GREAT BELT TUNNEL REPAIRS AND REFURBISHMENT

This article describes the immediate studies, long-term investigations, and full-scale fire tests which were conducted after the Great Belt Eastern Tunnel fire in Denmark. The fire broke out in one of the four Dana tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the tunnel on 11 June 1994. The fire's cause is still unknown, but the fire was fuelled primarily by hydraulic oil from the TBM's hydraulic power system. A methane alarm was tripped, probably by the products of combustion gases, and operated a back-up power system and emergency lighting. Although black smoke seriously reduced visibility, all personnel were evacuated safely into the other tunnel. After attempts to fight the fire failed, the fire was allowed to burn itself out. As soon as its site had cooled sufficiently, several inspections of the damage, largely concrete tunnel lining spalling, were made. The article describes: (1) the inspection after the fire; (2) damage to the concrete tunnel lining; (3) recovery, risks, and evacuation; (4) investigation of less-damaged sections; (5) calculation of the tunnel's fire resistance; (6) conditions for the full-scale fire test; (7) set-up of the fire tests; and (8) the test results. The fire tests resulted in improved prediction models for spalling. The tunnel took about ten months to recover, and was opened in Spring 1997.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/1463242X
• Corporate Authors:

  NEWNORTH PRINT LTD

  PO BOX 452
  KEMPSTON, BEDFORD,   United Kingdom  MK43 9PL
• Authors:
  • HOJ, N P
  • TAIT, C
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 16-22
• Serial:
  • TUNNEL MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL
  • Publisher: ITC LTD
  • ISSN: 1463-242X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Concrete; Fires; Fixed routes; Hydraulic fluids; Hydraulics; Loss and damage; Oils; Pollutants; Spalling; Tests; Tunnel borers; Tunnel lining; Tunnels; Underwater tunnels; Visibility; Warning systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Decreases
• Geographic Terms: Denmark
• ITRD Terms: 4755: Concrete; 1614: Damage; 9009: Decrease; 8028: Denmark; 1624: Fire; 3363: Fixed link (transmaritime); 3383: Full face tunnelling machine; 5431: Hydraulics (fluid); 4961: Oil; 2431: Pollutant; 5231: Spalling; 6255: Test; 3374: Tunnel; 3385: Tunnel lining; 6783: Visibility; 9113: Warning
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00771365
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Nov 4 1999 12:00AM