of the pre-evacuation (t p-e) and evacuation (t e ) phases

t trav

Time spent moving toward a place of safety

t flow

Time spent in congestion controlled by flow characteristics

t n−e

Time spent in nonevacuation activities that do not directly contribute to the population moving to a place of safety

W e

Effective width

D

Population density

S

Travel speed

k

Constant used to calculate travel speed

a

Constant used to calculate travel speed

F s

Specific flow

F sm

Maximum specific flow

F c

Calculation flow through a component

t p

Time for a group of persons to pass a point in an exit route

P

Population size in persons

F s()

Specific flow and associated direction of movement

W e()

Effective width of a particular component given its location

t p−e1

Pre-evacuation time of the first people to respond

t p−e99

Pre-evacuation time of the last people to respond

t e act

Actual time from when purposive evacuation movement commenced to when safety was reached

t e mod

Modeled estimate from when purposive evacuation movement to when safety was reached

e

Modeling error

e′

Approximation of e employed within calculation

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Gwynne, S.M.V., Rosenbaum, E.R. (2016). Employing the Hydraulic Model in Assessing Emergency Movement. In: Hurley, M.J., et al. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_59

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_59

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2564-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2565-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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