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| Book/Dissertation / PhD Thesis | FZJ-2025-02974 |
2025
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH Zentralbibliothek, Verlag
Jülich
ISBN: 978-3-95806-828-5
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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.34734/FZJ-2025-02974
Abstract: Crowds range in size from a few dozen to thousands or even millions of people and convey a sense of community. However, they pose significant risks and dangers to individuals. Investigating the dynamics of crowds is therefore essential to minimise these hazards and avoid potential crowd accidents. Previous research has often neglected the propagation of impulses or the risk of losing balance, although both are considered high-risk scenarios. To address these challenges, laboratory experiments were conducted in which participants standing in crowds of different sizes were pushed forward. The resulting analyses of these experiments were published in three papers that comprise the main part of this dissertation. The first publication provides a quantitative analysis of the relationship between the intensity of impulses and the distance and speed at which impulses propagate. The resulting mathematical equations serve as a valuable tool for understanding impulse propagation in a row of people. The second paper delves deeper into the participants' 3-dimensional movement during impulse propagation. Through analysis of the forward velocity, margin of stability, and distance between participants, individual reactions could be divided into three temporal phases: receiving or passing on the impulse as well as an intermediate phase between these two. The identification of these phases represents a significant contribution to understanding the emergence of various risks such as wave movements and individual falls. The third publication extends the concept of impulse propagation in crowds to a larger scale. It unveils novel information, demonstrating that the initial inter-person distance and impulse intensity are key factors in uencing propagation speed. Additionally, it reveals the occurrence of an absorption effect along long rows. The study concludes with the introduction of heat maps that showcase the magnitude of impulse-induced impacts depending on the position within crowds. Overall, the ndings of these three papers provide valuable insights into impulses and 3D motion propagation in crowds. This enables a more accurate description of human behaviour and contributes to increasing the reliability of models for predicting dangerous situations, which can lead to a significant improvement in civil safety.
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