Behaviour of tunnel lining material in road tunnel fire

Abstract

The worldwide road tunnel linings are protected against possible fire scenarios to safeguard the structure and assist in occupant evacuation. There are various choices of active and passive protection available, passive protections includes calcium silicate boards, polypropylene fibers, vermiculite cement based sprays, and other intumescent materials. Tunnel fire is a complex phenomenon and researchers in the past has highlighted that there are various factors which affect the tunnel fires. The effect of passive protection techniques on tunnel fire is not well understood, especially for the insulation boards. It's been understood from past research that for a heavy good vehicular (HGV) fire in the tunnel, the heat feedback effect is significant. Insulation boards may also affect the tunnel fires by altering the heat feedback effect in vehicular tunnels and hence this can affect the overall heat release rates and temperature profile inside a tunnel. This study focuses on studying the role of insulation boards in tunnel fires and evaluating its effect on overall heat release rate and tunnel temperatures.