TDVRP and BIM Integrated Approach for In-Building Emergency Rescue Routing

Abstract

Routing decisions for rescue and evacuation are critical for emergency-response missions. For infrastructures with large and complex geometric spaces, routing decisions could be facilitated with automated approaches for higher efficiency and accuracy. This research aims to respond to emergencies in buildings. In this work, network analysis is combined with building information modeling (BIM) models. Building geometry is retrieved from the BIM model for the construction of a graph, which is an essential element in network modeling. Rescue routes based on a graph can be determined depending on actual building layouts and conditions. In this paper, medial axis transform (MAT) is utilized for the graph construction from BIM models. A time-dependent vehicle routing problem (TDVRP) model is formed for the planning of rescue routes. Risk based on building materials and congestion based on pedestrian flow are to be adapted for network edge costs to enable a lowest utility route finding in the future, and the accuracy and efficiency are expected to be improved for in-building rescue and evacuation operations.