DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN FRESH‑FOOD MARKETS: USING A MICROSCOPIC TRAFFIC SIMULATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/lsej.2025.27Keywords:
social force model, PTV Viswalk, Fresh-Food Market, evacuation, microscopic trafficAbstract
This study aims to 1) analyze and model the microscopic movement behavior of people in a typical fresh market, and 2) develop and evaluate an evacuation model for emergency situations (e.g., fire, earthquake) within fresh market areas to identify critical points and propose market management strategies during emergencies. The study developed and applied the Social Force Model (SFM) via PTV Viswalk to simulate evacuation behavior in Thai fresh markets. The research designed and evaluated the effectiveness of three market layout improvement measures: (1) removing stalls, (2) widening walkways, and (3) combining both measures. Simulation results indicate that the third measure (combining both) is the most effective, reducing the maximum evacuation time by 50% (from 420 seconds to 210 seconds) for 3,000 people, and by 38.5% (from 260 seconds to 160 seconds) for 1,500 people. This reduction is significantly higher than using only stall removal (30.9%) or only walkway widening (28.6%). Furthermore, the model clearly identified bottlenecks at main intersections and accumulation points before emergency exits. The findings provide guidance for designing emergency escape routes, establishing safety standards, and conducting effective evacuation drills that align with the actual behavior of people in fresh market areas.
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