This week we are bringing you an episode of our newly launched Tunnelling Podcast, made in partnership with the British Tunnelling Society.

In March 1999, the Mont Blanc tunnel fire claimed the lives of 38 tunnel users and one fire fighter. For decades debate has raged over the best approach to tackling a fire, saving life and the asset. Tunnel fires are a regular and unavoidable feature of road tunnel operation.

Now, two decades since the Mont Blanc fire the rules for road tunnel design are going through a fundamental change. As our understanding of fire behaviour and the available technologies advances, so too are the rules. Learning from the major fire incidents, tunnel designers will now need to take a new approach to fire safety.

GUESTS

Ricky Carvel, Senior Lecturer in fire dynamics at the University of Edinburgh School of Engineering and co-editor of the Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety.

Dave Harold, Fire Safety Consultant for London Bridge Associates

Paul Sparrow, Head of Tunnel Unit, Promat

SUPPORTER

Support for this episode comes from Promat

As the world’s leading passive fire protection solution provider, Promat and its legendary R&D programmes are widely recognised and even accepted as industry benchmarks. Indeed, six decades of accumulated, published and always available test data are just a few of the factors behind Promat’s recognition as a global leader in fire science technologies and the protection of tunnel infrastructure. Offering both board and spray applied “Fix and Forget” solutions that have been installed in over 300 tunnels globally.

For further information about our range of products and services including in house QRA CBA and FEM capabilities please visit us at www.promat-tunnel.com

The post #42 Surviving a tunnel fire first appeared on Engineering Matters.