 |
|
|
University of Greenwich
FSEG University of Ulster FireSERT University of Liverpool Centre for Investigative Psychology |
|
|
|
|
University of Greenwich
FSEG University of Ulster FireSERT University of Liverpool Centre for Investigative Psychology |
OVERVIEW:
Project HEED was a 3.5 year project (1 Sept 2004 to 30 April 2008) fully
funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the
equivalent of the US National Science Foundation, with a budget of �UK1.6
million (through grants GR/S74201/01 and EP/D507790). The project was a
collaboration between three UK universities, the Universities of Greenwich,
Ulster and Liverpool and brings together the UK�s leading experts in Fire Safety
Engineering and evacuation behaviour.
Project HEED investigated human behaviour associated with the evacuation of high
rise buildings. The basis of the project was an analysis of the World Trade
Center (WTC) evacuation of 11 September 2001 through face to face interviews
with survivors and advanced computer simulation. The evacuation of the WTC
complex represents one of the largest full-scale evacuations of people in modern
times. The survivors hold a tremendous amount of invaluable information
concerning their experiences of the conditions within the towers and the
evolving evacuation scenario.
PROJECT AIMS:
The overall aims of project HEED were to:
(a) capture the human experience data arising from the WTC disaster through face
to face interviews and questionnaires;
(b) structure the data in a manner that is accessible for current and future
research and
(c) take the first steps in using this information to inform the development of
future building regulations and building evacuation software models.
PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Through project HEED almost 300 survivors from the WTC evacuation were
interviewed, generating almost 6000 pages of interview transcripts and large
amounts of detailed data regarding the evacuation of the twin towers. The
interview transcripts and the data extracted from the transcripts are contained
within the HEED database - one of the main outputs from project HEED - which is
accessible via these internet pages (see HEED DATABASE tab at the top of this
page).
The accomplishments of project HEED include:
1) developing and implemented an interview protocol capable of capturing the
behavioural experiences of those who evacuated from the WTC twin towers;
2) developing an interactive on-line relational database (the HEED database) of
the evacuees' experiences which includes full interview transcripts, allowing
bona fide engineers, researchers and code officials rapid access to the
collected information;
3) undertaking preliminary analysis of the collected information to identify and
quantify some of the key issues that influence building evacuation;
4) undertaking detailed analysis of the evacuation of the North Tower of the WTC
through advanced computer simulation and using these findings to comment on the
viability of full-building evacuation by stairs;
5) the identification of current strengths and weaknesses in evacuation
modelling technology and providing a basis for developing improved behavioural
algorithms for high-rise building evacuation models.
Publications arising from the HEED database can be found on the PUBLICATIONS
pages (see tabs at the top of the page).
PROJECT SUPPORTERS:
The HEED project team are deeply indebted to the 9/11 evacuees who gave, and continue to give, so generously of their time. We are also indebted to the UK EPSRC for funding this work and to the following list of supporters of the HEED project without whose assistance the project would have been impossible:
 |
The HEED web pages are hosted by |
 |
 |
 |
||
| FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING GROUP | ||||||
|
Copyright � 2004-2008 the University of Greenwich | Compatible browsers | Website maintained by Asim Siddiqui |
||||||