Study on elderly living facilities evacuation based on PATHFINDER simulation

Abstract

With the continuous deepening of the aging process in society, the safety issues of elderly living facilities, as important living places for the elderly, are increasingly receiving widespread attention. In this paper, we analyze the relationship between floor plan and elderly evacuation, and simulate the evacuation situation of elderly people under different plan layouts using PATHFINDER simulation software. The simulation results, through data analysis, demonstrate a certain correlation between plan layout and evacuation time. The research results of this paper are as follows: the larger the total building area and the more floors, the longer the total evacuation time is required. When The evacuation route in the building has a folded corner, the density will increase, leading to queuing and a series of problems such as falling. In small-sized elderly living facilities, the evacuation situation is almost the same when the distance between the evacuation staircase and the exit to outside is far, and the evacuation doors are adjacent to each other. These conclusions provide some suggestions for designers from the perspective of safe evacuation. © International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development.