page 1 ICUS/INCEDE NEWSLETTER International Center for Urban Safety Engineering

Institute of Industrial Science The University of Tokyo

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2 International Center for Urban Safety Engineering JULY -SEPTEMBER 2003

ISSUES RAISED BY THE RCENT SUBWAY FIRE IN SOUTH KOREA By Makoto TSUJIMOTO*

A train was set on fire with two passengers died because their prevention equipment on each floor liters of gasoline at the Jungangno escape routes were cut off by of the station and the figure shows Subway Station in Daegu, South flames and smoke, with the trains the general conditions surrounding Korea at about 9:53 a.m. on burning over an extended period of the incident at the Jungangno February 18, 2003. This incident time. However, the case in Korea Station. killed 192 people, which without was an incendiary fire caused by doubt accounts for the largest setting fire to gasoline, and Floor plan of the station number of deaths resulting from a ultimately the issue presented here The stairways that serve as fire in a subway train. It was is how to make disaster prevention escape routes at the Jungangno reminiscent of another recent plans for these kinds of intentionally- Station are very well planned, both accident involving a mountain train caused and rapidly-spreading fires. in location and width. Another in Salzburg, Austria (November 11, The table in the following page small station from which the author 2000). In both cases, the shows the items of disaster boarded a train has a single

Front of the train No.79 , where the fire started (Photo by Atsushi Okajima) ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 2 stairway from the platform to the Area and apparatuses of different floors of Jungangno Station concourse positioned in the central Total floor Floor Apparatuses against fire area; however, Jungangno Station, area (m2) the location of this fire, has wide Concourse CO2 suppression systems, portable fire stairways at both ends of the Basement 1 3,847 platform, from which a smooth Office Room extinguishers, sprinklers, automatic fire detectors, smoke control installations, fire escape seems to have actually been Beasement 2 C6oncours 4,58 hydrants, direction lights, emergency lights, made. Many were found dead at fire alarms the ticket gates that provide exits Automatic fire detectors (by smoke), fire Basement 3 from the central stairway from P4latform 2,00 hydrants, fire alarms, emergency lights, (fire floor) platform B3 to concourse B2. direction lights

The concourses on floors B2 and installed on both sides of the shutter, specifications for disaster B1 are large, although their extensive and these were activated to close the prevention equipment in the station size could disorient people when shutter during the fire (the author building are roughly equal to or filled with smoke, and are all saw the shutter close on a TV news exceed those in Japan. provided with stairways at either end show at approximately 10:00 a.m. Unfortunately the fire was started connecting to adjacent floors and of March 3, 2003 at Pusan Airport; in a train; however, such extensive there are no basic layout problems details unknown). A structurally damage would not have been (they do not, for example, narrow very complex access door is sustained if the fire had been started down immediately before coming installed at door 1; it is unknown in concourses B1 or B2 because the aboveground as seen in subway whether it was used during the sprinklers would have been stations in Japan). escape. Also, many people seem to activated. No-one at the site have died at the shutter because their commented on the smoke control Also, according to the data escape route was cut off when the system because it may constitute an provided by Mr. JAE Jim-Joo (at shutter closed suddenly. On the other issue in court. However, the 06:00 a.m. of February 28, 2003, Fire hand, the shopping area seems to concourses are divided into Fighting Situation Daily Report, have sustained no damage and was approximately 35-meter sections to Central Emergency Rescue able to continue operation because satisfy the requirement to extract Headquarters Situation Office), the shutter closed early on, and this smoke at a rate of 40,000 cubic concourses are required to have demonstrates that the shutter served meters per hour in each section. smoke barriers at each 40 m its primary purpose. However, the diameter boundary; for this reason, sudden loss of an escape route when There is no knowing under the concourses B2 and B1 are divided the shutter closed remains a problem. present conditions whether the into three sections with 50-meter smoke control system worked or high hanging walls, which Disaster prevention equipment had any effect; however, the ironically worked to effectively in the station building airflow volume according to concentrate the heat of the fire in As shown in the table, the basic regulations must be approximately the central section.

