Evacuation Time To Go

Presenters
Frankie Victor, EngL, BCQ
Jun H. Kim, BASc, EIT
GHL CONSULTANTS LTD
Building Codes and Fire Science

950 409 Granville Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2
Phone 604 689 4449
Fax 604 689 4419
www.ghl.ca

GHL CONSULTANTS LTD

BOABC May 27, 2014

This presentation is conceptual and for educational

purposes only. GHL takes no responsibility for application
of any concepts or interpretations in this presentation to
specific projects unless specifically retained for that project.
This presentation is intended to be presented by GHL and
these slides must not be considered complete or
exhaustive.
This presentation is a copyright of GHL Consultants Ltd and
all rights are reserved.

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Copyright and Limitations

ToknowandunderstandtheCode.

Toknowandunderstandthefiresciencebehindthe
Code.

ToassistincorrectapplicationoftheCode.

Todevelopnewsolutionsbasedonfirescienceto
enablecreativesafebuildings.

Tounderstandtheneedsoftheclientandofthe
AuthoritiesandFirstResponders.

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GHLs Role

7Engineers,4withMastersdegreesinfirescience

1Architect

4CertifiedProfessionals(CPs)

2formerBuildingOfficials

4BuildingCodeQualified(BCQ)

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GHL Team

CPCommittee(DavidGraham)

APEGBCBuildingCodeCommittee(JohnBuscemi)

BCBuildingCodeAppealBoard(FrankieVictor)

CityofVancouverBuildingBylawAppealBoard
(TeddyLai)

BCBuildingCodeInterpretationCommittee(TeddyLai)

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Building Code Committee Work

Building Code Approach To Risk

Codecompliancenorisk.
Codecompliance=risksat
acceptablelevel.

Failurewilloccur:

Limitittoanacceptablelevel.

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Buildingsaresubjecttorisks:

Building Codes Building

Maximumtraveldistance
Exitsatfullcapacity
Minimumceilingheight(2100mm)
Minimumaccesstoexitwidth(1100mmcorridors)
6m deadendsinpubliccorridors

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TheBuildingCodesbuildinghas:

Building Codes Building

Highhazardindustrial 5m=25m
Sprinkler* +15m= 45m
Servicespace +20m =50m
Openairstoragegarage +30m =60m
Perimeterexits60mapart unlimitedtraveldistance
Publiccorridor** traveldistancex2
Mallcorridor +75m =105m(50%ofoccupants)

* Does not apply to high-hazard industrial occupancies

** Does not apply to mall corridors

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Base=unsprinklered floorarea,30mtraveldistance

Building Codes Building

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Example 45m traveldistance,2exits,2.1mceilingheight.

Geometry dimensionalandspatialfeaturesofthespace.
Demographics characteristicsofoccupants;mobility.
Psychology potentialoccupantbehaviourinfires.
Tenability visibility,breathability,toxicity,heat.

ThefollowingpresentationfocusesprimarilyonGeometry,
whichcanbeexpressedintermsoftime.

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Elements of Evacuation

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Geometry Travel Distance

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Traveldistancetranslatestotimetowalkacrosstheroom.
Allelsebeingequal,increasingtraveldistancesimply
increasestimetoevacuate.

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Pathfinder is an agent-based emergency egress simulator developed

by Thunderhead Engineering Inc. It utilizes the floor layout, occupant
load and predictable elements of occupant behaviour as input to
simulate the movement time. The simulator has been well validated
through comparison to hand calculations, real life experiments and
other software.

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Geometry Travel Distance

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Geometry Exit Capacity

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Exitcapacity(width)translatestotimetopassthrougha
corridor,doorordownastair.

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Geometry Exit Capacity

Samefloorarea.Sameoccupantload.
Increasedexitcapacity=reducedtime.

1828mm

914mm
1828mm

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914mm

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Geometry Exit Capacity

4 x 914mm = 3656mm

2 x 1828mm = 3656mm

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Increasingnumberofexitswithoutincreasedaggregate
widthhasnoimpact.

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Geometry Exit Capacity

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Occupantloaddeterminesqueuingtime.
Higheroccupantload/longerqueue/increasedtime.

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Geometry Exit Capacity

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Sameexitcapacity.Samenumberofexits.
Higheroccupantload=increasedtimetoegress.

1.2m2/person
120 persons
1.2m2/person
180 persons

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Geometry Exit Capacity

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Sameexitcapacity.Sameoccupantload.
Smallerfloorarea=shortertraveldistance.
Equaltimetoegress.

10m x 10m
60 persons
15m x 15m
60 persons

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Geometry Configuration of Exits

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TheBuildingCodesfactorsforexitcapacityareasimplified
methodofdeterminingtimetopassthroughacorridor,
doorordownastair.

