Simulation study on elevator-assisted evacuation in high-rise building fires

With rapid urbanization, occupant safety during high-rise building fire evacuations has garnered significant attention. Traditional staircase-based evacuation is often inefficient, especially for the elderly and those with mobility impairments. This study develops a high-rise fire evacuation model using Pathfinder to explore elevator-assisted evacuation and its impact on efficiency. Three scenarios were simulated: unguided evacuation, guided evacuation, and a hybrid strategy combining staircases and elevators. Scenario 3 (guided hybrid evacuation) showed the highest efficiency, improving evacuation by 35.2% compared to traditional staircase evacuation. These findings highlight the potential of elevator-assisted strategies and scientifically designed guidance to optimize fire protection designs and evacuation codes for high-rise buildings.