Design of an evacuation simulation tool for the "24h vélo" of Louvain-la-Neuve

Details

Supervisors

Schaus, Pierre

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil en informatique, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enManaging large crowds during public events presents significant safety challenges, particularly in emergency situations. This study focuses on the development of a pedestrian simulation tool specifically designed for the 24h vélo of Louvain-la-Neuve, one of Belgium’s largest student events, which gathers over 40,000 people annually in a confined urban environment. The main objective is to support evacuation planning by identifying and evaluating pedestrian simulation models capable of realistically reproducing crowd behavior under high-density conditions. To achieve this, four microscopic pedestrian models are mathematically described and compared using a consistent set of evaluation metrics, including realism, computational performance, and usability. An open-source platform, Vadere, was selected, modified, and used to implement the models and run the experiments. A two-phase experimental analysis was carried out: an initial comparison of all models, followed by a parameter optimization study on the most promising ones. The results provide practical insights for event organizers and contribute to a methodological framework for evaluating pedestrian simulations. This work demonstrates the potential of simulation tools in enhancing crowd safety during large-scale events and offers a reproducible, adaptable foundation for further research and real-world applications.