Occupant interaction with signage systems is being introduced into evacuation
simulations through the newly developed concept of the Visibility Catchment Area or
VCA. In this article, we describe the concept of VCA and how it has been extended to
incorporate the presence of physical obstructions and termination distance. The VCA
concept is then linked to a prototype behavior model intended to represent the
occupant’s interaction with the signage system. The functionality and
performance of the newly developed model is then demonstrated through the simulation
of various evacuation scenarios within a hypothetical supermarket layout.
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