     




 However, there are problems
 


  with the passageway to the
 underground shopping area on    
      floor B1. The underground     shopping area runs perpendicular
  to concourse B1, and has a floor      level approximately two meters      higher than the floor of the 
 concourse, which does not provide  easy access either, although the reasons behind this are not clear.  
  In addition, a fire shutter doubling   as an access control point is   installed across the entire width of

 the opening where the stairway  

 


                

 from the concourse reaches the      shopping area. Smoke detectors are Perspective of Daegue Jungangno Station ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 3 10 times the ventilation frequency, which is considered manageable by diverting the general air- conditioning equipment. It is necessary to wait for the results of the investigation on how the equipment operated during the fire, including how it was related to the supply/exhaust openings in the sidewalks aboveground.

Subway cars The most significant issue may be the combustibility of interior materials in the subway cars.

Japanese technical standards (Ministerial Ordinance Interpretation Criteria III-19 Front of the train No.80, most far from the fire defining technical standards for (Photo by Atsushi Okajima) railways) require: 1) the use of Japanese subway train would not burned uniformly and almost noncombustible materials; and 2) ignite the interior materials and completely. the use of noncombustible surface develop into an extensive fire. coatings for ceilings, outer panels Judging from the conditions of and linings. Noncombustible Furthermore, devices to manually the melted plastic in concourses B2 materials in this case must satisfy open platform access doors in and B1, the temperature was high incombustibility standards for emergency (hereinafter referred to as in the central area, and the severest railway vehicles stipulated by the emergency handles) are marked with scorching occurred to the tunnel Ministry of Transport (now the red borders to indicate their ceiling slab above the center Ministry of Land, Infrastructure locations; emergency handles are portion of train No. 80, exposing and Transport), in which a 182 mm located in pairs on the seat side cover two layers of steel reinforcing bars, x 257 mm sample may be passed at each access door in Daegu, while although the fire started in No. 1 as noncombustible if it meets they are provided in the cars but not car of train No. 79. These points criteria such as not igniting over an indicated in Japan, because Article remain big questions. Fire damage ethanol flame as small as 0.5 cc, 74 of the ministerial ordinance seemed to be fairly distributed as and carbonization or deformation stipulates an exception for cars a result of the firefighting efforts of less than 100 mm. Though traveling in the third rail line section, which continued over an extended referred to as noncombustible, etc., which allows them to be period of three hours starting from these materials are quite different inaccessible to passengers other than the tunnel side considering that the from the noncombustible materials those who are well-informed. fire was controlled in stages from specified by building codes the outside inwards; however, (included in the specifications are In the case of a subway train, it is thermal contamination was also the concrete, glass, rock wool, etc.; difficult to walk between the train severest in the central area on testing methods used are the corn and the tunnel (a gap of 50 cm) after floors B2 and B1 as mentioned alcohol calorimeter test, etc.), and exiting from an access door when the before, although the fire started at it may be more accurate to describe train stops between stations. Thus the end of the station. The fire them as not easily igniting with a the Japanese measure does not spread extremely fast in the early match or lighter. necessarily pose a danger; however, stages, and may have reached the it will reduce the possibility for rearmost car of the train by the time There is no knowing at this point passengers to escape from danger on the oncoming train had drawn into whether the interior materials in the their own if a train stops at a station the platform. It is therefore Daegu subway cars came up to the as in this incident. important to examine carefully level of performance required by what effect the draught generated Japanese standards for trains; Other Issues by the train played in spreading the however, it is not possible to say The six cars of the train No. 79, fire. that the high level of heat generated where the fire started, and the train *Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Nagoya by two liters of gasoline in a No. 80, that is12 cars altogether, University, Japan ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 4 Study of Making a Database for Deteriorated Concrete Bridges by Yoshitaka Kato and Somnuk Tangtermsirikul

