Study of staircase design effects on evacuation in architectural plane design

Abstract

As the flat form of a "return" shape building for example, the effects of staircase design on evacuation in architectural plane design was studied using Pathfinder numerical simulation method. The staircase layout effects on evacuation time was the mainly research content. The results indicate that in addition to considering the distance between two adjacent stairs, the distribution of occupants in building plane is also an important factor which needs to be considered on the layout of staircase. The changes of staircase plane positions have a great impact on the total evacuation time in the case of the same total stair exit width. It is favored for evacuation when the evacuation time differences of staircase exits are small. The study results have some guidance on the plane design of staircases and evacuation.