Abstract
Fire spread is a very important issue during fires in tunnels. The elongated geometry of a tunnel with a relatively low ceiling height makes the flames and hot gases follow the ceiling over long distances, increasing the risk for fire spread. The use of ventilation in the tunnel as well as different types of vehicles, commodities, and materials influences the fire spread. This chapter contains both a summary of traditional ignition and fire spread theory and experiences especially related to situations in tunnels with risk for fire spread. Different aspects of spread and burning of liquids are presented and discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Rew C, Deaves D Fire spread and flame length in ventilated tunnels—a model used in Channel tunnel assessments. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Tunnel Fires and Escape from Tunnels, Lyon, France, 5–7 May 1999. Independent Technical Conferences Ltd, pp 397–406
Babrauskas V (2003) Ignition Handbook. Fire Science Publishers, Issaquah, WA, USA
Wickström U (To be published) Heat Transfer in Fire Technology. Draft 26 March 2013 edn.,
Quintiere JG (1998) Principals of Fire Behavior. Delmar Publishers,
Drysdale D (1994) An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. John Wiley & Sons,
Kanury AM (1972) Ignition of cellulosic materials: a review. Fire Research Abstracts and Reviews 14:24–52
Dillon SE (1998) Analysis of the ISO9705 Rom/Corner Test: Simulations, Correlations and Heat Flux Measurements M.S. Thesis, Department of Fire Protection Engineering, University of Maryland,
Cleary TG, Quintiere JG (1991) Flammability Characterization of Foam Plastics. NIST,
Hopkins Dj, Quintiere JG (1996) Material Fire Properties and Predictions for Thermoplastics. Fire Safety Journal 26:241–268
Grexa O, Janssens M, White R, Dietenberger M Fundamental Thermophysical Prperties of Materials Derived from Cone Calorimeter Measurements. In: Wood & Fire Safety: 3rd International Scientific Conference, 1998. The High Tatras, Slovak Republic, pp 139–147
Henderson A (1998) Predicting Ignition Time under Transient Heat Flux Using Results from Constant Heat Flux Experiments. School of Engineering, Univ. Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Janssens ML (1991) Fundamental Thermophysical Characteristics of Wood and Their Role in Enclosure Fire Growth. Ph.D dissertation, University of Gent, Belgium,
Harkleroad M. Unpublished NIST data,
Grexa O, Horváthová E, Osvald A Cone Calorimeter Studies of Wood Species. In: International Symposium on Fire Science and Technology, Seoul, 1997. Korean Institute of Fire Science & Enginering, pp 77–84
Dietenberger M, Grexa O Analytical Model of Flame Spread in Full-scale Room/Corner Tests (ISO 9705). In: Fire & Materials ’99, 6th International Conference, 1999. Interscience Communications Ltd, pp 211–222
NFPA (1981) NFPA Handbook. National Fire Protection Association,
Glassman I, Dryer F (1980/81) Flame spreading across liquid fuels. Fire Safety Journal 3:123–138
Gottuk DT, White DA (2008) Liquid Fuel Fires. In: DiNenno P (ed) The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Quincy: National Fire Protection Association, pp 2–337 -- 332–357
Ingason H Small Scale Test of a Road Tanker Fire. In: Ivarson E (ed) International Conference on Fires in Tunnels, Borås, Sweden, October 10–11 1994. SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, pp pp. 238–248
White D, et al. (1997) Flame Spread on Aviation Fuels Fire Safety Journal Volume 28:pp. 1–31
Lönnermark A, Kristensson P, Helltegen M, Bobert M Fire suppression and structure protection for cargo train tunnels: Macadam and HotFoam. In: Lönnermark A, Ingason H (eds) 3rd International Symposium on Safety and Security in Tunnels (ISTSS 2008), Stockholm, Sweden, 12–14 March 2008. SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, pp 217–228
Ingason H (2012) Fire Dynamics in Tunnels. In: Beard AN, Carvel RO (eds) In The Handbook of Tunnel Fire Safety, 2nd Edition ICE Publishing, London, pp 273–304
Koseki H (1989) Combustion Properties of Large Liquid Pool Fires. Fire Technology 25 (August):241–255
Tewardson A (2008) Generation of Heat and Gaseous, Liquid, and Solid Products in Fires. In: DiNenno PJ, Drysdale D, Beyler CL et al. (eds) The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Fourth Edition edn. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, USA, pp 3–109–103–194
