Abstract:

Taking a conjoined dormitory building in a university as an example, the evacuation time under various scenarios by setting different stair positions was simulated by Pathfinder software. The results showed that the evacuation time of the conjoined dormitory building was highly significantly correlated with position of the stairs. The evacuation time of each floor of the conjoined dormitory building nonlinearly raised with the decrease of floor and then tended to be stable. A quarter distance from either of the corridor ends seemed to be a better option for staircase to shorten evacuation time. Finally, based on the research results, some suggestions are put forward for this kind of conjoined buildings. 

Key words: conjoined dormitory building, emergency evacuation, Pathfinder simulation, staircase location