The new piarc report on fire and smoke control in road tunnels

Abstract

In 1992 the Committee on Road Tunnels of the World Road Association (PIARC) set up a working group devoted to Fire and Smoke Control. The members from 13 countries have shared national guidelines, practical experience and results from numerous research works performed in the last few years. As no synthesis was available and it was felt as an important lack for all people interested in the field, the group has prepared a comprehensive state of the art. Their report deals with all issues connected with fire and smoke control in road tunnels, including objectives, design fires, smoke behaviour and corresponding study methods, ventilation and other safety facilities, tunnel reaction and resistance to fire, response management. For each topic, existing experience and guidelines are discussed, background information and research results are presented, finally new recommendations are drawn whenever possible. The paper describes the contents and main lessons of this report which is going to be published by PIARC.