In most of the Asian regions, the fragility of a structure, which is based on the defects from design criteria, inadequate construction management and maintenance management, etc., is high and therefore, poses a major threat to safety. As most of these structures were built almost at the same time during the Asian ‘bubble’ economic growth, there is almost clear and certain possibility that, these structures would cause huge and fatal structural problems at the same time in near future causing extensive damage to the society and the economy as a whole. Thus an amicable solution to the same is a demand of time and needed to effectively guard against this hidden disaster. In order to deal A schematic diagram of the database with the problem, ICUS has been focusing on related research activities equipped with advanced technology and tools, such as, numerical models, remote sensing (RS), GIS, GPS, etc. for devising appropriate methodologies in order to manage and maintain the urban buildings and infrastructure, and working actively towards mitigation of urban disasters and Example of detailed data (digital still camera & thermograph) environmental problems for sustainable development of Asian cities with adequate safety and security.

ICUS along with the School of Civil Engineering of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) established a Regional Network Office for Urban Safety (RNUS) last October at AIT in order to meet and deliver its above-mentioned objective more effectively and efficiently. Recently, RNUS has successfully initiated two joint projects on 1) Study on Making a Database for Deteriorated Concrete Bridges and 2) Urban Flood Risk Mapping using GIS, RS and Mathematical Model in Bangkok. Example of the tabulated information of the bridges ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 5 This article presents a brief overview the activities of the Project 1.

A total of 9 concrete bridges from Bangkok metropolitan area were selected as targets for investigating and making a database in this research. The structural data for each bridge were collected from the organization responsible for maintenance of the same. A specialist in diagnosis of concrete structures investigated these bridges by visual inspection in order to understand the deterioration levels. At the same time, the photos of the deteriorated spots on the concrete bridges were GIS based information of bridges in Bangkok taken by digital still camera and thermograph for the database under development. The schematic diagram of database in this research is shown in the previous page. It not only provides the location of structures, but also causes and levels of deterioration. Each column links with the corresponding data. Example of data of digital still camera In 2003, a total of 1953 bridges put into the system. An example of construction, and information are under the responsibility of the the GIS information for the canal about repair and maintenance Bangkok Metropolitan bridges and an example of the work. The two photos in the right Administrative Office (BMA). tabulated information of the canal side show an example of the visual These include a total of 31 flyovers, bridges are shown on the right side data collected with digital still 598 pedestrian bridges, and 1324 of this page and lower part of the camera. canal bridges. The designed GIS previous page. The tabulated based information system shows information of the bridges indicates Readers may also refer to an the location of the selected bridge location of bridges on the map, name extended version of this article on the map of Bangkok. All the of the bridges, types and size of pier, available at ICUS homepage (http:/ mentioned 1953 bridges have been beam, girder, slab, year of /icus.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp). News from ICUS Regional Network Office, RNUS, in Bangkok After joining of Dr. Dutta of ICUS “Water Resources in the 21st Century the International Seminar on as the Coordinator of the ICUS under Climate Change Scenarios” to Innovation Model for Sustainable Regional Network Office for Urban be held on November 14, 2003 and 2) Water Resource Management, Safety (RNUS) in June, 2003, the International Workshop of WSSI on Kasetsart University, Bangkok, activities of the Network Office have “Seismic Risk Management for Aug. 20, 2003 and been expanding. A homepage of Countries of the Asia Pacific Region” - on “Flood Risk Management: Role RNUS has been prepared, which to held during December 7-8, 2003 of Hydrologist and need of includes its activities (http:// in Bangkok. RNUS is the local integration of MetSAT and www.sce.ait.ac.th/rnus/). The two organizer of this workshop. Hydrologic Model” at the mini-projects of RNUS initiated last UNESCAP Eight Meeting of the year are in progress. A brief report Dr. Dutta gave the following two Regional Working Group on of Project 1 is presented in the invited talks in Bangkok: Meteorological Satellite previous article. Two near future - on “Hydrological forecasting of Applications and Natural Hazards events of RNUS are 1) a seminar on flood and inundation damage” at Monitoring, Sep. 8-10, 2003.

ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 6 5th ICUS Open Lecture Focused on Urban Fire Disaster

The 5th ICUS Open Lecture was held with the theme of “Urban Fire and Its Safety Counter- measures: Lessons Learnt from Urban Fire and Countermeasures against It”.

The pattern of fire occurring in cities has been diversified along with the advancement of urban landscapes and its increased complexity. Still fresh in our memory, the fatal subway fire in the city of Daegu, South Korea on February 18, costing 192 human lives was one of the worst disasters ever happened in the world. An A snapshot from the meeting hall during the Open Lecture urban fire in today’s world may cause the damage far beyond our following four lectures followed prevention of tunnel disasters imagination by destroying costly thereafter. on Metropolitan Highway.” He urban infrastructure and paralyzing introduced many examples of information infrastructure for a The first speaker was Mr. Toshiaki tunnel fires occurred in the long time. Kitazato, who is the Representative metropolitan highway in the Chief of the Local Development and past and countermeasures taken In the Open Lecture, each Disaster Prevention Association against them. He reported that, presenter delivered a lecture Former Deputy General Manager of if the scale of a tunnel fire is discussing on the countermeasures Fire and Defense management large, the tunnel is often to be taken in the future in context Agency, Former Councilor of destroyed by the fire and it of (1) the present situation of Cabinet Office. Mr. Kitazato takes longer time for the complicated recent urban fire, (2) presented his lecture on “Present restoration in many cases. He fire in the tunnel on urban situation of urban fire in our country also stated that, the first 10- highways and (3) subway fires and the countermeasures”. He began minutes from the onset of the based on the lessons learnt from the with describing the history and the fire is important for the fire Daegu subway fire. A fourth present situation of urban fire, and fighting and evacuation, and it important point of discussion was then reported on the is important to study how and on (4) safe and efficient ways of countermeasures for urban fire what activities can be done evacuation, in case of any of the implemented so far from the during this time. Therefore, the above fire occurrences. viewpoints of urban planning, Fire tunnels on metropolitan Defense Act and reinforcement of highways are equipped with the The Open Lecture was held on fire defense force. Moreover, he system to automatically detect July 3, 2003 at the Auditorium of talked on the necessity to revise the the occurrence of an accident the Research Center for Advanced Fire Defense Act, referring to the by image processing using Science and Technology (RCAST) reinforcement of risk management CCTV installed at the interval of the University of Tokyo. Despite system in Japan after the Kobe of 100 m, Mr. Tachimori the sweltering heat on that day, earthquake and past building fires informed. about 150 audiences attended the occurred in Japan. Lastly, he touched meeting and interacted with the upon the countermeasures for fire The third speaker was Professor presenters. defense and disaster prevention. Makoto Tsujimoto, Department of Environmental Research Major of Prof. Taketo Uomoto, Director Mr. Toshiaki Tachimori, Director Urban Environmental Science, of ICUS, gave an opening address of Metropolitan Expressway Public Graduate School of Nagoya and then introduced the outcomes Corporation, was the second speaker University. Prof. Tsujimoto spoke of research activities carried on by at the Open Lecuter. He gave a on “Issues in the Daegu City ICUS during the last one year. The lecture on “Counter-measures for the subway fire in South Korea.” He ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 7 explained the transition of phenomena from the onset of Daegu City subway fire, and reported that the fire accident was recorded by 16 sets of TV camera, and the transition of phenomena during the fire can be grasped by analyzing these records. He said that the “Guideline for the utilization of extra deep underground” has been decided by the Cabinet Meeting in Japan, in which the actions to be taken for 7 risks (fire, earthquake, active fault, inundation, etc.) have been indicated. According to him, a study will be made in the future on the counteractions to be taken at the time of accident like the one that happened in Daegu City. Prof. Tachimori during his talk in the Open Lecture The fourth and final speaker of the Open Lecture was Prof. Kimiro precious lives were lost just after the countermeasures adopted to Meguro, Associate Professor of onset of the accident at the time of physically restrain the damages. ICUS. Prof. Meguro gave his Kobe earthquake, and stated the lecture on “Urban fire and importance of prior arrangements to Finally, Prof. Yoshifumi countermeasure for evacuation.” restrain the damage as a Yasuoka of ICUS made the He showed some cases such as, the countermeasure against the concluding remarks of this Open expansion of damages by earthquake. He also stated that it is Lecture, and expressed gratitude to earthquake or fire, and analysis of important to train the ability of the participants; and the 5th ICUS human behavior during evacuation imagination of people to recognize Open Lecture was adjourned. by mathematical simulation and what will happen at the time of GIS. He reported that many accident, in addition to hardware (by Masahiro Setojima) Visitors to ICUS - Dr. Phisan Santitamnont, - Prof. Ioan Olariu, Structural Assistant Professor, Survey Mechanics Department, During the period of July- Engineering Department, Technical University of Cluj- September, 2003, ICUS received Chulalongkorn University, Napoca, Romania (Sept. 3). the following visitors. Thailand (Aug. 4).

