Children behaviour in school buildings during fire situations: collecting and analysis of reaction and evacuation times

• Grant number: 15/26153-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2016
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Rosária Ono
• Grantee: Rosária Ono
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The research theme is the study of the movement of the population of elementary school students in the school environment in case of fire, taking into account the vulnerability of this population to emergencies. In the absence of consistent data on speed, flow and density of children, this research aims at the collection and processing of such data by age group and type of movement (horizontal and vertical sections) as well as the collection of behavioral data (reaction to a fire alarm and subsequent evacuation movement). This research will also seek to assess what is the risk that Brazilian regulations and the ABNT standard that deals with emergency exits (NBR 9077) are assuming, since that considers the population of different categories of "schools" as adults with complete physical force. Three technics will be used to obtain the mentioned data, namely, closed circuit television (CCTV), radio frequency identification system (RFID) and video cameras. Comparative analyzes will be carried out with the few existing published data from other researchers. The resulting data can be used: a) to assist the government when drafting regulations to address the issue of dimensioning of circulation in buildings; b) by committees that do the review of existing standards and creation of new ABNT standards related to the subject; and c) by software developers of evacuation simulation models for buildings. These data are needed to support mathematical models of evacuation simulation that aid in the performance evaluation of emergency exits assessment and therefore can support architects in designing more efficient and safer building. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ONO, ROSARIA; VALENTIM, MARCOS VARGAS; VITTORINO, FULVIO. Method for collecting data of children descending movement on stairs in schools. FIRE AND MATERIALS, APR 2020. (15/26153-3)

ONO, ROSARIA; VALENTIM, MARCOS VARGAS; VITTORINO, FULVIO. Method for collecting data of children descending movement on stairs in schools. FIRE AND MATERIALS, v. 45, n. 4, p. 21-pg., 2020-04-14. (15/26153-3)