15/7/2020
Tunnels are an essential part of the road and rail infra structure. Tunnels make it possible to connect goods and services and make economic regions grow. For this reason it is important to protect the tunnel against extreme heat that occurs during a fire in a tunnel. To investigate if tunnels can withstand these extreme temperatures and if the tunnel can be repaired after a fire Efectis developed the Mobifire.
The Mobifire performs small scale in-situ tests in existing tunnels and helps tunnel owners to design corrective measures to protect the concrete supporting construction. This assessment Efectis designed method has matured into a regular service in the last 7 years.
In June 2020 Efectis Nederland performed a series of tests in the Stationsplein tunnel in Leiden. Tests were conducted to investigate both concrete behavior and to assess what protective system would be needed to meet the required time exposure to the RWS fire curve that reaches up to 1350 degrees Celsius. In the current situation the tunnel needs to withstand 30 minutes, but as the city of Leiden is looking to further development of the area, including a building on top of the tunnel, the criteria might be raised to 60 minutes. For more information about the city plans look at https://investereninleiden.nl/projecten/stationsgebied/.
Advantages of testing with the Mobifire are:
- The ability to test in existing construction
- Test the situation as it really is (pressure, weather influences etc.)
- Damage is repairable after a test (semi-destructive)
For more information on Mobifire testing, please contact jos.bienefelt@efectis.com