The Metro Project: Final Report
Author
Summary, in English
The report compiles the results from the METRO-project. The different parts of the project; design fires, evacuation, integrated fire control, smoke control, extraordinary strain on constructions and fire- and rescue operations are presented separately.
The most complicated and expensive part of the project was the performance of the large scale fire and explosion tests in the Brunsberg tunnel. The maximum heat release rates measured from the metro carriage was 77 MW. The maximum ceiling gas temperatures was 1118 °C. These values are high, and should be put into a perspective of the situation and the type of carriages used. The project is not recommending the highest values as the design fire, but values reflected in conditions.
The egress study confirm that one of the major issues related to fire evacuation in underground transportation systems is that people often are reluctant to initiate an evacuation. New data show that participants moved with an average of 0.9 meters per second in the smoke filled environment (average visibility of 1.5–3.5 meters). A way-finding installation at the emergency exit, which consisted of a loudspeaker, was found to perform particularly well in terms of attracting people to the door.
Two smoke control systems were simulated for a single exit metro station. The systems consisted of a pressurizing supply air system and mechanical exhaust ventilation system with and without platform screen doors. The results show that both the pressurizing supply air system and the mechanical exhaust air system provide effective smoke control for one exit metro station. The significance of the platform screen doors was shown to be important in relation to smoke control.
Experiments and simulations have provided increased confidence in ability to simulate explosion scenarios to determine the pressure inside and outside a carriage and to be able to study variations of conditions such as carriage geometry and window designs. The explosion test performed show that an explosion with a relatively minor charge can significantly change the conditions for both evacuees and the rescue service. The results show that the conditions for evacuation and rescue operations can change dramatically as a result of a relatively minor explosion. Evaluation of methods and fire and rescue tactics in metros is given. Mapping of IR imaging as a tactical resource at tunnel fires was presented.
The most complicated and expensive part of the project was the performance of the large scale fire and explosion tests in the Brunsberg tunnel. The maximum heat release rates measured from the metro carriage was 77 MW. The maximum ceiling gas temperatures was 1118 °C. These values are high, and should be put into a perspective of the situation and the type of carriages used. The project is not recommending the highest values as the design fire, but values reflected in conditions.
The egress study confirm that one of the major issues related to fire evacuation in underground transportation systems is that people often are reluctant to initiate an evacuation. New data show that participants moved with an average of 0.9 meters per second in the smoke filled environment (average visibility of 1.5–3.5 meters). A way-finding installation at the emergency exit, which consisted of a loudspeaker, was found to perform particularly well in terms of attracting people to the door.
Two smoke control systems were simulated for a single exit metro station. The systems consisted of a pressurizing supply air system and mechanical exhaust ventilation system with and without platform screen doors. The results show that both the pressurizing supply air system and the mechanical exhaust air system provide effective smoke control for one exit metro station. The significance of the platform screen doors was shown to be important in relation to smoke control.
Experiments and simulations have provided increased confidence in ability to simulate explosion scenarios to determine the pressure inside and outside a carriage and to be able to study variations of conditions such as carriage geometry and window designs. The explosion test performed show that an explosion with a relatively minor charge can significantly change the conditions for both evacuees and the rescue service. The results show that the conditions for evacuation and rescue operations can change dramatically as a result of a relatively minor explosion. Evaluation of methods and fire and rescue tactics in metros is given. Mapping of IR imaging as a tactical resource at tunnel fires was presented.
Department/s
Publishing year
2012
Language
English
Links
Document type
Report
Publisher
Mälardalen University Press
Topic
- Building Technologies
- Other Civil Engineering
Keywords
- Fire
- metro
- tunnels
- explosions
- fire control
- fire fighting
Status
Published
Report number
2012:8
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-91-7485-090-1