National Academies Press: OpenBook

Design Fires in Road Tunnels (2011)

Chapter: Glossary

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Page 129
Suggested Citation:"Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Design Fires in Road Tunnels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14562.
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Page 129

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130 Accident—An incident followed by the development of unsafe situations for people in a tunnel. Alternative fuel—A motor vehicle fuel other than gasoline and diesel. Backlayering—The reversal of movement of smoke and hot gases counter to the direction of the ventilation airflow. Combustible—Capable of undergoing combustion. CCTV—Closed circuit television. Combustible liquid—Any liquid that has a closed-cup flash point at or above 100°F (37.8°C), as determined by the test procedures and apparatus set forth in Section 4.4 of NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. Combustible liquids are classified according to Section 4.3 of NFPA 30. Critical velocity—The minimum steady-state velocity of the ventilation airflow moving toward the fire within a tunnel or passageway that is required to prevent backlayering at the fire site. Deluge system—An open fixed fire fighting system acti- vated on a zone-by-zone basis. Operation can be automatic or manual. Fire emergency—The existence of, or threat of, fire or the development of smoke or fumes, or any combination thereof, that demands immediate action to correct or alle- viate the condition or situation. Fire growth rate—Rate of change of the fire’s heat release. Fire suppression—The application of an extinguishing agent to a fire at a level such that open flaming is arrested; however, a deep-seated fire will require additional steps to assure total extinguishment. Fixed water-based firefighting system (or fixed fire suppression system; FFSS)—A system permanently attached to the tunnel that is able to spread a water-based extinguishing agent in all or part of the tunnel. Flammable liquid—Any liquid that has a closed-cup flash point below 100°F (37.8°C), as determined by the test pro- cedures and apparatus set forth in Section 4.4 of NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, and a Reid vapor pressure that does not exceed an absolute pressure of 40 psi (76 kPa) at 100°F (37.8°C), as determined by ASTM D 323, Standard Test Method for Vapor Pressure of Petroleum Products (Reid Method). Flammable liquids are classified according to Section 4.3 of NFPA 30. Flashover—A sudden transition from localized to generalized burning where all of the items inside a vehicle or compart- ment ignite. Heat release rate (HRR)—The rate at which heat energy is generated by burning expressed as Btu/s or megawatts (MW). Length of tunnel—The length from face of portal to face of portal that is measured using the centerline alignment along the tunnel roadway. Point of safety—An exit enclosure that leads to a public way or safe location outside the structure, or an at-grade point beyond any enclosing structure, or another area that affords adequate protection for motorists. Road tunnel—An enclosed roadway for motor vehicle traffic with vehicle access that is limited to portals. Scenario analysis—The analysis of the consequences of a wide range of accidents in a tunnel. Self-rescue—People leaving the hazardous area or danger- ous situation without the help of trained or professional rescuers (tunnel personnel or fire fighters). Standpipe system—An arrangement of piping, valves, hose connections, and allied equipment installed in a building or structure, with the hose connections located in such a man- ner that water can be discharged in streams or spray patterns through attached hoses and nozzles, for the purpose of extin- guishing a fire, thereby protecting a building or structure and its contents in addition to protecting the occupants. Tenable environment—An environment that supports human life for a specific period of time. Water mist systems—Fixed fire fighting systems that oper- ate by discharging very small droplets of water. GLOSSARY

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 415: Design Fires in Road Tunnels information on the state of the practice of design fires in road tunnels, focusing on tunnel fire dynamics and the means of fire management for design guidance.

Note: On September 20, 2011, the following errata was released related to NCHRP Synthesis 415. The electronic version of the publicaiton was changed to reflect the corrections.

On pages 106 and 107, an incorrect reference was cited. In the final paragraph on page 106, the last sentence should read: One study came to the conclusion that, although some minimum water application rates would achieve a certain objective, a marginally higher rate would not necessarily improve the situation (79). The figure caption for Figure 35 at the bottom of page 107 should read: FIGURE 35 NFPA 13, NFPA 15, and other International Water Application Rates (79).

The added reference is as follows:

79. Harris, K., “Water Application Rates for Fixed Fire Fighting Systems in Road Tunnels,” Proceedings from the Fourth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, A. Lönnermark and H. Ingason, Eds., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Mar. 17–19, 2010.

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