Abstract:
To explore the feasibility of enhancing evacuation efficiency in high-rise buildings by utilizing fire elevators and to investigate strategies for combined staircase-elevator evacuation, a simulation experiment involving fire and evacuation scenarios was conducted using fire dynamics simulation tool (FDS) and Pathfinder software in a super high-rise office building. By analyzing the impact of fire smoke on the fire elevator lobbies, the available safe egress time (ASET) was determined. Subsequently, the combined staircase-elevator evacuation model in a super high-rise building was studied, and an optimal mixed evacuation ratio for the refuge floor model was identified. In the mixed evacuation study considering fire factors, elevator operation strategies were developed based on the ASET of different fire elevator lobbies. The results indicate that the maximum evacuation efficiency occurs when 43% of the occupants on the refuge floor use the fire elevators, achieving a 34.6% improvement in evacuation efficiency compared to full-staircase evacuation. When considering the fire impacts, the fire elevator at Lobby 1 on the fire floor stops operating at 520 seconds, and the elevator at Lobby 5 stops at 430 seconds, with an overall evacuation time of 5 570.8 seconds, representing a 5.9% efficiency improvement compared to full-staircase evacuation. Therefore, the evacuation efficiency is highest for super high-rise buildings under the refuge floor model, and the use of fire elevators during the initial stages of a fire in ordinary high-rise buildings can enhance evacuation efficiency while ensuring occupant safety. The findings provide references for developing emergency evacuation plans for fires in high-rise buildings.