An Experimental Study on the Fire Behavior of Concrete Segments in Tunnel Linings

Abstract:

As soon as the plan to build deep and long tunnels in Korea was announced, guaranteeing fire-resistance of R/C tunnel linings became an important issue. As a matter of fact, the R/C segments used in bored tunnels are structural members which are requested to resist both the transverse pressure of the soil and the longitudinal thrust of the TBM. Because of the temperature sensitivity of the high-performance concrete (compressive strength>40 MPa) that will be used, proper measures should be taken against possible fire-induced damage, like surface spalling and deterioration of the reinforcement. In the past, concrete linings were built in Korea with scanty attention to their fire safety, as demonstrated by the lack of studies on fire resistance of both materials and structures. Therefore, in this study the objective is how to improve the safety of R/C tunnel linings in case of fire, by comparing the damage observed in some full-scale tests recently performance in Korea with the damage observed in the tests performed by EFNARC (European Federation of Producer and Applicators of Specialist Products for Structures) and by investigating the fire behavior of a concrete lining as a whole.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 82)
• Pages: 527-532
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.82.527
• Online since: July 2011
• Authors: Kyung Hoon Park, Heung Youl Kim, Byung Youl Min
• Keywords: Fire Damage Range, Fire Protection, Spalling, Tunnel Fire

References

[1] EFNARC, "Specification and Guidelines for Testing of Passive Fire Protection for Concrete Tunnels Linings, pp.6-13(2006)

[2] World Road Association (PIARC), "PIARC Proposal on Design Criteria for Resistance to Fire for Road Tunnel Structures, Paris, Revision 1, (2002)

[3] ITA Working Group No.6, "Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance for Road Tunnels", International Tunnelling Association, ITA, pp.36-41(2004).

[4] Korean Ministry of Land, Transport & Maritime Affairs, Final Report on the Development of Fire-resistance Design Technology for Tunnel Structures (Year V), p.12~14 (2008)

[5] Center for Underground Fire & Environment Research, Guidelines for Fire-resistance Design of Tunnel Structures and Restoration to Repair Thermal Damages (Draft), Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Appendix p.1~33 (2008)

[6] Kim Hyung-Jun, Han Sang-Hoon, Choi Seung-Kwan, "A Study on the Influence of Spalling on Concrete Element upon a Fire", Journal of Korea Institute of Fire Science & Engineering Vol. 21 No. 2, pp.1-6 (2007)

[7] Kim Heung-youl, Kim Hyung-jun, Cho Kyung-sook, Lee jae-sung, Kwan Ki-kyuk, "An Experimental Study on the Spalling of Concrete Lining and Thermal Damage upon a Tunnel Fire, Journal of Korea Institute of Fire Science & Engineering Vol. 23 No. 3, p.112 (2009)