Stadium Egress And Bleachers Connection To Stairs And Exit Platform

Compared with other types of constructions (office building, train station, airports), stadiums are specific and very interesting cases. Fast emptying of a stadium from tens of thousands fans is not only something you should achieve in case of emergency but also a task that needs to be efficiently managed every time you have a match, a concert or political meeting. In this presentation we will see how bleachers connection to stairs and exit platforms can affect overall efficiency of egress process. FIFA authorities require full evacuation of bleachers in less than 8 minutes for any stadium of more than 20000 seats. Large stairs and exit platform of course make evacuation faster and easier. But the larger the stairs and platforms are, the less room you have for seats and the less paying fans you'll be able to welcome.

This presentation is about bleachers geometry and its impact on egress efficiency but also on the different ways we can simulate these very specific geometries in Pathfinder with advantages and limits. Can a Pathfinder simulation have enough weight to make architects and real estate developers modify their design? Based on the real case of Abidjan 30000 fans football new stadium upgrade for the African football cup the presentation will compare two different options for connecting bleachers to exit platform. A Pathfinder model of each option will be presented, and overall egress efficiencies will be compared.