Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels
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Project No.: GRD1-2001-40739 Work Package 1 Task 1-2 D1.2a Report: Version: 12th of March 2004 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels Prof. Ing. Konrad Bergmeister Dr. Ing. Sandro Francesconi Autostrada del Brennero SpA Trento (Italy), 27th of February 2004 Task 1.2 Partners: Brennero (TL), ENEA, CERTH-HIT, STUVA, ARUP, ELTODO 5th Framework Programme of the European Union Competitive and Sustainable Growth Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENT 2 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. ACCIDENTS IN TUNNELS 4 3. INCIDENTS IN TUNNELS OF THE BRENNER HIGHWAY 17 UPTUN – Work Package 1 – Task 1.2 2/20 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels 1. INTRODUCTION With a series of recent accidents in the major European alpine road tunnels – Mont Blanc between France and Italy, Tauern in Austria and St. Gotthard in Switzerland – in which some 62 persons died, traffic safety in tunnels has become a burning issue for the public, politicians and experts. Tunnels and underground transport facilities are important means of communication, not only in terms of shorter journeys, but also increasingly out of consideration for the local population and the environment. Generally speaking, important underground transport links are expected to be available without any restrictions and to operate smoothly round the clock. Interruptions due to accidents, technical malfunctions or maintenance work quickly cause traffic jams and delays, and figure in transport policy statistics as economic looses. Rising traffic densities and the growing demand for underground communication links result in a higher probability of accidents, injuries and damage. Added to this are other factors increasing the potential hazards of traffic tunnels: • the increasing length of modern tunnels • the transport of hazardous materials • two – way traffic (with undivided carriageways) • higher fire loads due to growing traffic volumes and higher loading capacities • mechanical defects in motor vehicles. Road traffic and especially heavy goods traffic in tunnels has continually increased over the last years. In addition, with improving construction techniques, tunnels are an increasingly cost-effective engineering solution in many countries, not simply to cross difficult geographic features, but also to traverse urban areas with minimum local environment impact. A serious incident involving dangerous goods in a tunnel can be very costly in terms of human lives, the environment, tunnel damage and transport disruption. On the other hand, needlessly banning dangerous goods from tunnels may create unjustified economic costs. The rules and regulations for the transport of dangerous goods in tunnels vary considerably among countries and even within countries. For the most part, there are no general rules or regulations that are applicable to all road tunnels at the european level. UPTUN – Work Package 1 – Task 1.2 3/20 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels 2. ACCIDENTS IN TUNNELS Fires in tunnels are a major hazard to human life and cause costly damage to the infrastructure. The considerable increase of the road traffic, together with the rising mobility of dangerous goods and the inadequacy of the structures resulted in the last three decades in a dramatic sequence of fires in tunnel with great damage in terms of human lives, structures and economy. In the next pages, the following Tables are shown: Table 1 shows a list of the largest fire accidents in the world’s road tunnels, with identification of the causes, the vehicles involved, the duration of the fire and the consequences on people, vehicles and structures Table 2 shows a list of fires in tunnels. The data have been collected for the FIT project and describe, for each accident, the tunnel, its type and length, the country, involved vehicles and the consequences on people. UPTUN – Work Package 1 – Task 1.2 4/20 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels Vehicle Most CONSEQUENCES TUNNEL Location Duration Year where possible Structures Length Country of fire People Vehicles fire occurred cause of fire Installations Lorry with Load falling 66 injured Holland New York 10 lorries Serious damage 1949 11 tons of off lorry 4 h smoke 2 550 m USA 13 cars over 200 m carbondisulfid explosion inhalation Mont Blanc 1974 France-Italy Lorry Motor 15 min 1 injured 11 600 m Crossing BP - Lorry with Paris 12 light Serious damage 1976 A6 16 tons High speed 1 h 1 lorry France injuries over 150 m 430 m polyesterfilm Velsen Velsen 4 lorries Front-rear- 5 dead 4 lorries Serious damage 1978 1h 20 770 m Nederland 2 cars collision 5 injured 2 cars over 30 m Nihonzaka Shitzuoka 4 lorries Front-rear- 7 dead 127 lorries Serious damage 