Program: Collaborative Research Program for Alumni (CRA)
Field: Civil Engineering
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mohd Ashraf bin Mohamad Ismail
Sending University: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Japanese Co-Investigator: Prof. Dr. Junji KIYONO
Japanese University: Kyoto University
Year: 2016
Abstract:
Optimal utilization of land use at Kuala Lumpur has witnessed the need for underground space development. This includes the development of underground space for transportation purpose such as for underground trains stations. Although several studies have aim of controlling the layout and dimensions of pedestrians walking facilities, still there is no study has been carried out to understand the speed-flow relationship based on the egress facilities characteristics for pedestrian evacuation in the underground space environment in Malaysia. Thus the main objective of this study is to develop a speed-flow model that is able to distinguish and take into account various factors that can affect the speed-flow relation by means of the microscopic pedestrian walking phenomena induced by the different egress facilities characteristics in underground space environment. In particular, the main factors will be investigated in this study; the pedestrian characteristics (e.g. age, culture, gender, travel purpose, loading effect), the flow of pedestrian induced by the crowd density (e.g. walking direction, peak and non-peak hour characteristics) and infrastructure (e.g. platform motion effects such as staircase, escalator and hindrance) will be used to determine the speed-flow relationship for pedestrian evacuation and finally will be used in the crowd interaction model to simulate the normal and emergency evacuations in the underground space environment. The results of the simulation will be used to perform a sensitivity study to evaluate the main factors that influence the speed-flow relationships for pedestrian evacuation based on the different egress facilities characteristics in the underground space environment. The outcomes of the study will give the guidelines for egress facilities design in the underground space environment based on the various possible scenarios of the speed-flow relationships for pedestrian evacuation due to either man made or natural disaster in Malaysia. This research project have enhanced my network with my Japanese Prof counterpart and at the same time, we have make a collaboration with industry player. Through this research, the funding given by AUNSEEDNet had allowed us to do more specific research and at the same time the students and research group members can benefit from the experienced of our Japanese counterpart. Through this research project, the outcomes will benefit both industry and society by producing a risk assessment to the pedestrian and crowd management evacuation in underground space environment in Malaysia which had never been studied before.