Empirical characteristics of different types of pedestrian streams

TL;DR

This study empirically investigates the characteristics of uni- and bidirectional pedestrian streams in laboratory conditions, revealing differences in velocity-density relations and flow capacities crucial for fire safety design.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental data and analysis on pedestrian stream dynamics, utilizing the Voronoi method to uncover fine spatial structures and differences between stream types.

Findings

Maximal specific flow of unidirectional streams exceeds bidirectional streams.

Differences in velocity-density relations are observed for densities above 1.0 m^-2.

Voronoi method effectively resolves spatial dependence of pedestrian flow measurements.

Abstract

Reliable empirical data and proper understanding of pedestrian dynamics are necessary for fire safety design. However, specifications and data in different handbooks as well as experimental studies differ considerably. In this study, series of experiments under laboratory conditions were carried out to study the characteristics of uni- and bidirectional pedestrian streams in straight corridor. The Voronoi method is used to resolve the fine structure of the resulting velocity-density relations and spatial dependence of the measurements. The result shows differences in the shape of the relation for \rho > 1.0 m-2. The maximal specific flow of unidirectional streams is significantly larger than that of all bidirectional streams examined.