1979 159 h 2 045 m Japan 2 cars collision 1 injured 46 cars over 1 100 m 1 truck: 3600 Collision with Kajiwara 1 truck, 4t Serious damage 1980 Japan litres of paint in side wall and 1 dead 740 m 1 truck, 10t over 280 m 200 cans overturning 1 car, 1 coach 3 lorries Caldecott Oakland Front-rear- 7 dead Serious damage 1982 1 lorry with 2h 40 1 coach 1 028 m USA collision 2 injured over 580 m 33000 l petrol 4 cars Mazar-e- Soviet military Unknown. Salang > 200 1982 Sharif - Kabul column. At least Probably mine 2 700 m dead Afghanistan one petrol truck. explosion Pecorila Gênes Lorry Front-rear- 9 dead 10 cars Little damage 1983 662 m Italy with fish collision 22 injured L'Arme Nice Lorry with Braking after 3 dead 1 lorry Some equipment 1986 1 105 m France trailer high speed 5 injured 4 cars destroyed Gumefens Berne Front-rear- 2 lorries Slight damage 1987 1 lorry 2 h 2 dead 343 m Switzerland collision 1 van Røldal Røldal Car 1990 50 min 1 injured Little damage 4 656 m Norway with trailer Mont Blanc Lorry with Some equipment 1990 France-Italy Motor 2 injured 1 lorry 11 600 m 20 tons cotton destroyed Serra Ripoli Bologne- 1 car + lorry 4 dead 5 lorries 1993 Collision 2h 30 Little damage 442 m Florence, Italy rolls of paper 4 injured 11 cars Hovden Høyanger Motor cycle Front-rear- 1 motorcycle 111 m insulation 1993 1h 5 injured 1 290m Norway 2 cars collision 2 cars material Huguenot Bus with 1 dead 1994 South-Afrika Electrical fault 1h 1 coach Serious damage 3 914 m 45 passengers 28 injured Pfander Lorry with 3 dead 1 lorry 1995 Austria Collision 1h Serious damage 6 719 m trailer 4 injured 1 van, 1 car Isola delle 1 tanker with 1 tanker Serious damage Palermo Front-rear- 5 dead 1996 Femmine liquid gas + 1 1 bus tunnel closed for Italy collision 20 injured 148 m little bus 18 cars 2.5 days Lorry with 23 lorries Serious damage Mont Blanc Oil leakage 1999 France-Italy flour and 39 dead 10 cars Tunnel reopens 11 600 m Motor margarine 1 motorcycle 22.12.2001 A10 Salzburg- Front-rear- Tauern Lorry 12 dead 14 lorries Serious damage 1999 Spittal collision 4 cars 6 401 m with paint 49 injured 26 cars Austria and 2 lorries Trailer-truck with E 134 Serious damage. diesel fire Front-rear- 1 lorry Seljestad Drammen - NOK 1 mill. 2000 in the engine collision 45 min 6 injured 6 cars 1 272 m Haugesund Tunnel closed room before the 1 truck, 4cars 1 MC Norway for 1 1/2 days. collision. A 32 Torino - Closed til Prapontin 19 injured 2001 Bardonecchia 6. June in 4 409 m by smoke Italy direction Frejus Gleinalm A 9 near Graz Front collision 5 dead 2001 Car 8 320 m Austria lorry - car 4 injured St. Gotthard A 2 Front collision Serious damage. 2001 Lorry 11 dead 16 918 m Switzerland 2 lorries Closed 2 months Table 1: Largest fire accidents in the world’s road tunnels Sources: CETU, PIARC, ADAC (@: home.no.net/lotsberg/index_it.html) UPTUN – Work Package 1 – Task 1.2 5/20 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels Type of Tunnel Date Name of tunnel Country Involved vehicles Casualties tunnel length 20/01/2004 Ring tunnel, Lubijana Road Slovenia 700 m 1 bus with 50 passengers ? 18/01/2004 Dullin tunnel Road France 1550 m 1 bus none 10/11/2003 Floyfjell tunnel Road Norway 3100 m 1 car none 25/09/2003 Mont-Blanc tunnel Road France 11,6 km none 2 injured (CO intoxication ?) 24/07/2003 Prudential tunnel, Boston Road France ? 1 "empty" bus none 06/08/2003 Guadarrama tunnel Rail Spain 4000 special rolling stock no victims 30/06/2003 44 - France Road France 618 m private car + motorcycle 2 deaths 15/05/2003 72 - France Road France 1591 m HGV + car 1 slightly injured 02/05/2003 Mornay tunnel Rail France 2600 m auctorial' vehicle none 18/02/2003 Daegu Underground Metro South Korea 2200 m two 6-carriages train 198 deaths 03/11/2002 Homer tunnel Road New Zealand 1200 m bus 4 injured (smoke inhalation) 01/08/2002 Tunnel on line Ozieri Chilivani-Cagliari Rail Italy ? freight train no victims 07/06/2002 52 - Interior tube - France Road France 660 m 2 injured 02/06/2002 80 - North tube - France Road France 1836 m no victims 20/05/2002 96 - France Road France 4100 m 1 slightly injured 19/05/2002 Ted Williams tunnel, Boston Road USA 1200 m bus no victims 03/05/2002 Tunnel on line Genova Nervi-Pisa Rail Italy ? loco of passenger train no victims 27/04/2002 Crêt d'eau tunnel Rail France 4000 m no victims 29/03/2002 Tunnel on line Nodo di Napoli Rail Italy ? passenger train no victims 20/03/2002 Valderoy tunnel Road Norway 4200 m bus no victims 05/03/2002 A 86 tunnel Road France 1800 m special rolling stock no injured 18/01/2002 Tauern tunnel Road Austria 6400 m 1 lorry no victims 24/10/2001 Saint Gotthard tunnel Road Switzerland 16,92 km two HGVs (initial phase) 11 deaths UPTUN – Work Package 1 – Task 1.2 6/20 Causes and Frequency of Incidents in Tunnels Type of Tunnel Date Name of tunnel Country Involved vehicles Casualties tunnel length