The Mass Evacuation (MASSVAC) model was originally developed for analysis and
evaluation of evacuation plan in a specific area facing natural disasters. It was later applied to
deal with the problems of evacuation around nuclear power stations (MASSVAC 3.0). The
purpose of this model is to simulate the network clearance time and evacuation routes. In the
process, it employs the Dial's or the all-or-nothing method to assign the traffic on to the network.
The major effort in this research is to include the user equilibrium assignment method to
reduce the evacuation times and to improve highway network performance. Evacuation routes,
number of links used, and evacuation times etc. are found to be influenced by the user
equilibrium assignment method. Transportation System Management (TSM) strategies have also
been incorporated in this enhanced model (MASSVAC 4.0) to improve the network performance
during evacuation. The trip distribution process and the shortest path algorithm has been
modified appropriately to suit the user equilibrium assignment.
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