Unified and interoperable digital twin models for emergency evacuation using building simulation identity cards

Abstract

Digital Twin (DT) technology is crucial for effective emergency evacuation planning in buildings, requiring specialized simulation models, from earthquake propagation to evacuation route planning. However, the lack of a unified vocabulary and standardized framework for integrating these models hinders seamless collaboration and limits holistic simulations. This fragmentation poses a significant challenge, as no single simulator can accurately capture the complex dynamics in emergency scenarios. To address this gap, this paper proposes the Building Simulation Identity Card (BSIC), a framework designed to standardize, characterize, and integrate the properties of building simulation models. BSIC facilitates the enhancement of traceability, reliability, and interoperability between DT systems in the building industry. This paper presents the application of BSIC in a case study focused on earthquake-induced evacuation in a multi-story office building. Findings demonstrate BSIC's efficacy in aligning discrete-event (DE) and continuous-time (CT) simulations, enabling synchronized data flows, accurate event handling, and minimized integration errors.