Paper,
pdfSafety in railway tunnels and selection of tunnel concept
Mr. Terje Andersen
Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Veritasv. 1, N-1322 Høvik, Norway
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Børre J. Paaske
Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Ingvald Ystgaardsvei 15, 7496 Trondheim, Norway
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract:
A number of serious tunnel accidents have put
tunnel safety on the public agenda. Concerns have been directed
towards the safety of both road and rail tunnels. The choice of
tunnel concept for double tracked rail lines has been given much
attention. Two alternative tunnel concepts are discussed in a
safety perspective in this paper: Single bored tunnel, i.e two
parallel tracks in the same tube with escape ways to open air
through the tunnel portals or through intervening cross cuts.
Parallel twin bored tunnels, i.e two parallel tubes with one
track in each with intervening connections between the two tubes
equipped with fire doors or smoke traps. The risk and safety
arguments for various concepts are examined and pros and cons for
each of the concepts are discussed. An investigation of known
tunnel and metro fires is used to assess how the choice of tunnel
concept may have influenced the outcome of the accidents.
Table
1: Railroad and Metro Tunnel Accidents
This page was last modified on November 29, 2002