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Geometry Configuration of Exits

4 x 914mm = 3656mm

2 x 1828mm = 3656mm

Effective width
= 4 x (914mm-300mm)
= 3536mm

Effective width
= 2 x (1828mm-300mm)
= 3596mm

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Reducedtotaleffectivewidth=increasedtimetoegress.

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Geometry Configuration of Exits,

Pinch Points and Obstructions
Elementsthathinderegressbycreatingpinchpoints
orreducingcapacityofaccesstoexit:

Vestibulesatexits(interconnectedfloorspace).

Useofentryforticketcollecting,security,displays.

Retailantitheftequipment.

Turnstiles.

Etc.

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Geometry Ceiling Height

Corridor1100mm x2100mm /Traveldistance45m

Corridor9000mm x4000mm /Traveldistance105m

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Relationshipbetweenceilingheight,orvolumeofspace,
andtimetoegressiscodifiedinSentence3.4.2.5.(1):

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Geometry Ceiling Height

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Ceilingheighttranslatestotimebeforesmokedescends
toheadlevel.

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Geometry Ceiling Height

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Demographics

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Occupantswithlocomotivedisabilityareconsideredinthe
averageoccupanttravelspeed.

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Psychology

Truepanicismostlya
mythperstudiesand
expertopinion.

R.F.Fahy,G.Proulx.Panic
andhumanbehaviourin
fire. (2009)

Notnecessaryto
considerinmosttimed
egressanalyses.

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Humanbehaviouris
predictable.and
unpredictable.

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Psychology Human Behaviour

Behaviouruponalerttoahazarddependson
occupancy:
Nightclub unfamiliar,dark,crowded,impaired,
noisy.
Home/work familiar,senseofownership,
protectiveofothers.
School familiar,additionalpreparedness,
leadership.
Weather,gender,commitmenttoatask,aloneor
inagroup,focalpoint/leader.

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Humanbehaviourcanbepredictedtoadegree:

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Psychology Human Behaviour

Notnecessarytotryandpredictbehaviourpriorto
movementprovidedcomparisonisofthesame:

People
Space
Conditions

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Psychologyisindependentoftimedegressanalysis.

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Whatispanic?Anoverwhelmingfear,withorwithout
cause,thatproducesanirrationalresponseandmay
spreadthroughagroup.
Whendopeoplepanic? Whentheycanseenoway
outofasituation.
Whendoesitmatter? Whenitcausesactionwithout
assessmentofsafety
Whatdopeoplemeanwhentheysaypanic?
Whatdobuildingofficialsmeanwhentheysaypanic?

Realpanicinanemergencyisrare;expertsconsidereditamythsince
about1970butthemoviesandnewschannelslikeit.

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Psychology - Panic

29

Psychology Timed Egress Analysis

Timedegressanalysisisacomparisonofthemeasurable
elementsofevacuation.(SFPEHandbook4th Ed.)
RequiredSafeEgressTime(RSET)

MarginofSafety

EvacuationTime
Premovement
Response
Recognition
Alarm

Movement

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AvailableSafeEgressTime(ASET)

Detection
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Psychology Timed Egress Analysis

AvailableSafeEgressTime(ASET)
MarginofSafety

MovementTime
Detection/Alarm

Alertstagecanbeadjustedbydetection
(smokedetectoractivatessoonerthansprinkler)

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RequiredSafeEgressTime(RSET)

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UpperLayerHeight
Visibility
Heatflux/Temperature
Toxicity

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Tenability

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Tenability

ZoneModel:Upperlayerheight
Simplerspaces
CFDModel:Tenabilityparameters
3Dcomplexspaces

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Twotypesofcomputermodelsareused
togaugetenability:

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Whereastraightcomparisonto
BuildingCodescenariosdoesnttell
thewholestory:
Dontmeetcumulativeexit
capacityinaninterconnectedfloor
space.
Usingopenstairforegress.
Convergingegressroutes.

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Tenability

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Elements of Evacuation
Geometry dimensionalandspatialfeaturesofthespace.

Psychology potentialoccupantbehaviourinfires.
Tenability visibility,breathability,toxicity,heat.

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Demographics characteristicsofoccupants;mobility.

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Hand Calculation

Firstoccupanttoreachdoor(t1)+timetoqueueatdoor(t2)

OR
Lastoccupanttoreachdoor(t3)
Timetocommencemovementisnotconsidered;
assumedtobethesameforBuildingCodeandactualscenarios.

