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131 The following is a questionnaire administered to staff at state DOTs and targeted individuals. NCHRP Project 20-05 Topic 41-05 Design Information on Fires in Road Tunnels PURPOSE This survey is intended to identify the current state of practice regarding the Design Information on Fires in Road Tunnels. This survey is part of an NCHRP Synthesis project, which is funded by various state transportation agencies. In addition to the survey, the final report will include a literature review and case studies based on information from the survey respondents. Results of this effort will provide more readily available information to individuals and agencies interested in Tunnel Safety and Fires in Road Tunnels. RESPONDING AGENCY/ORGANIZATION INFORMATION The following data will help us identify the specific agency or organization you are affiliated with and to allow us to contact you in the future regarding the outcome of this project. 1. First Name 2. Last Name 3. Title 4. Company Name 5. Street Address 6. Apt/Suite/Office 7. City 8. State 9. Postal Code 10. Country 11. E-mail Address 12. Phone Number 13. Fax Number 14. Mobile Phone 15. URL YOU MAY SAVE THIS SURVEY TO FINISH AND SUBMIT AT ANOTHER TIME. HOWEVER, PLEASE COMPLETE IT NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 25, 2010. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Dr. Igor Maevski, PhD, PE of Jacobs Engineering at (212) 481-9460 (igor.maevski@jacobs.com). APPENDIX A Survey Questionnaire
132 INSTRUCTIONS Please answer all of the following questions to the best of your abilities and feel free to submit relevant materials that you believe would provide additional information and/or clarification. If you cannot submit the attachments through this on-line survey, you may send it to my e-mail address. If your agency manages several tunnels, please fill out a separate questionnaire form for each tunnel. If you believe another individual or department within your agency or organization is more suited to complete the survey or a portion of it, please forward the link to that individual or department. However, please make sure to note who is the recipient. SECTION 1âBACKGROUND QUESTIONS: General Information 16. What is the tunnel agency name? 17. What is the name of the tunnel? 18. What year was the tunnel built or expected date of completion? 19. Is the tunnel under supervision? 24-hour supervision (skip 4a) Not supervised Supervised, except night time 20. What is the normal traffic operation? Uni-directional Bi-directional 21. When does the tunnel operate in bi-directional mode? (Please check all that apply.) Normally At night time Off-peak hours Occasionally During construction/maintenance in other tube Other Never 22. What type of vehicles use the tunnel? (Please check all that apply.) Cars only Buses only Cars/buses only Cars/buses/trucks, but not HGV Special trucks (military) All vehicles, including HGVs Gasoline tankersâfreely Gasoline tankersâsupervised when tunnel is closed for normal traffic Fire Incidents Information 23. How many annual vehicle fire incidents happen in this tunnel (average)? Never happened before Happened once in a lifetime Less than 1 every year From 1 to 2 every year From 2 to 5 every year Happens every month 24. What were the most severe vehicle fire incidents in this tunnel? (Please check all that apply.) Motorcycle fire Passenger car fire Multiple passenger cars (2â4 vehicles) Vans Bus Heavy goods truck fire Multiple truck fire Tanker fire Alternative fuel vehicle Other: 25. Was there any damage made to this tunnel as a result of the fire incident? No damages. No impact on tunnel operation No damages. Tunnel was closed for operation for 30 min or more Minor damages (no structural damage) Structural damage that required tunnel closure for an extended period of time
133 26. Were there any casualties from the fire? Never Minor Major 27. Has the fire department ever been involved in fire fighting in this tunnel? Never Occasionally Every time 28. Was there an investigation performed after the fire? Every time Occasionally, depending on fire size Never Once 29. What was the estimated maximum fire size? 30. What was the longest duration of the fire? 31. Have you videotaped any car fire incidence? 32. Can you share the video information? 33. Has your agency been successful in managing the fire event? (Please provide an explanation.) No (please explain): Yes (please explain): Partially (please explain): 34. Do you have an emergency response plan in place? 35. Please explain what are the strengths of your agencyâs fire management program? 36. What barriers or difficulties have you or your organization encountered in implementing fire management? (Please check all that apply.) Technical (please explain): Political (please explain): Legal (please explain): Organizational/institutional (please explain): Staffing/resources (please explain): Other (please explain): None 37. What are your suggestions on how these barriers can be overcome? Fire Detection, Fire Protection, Communication 38. What kind of fire detection system does the tunnel have? (Please check all that apply.) Heat detection (linear) Heat detection (other than linear) Smoke detection Pull station CCTV Video surveillance technology Phones Other: 39. What kind of fire protection system does the tunnel have? (Please check all that apply.) Fire hydrants along the tunnel; Standpipe system with fire hose connections (dry or wet) Fire extinguishers in the tunnel Fire sprinkler system Foam system Fire apparatus in the tunnel 40. What kind of fire life safety system does this tunnel have? (Please check all that apply.) Tunnel ventilation Emergency egress Egress pressurization Other:
