Comparative Verification Exercises on a Probabilistic Network Model for Building Evacuation

Abstract

Functional testing of any model is a vital step in demonstrating that its predictive capabilities are working appropriately; correspond as expected to the circumstances being modeled and where further work should be directed. This article presents a series of exercises used to substantiate the movement prediction capability of a probabilistic network-based evacuation model that is currently under development. Two simple component configurations and two previously available worked examples are used to demonstrate that the model performs adequately. Movement times from model predictions, hand calculations, alternative empirical methods, and other computer models were compared for a range of typical occupant densities.