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Timetoegressisthetimeforeither:

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Hand Calculation

TravelDistance
Exits
Occupant Load
Assumption

BuildingCodeScenario

AlternativeSolution

45m

60m

2x914mmdoor

2x914mmdoor

2x914 6.1=300

2x914 6.1=300

Nearest person
5m fromexit
Furthestpersons
45m fromexit

Nearest person
5m fromexit
Furthestperson
60m fromexit

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Example:ComparingBuildingCodeandalternativesolution

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Hand Calculation

Building CodeScenario
5

t 1*
t2
t3
t

1.1

300
0.914 0.3

45

AlternativeSolution

4.5
1.32

1.1

5
185

41

1.1

4.5

300
0.914 0.3

1.32

60

1.1

185

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t1 t2 185 4.5 189.5

t1 t2 185 4.5 189.5

189.5s

189.5s

*assumed5mfornearestoccupanttoanexit.Thismayvarydependingonfloorlayout.

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Queuing(t2)isthelimitingfactor,hence15mextratravel
distancedoesnotcontributetoaddedevacuationtime.

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

EgressviaOpenStair.
CumulativeExiting(interconnectedfloorspace).
EgressfromTwoStoreyDwellingUnit.
ConvergingEgress(Departmentstoretraveldistance).
Parkade70m TravelDistance.

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Project Examples

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Example 1 Egress via Open Stair

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Singleexitandopenegressstair.

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Sentence3.4.2.1.(1) atleasttwoexitsrequired
Buildingdividedintotwostoreysuiteseachserved
byoneexitfromupperstorey.
Traveldistanceandexitcapacitymetbyexitstair.
Openstairprovidedsecondegressroute.
Timedegress,smokemodeltoconfirmtenability.
Additionalfeaturesincludedsmokedetectionfor
earlyalert.

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Example 1 Egress via Open Stair

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Example 2 Cumulative Exiting

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Sentence3.4.3.2.(6) Exitstairsserving
interconnectedfloorspacebasedoncumulative
occupantload.
Cumulativeexitingnotmet.
Usedconveniencestairleadingtoexiton1st storey
asameansofegress.
Timedegress,smokemodeltoconfirmtenability.
Additionalfeaturesincludedsmokedetectionand
smokeexhausttokeepopenstairtenable.

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Example 2 Cumulative Exiting

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Example 3 Egress from Two Storey

Dwelling Unit

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Sentence3.3.4.4.(2) describesegressdoorsinmulti
leveldwellingunitsatboththeupperandlower
storeys.
Egressdoorwasnotprovidedattheupperstorey
Timedegressconfirmedincreasedegressof3seconds.
Concernwastenabilityatroutefromupperstorey.
Smokemodelconfirmedtenableconditions.
Draftstopwasnecessary.
Additionalfeaturesincludedsmokealarmsforearly
alert,emergencylightinglinkedtosmokealarm.
Firealarmannunciation bothstoreysatlower.

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Example 3 Egress from Two Storey

Dwelling Unit

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Back-of-house Corridor

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Example 4 Converging Egress

Mall Corridor
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Clause3.4.2.5.(1)(d) 50%ofoccupantsexitviamall
corridorwithtraveldistanceof105m.

Rearcorridorconvergedwithmallcorridor.

Usedmallcorridorasameansofegressfor100%of
occupants.
Timedegress,smokemodeltoconfirmtenability.
Additionalfeaturesincludepassivesmokeventingto
maintaintenability.
Codecompliantsolution=tunneloutofthebuilding.
Arepeoplewilling?

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Example 4 Converging Egress

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Example 5 Parkade 70m Travel Distance

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Sentence3.4.2.5.(1) prescribes45mtraveldistance.
Increasedtraveldistancefromcentreareas.
Increasedtotalexitwidth(extradoors).
Lowoccupantloadeliminatedqueuingatexits.
Timedegress.
Additionalfeaturesincludeexitsignage,increasedlight
levels.
Scenario

1.CodeMinimumusing
fulldoorcapacity
2. ProposedScenario

Numberof
Occupants
perExit
(persons)

Maximum
Travel
Distance
(m)

Timeto
Evacuate
(sec)

149

45

219

54

70

110

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Example 5 Parkade 70m Travel Distance

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Occupancy

BC

IBC

NFPA101

Assembly

45m

76m

76m

Care

45m

76m

61m

Business/service

45m

90m

91m

Residential

45m

76m

61m

Retail

45m

76m

76m

25/45/45m

23/76/120m

30/122/unlimited

Industrial F1/F2/F3

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Comparison of BC to IBC and NFPA 101

(sprinklered)

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BuildingCodelimits traveldistance,ceilingheight,
exitcapacity defineaspace,createascenario.

ReallifescenariosarecomparedtoBuildingCode
scenario.

Humanbehaviourispredictable/unpredictable.

Canreducedetection/alertstagebysmokedetection
(operateearlierthansprinklers).
Canbuytimebyincreasingceilingheightorexit
capacity.

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Summary

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GHL CONSULTANTS LTD

950 409GranvilleStreet
Vancouver,BC
V6C 1T2
Phone6046894449
Fax6046894419
Emailfv@ghl.ca /jhk@ghl.ca

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Questions?

Webwww.ghl.ca
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