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Displaying 51 - 75 of 256

Perspectives of Occupants with Mobility Impairments on Fire Evacuation and Elevators

August 15, 2016
Author(s)
Kathryn M. Butler, Susanne M. Furman, Erica D. Kuligowski, Richard D. Peacock
The purpose of this report is to provide guidance for designers, building managers, and fire emergency personnel on how to improve communication, procedures, and elevator usage during fire emergencies, based on a study of the evacuation experiences of

Pros and Cons of Egress Drills

July 4, 2016
Author(s)
Steve Gwynne, Karen E. Boyce, Erica D. Kuligowski, Daniel Nilsson, Amanda Robbins, Ruggiero Lovreglio
This article explores how egress drills are currently employed, their impact, and the insights gained from them. By investigating their strengths and limitations, this article suggests opportunities for enhancement through the use of other egress models to

Movement on Stairs During Building Evacuations

June 8, 2016
Author(s)
Richard D. Peacock, Paul A. Reneke, Erica D. Kuligowski, Robert C. Hagwood
The time that it takes an occupant population to reach safety when descending a stair during building evacuations is typically estimated by measureable engineering variables such as stair geometry, speed, stair density, and pre-observation delay. In turn

Guidance for the Model User on Representing Human Behavior in Egress Models

May 24, 2016
Author(s)
Erica D. Kuligowski, Steve Gwynne, Michael Kinsey, Lynn Hulse
Structures are currently designed and constructed in accordance with prescriptive and performance-based (PBD) methodologies to ensure a certain level of safety. The performance-based approach requires the quantification of both ASET (Available Safe Egress

Human Response to and Consequences of the May 22, 2011, Joplin Tornado

May 15, 2016
Author(s)
Erica D. Kuligowski, Frank Lombardo, Long T. Phan
Tornadoes wreak havoc and destruction across the United States every year. One such tornado occurred in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. This tornado killed 161 people, damaged nearly 8,000 structures and caused billions of dollars in damage. This chapter

Computer Evacuation Models for Buildings

November 9, 2015
Author(s)
Erica D. Kuligowski
N/A for SFPE Handbook Chapters. Included here is text from the chapter introduction: "With the rapid increase in computer capability and the increase in egress model development, there is a need for guidance on evacuation modeling, specifically the process

Fire Evacuation of People with Mobility Impairments Using Elevators

September 28, 2015
Author(s)
Kathryn M. Butler, Susanne M. Furman, Erica D. Kuligowski
The Final Report on the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) Towers recommended that tall buildings be designed for timely full-building evacuations from both building-specific and large-scale events. Since the WTC study, several project efforts have

HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN FIRE - MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION

September 28, 2015
Author(s)
Steve Gwynne, Erica D. Kuligowski, Michael Kinsey
The purpose of this article is to introduce a conceptual model of human behaviour in fire. This model is constructed based upon a theoretical framework of individual decision-making and response to emergencies, and from this foundation, is populated with