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Application to a Case Study: Fire Safety in Historical Theaters

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Fire Safety of Historical Buildings

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology ((BRIEFSAPPLSCIENCES))

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Abstract

Historical theaters represent a representative case-study in Building Heritage fire-safety issue, because of environmental factors (e.g.: structures vulnerability, fire source presence, artistic value of building, building layout) and occupants’ features. (mainly: high occupants density, level of familiarity with architectural spaces). This chapter compares different solutions to the wayfinding issue in similar scenarios, by means of an Italian significant case-study. Experimental drills and simulation activities are used in order to define the effectiveness of innovative wayfinding systems (both “active” and “passive”) in comparison to the current evacuation facilities. Results show how the proposed systems enhance motion speeds, evacuation times, and the percentage of people choosing the correct evacuation paths because they are effectively able to supply people needs in evacuation and interact with their behaviours. At the same time, solutions involve easy-to-apply building components, that are introduce no architectural modifications to the original building layout and features.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Some examples of famous theaters that burned to the ground is offered here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/10099440/Ten-theatres-that-burned-to-the-ground.html. Accessed 19 Sept 2016.

  2. 2.

    From this point of view, it becomes essential the simulation of fire spreading by using, for example, fire dynamics simulators.

  3. 3.

    As for other space in which audiences seat in rows [10], a person, who delays his/her evacuation start inside the row, could completely block the way for other people to evacuate, because of the small width between two row seats suggested by fire-safety codes (e.g.: in Italy, 80 cm [7]).

  4. 4.

    Such as for other historical environments, the fire suppression system should use adequate fire extinguishers in relation to the type of fire (e.g. according to the EN2), the presence of people during or after the fire suppression, the preservation of not burned elements after the emergency.

  5. 5.

    These exits are often connected to recent interventions due to prescriptive fire-safety codes [2, 7].

  6. 6.

    In fact, being less than 1000 individuals, no firebreak curtains are needed for current Italian regulations.

  7. 7.

    This means that occupants’ densities along evacuation paths is ideally lower than 0.54 pp/m2 and so no group motion effects are taken into account.

  8. 8.

    For their dimensions, stairs are generally approximated to the dimensional category to 165–305 mm.

  9. 9.

    According to Sect. 3.2 description.

  10. 10.

    Added during the experiments.

  11. 11.

    DIN 67510 - Photoluminescent pigments and products; ISO 16069:2004 - Graphical symbols - Safety signs - Safety way guidance systems (SWGS) - annex B.

  12. 12.

    According to Table 4.2, about 170 individuals uses each of the two main staircases (down to 1st): these evacuees need about 120 s to pass through the staircase. The most distant occupants also need 60 s to reach 5I (horizontal motion), move along the last stairs flight and then reach ME (horizontal motion again).

  13. 13.

    Data from: Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) (2015) Italia in cifre. http://www.istat.it/it/files/2015/08/ItaliaInCifre2015It.pdf. Accessed 5 Nov 2016.

  14. 14.

    In particular, people declared to have normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

  15. 15.

    By using an eye-patch with a mean 16% visible ray degree of transmissivity, that corresponds to 3–7 m visibility distance (smoke density of about 0.26–0.60 m\(^{-1}\)). Environmental illuminance at the ground in accordance with UNI EN 1838:2000: for corridor, 5 lux (>2 lux): for stairs, 15 lux (>5 lux).

  16. 16.

    An average illuminance of 0.5 lux on stair-steps were provided so as to reduce experimental risks for participants.

  17. 17.

    On staircases.

  18. 18.

    For staircases, refer to Case 3-rounded signs with installation gap of 90 cm for minimum value (0.67 m/s) and Case 4-strips at each stair step for maximum value (0.7 m/s) in the speed range (these values are average data from the whole number of individual’s drills). For corridors, refer to Case 3, B3F, L-shaped testing scenario.

  19. 19.

    From either SS and BC conditions.

  20. 20.

    In general terms, people sharing family ties seated nearby.

  21. 21.

    According to Eq. 3.2.

  22. 22.

    According to the emergency plan.

  23. 23.

    Egress time started at the alarm sound.

  24. 24.

    Since initial occupants’ densities are really close to the free-flow ones.

  25. 25.

    By supposing that: the number of exited pedestrians is the experimental one; all people start moving at the same time, so as to obtain conservative density-speed correlations along the motion path.

  26. 26.

    BO has lower speeds in respect to SS.

  27. 27.

    http://firemodels.github.io/fds-smv/ (last access 12/06/2015).

  28. 28.

    Compare with Sect. 2.4.2.

  29. 29.

    The value associated to the parterre is chosen in a conservative way.

  30. 30.

    Times approximation to the next 5 s, as for the other used RSET evaluation methods [27].

  31. 31.

    According to Eq. 3.2 and Sect. 4.2.2 similar KPIs, the referring conditions is represented by scenario 0.

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  1. Department of Construction, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Gabriele Bernardini

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Bernardini, G. (2017). Application to a Case Study: Fire Safety in Historical Theaters. In: Fire Safety of Historical Buildings. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55744-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55744-1_4

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