ABSTRACT
Ensuring the safety of people in the built environment requires that the issues of fire initiation, fire and smoke spread, and evacuation are effectively addressed. With increasingly complex structures, and in the light of recent accidents, the ability to simulate likely events is therefore becoming progressively more important. The paper discusses the methods of assessing the evacuation, from applications of the appropriate standards to detailed simulations using the AEA EGRESS code developed by the authors. The issues of dealing with large buildings and large crowds, and taking account of the fire and smoke spread and human response to an emergency will be discussed, along with an overview of the modelling and examples of simulations.
