Effectiveness of elevator-assisted evacuation (EAE) strategies in high-rise buildings: A case study of Mersin Metropol Building (Yüksek binalarda asansör destekli tahliye (ADT) stratejilerinin etkinliği: Mersin Metropol Binası örneği)

Toprakli A. Y., Satir M. S.

JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE OF GAZI UNIVERSITY, cilt.40, sa.2, ss.101-131, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 40 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE OF GAZI UNIVERSITY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Art Source, Compendex, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.101-131
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study examines the efficacy of elevator-assisted evacuation (EAE) strategies in high-rise buildings, utilizing the Mersin Metropol Tower in Turkey as a case study. While traditional evacuation plans primarily focus on stairwells, this research argues that strategically integrating elevators can significantly reduce evacuation times, especially in densely populated high-rise buildings.

Using Agent-Based Modeling software and CAD models of the building, various scenarios simulating different combinations of elevator and stair use were evaluated. For example, Scenario 3 simulates a balanced approach where 50% of occupants use elevators and 50% use stairs.

The results demonstrate that EAE strategies can significantly improve evacuation efficiency. Scenario 3 yielded a 40% reduction in evacuation time compared to stair-only evacuation (Scenario 1), decreasing the time from 49 minutes to 29 minutes. Notably, even using elevators exclusively (Scenario 5) resulted in a 39-minute evacuation time, highlighting their potential as a more efficient alternative to traditional methods.

This study underscores the importance of incorporating elevators into high-rise building evacuation plans to enhance occupant safety and evacuation efficiency. The findings provide valuable insights for architects, engineers, and building managers, enabling the design of safer and more effective evacuation procedures.

Keywords: High-Rise Building Evacuation, Elevator Utilization, Evacuation Efficiency, Agent-Based Modeling, Elevator-Assisted Evacuation (EAE)