Edited by Haukur Ingason Proceedings of the International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires 20–21 November 2003 SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute SP Swedish National Testing SP Fire Technology SP REPORT 2004:05 Edited by Haukur Ingason Proceedings of the International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires 20–21 November 2003 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 ABSTRACT The report includes the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires held in Borås, Sweden, 20 – 21 of November 2003. It provides unique data from the large-scale tests performed in the Runehamar Tunnel 2003 under leadership of SP in co-operation with TNO in the Netherlands and SINTEF in Norway. It also includes presentations of various catastrophic tunnel fires, rescue and fire fighting in tunnels and passive and active fire protection of tunnels. The European research project UPTUN and the new EU regulations for road tunnels are presented as well. Over 200 people from over 20 countries attended this symposium. Key words: Proceedings, International Symposium, Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF) SP Sveriges Provnings- och SP Swedish National Testing and Forskningsinstitut Research Institute SP Rapport 2004:05 SP Report 2004:05 ISBN 91-7848-978-4 ISSN 0284-5172 Borås 2004 Postal address: Box 857, SE-501 15 BORÅS, Sweden Telephone: +46 33 16 50 00 Telex: 36252 Testing S Telefax: +46 33 13 55 02 E-mail: [email protected] 2 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract 2 Table of contents 3 Preface 5 Catastrophic tunnel fires – What have we learnt? 7 Haack, A. The new EU directive on road tunnel safety 19 Thamm, B. Case Studies Fire development in catastrophic tunnel fires (CTF) 31 Ingason, H. The fire in the St Gotthard tunnel of October 24, 2001 49 Bettelini, M., Neuenschwander, H. Henke, A., Gagliardi, M. and Steiner, W. Spalling of tunnel structure linings – New Swedish result 69 Boström, L. Runehamar large scale fire tests Large-Scale Fire Tests in the Runehamar tunnel – Heat Release Rate (HRR) 81 Ingason, H. and Lönnermark, A. Large scale fire tests in the Runehamar tunnel – Gas temperature and radiation 93 Lönnermark, A. and Ingason, H. Runehamar tunnel fire tests: Radiation, fire spread and back layering 105 Lemaire, T. Presentation of test result from fullscale fire tests at Runehamar tunnel 117 Brandt, A. W. RUNEHAMAR tests as part of the UPTON project 121 Brekelmans, J. W. P. M. and Goudzwaard, D. The First Year’s research results of the european project UPTON 129 Nelisse, M. ® Protecting the Runehamar tunnel in Norway with Promatec -T against multiple dires, as part of the Upton research project 139 Van Olst, D. and Van den Bosch, R. Runehamar tunnel fire tests – Upton: Fire protection 145 Anton, O. and Wu, X. 3 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 Are sprinklers the solution to prevent Catastrophic tunnel fires? 155 Brinson, A. Rescue and fire fighting in tunnels What can the fire brigade do about catastrophic tunnel fires? 161 Bergqvist, A. Problems of evacuation in catastrophic tunnel fires 177 Frantzich, H. Engineering solutions for rescue and fire-fighting 187 Wahlström, B. Fire suppression systems Alternative fire sprinkler systems for roadway tunnels 193 Arvidson, M. Fire Suppression in road tunnels – Why it is needed – A fire brigade view 203 Fielding, L. Fire suppression systems for road tunnels (UPTON) 213 Opstad, K. and Wighus R. Tunnel fire protection – Hi-Fog concept for road and railway tunnels 223 Tuomisaari, M. 4 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 PREFACE Recent catastrophic tunnel fires (CTFs) in Europe have placed a focus on fire safety issues concerning road and rail tunnels. Several key factors have played an important role in the growth of the CTFs in Europe. In road tunnels the high fire load represented by the many Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) involved has been instrumental to the catastrophic outcome. Fires in flammable HGV goods develop very quickly. In metro systems, however, the high density of people evacuating the scene, in combination with the fast fire spread between coaches, has been most important. Another important factor is the relationship between ventilation and the spread of the fire and rapid evolution of smoke which surprises people who are unable to escape in time. Finally, the rescue services have great difficulty fighting the fire ― vision is obscured by smoke, and the enormous heat levels prevent fire fighters from getting to the seat of the fire, even when the smoke has been ventilated away. No active fire protections systems such as sprinkler or water mist systems were involved in these fires. The need for a symposium dealing with all these aspects was therefore apparent. The presentations given at the symposium are provided in these proceedings. These proceedings provide a unique opportunity to read about the latest