3rd International Workshop of WSSI in Bangkok during December 7-8, 2003 The World Seismic Safety others; they have not been able to mitigation and management. Initiative (WSSI), an undertaking make an impact in terms of 2. Learn from countries where of International Association of implementation of risk mitigation WSSI programs have not made Earthquake Engineering (IAEE), is strategies. WSSI in 2003 has more any major impact in terms of risk organizing the 3rd International experience of what works and what mitigation efforts. Workshop on “Seismic Risk does not work. WSSI understands 3. Develop a plan in consultation Management for Countries of the the limits of what it can achieve with with all the attending countries Asia Pacific Region” in Bangkok, the resources it has. To take stock in about what WSSI should do for Thailand during December 7-8, its own programs and to learn from the next five years and where 2003. Since its inception in 1992, its past experience and the they should focus their human WSSI has worked with many experience of countries WSSI has and financial resources. countries around the world in worked with, it is decided to hold general and in Asia Pacific Region the this Workshop. The main The local organizing activities in particular. WSSI and its purposes of this Workshop are to: of this workshop are being carried programs during those ten plus 1. Learn from countries where WSSI out by the ICUS Regional years had some remarkable programs have made some Network Office in Bangkok, successes in some countries and in positive difference in terms of risk RNUS, as the Local Organizer. ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2 page 8 Awards received by students of Sustainable Engineering Divsion of ICUS

Two graduate students, Mr. their papers and presentations at the damaged concrete structures". Mr. Hisashi Kanada and Mr. Misuzu Annual Conference of the Japan Yoshikuni presented the paper on Yoshikuni, of Prof. Uomoto's Concrete Institute held on July 28, "Elucidation of the fundamental Laboratory of the Sustainable 2003. The title of the paper of Mr. theory of concrete conveyance Engineering Division of ICUS Kanada was "Application of multi- system using DEM". ICUS Staff received the Incentive Awards for spectral method to inspection of salt congratulate both the students.

Editor’s Note office. Frankly speaking, at that Taegu, Korea. Fire is one of the instance, it was not easy for us to most serious damages induces from This afternoon (October 15, recall what we should do. In the earthquake. Today’s 2003) we had a quite big particular for students and staffs earthquake has evoked me the earthquake in the Kanto area. The from foreign countries it seemed importance of the first behavior, seismic intensity around Tokyo difficult to understand how to that is, stopping all fire sources, was reported as the rank of 3 to behave. even in shaking. Attention !!! In 4. When it occurred, I was in my J apan we may have big office on the 5th floor in the This issue of the ICUS Newsletter earthquakes anytime in these Institute of Industrial Science features the fire in urban areas, years!!! building. The vibration was the where the main article is on the biggest that I have ever felt in my serious fire at a subway station in (Y. Yasuoka)

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering, ICUS/INCEDE Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan Tel: (+81-3)5452-6472, Fax: (+81-3)5452-6476, E-mail:[email protected] http://icus-incede.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering

ICUS/INCEDE Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2