Tunnel Fire Protection > Why fire safety
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Safeguarding peoples lives
A tunnel fire is an immense disaster. Images of recent catastrophes will always remain in our minds.
Safeguarding peoples lives means installing and maintaining escape-possibilities.
Escape possibilities require:
Smoke extraction
Escape signs
Fire and smoke resistant safe havens
Construction integrity
Compartimentation
Integrity of technical installations so that light and communications remain available
Preventing economical damage
Fire damage to a tunnel always has enormous financial consequences. Of course, the repair costs are huge, but the effects on the infrastructure are even larger. Tunnels have been out of order for months after a fire. For example after the fire in the Channel tunnel the direct repairs cost some € 87 million the additional costs in lost business, replacement of infrastructure, materials e.g. train carriages bring the economic loss to € 211 million.
Economical damage can be prevented by:
Enhancing the fire resistance of the structure
Protection of the ventilation ducts and systems
Protecting power supplies and signalling cables
Detection systems
Our rapid developing world poses special challenges to the infrastructure.
Traffic intensity is increasing asking for infrastructural solutions like tunnels. So more traffic will pass through more kilometres of tunnel. The risks of disaster grow accordingly.