information on the heat release rates and smoke development from burning cargoes in HGVs, and on the resulting effects on the tunnel lining. The proceedings also include a description of recent catas- trophic tunnel fires and the problems of escape and fighting these fires. Novel fire suppression technologies and protection of linings for tunnel fires are featured and the European research project UPTUN and the new EU regulations are presented. We wish to acknowledge our colleagues at TNO (The Netherlands) and SINTEF (Norway) for the co-operation in performing the large-scale tunnel tests in Runehamar tunnel together with Promat International (Belgium), Gerco (The Netherlands), B I G Innovative/Tempest (Germany) and the Norwegian Road Administration. The Runehamar tests were funded by a consortium consisting of the above partners together with The Swedish Road Administration, the Swedish Rail Administration, the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, the Swedish Fire Research Board and the European Commission through the UPTUN project. We hope that this information will provide regulators, designers, builders, researchers and even users of tunnels with an understanding of the reasons for catastrophic tunnel fires in the past and tools to prevent them or reduce their impact in the future. Much work has been done but many questions remain. Future research should resolve further issues related to active and passive fire protection, detection, and fire fighting and evacuation procedures. Finally, we hope research efforts will expand to include the construction phase of tunnels as this presents slightly different issues that have not been thoroughly investigated as yet. Haukur Ingason 5 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 Catastrophic Tunnel Fires – What have we learnt? Alfred Haack STUVA, Cologne, Germany STARTING SITUATION A modern industrial society requires an efficient and reliable transportation infrastructure. This applies to road as well as rail. The construction and operation of efficient transportation tunnels is increasingly being called for to ensure that traffic can flow speedily without hold-ups. This is by no means a new insight. After all, the first European rail tunnels were built more than 150 years ago and the first Underground systems towards the end of the 19th century. The high-speed rail routes (Fig. 1) and inner urban commuter rail systems, which are being constructed in our age, above all require a high percentage of underground alignment. Giving an example around 600 km of tunnel for Underground, rapid transit and urban railways with a total of around 500 subsurface stations are operated in Germany at present alongside around 450 km of main line tunnels and roughly 150 km of road tunnels [2]. Fig. 1: ICE travelling out of a tunnel The overall length for operational transportation tunnels throughout the whole of Europe currently is well in excess of 15,000 km. It goes without saying that high safety and reliable availability are essential for such tunnels. This particularly applies to fire incidents in tunnels, which unfortunately cannot be excluded entirely. Such fires are characterised by the danger they pose to the persons affected and also in many cases by the considerable extent of damage they cause (Fig. 2). Serious cases of fire accidents resulting in persons being hurt or killed are e.g. known from Azerbaijan, the UK, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Austria and the USA. A number of major fires have also occurred in Germany as well. In this connection, the confined space available which made escape and rescue conditions even more difficult was of particular significance for the consequences. 7 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 Fig. 2: Hamburg’s Moorfleet Tunnel on the federal motorway following the lorry fire in 1968 RECENT CATASTROPHIC TUNNEL FIRES Fire incidents in tunnels immediately catch the public's attention and this is quite natural. The media report at length in particular when people come to harm. The disastrous London Underground fire at the Kings Cross Underground station in November 1987, which cost 31 persons their lives and the catastrophic outcome of the Baku Underground fire (Azerbaijan) in October 1995 resulting in 289 deaths, are mentioned as examples. The Channel Tunnel fire between the UK and France on Nov. 18, 1996 (Fig. 3), where fortunately all the tunnel users escaped with their lives as well as the 2 terrible fires in road tunnels on March 24, 1999 below Mont Blanc in France [2-4] and on May 29, 1999 beneath the Tauern range in Austria, resulting in 39 and 12 deaths respectively, had also serious consequences. Fig. 3: Burnt out lorry transporter in the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France (fire incident on Nov. 18, 1996) 8 International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, November 20 – 21, 2003 The 11.6 km long Mont Blanc Tunnel was opened for traffic in 1965.