Simulation of evacuation processes in a square with a partition wall using a cellular automaton model for pedestrian dynamics

The level of service in public walking spaces is mainly determined by the differences in pedestrian traffic demand and infrastructure supply. A problem worth studying is the evacuation process in a closed square with partition wall. In this paper, a cellular automaton model is presented to simulate the evacuation process in the square. This model defines a floor field and considers the selection of an exit and effect of social forces. Some simulation results show the model's correct description of the pedestrian dynamics. Both the total evacuation time and the degree of pedestrians jamming in a certain area are regarded as the indicators of the evacuation progress and the measure of evacuation efficiency. Concerning the two indicators, some viewpoints on the evacuation design of the partition wall are put forward: (1) changing the length of the partition wall could reduce the evacuation time, however, it could also bring the serious pedestrians jamming in a certain area, which may cause potential injury; (2) with the prior consideration for evacuation time, the length of the partition wall should be better chosen to make the pedestrians jamming less severe. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.