Turning angle effect on emergency egress

Abstract

Interactions between humans and physical features of the escape area can considerably impede collective movement of panicked crowds. The turning angle is one of the physical features that must be designed carefully as angled or circuitous egress routes such as corridors are unavoidable features of mass gathering places. Previous studies on crowd disasters have highlighted the importance of considering turning movements, particularly under panic situations. However, few qualitative and quantitative studies have addressed this phenomenon. One reason for the limited study might be the lack of empirical data to validate the predictions from mathematical models. In this work, empirical data colle..