The ability to model the behaviour of people in both normal and emergency situations at airports and other major transport hubs is now possible. In these locations there is a need to ensure uncomplicated transitions in normal operation, and rapid evacuation in the event of an emergency. Optimisation of people flow through simulation can provide a more agreeable environment, and more effective fire safety design in large and busy places. Passenger flow optimisation assessments have been undertaken at airport terminals in Hong Kong, Vancouver and Minneapolis and at metros in London, Athens and Copenhagen. For hub improvements or new schemes real time 3D simulations can be prepared in an instantly understandable graphical form, and results interpreted by both non-specialists and designers alike - helping identify natural bottlenecks and preferred exits as well as testing evacuation routes and timings for different emergency scenarios. The representation of the environment allows natural blockages and restrictions such as check in desks, barriers, doorways, seating, and columns to be modelled as well as escalators and lifts - altering their speed, direction and carrying capacity as desired. lt is also possible to incorporate the simulation of vehicle movement such as the arrival and departure of people movers. Unlimited numbers of people can be simulated at any one time each with their own agenda, movements such as stops to make telephone calls and to wait for buses can be encompassed, and prior knowledge of exit locations will also have a bearing on an individual's behaviour. Once the simulation is started, the crowds will interact in accordance with their preset characteristics. Factors affecting behaviour are exactly the same as in reality - bodies moving in opposite directions, blocking access, slowing movements and creating queues. When an emergency is initiated, each person's agenda will be reset for evacuation but still in accordance with their "character". It is important to be able to model the change in conditions, for example, in the midst of an evacuation. As well as providing an informative visualisation of people movement, in both normal and emergency conditions, specific outputs include details of flow rates and time to clear individual zones using on-screen counters, graphs of flow rates for paths and locations plus the paths of "marker" people for use in virtual reality modes. The assessments are validated by comparison with designs based on building code standards, with calculation of evacuation and travel times in compliance with recommended methods such as NFPA and similar codes. However, the advanced visualisation techniques have meant that the user has access to people movement information at a more intuitive level, allowing more direct optimisation of design.
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