MEMORIAL TUNNEL FIRE VENTILATION TEST PROGRAM TEST RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The Memorial Tunnel Fire Ventilation Test Program (MTFVTP) has provided a unique opportunity to observe the dynamics of a tunnel fire, including its interaction with the ventilation system. The data gathered from the Test Program further supports the analysis of the capability of a ventilation system to manage a tunnel environment during a fire incident. This function of the ventilation system is crucial, both to permit the evacuation of people from the tunnel and to provide a path of ingress for fire fighters. The basic objective of the MTFVTP was to develop data which would allow a definitive evaluation of the fire/life safety capabilities of various types of ventilation systems. The collection of over 3 million pieces of data on airflow, temperature, air velocity, smoke movement and gas concentrations for each of the 98 tests conducted provides a comprehensive source of information. This information can be used to optimize the design and operation of ventilation systems in a fire emergency. The extensive test data was reduced into a graphical format to allow a comparative analysis. The end product of the Test Program is the nine-volume Comprehensive Test Report, which contains the findings and conclusions of the Test Program and the test data in graphical format.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transportation Association

  1201 New York Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC    20005
• Authors:
  • Santoianni, D A
  • Gonzales, J A
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of the 1996 Rapid Transit Conference of the American Public Transit Association
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Date: 1996-6-2 to 1996-6-6
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 157-159

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air; Evacuation; Fire prevention; Fires; Flammability tests; Flow; Gas detectors; Safety; Temperature; Thermal stresses; Tunnels; Ventilation systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Air flow
• Old TRIS Terms: Fire testing
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00749124
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 3
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 29 1998 12:00AM