Effect of Evacuation Information and Evacuation Behaviors on High-Rise Apartment Residents

As urbanization advances, the number of people living in high-rise buildings is gradually increasing. However, few studies on evacuation planning during emergencies (or simulations) simultaneously considering high-rise buildings and urban areas have been carried out. This study targeted Sejong city in Korea to analyze evacuation behavior in high-rise apartments and the effect of evacuation information. For the disaster situation, this study assumed a worst-case situation in which apartment residents need to quickly evacuate through apartment stairwells and pedestrian roads owing to a major disaster and unexpected accident occurrence. Analysis scenarios were divided by considering the evacuation information level: 1) starting evacuation within 15 min, 2) starting evacuation within 30 min, and 3) starting evacuation within 60 min. Also, scenario 4 is for the case that information for a new optimal shelter location was informed to evacuees, whereas scenario 5 is for the case that information for an existing optimal shelter location was informed to evacuees. The analysis results indicate the evacuation completion time is greatly reduced if high-level information is provided. The results of this study offer guidance on emergency situations using micro-simulations and the Social Force model.