Pedestrian & crowd simulation for complex movements

In high-density environments, pedestrian safety is not only a regulatory requirement but also a matter of public trust and liability. Pedestrian and evacuation simulation provide a defensible, scenario-based approach to identify bottlenecks, calculate egress time and risk areas before construction or operation.  

PTV Viswalk simulates pedestrian flow using a social force-based behavioral approach. Evacuation scenarios can incorporate blocked routes, phased evacuation strategies, reduced visibility conditions, and multimodal interactions with vehicles or public transport where relevant. This enables authorities and operators to test evacuation procedures and validate safety performance under realistic behavioral assumptions. 

Large venues such as events, stadiums, and airports experience highly dynamic, peak-driven pedestrian flows that can create operational and safety risks.  

Passenger flow simulation provides a structured way to analyze crowd movement under realistic peak and emergency conditions. PTV Viswalk supports detailed crowd simulation to evaluate bottleneck formation, queue development and high-density passenger flow across entry points, concourses, security checkpoints and boarding areas. Based on this analysis, ingress, egress and circulation concepts can be validated before opening or major event operation. 

For airport applications, PTV Viswalk supports airport passenger flow simulation and security queue simulation, enabling the assessment of terminal circulation, checkpoint performance and peak-load scenarios. 

For large public or commercial buildings, safe and efficient movement of people is essential for regulatory approval and long-term operational performance.  

Building evacuation simulation in PTV Viswalk tests spatial layouts under realistic occupancy scenarios before construction or renovation. PTV Viswalk also supports evacuation simulation and emergency evacuation simulation for everyday circulation as well as fire and safety scenarios. 

Key performance indicators such as clearance times, density thresholds, and flow bottlenecks are visualized to reduce compliance risk and to improve occupant safety. 

Sign up to access expert-led Customer Webinars that explore how PTV Vissim is applied in complex, real-world projects. Industry specialists and academic partners present methodologies, challenges, and lessons learned from practice. Registration is required to unlock the full series.

Unlock the Customer Webinars