At the 12th International Conference on Tunnel Safety and Ventilation 2024 in Graz, we presented our detailed research on fire protection systems in short, high-slope road tunnels. Read the full paper here: OPTIMIZING SAFETY IN SHORT HIGH-SLOPE ROAD TUNNELS: SMOKE PROPAGATION AND VENTILATION SYSTEM RESPONSE
This research is key to improving safety in short and steep road tunnels, with an emphasis on passenger protection during evacuation. CFD simulations on the specific example of the Dugi Rat tunnel showed smoke velocities caused by thermal buoyancy of up to 4.7 m/s, without the influence of wind — which clearly indicates the need for quick and efficient evacuation.
The conference also included an expert visit to the Koralm railway tunnel (33 km), which is in the final phase of construction. It is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the region, and participants were given a unique insight into the technical solutions and progress of the works on site.
We thank our expert team and the authors of the paper – Krešimir Ivanek, Robert Keser, Miodrag Drakulić, Ph.D., and Željko Špiljar – for their exceptional contribution to this important project.
