Proceedings:
International symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS) 2014
Publication Date:
Mar 2014
Authors:
Nick Agnew and Conrad Stacey
The METRO Project was a Swedish research program conducted between 2009 and 2012, that focused on improving knowledge in the area of fire safety in underground rail systems. This paper looks at one of the key work packages of that project, namely WP1 (Design Fires), and how the outcomes of that unique experimental work may practically influence the design and operation of future rail infrastructure, and refurbishment of existing infrastructure.
The essence of the METRO Project recommendations was that fires for modern vehicles might be slow to grow, but ultimately very much larger in peak heat release rate (PHRR) than has been previously been adopted by industry for design purposes. Despite the industry caution about making criteria more onerous, even if adopted in their entirety exactly as stated, the METRO WP1 recommendations won’t necessarily have a substantial effect on the complexity or cost of new infrastructure, or provide grounds for upgrading existing infrastructure.
The essence of the METRO Project recommendations was that fires for modern vehicles might be slow to grow, but ultimately very much larger in peak heat release rate (PHRR) than has been previously been adopted by industry for design purposes. Despite the industry caution about making criteria more onerous, even if adopted in their entirety exactly as stated, the METRO WP1 recommendations won’t necessarily have a substantial effect on the complexity or cost of new infrastructure, or provide grounds for upgrading existing infrastructure.
Key Words
Underground fire life safety, tunnel ventilation, smoke management, train heat release rate, The METRO Project, fire engineering, train fire, full scale testing
