Title Horizontal Distributed Evacuation Strategies for Reducing Crowd Density in Large Mixed-Use Buildings
Authors 이경원(Lee, Gyeong-Won) ; 이지수(Lee, Ji-Soo) ; 이신우(Lee, Shin-Woo) ; 황진상(Hwang, Jin-Sang)
DOI https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.6.3
Page pp.3-8
ISSN 2733-6247
Keywords Bottleneck; Evacuation; Large complex buildings; Occupant distribution; Scenario
Abstract Large and complex buildings face serious evacuation challenges due to intricate layouts and occupants’ limited familiarity with the space. To move beyond the limitations of costly technology-driven approaches, this study applied Pathfinder simulations to the Daegu Shinsegae Department Store to identify bottlenecks in horizontal evacuation paths. The key contribution lies in proposing and validating a horizontal distributed evacuation strategy, which reinterprets existing fire compartments as guiding zones for dispersing occupant movement. By utilizing current infrastructure without requiring new facility investments, the approach demonstrates strong practicality and ease of implementation. Results show an average evacuation time reduction of 43.36 percent, from 7,460.3 seconds to 4,066.0 seconds, compared to conventional self-evacuation. This improvement remained consistent, maintaining over 43 percent effectiveness even when occupant density increased to 200 percent of the standard capacity. The findings offer critical groundwork for developing resilient evacuation plans that adapt effectively to fluctuations in building occupancy, underscoring both academic and practical significance.