Findings of the International Road Tunnel Fire Detection Research Project

Fire detection systems are essential fire protection elements for road tunnels to detect fires, activate safety systems and direct evacuation and firefighting. However, information on the performance of these systems is limited and guidelines for application of tunnel fire detection systems are not fully developed. The National Research Council of Canada and the Fire Protection Research Foundation, with support of government organizations, industries and private sector organizations, have completed a research project to investigate current fire detection technologies for road tunnel protection. The project included studies on the detection performance of current fire detection technologies with both laboratory and field fire tests combined with computer modelling studies. This paper provides an overview of the findings of the project. Fire detectors, fire scenarios and test protocols used in the test program are described. A summary of the research results of the series of full-scale fire tests conducted in a laboratory tunnel facility and in an operating road tunnel as well as of the computer modelling activities will be reported.