Ingason H, Lönnermark A, Li YZ (2011) Runehamar Tunnel Fire Tests. SP Technicial Research Institute, SP Report 2011:55
Ingason H, Bergqvist A, Lönnermark A, Frantzich H, Hasselrot K (2005) Räddningsinsatser i vägtunnlar. Räddningsverket, P21-459/05 (in Swedish)
Lönnermark A, Ingason H (2006) Fire Spread and Flame Length in Large-Scale Tunnel Fires. Fire Technology 42 (4):283–302
BEA-TT (2006) Rapport provisoire d’enquête technique sur l’incendie de poids lours survenu dans le tunnel du Fréjus le 4 juin 2005. Bureau d’Enquêtes sur les Accidents de Transport Terrestre, France
Brinson A (2005) Fire in French Tunnel Kills Two. Eurosprinkler,
Bettelini M, Neuenschwander H, Henke A, Gagliardi M, Steiner W The Fire in the St Gotthard Tunnel of October 24, 2001. In: Ingason H (ed) International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, 20–21 November 2003. SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, pp 49–68
Ingason H Fire Development in Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF). In: Ingason H (ed) International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires (CTF), Borås, Sweden, 20–21 November 2003. SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, pp 31–47
Duffé P, Marec M (1999) Report on the Technical Enquiry into the Fire on 24 March 1999 in the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Ministry of the Interior, Ministry for Equipment, Transport and Accommodation, France
Torero JL (2008) Flaming Ignition of Solid Fuels. In: DiNenno P (ed) The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Quincy: National Fire Protection Association, pp 2–260 -- 262–277
Beard AN, Drysdale DD, Bishop SR (1995) A Non-linear Model of Major Fire Spread in a Tunnel. Fire Safety Journal 24:333–357
Beard AN (1997) A Model for Predicting Fire Spread in Tunnels. Journal of Fire Sciences 15 (July/August):277–307
Beard AN Major Fire Spread in a Tunnel: A Non-linear Model. In: Vardy AE (ed) Fourth International Conference on Safety in Road and Rail Tunnels, Madrid, Spain, 2–6 April 2001. University of Dundee and Independent Technical Conferences Ltd., pp 467–476
Beard AN Major Fire Spread in a Tunnel: A Non-linear Model with Flame Impingement. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Safety in Road and Rail Tunnels, Marseille, France, 6–10 October 2003. University of Dundee and Independent Technical Conferences Ltd., pp 511–521
Beard AN Major Fire Spread in a Tunnel, Assuming Flame Impingement: Effect of Separation and Ventilation Velocity. In: Fifth International Conference on Tunnel Fires, London, UK, 25–27 October 2004. Tunnel Management International, pp 317–326
Carvel RO, Beard AN, Jowitt PW The Influence of Longitudinal Ventilation on Fire Spread between HGV Fires in Tunnels. In: Fifth International Conference on Tunnel Fires, London, UK, 25–27 October 2004. Tunnel Management International, pp 307–316
Hansen R, Ingason H (2011) An Engineering tool to calculate heat release rates of multiple objects in underground structures. Fire Safety Journal 46 (4):194–203. doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2011.02.001
Hansen R, Ingason H (2012) Heat release rates of multiple objects at varying distances. Fire Safety Journal 52:1–10
Ingason H (2009) Design fire curves in tunnels. Fire Safety Journal 44 (2):259–265. doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2008.06.009
Numajiri F, Furukawa K (1998) Short Communication: Mathematical Expression of Heat Release Rate Curve and Proposal of ’Burning Index’. Fire and Materials 22:39–42
Li YZ, Lei B, Ingason H (2011) The maximum temperature of buoyancy-driven smoke flow beneath the ceiling in tunnel fires. Fire Safety Journal 46 (4):204–210.
Ingason H, Li YZ (2011) Model scale tunnel fire tests with point extraction ventilation. Journal of Fire Protection Engineering 21 (1):5–36.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ingason, H., Li, Y., Lönnermark, A. (2015). Fire Spread. In: Tunnel Fire Dynamics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2199-7_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2199-7_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2198-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2199-7
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)