Evacuation modelling may be needed where a building has a complex layout, high occupancy, long travel distances, limited escape routes or an evacuation strategy that requires further assessment.

It can also be useful for buildings where vulnerable occupants, members of the public, staff, visitors or mixed-use areas need to be considered.

It is commonly used for commercial buildings, residential developments, care settings, educational buildings, leisure venues, transport hubs, high-rise buildings and large public spaces. It may also be requested as part of a fire engineering assessment, a design review, or a Building Regulations submission.

Evacuation modelling can show how occupants are likely to move through a building, how long evacuation may take and where queues or bottlenecks could form. It can assess escape routes, stair capacity, exit widths, doorways, corridors, occupant numbers, travel speeds and different evacuation scenarios.

The results can help designers, building owners, fire engineers and project teams understand whether the proposed escape strategy is suitable or whether changes may be needed to improve safety and reduce evacuation delays.

Yes. Evacuation modelling can support compliance with Building Regulations by providing evidence that the proposed escape strategy has been considered in detail. It can be particularly useful where a building does not follow standard guidance exactly, or where a performance-based fire engineering approach is being used.

The modelling can help demonstrate how occupants are expected to reach a place of safety and whether the available escape routes, stairs and exits are suitable for the building’s use and occupancy.

Complex buildings often have layouts, occupant profiles or fire safety strategies that cannot be assessed fully using simple calculations alone.

Evacuation modelling allows different scenarios to be tested, such as varying occupant numbers, blocked exits, phased evacuation, simultaneous evacuation or changes to the building layout.

This can help identify practical issues early, reduce uncertainty and support better design decisions before construction or refurbishment work is completed.

Evacuation modelling usually requires accurate floor plans, building layouts, occupancy figures, escape routes, stair and exit widths, door locations, proposed use of the building and details of the evacuation strategy.

Information about occupant types, mobility assumptions and management procedures may also be needed. The quality of the model depends on the quality of the information provided.

Where details are missing, assumptions can be made, but these should be clearly recorded and reviewed as the design develops.