Using virtual reality to study pedestrian exit choice behaviour during evacuations

Exit choice is vital to pedestrians’ survival during evacuations. This paper presents the results of a VR experiment and a field experiment to study pedestrian exit choice behaviour during evacuations. Primarily, we compared pedestrian exit choice behaviour with a VR experiment and a field experiment to determine the ecological validity of a...

Wind resource characteristics and energy yield for micro wind turbines integrated on noise barriers: An experimental study

This paper assesses wind resource characteristics and energy yield for micro wind turbines integrated on noise barriers. An experimental set-up with sonic anemometers placed on top of the barrier in reference positions is realized. The effect on wind speed magnitude, inflow angle and turbulence intensity is analysed. The annual energy yield...

Dykes and Embankments: a Geostatistical Analysis of Soft Terrain

This thesis presents an investigation of the use and applicability of statistical methods in site investigation and subsequent analyses of dykes and embankments. This comprises a comprehensive site investigation via Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) and laboratory experiments on sampled material, a large scale field test, and statistical analysis of...

Pedestrian exit choice behavior during an evacuation - a comparison study between field and VR experiment

Understanding pedestrian exit choice behavior during emergency situations is important for improving evacuation efficiency. Virtual Reality is a promising technique that can be used to study pedestrian evacuation behavior. However, studies comparing evacuation behavior in real and virtual environments are still scarce. This paper explores...

Rip Current Characteristics at the Dutch Coast: Egmond aan Zee

Rip currents are narrow, seaward directed flows in the surf zone that can pose a serious threat to swimmers. This issue has received attention particularly on swell dominated coasts (such as the US, Australia, France and UK) where numerous field experiments have been undertaken. However, the threat of rip currents is less recognised on wind-sea...