Large scale fire tests in the Second Benelux Tunnel

Fourteen full-scale fire tests were carried out during 2000/2001 in the Second Benelux Tunnel near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The tests were designed to assess the tenability conditions for escaping motorists in case of a fire in a Dutch road tunnel and to study the effect of mitigating measures on these conditions. In particular, the effects of detection systems, mechanical ventilation and sprinklers were investigated. Several types of fire sources were used: fuel pans, cars, a van and covered truck loads. Temperatures, radiation levels and optical densities in the tunnel were measured, as well as smoke velocities and heat release rates. Furthermore, video recordings were made of the fire development and smoke propagation in the tunnel. The information collected about the effect of the fire development, and the use of longitudinal ventilation and sprinklers, was used to evaluate the possibility of self-rescue for escaping people.