Moving Risk of Crowds in the Entrance Confluence Area in the Presence of Channelizing Facilities

Abstract

In recent years, the measures to interfere the crowds movement with physical facilities (such as channelizing, separation railing) have become more and more common, but how they affect the crowd movement and what moving risks exist in the entrance confluence area have not been fully revealed. Therefore, this paper analyzes the moving risk of the crowds before the bottleneck entrance area, in the presence of the channelizing barriers by controllable laboratory experiments. The visual color cloud charts of the local density, speed and confusion degree of moving directions within the entrance confluence area are analyzed in the presence of different gaps (1.05m and 0.7m) channelizing barriers, to further quantify the motion risk of the crowds. The study finds that the narrower gaps of the channelizing railings, the larger area of high-risk zones, and they have clear ‘lane formation’ effect in shaping the risk zones. The both ends of the channelizing barriers are higher moving risk zones for multi-entry sides conditions, but the area before the middle channels also needs to be closely concerned when the participants entering from two opposite entering sides. The study will provide theoretical basis for evaluating the safety of the setting conditions of the channelizing barriers and conducting scientific crowd management decisions.