FIRE FIGHTING IN TUNNELS

Recent experience of tunnel fires has shown that it is impossible to readily extinguish such large fires because of the heat. Within five minutes the temperature in the tunnel rises to more than 1000degreesC, which is outside the range of protective clothing. Fire protective linings and sprinklers may help protect the infrastructure of the tunnel but do not assist in extinguishing the fire. Dividing a tunnel into compartments and providing sluice gates may cut off the supply of oxygen to a fire, controlling or extinguishing it rapidly, but this may cause the suffocation of trapped people. In train tunnels, the train driver could be supplied with an oxygen mask and fire protective clothing in order to escape. It is suggested that in view of the intense temperatures, escape is so unlikely that the provision of sluice gates would not contribute to mortality.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08867798
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • TAN, G L
• Publication Date: 2002-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 179-80
• Serial:
  • Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0886-7798
  • Serial URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/tunnelling-and-underground-space-technology

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Control; Design; Fatalities; Fires; Oxygen; Temperature; Tunnels
• ITRD Terms: 3874: Control; 9011: Design (overall design); 1602: Fatality; 1624: Fire; 7108: Oxygen; 6722: Temperature; 3374: Tunnel
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00931577
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Oct 3 2002 12:00AM