134 41. What communication systems are used by rescue personnel and others for fire emergency? 42. Please explain how quickly your agency is able to detect and clear routine traffic crashes inside this tunnel? 43. Do you have tow trucks in your agency or do you contract out for theses services? Have tow trucks Contract out for tow trucks Other (Please explain): 44. Are you concerned that your tunnel may not have an adequate fire/life safety system to manage a significant fire event? (Please explain.) Design 45. Does your agency have their own standard for tunnel design and for fire rating? Yes No Other (Please explain): 46. What guidance and standards are provided to designers to address the fire design issues for new and for retrofitted tunnels? (Please check all that apply.) NFPA 502 ASHRAE FHWA Other: 47. Do you specify the design fire size and fire curve to the designers? (Please check all that apply.) Fire size Fire curve Required to follow the NFPA 502 Leave it up to the consultant Leave it up to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) Other (Please explain): 48. Is security blast design included in the requirements? (Please check all that apply.) Security Blast design None 49. Who is the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)? Our agency Fire department Donât know Other: 50. Do you apply a risk assessment approach for fire engineering? Yes No Other (Please explain): 51. How do you handle specific risk that cannot be mitigated? 52. What traffic management and safety innovations are deployed or planned to minimize or eliminate problems such as con- gestion and traffic management during a fire? 53. Do you have an emergency response plan in place? Yes No Other (Please explain): 54. Which agency has the role of incident commander? 55. What best practices can you share in the areas of prevention, mitigation, and recovery from fire incidence? 56. Would you consider protection of the tunnel with the fixed fire suppression system (sprinkler system) to meet the new NFPA 502 Max Fire Heat Release Rate Requirements, if proven effective? Yes No Other (Please explain): 57. Have you identified gaps in research and design for tunnel fire safety, or fire detection and protection? No Yes (Please explain): 58. Can you suggest strategies to eliminate the gaps and improve tunnel fire safety?
135 59. Would you consider a fire event to be similar to a seismic event for design purposes? (Example design for the fire event which has a high probability to happen once in 500 years or 2,500 years?) Yes No Other (Please explain): 60. What is this tunnel lifeâs expectancy? 61. Do you have any additional suggestions and thoughts on the design for fire emergency? 62. Please identify any research that you would like to see performed to help in the implementation of fire safety systems. Operation, Maintenance, Repair, Rehabilitation 63. What types of exercises and other training are provided to staff and first responders to ensure proficiency in response to an inci- dent and how is the training evaluated? 64. Would you need additional training tools for operators to manage a fire? Tunnel fire/systems simulator No Other (please explain): 65. What equipment and materials are pre-positioned for response and recovery to a fire, such as for the quick removal of disabled vehicles? 66. What is considered an acceptable response time? 67. How often are tunnels and emergency response equipment inspected and tested? 68. What methods are used to inspect the structural integrity of the tunnel structure both routinely and after a fire? What materials are used to repair concrete after a fire? 69. If you were to start a new tunnel project, what key elements would you incorporate in the design and construction to aid you in tunnel fire incident management? 70. Are the lighting and emergency communication systems designed to survive major fire events? Yes No (please explain how to ensure safe evacuation during an incident that involves major fires): Other (Please explain): 71. What are the operational protocols for the use of the ventilation system during a fire event? 72. How are the maintenance considerations worked into the design elements of tunnel fire detection and fire suppression systems? 73. Do you actively screen or otherwise monitor truck cargoes entering the tunnel without disrupting the traffic flow? Yes No Other (Please explain): 74. What dangerous cargo is acceptable and how is this enforced? 75. What systems do you have plans for repair or replacement of fire or life safety equipment? (Please check all that apply.) Tunnel ventilation Fire suppression Standpipes Fire detection Communication Emergency lighting Other (Please explain):
136 Follow-up 76. Please provide any additional information or suggestions you may have. 77. Please identify any agencies that you would recommend we invite to participate in this survey. 78. If needed, who in your organization could we contact for additional follow-up information? You may contact me. Please contact someone else (please provide their name, telephone number, and e-mail address): THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION IN THIS SYNTHESIS STUDY If you wish to complete this survey off this online survey, please mail or e-mail by February 16, 2010 to: Igor Maevski, PhD, PE, Jacobs Engineering Igor.maevski@jacobs.com
