Practical passive fire protection in TBM driven road tunnels

Abstract

Fires in tunnels are known for their violent nature, their effects pose a major threat to the tunnel and its users. Protection of the tunnel users against the effects of a fire can be achieved by providing sufficient ventilation combined with prevention of collapse of the tunnel within a period of time. However, tunnel structures are important assets to road networks and represent a high economic value. For this reason, it is beneficial to prevent structural failure to occur at all in a worst case scenario. Many countries around the world incorporate the Rijkswaterstaat fire curve (RWS curve) as a worst case heat loading scheme on the lining. The RWS curve is the result of research on large hydrocarbon pool fires in tunnels (e.g. due to an accident with a 50m3 gasoline truck). Recent research has identified the temperatures of the RWS curve to be valid for more realistic fires (e.g. with heavy goods vehicles) as well.