Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety

Description

It is several years since the first edition of The Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety appeared in 2005, which followed a series of very serious fires in tunnels. Since then, much has taken place. Firstly, there has been research under the aegis of various programmes, such as UPTUN and SAFE-T. Secondly, there have been more very serious fires in both road and rail tunnels. The fact that such fires continue to take place means that there is no room for complacency. Tunnel construction worldwide has continued at a fast pace in recent years, in both urban (e.g. the Shanghai metro) and non-urban (e.g. the Gotthard Base Tunnel) settings. Rapid changes, both in the technology and methods directly associated with tunnels and in society in general, mean that research and learning from the experience of others becomes ever more important. In addition, every tunnel is unique, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Alongside this there is a concern within society about tunnel safety and fire safety in particular. This Handbook is for all those involved, from fire brigade personnel, who are at the sharp end when a tunnel fire occurs, to tunnel designers, operators and regulators, as well as researchers. It is intended that a central theme runs through the book: the need to see fire risk as a product of the working of a system. Therefore, considerations regarding emergency planning and design against fire need to be brought in at the beginning of the design stage; the philosophy of regarding fire safety measures as a ‘bolt-on’ after a design has largely been completed is now totally unacceptable, especially given the ever longer and more complex tunnels being built or planned. Within this context, it is hoped that this text will provide a bridge between tunnel fire research and those who need to know the basic results, techniques and current thinking in relation to tunnel fire safety. It is also a vehicle for the transmission of experience gained from real-world tunnels. The Handbook covers a wide spectrum, and the chapters are written by international experts in various fields. Much remains to be done, however. For example, while we know more than we did about human behaviour during tunnel fire incidents, there is still a long way to go. In addition, the prevention of fires in tunnels, as opposed to trying to provide protection once a fire has broken out, requires much more consideration. The issue of which fire protection measures to adopt has come to the fore in recent years, and this is reflected in these pages. A key question is ‘What is most appropriate?’ rather than, necessarily, ‘What is the newest?’. Furthermore, the general move towards performance-based decision-making implies the use of models, and this is problematic, as it relates to the question of what is ‘acceptable risk’ in relation to tunnel fires. Much consideration and debate needs to take place in this area, including all those involved and affected. This Handbook is intended to represent the broad sweep of knowledge available at the present time, and it is hoped that it will become a valuable resource for all those concerned with tunnel fire safety. Alan Beard Richard Carvel 00 Contents.pdf (p.1-19)......Page 1 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 13 Contributor’s list......Page 15 Introduction......Page 17 A history of fire incidents in tunnels......Page 20 Tunnel fire investigation I: the Channel Tunnel fire, 18 November 1996......Page 41 Tunnel fire investigation II: the St. Gotthard Tunnel fire, 24 October 2001......Page 52 Tunnel fire investigation III: the Burnley Tunnel fire, 23 March 2007......Page 74 Prevention and protection: overview......Page 80 Fire detection systems......Page 102 Passive fire protection in concrete tunnels......Page 121 Water-based fire-suppression systems for tunnels......Page 138 Tunnel ventilation: state of the art......Page 163 The use of tunnel ventilation for fire safety......Page 186 The influence of tunnel ventilation on fire behaviour......Page 226 A history of experimental tunnel fires......Page 246 Fire dynamics in tunnels......Page 279 Heat release rates in tunnel fires: a summary......Page 314 CFD modelling of tunnel fires......Page 333 Control volume modelling of tunnel fires......Page 350 One-dimensional and multi-scale modelling of tunnel ventilation and fires......Page 368 Table 17.2......Page 388 Non-deterministic modelling and tunnel fires......Page 394 Human behaviour during tunnel fires......Page 400 Egress behaviour during road tunnel fires......Page 422 Recommended behaviour for road tunnel users......Page 440 Transport of hazardous goods......Page 451 A systemic approach to tunnel fire safety management......Page 484 Road tunnel operation during a fire emergency......Page 507 Tunnel fire safety and the law......Page 523 Emergency procedures in road tunnels......Page 536 Emergency procedures in rail tunnels......Page 550 Fire and rescue operations in tunnel fires: a discussion of some practical issues......Page 583 Problems with using models for fire safety......Page 607 Decision-making and risk assessment......Page 627 Box 30.1......Page 635 The UPTUN project: a brief summary......Page 640 The River Tyne road tunnels and fixed fire suppression......Page 651 Hydrogen-powered cars and tunnel safety......Page 659 Index......Page 664