Citation

De Lathawer W. Routes Rev. AIPCR 2007; 334: 54-61.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, World Road Association / AIPCR-PIARC)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Road tunnel fire safety became a serious concern for both industry professionals and the public after significant fires between 1999 and 2005 in long alpine road tunnels. Some of the numerous judicial and administrative inquiries undertaken have not yet been resolved. Road tunnel fire safety research projects, reports, studies, and an articles series were developed as a result of the alpine road tunnel fires. Pavement material impact on a fire was one of resulting uncertainties after the fires. The author discusses results of a study on pavements made of concrete and standard (dense) asphalt pavements. Since PIARC does not recommend porous (open) asphalt pavements in road tunnels, they are not considered in the study. Verifying ongoing validity of the 1999 PIARC technical report "Fire and Smoke Control in Road Tunnels" recommendations was the study aim. Published before the first series of alpine road tunnel fires in 1999, the report was prepared by a PIARC technical committee's working group on fire and smoke control because a World Road Congress. The study found the report to still be fully valid in that no significant safety impacts during a road tunnel fire can be found in standard (dense) asphalt pavements.